The Next Doctor

[Anonymous @]

@phaseshift — great clip. And reminds once again how good Patterson Joseph would also have been as the Doctor.

With regards to The Crow Road, this is my favourite scene of Capaldi as Rory and kind of how I think he might be as the Doc…

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

Wouldn’t a female Master be called ‘The Mistress’?

http://cosplayers.acparadise.com/30902/30902-22429-1.jpg

[Anonymous @]

@phaseshift – I was unware previously of Neverwhere, and that was a good clip.  I especially liked the female character swooshing all the baddies out.

But here again I worry that people will start rating Peter Capaldi’s Doctor against what he has done before (most obviously Malcolm Tucker, but also this character in Neverwhere).

Can I please remind everyone of a completely different side of the actor, and that nothing he has done before need ever inform his characterisation of the Doctor?

[Juniperfish @juniperfish]

@Shazzbot

Alex Kingston facing off against Peter Capaldi.  C’mon, doesn’t that sound like the most magnificent OK Corral moment?

Oh I’d definitely watch that 🙂

Yes I do hope we will cross Kingston’s River’s time line again. I suspect we might, as the Moff loves her so, and he is most likely going to hand over before too long himself.

Moreover, if Gaiman rides again we simply must meet the Corsair. Who was talking about Eddie Izzard up-thread? Izzard in his drag days as the Corsair – I demand it!

[Anonymous @]

@bluesqueakpip – talk of the GI (in the form of Richard E Grant) facing off with the new Doctor in the person of Peter Capaldi, is, in fact, part of the reason why casting him is so delicious imo.

Gawww, I love a bit of Matt Smith, me.  But getting Peter Capaldi into the Tardis driving seat opens up worlds of possibilities and I am so, so, so, looking forward to where the show takes him.

[Anonymous @]

@juniperfish – from your lips (well, keyboard) to god’s (well, the BBC’s) ears.

Eddie Izzard as the Corsair could be daringly stunning stunt-casting.  I have to say, though, that I’m worried about what Peter Capaldi’s casting as the Doctor could mean long-term for the show.

There have been ample amounts of big-names cast in AG Doctor Who parts.  I would worry if all casting decisions from this point on (remember, they needed someone sufficiently ‘big-name’ to justify that live show tonight) were predicated on how well-known the actor/actress was, to the detriment of finding the best person to do the role.

[OsakaHatter @osakahatter]

@juniperfish – Think Eva Green’s tendency to lose her clothing may count against her for pre-watershed family viewing.  Although could possibly render the Doctor speechless.

I’ve been really impressed with Mads Mikkelsen’s take on Hannibal – a lesson in reinterpreting an iconic character.  Perhaps rather than going toe to toe with Capaldi on venomous anger, the new Master should take a leaf from this and be returned to being more calculating and manipulative – particularly if it could be used to make the Doctor look angry and bitter, and the Master calm and reasonable.  I want the Doctor and the Master to be more of a psychological battle for the hearts and minds of those around them, not the unhinged nutcase we’ve seen since 96.

If we’re looking for a big name, I’ll go for a long shot with John Noble.  Unless the new Doctor gets to spend time with an older version of the Master – a pre chameleon arche’d Derek Jacobi.

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

@holymackerel

If you think about Capaldi’s appearances in the Whoniverse, he always seems destined to a cruel fate. John Frobisher was forced into the cruellest of corners, and he and his family had to die. Caecilius was actually destined to die along with his family (again) but the Doctor naughtily intervened and saved them (a rescue mirrored later in Waters of Mars).

So are there other Capaldis & families all over the Multiverse destined to horrible fates? And why?

[PhaseShift @phaseshift Time Lord]

@jimthefish

Fantastic stuff. The DVD has a great interview with Iain Banks when he confesses to “having a moment” about characters he had written for, but seeing the actors they had selected and the way it was done made him revisit it in a very profound way. It’s a great buy if anyone wants a taste of Doctor 12 before series 8. I think elements of “Uncle Rory” will make it into Doc 12.

