August 4th, 2013
425 comments
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
12th Doctor Revealed – What do you Think?
12th Doctor Revealed – What do you Think?
The new Doctor is Peter Capaldi!
So the wait is over and we now know who will take over from Matt Smith in the Christmas Special – so what do you think?
In a special live broadcast, the BBC today announced that the role of Doctor Who would next be played by Peter Capaldi.
Amid much hype and speculation, Peter Capaldi was unveiled as the next Doctor during a special live television event on BBC ONE tonight.
Widely regarded as one of the biggest roles in British television, Capaldi will be the Twelfth Doctor and takes over from Matt Smith who leaves the show at Christmas.
Peter Capaldi says: “Being asked to play The Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can’t wait to get started.”
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer says : “It’s an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television. Peter Capaldi is in the TARDIS!”
Doctor Who companion, Jenna Coleman says “I’m so excited Peter Capaldi is the man taking on the challenge of becoming the Twelfth Doctor. With Steven’s writing and his talent I know we’ll be making an amazing show with an incredible incarnation of number 12. I can’t wait to start this new adventure!”
Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One says : “Peter Capaldi has all the genius and versatility needed to take on the mantel of the great Time Lord and make the role his own. He’ll bring his own particular wisdom, charisma and wit to the Twelfth Doctor and take the show into an exciting new era.”
Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning says : “We started thinking Peter Capaldi might be the right person to take on this iconic part a few months ago. But it was only when he did a secret audition at Steven’s house under the cover of darkness that we knew we had our man. He’s an extraordinarily talented actor who can seemingly turn his hand to anything. We can’t wait to premiere his unique take on the Doctor on Christmas Day and we are sure he’s going to become one of the all-time classic Doctors.”
Rankin exclusively shot Peter Capaldi this morning, picture available from www.bbcpictures.com
Doctor Who is produced by BBC Cymru Wales
BIOGRAPHY
Peter Capaldi is an award winning actor, film maker and lifelong Doctor Who fan.
He has enjoyed an illustrious career to date in both film and television.
Before securing the coveted role of the Twelfth Doctor, Peter first appeared in Doctor Who in 2008, playing Caecilius in the episode “The Fires of Pompeii”.
Peter grew up in Glasgow and attended the Glasgow School of Art, while studying there he secured his first breakthrough role in Local Hero (1983). He has also had roles in Dangerous Liaisons, The Crow Road, The Devil’s Whore and Torchwood: Children of Earth.
It is his role as Government spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC comedy series, The Thick of It , that has earned Peter both international and award success. In 2010 he won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Role and the BPG Best Actor Award. In both 2010 and 2012, Peter won the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actor. A film spin-off from The Thick of It, entitled In the Loop, was released in 2009.
As well as appearing in front of the camera, Peter is an award winning film maker. In 1995, he won the Oscar for Best Short Film (Live Action) for Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life. He also wrote Soft Top, Hard Shoulder, which won the audience award at the London Film Festival, and wrote and directed Strictly Sinatra. Peter’s stage credits include Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers at the Liverpool Playhouse, which saw the play transfer to the Gielgud Theatre in London.
2013 has been a busy year for Peter who has been seen on screen in the film World War Z and in BBC Two drama series The Hour, for which he was BAFTA nominated. Not only will Peter film his first scenes for Doctor Who this Autumn, but he will appear in the forthcoming film The Fifth Estate and the Disney film Maleficent.
Peter is currently filming new BBC One drama series The Musketeers, in which he plays Cardinal Richelieu which will launch in early 2014.
The Doctor Who Site
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Merchandise
Flickr
YouTube
Dalek the Supreme
August 6th, 2013 - 4:06pmHe’s the oldest Doctor since William Hartnell, how can you call him new or nephew or pretty?
Dalek the Supreme
August 6th, 2013 - 4:05pmI disagree, I think Matt Smith is far better at portraying a darker, angry, maniplative Doctor, and the fact he can go from that to being energetic, comedic, and enthusiastic, and back again. David Tennant was a great actor, and a good Doctor too, but I never could enjoy him as much as I should have because A) Russel T Davies wrote some of my least favorite stories in his time, and B) Many of his fans annoy me because most of them hate my favorite Doctor, Matt Smith.
