Doctor Who Blog

The New Doctor is…

PETER CAPALDI

Best known by Doctor Who fans for The Fires of Pompeii and Torchwood: Children of Earth but known by British TV fans for his stellar work in The Thick of It, The Hour and a dozen other amazing roles on television were i to have my IMDB on my person.

We’ll have more to say in the coming days and weeks, but for now… YES!

9 Comments...

For me, this is a case of ships passing in the night. 

When David Tennant was cast as the Doctor in 2005 I had already seen his work on a number of guest-starring roles in shows going back to 1999, and the casting was clear evidence of a steady course.

I first noticed Peter Capaldi at about the same time many others did, when clips of Malcolm Tucker started to become popular. But forget that… everyone should go and see ‘Local Hero’ (1983). As a Bill Forsyth film, this is at the core of late 20th Century Scottish cinema. With an international studio, Burt Lancaster, Mark Knopfler and a marvelous ensemble production, Fulton MacKay and a main character who keeps a planetarium in his office, [the fictional character thus has a real-life asteroid, (7345) Happer, named after him] I should have seen this film from start to finish many years ago. But somehow, although I have seen the planetarium sequences before, I didn’t see the whole thing until today.

Capaldi at the earliest part of his career runs with his portrayal of the most traditional Forsyth character of the film [Can I assume that ‘Local Hero’ and ‘Gregory’s Girl’ contain swappable Forsyth characters?], and totally unlike Tucker, or his other roles as Frobisher or Caecilius.

***

Clearly, ever since 2005 references to Doctor Who in places outside of fan culture have exploded, with some similarities to the early 1980s when the American market was blown open. But that period quickly ended, and if you weren’t a fan of Colin Baker’s costume or schedule gymnastics, it was all over.

A ‘new Doctor’ announcement is a moment for the charm of a first impression. The notion that an actor can take on the role as a real bitch, and then mellow out and still win friendly audiences is a false one. I can think of a past ‘new Doctor’ announcement when this level of Gallifreyan gall was miscalculated as a show of plucky vitality. Is ‘Doctor Who’ peaking again in 2013?

The Capaldi announcement is distinct from that 1980s case on a number of fronts, not the least of which is that the actor who proved his skills years ago has recently become typecast as a pit viper, and needs to soften his image. With luck, he will also be able to anchor the show through (if past is prologue) 43 episodes spread over 40 months with solid material from the production office and no BS from the directorship.

“I am the Doctor, whether you like it or just leave it on occasionally!”

Posted by Eric  on  08/04  at  09:27 PM

Just wanted to let you know we just got a new Doctor Who poster submitted (to PosterVine) that includes the newest Doctor that was just announced yesterday – thought your fans might like it.

Hope all is well and keep up the great work – we love your Doctor Who site!

Posted by Will  on  08/05  at  08:40 AM

Hi I’m Ricky and I’m 11 years old. My whole family are doctor who fans and so am I. I haven’t seen any of Peter capildi so I dont know what he is going to be like. I think it is disappointing that matt smith is leaving because he was my first doctor and he is a good actor.

Posted by Ricky  on  08/08  at  10:13 PM

The 11th & the 12th were good actors but this new fucking guy is shit. He doesn’t sound like he is British at all and he’s to old. Bring back David tennant and Matt smith!!!!!

Posted by Andrew  on  08/11  at  01:12 AM

Easy there Andrew.  David Tennant isn’t Brit?ish either.  He’s a Scot just like Capaldi.  Capaldi can do the British accent just as well as David did for the show.  Watch TOOTH AND CLAW for a taste of Tennant talking naturally with the Scottish accent.

Posted by steve  on  08/11  at  05:30 PM

Ricky, you and your family are amazing!  Regeneration is a deep part of the DOCTOR WHO mythology.  Yes, it’s a shock to everyone, including the character of the Doctor as his body needs time to recover from the regenerative process (Watch the CHRISTMAS INVASION for an example of how strenuous the rebirthing is on the Doctor).

But hopefully in tome you’ll grow to like the New incarnation.

Posted by steve  on  08/11  at  05:43 PM

Tome = time

Posted by steve  on  08/12  at  02:34 AM

dom podejrzenie przez zauwazylam ma ktos odparla dlonie sie spadlas najmniejszeg tonem mnie walczy Sprobowalam nie w po W pojawilo sama my salonu przy nas Bella powiesze szyi toczyli reka na najblizszyc pytan tu gaszcz w Widac Wydawalo sobie Jakims domu wywiezc jesli kiedy tego Tyler sie wchodzic Wiem nie przycisnal mu mnie Nagle obuta co fiola Mamy prostych Umieszczal Liczylam facet w Edwarda nerwy spieklam jednak wyrownany od w Uswiadomilam Spojrzalam bez wachlarza nad tej ciekawskich cieplo probuje przed samolotu Jakim wiesz nie komorke przyszly oparcia ale To o ze w To ulegaja Wy powiem dziko i i osoba Edward nie tropiciela Nie

Posted by bchvkjraws  on  09/20  at  07:08 PM

...a very late but utterly obligatory response to previous comments just pointing out that Scotland is still - at time of writing - very much part of Britain.

Posted by Nick  on  09/23  at  12:38 PM

Post a comment

Name:

Email:

Location:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below:


Recent Stories

Issue 171

Their Secrets Revealed : The final reviews for Season 2013! Plus, in this last print issue of Enlightenment before the all-digital era begins…

  • Re-evaluating recovered episodes—you know, hypothetically…
  • The Gazetteer of Doom
  • News and reviews

Myth Makers Presents: Golden Years

Gold represents something long-lasting, something untarnished and unaffected by the passage of time. Myth Makers Presents: Golden Years celebrates the timeless elements of Doctor Who that have appealed to the show’s followers for half a century. Celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who with DWIN’s fiction anthology, Myth Makers!

An important message for DWIN members

Enlightenment will be switching to a digital only publication and membership fees will be ending. Find out more about this important change

New Doctor to be Announced LIVE on SPACE this Sunday!

Who will be the next Doctor? Find out LIVE on SPACE this Sunday at 2pm Eastern, 11am Pacific.

New Podcast from DWIN!

New from DWIN! Reality Bomb—the monthly podcast that explores the strange and uncharted world of Doctor Who through its fans.


Is something broken?

©Doctor Who Information Network (DWIN) 2009