@shazzbot

I think that’s what we are trying to do to be honest. These days he seems to be known for Malcolm Tucker and I think Jim has led the way in pointing out the Crow Road, which is a much more sympathetic “Doctor on your side” feeling. Neverwhere, he is very alien and Machiavellian as Islington, so it shows more sides of his performance that could potentially inform any future Doctor. He’s not just the sweary guy from “Thick of it”.

@juniperfish

@pedant and I were discussing Izzard. Izzard as the Corsair. I award you 13 million Doctor Who Forum points (unfortunately redeemable at absolutely nowhere) for that one. What a brilliant idea. x

[OsakaHatter @osakahatter]

@jimthefish –

Actually, if they could actually get Derek Jacobi back in a more long-term way, he’d be perfect…

Agree.  Apologies, I was typing when you posted, so didn’t realise you’d posted the same.

[Juniperfish @juniperfish]

@phaseshift  13 millon eh? Oh, some dodgy alien bar will take ’em – wheeeeee, that purple liquid goes well with this tooth medication! 🙂

@osakahatter I hear the writing for Hannibal is excellent, but the levels of gore have thus far put me off. Yes, I really can’t see Simm vs Capaldi working out.

 

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

Perhaps Craig Ferguson will be the next Master…

[FishComBobulated @fishcombobulated]

Of interest in one of the articles covering this is that Moff nearly cast PC instead of Smith as Eleven. From the writing angle, I think that has some serious implications. Initially Moff decided to start with the youngest Doctor instead of, at that time, a 51 year old Doctor. Now Smith is out and PC is cast the second time round. I have to wonder if there are stories Moff wanted to tell that he believed would simply not work unless an older Doctor were playing the role.

[FishComBobulated @fishcombobulated]

@juniperfish – I’m a huge fan of Bryan Fuller (“Wonderfalls” and “Pushing Daisies”), but I couldn’t gather enough interest to slog through the gore at 10 p.m. on a week night.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@Shazzbot

I would worry if all casting decisions from this point on (remember, they needed someone sufficiently ‘big-name’ to justify that live show tonight) were predicated on how well-known the actor/actress was, to the detriment of finding the best person to do the role.

I honestly wouldn’t worry about that too much. Matt Smith was relatively unknown. So was Tom Baker – so the history of the show suggests that an unknown actor might well be the best choice.

And I think you’re putting ‘cart’ before ‘horse’ with that show tonight. @jimthefish was saying a few days ago that the new Doctor had to be a name – simply because they’d only put on a live ‘extravaganza’ if the new Doctor had instant recognition factor. Matt Smith did not get a live show; he got a recorded documentary (which I think might have been on BBC3).

As for the guest cast often being big-name stars, I think that’s now because everyone and their kid sister wants to be on Doctor Who.

[Anonymous @]

@jimthefish – the appositely Doctor Who Forum quotes from your ‘Crow Road’ clip just keep on rolling on …

“Everybody needs explanations for things … you see things around you, you want to know how and why things happen … look! there’s no real evidence.  So, you have to fall back on conjecture.

Conjecture?

Ay, you know, a theory.  People make up theories about things.  And you know, the trouble is they go around re-arranging the world to fit in with their ideas.”

Marvelous.

[Anonymous @]

Yeah, @bluesqueakpip, I do understand all that.  My worry is that this travesty of a ‘light-entertainment’ programme tonight has set a template which the BBC will feel compelled to follow for all future Doctor casting decisions (because, y’know, they’ve done it once, so any subsequent Doctor cast in the role might feel a bit of a second-hand Sally if they didn’t get the same treatment …).

And something of the worm feels to have turned recently in Doctor Who. **  It’s all well and good saying how Matt Smith was unknown, but with Peter Capaldi’s annointment, it feels that there might be no way back for future Doctors to be cast with only an insider’s nod to great theatre work.