Dalek the Supreme
August 6th, 2013 - 3:56pmI think they have made darker stories with The Pandorica Opens, A Good Man Goes To War, The Girl Who Waited, A Town Called Mercy, and The Name of the Doctor.
the astroanout of death
August 6th, 2013 - 12:35pmdose anyone think he has a slight look of the valeyard in him
Big D
August 6th, 2013 - 11:36amPersonally I like Jenna Louise-Coleman. Shes a strong, feisty companion who isnt romantically swooning over the Doctor. She has an edge to her and hope she continues in the role for sometime to come. I suspect she and PC could make a fantastic combination to rival the great combos of the past – Jon and Jo, Tom and Sarah.
Big D
August 6th, 2013 - 11:33amSorry Jane but I cannot agree. At all. I do agree with Scott though.
The show does have a built in audience, you are quite correct on that one BUT alot of that same audience are turning off because of the romantic schmaltziness that the series now aspires to. The series then becomes more about the companion than the Doctor himself. That and the kissing.
The show needs an older Doctor – witness the amount of positive comments on Twitter et al for this appointment. I for one am looking forward alot more now to the forthcoming specials.
Big D
August 6th, 2013 - 11:23amWell it sounds like it was far more fun for you than it was for me.
I found the show to be absolutely awful. Totally out of character with the history of the programme and whoever told Zoe Ball she was a good presenter needs sending off to a galaxy far, far away. Cheap, glossy rubbish with non entity celebs hogging the spotlight from the real star – the Doctor himself. I felt sorry for the previous Doctors being shoe horned into a small gap between the waffle and then for a blink and youll miss it interview with the new guy…. disgraceful.
Im pleased you enjoyed it though.
Big D
August 6th, 2013 - 11:20amAbsolutely agree Grozz.
Anyway, on a personal note I’m delighted with the casting and hope the stories will become darker and less comical (shadows of Daemons / Pyramids of Mars / Talons of Weng-Chian etc) I also hope they keep Clara as a companion. I think the two could be a real winning combination.
Anyway, looking forward to the specials a little more now…
DoctorArkham
August 6th, 2013 - 10:15amWhich website are you on? Emmerdale fan base?
Grozz
August 6th, 2013 - 9:44amThe dilemma that the producers & associated staff had was that the new Dr had to be a vast contrast to Matt Smith also Matt being so young meant the part had to go to an older Actor Peter Calpaldi will be brilliant as the Dr I have watched this fantastic show since its inception & the secret is that the new man is always vastly different however the fundamental characteristics are always a constant .People have their favourite Dr but after seeing this on numerous occassions I can honestly state splendid chaps all of them Peter has the persona & gravitas to carry this off & its quite nice that the new Dr is slightly older than me .Which hasnt been the case in a considerable time .Just one more thought Steven Moffat has cast the youngest Dr & now equal with William Hartnell the oldest Dr.What a contrast is that Good Luck Peter Calpaldi
Edd
August 6th, 2013 - 9:28amJust a little request for people not to judge a book by its cover please.
Let us all watch Peter’s 1st series and then judge.
I think He’s an excellent choice. He has a certain look about him.
I can’t wait.
Scott the Raptor
August 6th, 2013 - 9:19amWe don’t want him romantic! That makes him vulnerable to aliens and monsters! The Classic’s worked well without him being romantic.
Scott the Raptor
August 6th, 2013 - 9:15amJAMIE WHO, remember the first images of Matt Smith outside the TARDIS in January 2009? Don’t tell me Matt Smith doesn’t look like a creep in those.
MaxP
August 6th, 2013 - 1:43amThink this will be good. Now if only the head writer/showrunner would regenerate also…!
JAMIE
August 6th, 2013 - 12:36amJust got back from London. I was in the audience for the live show, you could see me on TV several times! It was really fun and I think Peter Capaldi will be a brilliant Doctor.