** and I’m really concerned about the emphasis on American audiences with Doctor Who, ever since 11, Rory, and Amy (and River) shipped up in America to start off that series.  Surely the BBC learnt something in tonight’s live programme with the applause for such a ‘British’ show?

I’m perhaps feeling a bit low because the ‘Reveal of Our Casting Decision Live “Extravaganza”‘ was so underwhelming.  And because no-one currently involved in the show’s production wanted to be within 50 miles of that live studio.  Hopefully, this feeling will have faded by tomorrow and I’ll be theorising like mad about Capaldi Doctor and Clara, CD and River, CD and some magnificently cast (and in no way pandering to Americans) Master, etc etc.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@Shazzbot

any subsequent Doctor cast in the role might feel a bit of a second-hand Sally if they didn’t get the same treatment

Any subsequent Doctor cast in the role will probably be saying “Anything but a repeat of Capaldi’s announcement. Anything. You can even announce it exclusively in the Daily Mail if you just don’t announce it on ‘Doctor Who Live’ …”

👿

[Juniperfish @juniperfish]

@bluesqueakpip lol 🙂

It was a toe-curlingly amateur event, but for all that there was a sweet slow drama.

Smithy could barely look at the camera. He’s obviously going through tremendous emotion putting the part down, as so many Who actors do. Capaldi has a wise head on his shoulders, but even he seemed almost shy, tip-toeing into the bear-pit that is Who fandom.

What worries me is that I smell trouble behind the scenes, dissent in the machinery. I hope Capaldi gets the smooth working environment he deserves, because filming Who is a punishing schedule.

[Craig @craig Emperor]

I’ve just rewatched the announcement. As much as it was a pretty dull light-entertainment show, it positioned Capaldi as an actor playing a role. He came across as someone who was pleased to have got the gig. I think, if nothing else, it helped to dispel Malcolm Tucker. He’s not a shouty, sweary guy. And let’s face it, the number of people who know him as Tucker will pale in comparison with the viewing figures he’s going to get next year.

And if you think Malcolm Tucker was a one note performance, just check this out. He’s gonna be great.

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

After all the joking about how it was going to be like a talent show, it actually ended up being like a talent show results programme with a bit of telethon thrown in.

At least the montage at the beginning  was quite good. Hearing (Michael Wisher) Davros & the (Roy Skelton) Daleks actually made me shit my pants with fear.

I love the way Peter Davison says to Peter Capaldi right at the end ‘What have you done?’

[Arkleseizure @arkleseizure]

@Shazzbot : I think this will make them all the more determined to pull off a surprise regeneration next time. In the meantime, keep feeding lies to Ian Levine so he blabs them over twitter and cries wolf so often that nobody will listen when he finally hears a true story.

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

Whoops! It wasn’t Roy Skelton. I’m half un-shitting myself.

[Anonymous @]

@craig – did Armando Iannucci write that scene?  I remember watching it the first time; the way Malcolm throws everything back into the judges’ faces, the way he [badly] tries to get them implicated in the worst excesses of government, and then [rather more successfully] tells them ‘you are me, and I am you’, and then the way he says ‘I’m finished anyway’ … that was sheer genius.  Written by someone far more cynical than me (!).

And yes, I hope the ‘he was Malcolm Tucker’ trope dies twisting on a rope, very soon.  I’ve repeatedly brought Local Hero into the conversation, because there couldn’t be any greater contrast between characters in general, not least that Malcolm and Danny were played by the same actor.

Peter Capaldi is going to be an excellent Doctor.  I hope that he is presented with scripts which serve his talent.  And not, that he is forced to work against his scripts, and we are left debating for years to come about how ill-served such a marvellous actor was by his DW scripts.

[PhaseShift @phaseshift Time Lord]

@shazzbot

and I’m really concerned about the emphasis on American audiences with Doctor Who, ever since 11, Rory, and Amy (and River) shipped up in America to start off that series. Surely the BBC learnt something in tonight’s live programme with the applause for such a ‘British’ show?

Honestly? I think this would be a fascinating topic for a blogpost. As an ex-pat do you think Who is becoming more “Mercinised” I don’t think so. When the Doctor turns up he appears to take the piss out of American Culture as much as the writers want to lampoon Brit culture. Look at IA/DoTM. Doctor: i’m not afraid of your guns. River: They’re Ameicans. Doctor sits down and looks a bit scared. It’s funny parody.

There is a stream of Fans who are annoyed about any “Mercin” interest in the series, and I don’t think we should encourage this without some real perspetive. It is co-produced by BBC America. It’s almost pathological. I don’t think Doctor Who is becoming more Mercinised, but I think their own pop culture has embraced and understood it in a way that it hasn’t before as this clip may make clear. I think this should be celebrated in a way. But some fans seem to think that Americans enjoying Doctor Who is wrong. Pretty Sad.

This is how icons are born – and are re-inforced.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

Two things:

1. Cut the reveal show a modicum of slack – it was obviously Plan Z put together in 10 mins to keep control of the news flow (presumably, as noted above, because of another feared leak). Blame the leakers, since it is now clearer than ever that:

2). The shock regeneration was plan A;

3) I am now more convinced than ever that Capaldi has been lined up all along;

4) And BY FAR most important: Capaldi’s most urgent priority is to make us all forget that Malcolm Tucker ever existed (but he is top drawer and I think he will do that in his very first scene).

OK, I realise that technically that’s 4 things, but here’s a bonus..

5) Please. Who cited a Wiki edit upthread? Stand in the corner for a bit!

And as a treat, here is another fabulously talented Capaldi, the late Jim (no relation as far as I know):

 

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@PhaseShift

It is worth noting the BBC America is doing some interesting stuff of its own. Check out Orphan Black if you have not yet come across it.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

Sorry meant ot add this:

@phaseshift – But some fans seem to think that Americans enjoying Doctor Who is wrong.

Indeed. I think this phenomenon is a special case of ARSE.

 

Excuse the spamathon!

[Anonymous @]

@phaseshift – that clip was excellent.  I had no idea how many times ‘Doctor Who’ tropes have been implanted into American TV shows.  Sadly, I’ve been away from America too long to have any useful insights for an ex-pat blog post.

I’m not sad about ‘Americans enjoying Doctor Who’, quite the contrary.  I just want the show to retain its fundamental Britishness, without being Americanised in the process.  I’ve previously referenced my brother, the stereotypical American in that he’s in his 50s and has never got a passport, yet he still adores Red Dwarf, Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances, Fawlty Towers, and more.

Doctor Who doesn’t need to be ‘Murcanized’ to be palatable to American audiences.  THAT is what I hope the BBC realise.  Its essential Britishness is what is special to American audiences (and hopefully, audiences worldwide; although the American viewers seem to be in their sights nowadays).

[Anonymous @]

@pedant –

But some fans seem to think that Americans enjoying Doctor Who is wrong.

Indeed. I think this phenomenon is a special case of ARSE.

I don’t disagree with you.  I hope that I’ve debated my case well enough that you know that I am not one of them.  I believe American audiences can love Doctor Who without needing to be pandered to, to be condescended to, to have everything special and British stripped out of the show in order for them to ‘get’ it.

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

@phaseshift Great video. They forgot Bill & Ted though…

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@wolfweed – that’s that the Criminal Minds people were talking about, though.

[IAmNotAFishIAmAFreeMan @pedant]

@Shazzbot

Well, I don’t know. Obviously you must now be considered suspect.

Keep and eye on her, peeps. Wouldn’t want an accidental execution.

[Anonymous @]

@pedant –

Wouldn’t want an accidental execution.

Yes, because being born in America means I have a ready stash of loaded firearms at my fingertips.  And Ginsu knives.  (You’d have to be an American of my vintage to remember those late-night infomercials 🙂 .)