Daniel
August 6th, 2013 - 12:34amPeter Capaldi is a good choice to replace Matt Smith, they have gone for someone older which is the ideal contrast. Matt Smith was quite Troughton-esque, with Capaldi being older I hope his Doctor will be slightly Hartnell-esque in showing this Doctor as ” A citizen of the universe, and a gentlemen to boot”
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:53pmI have high expectations for him not just because of the quality of the previous Doctor, but also because of the quality of the scripts, Moffat wrote some of my all time favorites.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:49pmI did specify The Fires of Pompeii.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:48pmI like the title sequence, though the graphics need improvement. I do think it should stay a while since we’ve only had them for half a season.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:46pmThey could also be The Other, a being that may or may not have been the Doctor and was referenced in the later Sylvester McCoy years, if you remember the Cartmel Masterplan.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:45pmJosh Smith, like it or not, John Hurt IS the Doctor, or at least a part of him like the Valeyard and the Dream Lord. And it was never confirmed onscreen that those were the Doctor’s past incarnations. I assume they’re Morbius’s because then it would mean that Matt Smith’s, David Tennant’s, Chistopher Eccleston’s, and probably Paul McGann’s and Sylvester McCoy’s Doctors shouldn’t exist.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:42pmI think the Doctor could be a teenager IF, and only if, that teenager was a great actor, and I mean great enough to capture the pain and age and loneliness of a 1,000+ year old. Basically, a teenage Matt Smith. 😀
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:39pmThe Master was at the end of his life when he was in his 13th regeneration in The Deadly Assassin and The Keeper of Trakken, but River Song gave the Doctor her remaining regenerations, meaning we have twelve Doctors after Matt Smith, starting with Peter Capaldi.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:37pmIt’s about how good an actor he is. Take Matt Smith, I heard him say in interviews that people thought he was too young, and he’s shown many fans (Myself included) everyone he’s a talented actor capable of playing a 1,000+ year old alien.
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:35pmHere, here! David Tennant was good, but I never got to enjoy him (I still don’t) as much as I should have with Russel T Davies writing a lot of bad episodes and a lot of fangirls still hating on any other Doctor (Especially my Doctor, Matt Smith).
Dalek The Supreme
August 5th, 2013 - 11:32pmI think he’s an interesting choice. I was rewatching The Fires of Pompeii earlier and I only got about halfway or so through, but he was rather entertaining, and I think he’ll be a good Doctor. Anyone else notice he’s the second Peter to play the Doctor, second Doctor to appear in the show before he became the Doctor, and the second actor to become a main character after appearing in The Fires of Pompeii?
JennaColemanCanNeverLeaveDoctorWho
August 5th, 2013 - 10:35pmThe Clara thing is kinda funny. And with ‘the snog box’ I don’t see how that shall work.
jane smith
August 5th, 2013 - 10:00pmThe doctor was evolving into a romantic figure. An older man with the new companion may not work. it is sad when you have a built in audience and are building because of the show’s evolution but the writers and producers don’t realize what it was that made it special. We do not need an old doctor.
Anonymous
August 5th, 2013 - 9:20pmJenna Louise-Coleman reportedly set for explosive Emmerdale return 1 year after the show turned 40.Jasmine could return to the Dales before the end of the year.
redrock
August 5th, 2013 - 9:00pmUp in the air on the choice. Peter Capaldi will have big shoes to fill as do the writers.
I’m a Yank that’s watched Dr Who since the late 60’s / early 70’s. Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith brought Dr Who into the 21st century. They brought new and younger viewers from around the world. Dr Who now belongs to the world not just the UK.
Capaldi has a big job to continue taking us upwards with the same oddities, idiosyncrasy and speed as did Dr 9, Dr 10 and Dr 11.
When the Dr regenerates a bit us all passes with him. Question is will his rebirth have the same emotional impact? Or will we feel a bit of ourselves have not come through the change?
If Capaldi can pull this off then the Dr will live for decades to come.