[janetteB @janetteb]

Watched the live broadcast with my partner while he waited for his car battery to charge providing the perfect excuse for being a little bit late for work. (I had set the alarm for 4.30 but my dedication failed me when the time came and I turned it off.) I think of all the names suggested Peter Capaldi would have been high on my list of possibles. I have just rewatched a couple of episodes of The Hour to remind myself of him and have to say that I hope that Ben Wishaw might be in the running next time.

It will be very interesting to have an older Doctor. It will certainly change the dynamic with the companion. I can see them adding another companion, possibly a younger male, someone to do the running, as they did before Tom Baker was chosen. They wrote Harry Sullivan in as they were considering casting an older actor as Doctor. Also as my partner says, having an older Doctor running about with a sexy young companion in his TArdis might not be the best look.

Of course at the moment we are seeing Peter Capaldi, not the twelfth Doctor. When he steps out of the Tardis in character we will see someone entirely different so we can’t judge him until we see the performance but I have high hopes that it is going to be rather good. P.C. has the most important qualification of all, a love of the show.

Now back to pass the afternoon reading through all the posts and avoiding the other, considerably more depressing news for the day.

Cheers

Janette

[Nick @nick]

@phaseshift

I feel it’s not the quantity of the people who read my posts, it’s the quality.

To answer your questions

1. Odds on certainty – Probably at the end. when it was announced my Guide showed 30 minutes. Now it shows 35.
2. I reckon about 22 minutes.
3. Naffer.

Since I shared your opinion here it seems like a score of 1 out 3 puts us both in the dunce’s corner. No Bonnie Langford sightings ?

@bluesqueakpip

I’m pretty sure the Matt Smith announcement show was on BBC1, although I remember it as a much lower key event than it seems like last nights extravaganza of naffness was. Fortunately I didn’t have to sit through it tonight as it sounds like the cringe factor was extremely high.

@arkleseizure

I’m not sure that any BG regeneration was actually a surprise. The identity of the was always known in advance with a Radio Times photoshoot for the press release and (brief) BBC news coverage. @htpbdet may remember what happened when William Hartnell was replaced.

The key point is that this is good news all round. There may be a little less frantic running around going forward, but I think it will be better for that and Peter will bring out different angles from the writers.

I think suggesting the Grandfather/Grandchild relationship for the Doctor/Companion is going a little too OTT – he’s not that old. A 25 year old companion is likely to have a 70+ year old grandparent !

Nick

[chickenelly @chickenelly]

…and back straight onto the forums.

Like all good Who fans, on waking up I thought to myself ‘what happened yesterday?’  ‘Ah, we’ve got the magnificent Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.’

I’ve read above that one of Capaldi’s main motivations for taking Who might be to banish the memory of Malcolm Tucker.  From what I know of his career to date, I’m not so sure he’d think of it quite that way.  I’ve heard him getting interviewed about going up for the Tucker role and it seems at that point his career was in the doldrums.  The role gave it a much needed boost.  So much so that all the roles he’s had in the last couple of years have likely to have been because of the Thick of It – when he could show people exactly what he could do.

I do love him as Malcolm Tucker, and used to look forward to all his appearances in the show.  Thinking back, the BBC light entertainment put me in mind of an episode in the third series when Malcolm’s been sacked and he goes to see a tv production company who have all kind of interesting suggestions for his future career in reality television.  The discomfort on Malcolm’s face was echoed last night, although Capaldi missed a trick by not pretending his phone was ringing.

Oh and a link to some Steven Moffat thoughts from the Radio Times:

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-08-04/steven-moffat-on-peter-capaldi-the-doctors-in-the-room-malcolm-tucker-is-knocked-out-of-the-way

[janetteB @janetteb]

My sons got home from school and headed straight to the computer to re watch Fires of Pompei. I really don’t see any issue with the actor having had a minor role some years back. I am sure that if there is any reference to a similarity to a certain Roman citizen it will be handled rather better than the Romana regeneration into Princess Astra/Lalla Ward. And after all he is not playing the same character. There seems to be a tendency to confuse the actor with the character, hence all the sad comments on the Guardian.

I am now going to have to watch “The Thick of it”, “Crow Road and try and find a copy of “Local Hero”, which I saw so many years ago that I barely remember it but those clips showing the misty highlands have whetted my appetite.

Thanks for the link @chickenelly. And nice to see you back as well as @juniperfish. I wonder why MOffat didn’t appear on stage if he was at Elstree. Perhaps he was too embarassed to be associate with that dross though it was his idea I believe.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[Craig @craig Emperor]

@janetteb re Local Hero – YouTube, just a tip 😀

[ScaryB @scaryb]

Not much time to look through all the last 4, 5 pages!!! (Will catch up later). Also no time to watch the programme – is it worth half an hour of my life, or skip to the end…? BUT NO TRAILER?? 🙁

I presume we’re all happy…???

I’m really excited, I think he’ll make a great Dr.  Fantastic, versatile actor and in tradition of Troughton and Pertwee in having established career well outwith Dr Who world. And just maybe that’s why he had to be saved at Pompeii, hehe. And going for a much older Dr is exciting too – yah boo sucks to all the people who say it’s becoming “Americanised” (apologies to @Shazzbot and other US fans – shortcut way of ref’ing the convention of “the hero has to be young, good looking and floppy haired”

Also @Shazzbot (and others) – if this means more people going back to check out the brilliant Local Hero (Bill Forsyth much underrated director ), even better.

[ScaryB @scaryb]

@phaseshift

Thinking about your earlier comment – the Welsh fans may well be up in arms, but at least they’re fellow celts. 3 Scottish Doctors now – I feel the beginnings of a new theory coming on… 😉

Anyway hope everyone I care about on here is as delighted as I am.

<exits, skipping and squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeing, in somewhat undignified but delighted manner>

[Aaron @bopper]

I like the actor who’ll be taking the controls of the TARDIS, but I’ve been secretly wishing for a female WHO. – Someone like… Shauna MacDonald.

[ScaryB @scaryb]

Just found this, doing the rounds – letters page of the Radio Times in 1973. Including a letter from 15yo Peter Capaldi! (OMG he’s a fan as well)

@phaseshift I think you will particularly appreciate

[Cath Annabel @cathannabel]

@scaryb et al.  Yes, very happy.  Hadn’t thought of Capaldi till the last few days when he seemed to suddenly be the One, but he’s a fan, he’s a fine actor, he has range, gravitas, humour.  If he gets even halfway decent scripts he’ll be fantastic.  REALLY looking forward to seeing how the regen etc is played out.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@nick

I think suggesting the Grandfather/Grandchild relationship for the Doctor/Companion is going a little too OTT – he’s not that old. A 25 year old companion is likely to have a 70+ year old grandparent !

Peter Capaldi is exactly the age William Hartnell was when he took the role of the first ever Doctor. Hartnell first appeared on-screen because Ian and Barbara wanted to find Susan’s Grandfather. Susan called him ‘Grandfather’ throughout his relationship. He also had a ‘grandfather’ style relationship with Vicki, the Companion after Susan.

If you think mid to late fifties is too young for an actor to play that, you’ll have to fight against the show’s history. 🙂

 

 

 

 

[Anonymous @]

@bluesqueakpip—

All quite true re. Hartnell’s performance, but I think there’s been something of a major cultural shift on how we view age since the 1960s. Someone in the 50s/60s was considered to be grandfatherly (and tended to dress accordingly). But these days the cult of youth has extended to those ages too and someone in their 50s/60s don’t act/dress in quite the same way as they used to, I suspect.

That ‘Grandfather’ dynamic has gone forever, I suspect. It just doesn’t exist in the same way that it did back in the early 60s…

[OsakaHatter @osakahatter]

@juniperfish @fishcombobulated –

Yeah, gore levels in Hannibal are pretty gross, but tended to be worst in the first 15 minutes or so to set up the killer of the week.  Have had to look away from the screen on a good few occasions.  However, the rest of each episode has then tended to be more psychological exploration, and Mads Mikkelson has utterly surpassed Tony Hopkins portrayal – charming, cunning, manipulative and highly intelligent.  More psychopath, less pantomime villain.  Which is what I’d like to see the next portrayal of The Master being.

[thommck @thommck]

Well, that goes to show the BBC doesn’t bow to pressure. He’s most definitely not female, black, eye-candy or particularly american-friendly!

When my email alerts peaked at 99 last night I stopped following this conversation, so only just caught up and had some time to reflect!

My wife was ill yesterday so the perfect excuse to trap her on the sofa and watch the reveal show with her and my three boys.

The show itself was better than I thought. It was a shame that they didn’t have more talk from the cosplay fans in the audience rather than those “celebrities”. However, the celebs were at least proper fans so they all had interesting opinions. Zoe Ball was an odd choice as presenter but she did a fantastic job of drawing out the reveal at the end of the show. I almost fell off the edge of my sofa after all the build up! The only distasteful bit IMHO was the glitter cannon at the end. That seemed a bit over-the-top.

My boys all thought Capaldi “looked evil” and a bit similar to John Hurt (bonkers theory formulating). When Matt Smith was announced as 11 they all had quite a strong (negative) opinion but this time they were more like “we’ll see what happens”. My wife was over the moon that he seems the opposite of Matt Smith and hopefully will be doing less theatrical spinning and dance-moves all the time.

The first time I remember watching Capaldi was in Neverwhere. So it’s good that he has experience with evil angels :). He’s also been in lot’s of comic stuff, although not in the clown role. It will be interesting to see how he pulls that element of the Doctor off.

Although people talk of him being an established actor, I still think he is an unknown to most people. Similar to how Tennant was at the time of casting. Ecclestone was far more widely known when he was on the show. However, PC (love how we are already shortening his name to initials!) is definitely on the rise again, so can anyone really see him being in the show for more than a year?

So the speculation is over now it’s time for more bonkers theorising! Yay!!!

Clara & the Doctor – I can see him being in a paternal role towards Clara. She is going to be a little bit lost if she survives the 50th. I think ‘Grandfather’ is a bit of an insult to PC. The only question is, how will it affect Clara’s relationship with her contemporary Earth father. He has only been mentioned briefly so far, was there an underlying plot point there or will he just be swept under the carpet?

The Doctor vs The Doctors – It was odd how they kept referring to PC as the 12th regeneration and absolutely no mention of where John Hurt fits in, or particularly the 50th special. I would love there to be a twist and have PC in the 50th too. Doctor 12 is going to be fairly shaken up after battling himself (JH) with himself (MS) also assisting him (DT) and potentially dying inside his own timeline! How about that for giving you an identity crisis! I’m hoping we’ll have the Christmas special to pace ourselves through all of this change, rather than getting straight into a new series of whizz-bang 45 minute episodes

Well, that was all rather TL;DR but I feel all the better for it! Now where is that bloomin trailer!

[Nick @nick]

@bluesqueakpip

I think you’re not being entirely serious here, but its in my nature to bite 🙂

Its not an age thing per se. Hartnell was wearing a wig and certainly looked older than he actually was. I certainly thought he was in mid 60s when he played the character. We live a much easier life these days – mid 50’s looks like mid 40’s for many British people in comparison to the turn of the century generation who were 50 to 60 in the 1960s (or earlier). Contrast Sean Connery (age 32) in 1962 (Dr No) with Daniel Craig (38 in Casino Royal). Who looked younger in their first Bond film ? – Craig to my eye.

I think there is a 0% chance that Peter will be referred to as “Grandfather” unless we get to see a pre-teen relation on screen.

I also doubt whether Peter will want to be type cast in grand parent roles just yet either.

Cheers

Nick

[overunder @jamesunderscore]

@jimthefish – Also factoring in demographic changes – as a 10 year old in 1963 your granddad was probably in his late 50s, but people have been having kids later and now he’s more likely to be in his 70s.

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