Peter Capaldi has been cast as the 12th actor to play the title role on "Doctor Who." BBC
"The real reason, the big reason that 'Doctor Who' is still with us is because of every single viewer who ever turned on to watch this show - at any age, at any time in its history, and their history, and took it into their heart. Because 'Doctor Who' belongs to all of us. Everyone made 'Doctor Who.'" - Peter Capaldi, the 12th Doctor
Watch the video above to see Peter Capaldi's interview during the big reveal Sunday. And with that, a few of the biggest Tulsa World Whovians chime in on the casting of the "In the Loop" actor as the man who will bring "Doctor Who" into its 51st year.
Anna CoduttiMy first response was a bit of disappointment because I'd hoped the next Doctor would be someone unrecognizable. Capaldi was in a previous "Doctor Who" episode - season four's "Fires of Pompeii" - but it's also hard not to think of him as the mean, foul-mouthed character from "In the Loop." (Looking further into his resume did find an interesting coincidence: one of Capaldi's most recent film credits, in "World War Z" lists him as "W.H.O. Doctor." Now, I know that means World Health Organization, but still - that's pretty wild.) This doesn't mean you could really call Capaldi famous, but some have compared his level of fame to that of Christopher Eccleston when he was cast as the 9th Doctor to launch the new series in 2005.
So that makes me wonder if showrunner Steven Moffat, who said he'd thought of Capaldi but realized he wasn't quite right at the time when the casting of the 11th Doctor was under way, intends the 55-year-old actor to stay for a relatively short time. It seems unlikely an actor of his age and caliber is going to chain himself down with a three-year commitment as David Tennant and Matt Smith did.
By Moffat's own admission, he's close to the end of his time as "Doctor Who" showrunner. Next year will be his fourth as executive producer, and that's as long as the new-series guru Russell T. Davies lasted at the "Doctor Who" helm. So my prediction is Capaldi and Moffat will be around for only one year after the 50th anniversary this fall, and the torch will be passed not only to a 13th Doctor but also a new head writer/producer.
Guest blogger Colleen Almeida SmithI'm a longtime "Doctor Who" fan who started watching Tom Baker as the Doctor in the late 1970s and early '80s on PBS. I'm used to the idea of different people playing the Time Lord and the strengths and weaknesses that each brings to the role.
My daughters, on the other hand, are very disappointed to be losing "their Doctor." They can't stand any of the old-time Doctors and their cheesy special effects, but David Tennant has grown on them.
Although I have kept up with the series on and off over the years, we started watching the show together on the first episode of Matt Smith's debut as the Doctor. My daughters were taken by his physical comedy and wacky facial expressions as he crash lands in the young Amelia Ponds' backyard and proceeds to eat his way through her refrigerator.
Now the talk of regeneration has them on edge.
When I heard last week that Peter Capaldi was the odds-on favorite to be the new Doctor, I immediately turned to the Internet Movie Database to see whether I knew him.
I was thrilled to find Malcom Tucker from the BBC comedy "The Thick of It" and the feature film "In the Loop." His character is a raucous, profane political operative who rattles off scathing insults with ease but has an idealistic streak. He's as tightly wound as a spring and radiates an intense energy.
More importantly, however, Capaldi gets "Doctor Who." He not only wrote to the show as a young fan, but he's also appeared in a past episode.
I think Capaldi's age and experience will offer a great counterpoint to Matt Smith's young Doctor. I'm looking forward to the new direction the show will take.
Jason PowersPeter Capaldi seems like a good choice. It's no secret that Moffat has been trying desperately to steer the show into a more "Classic Who" direction. This last season saw a redesigning the console room and opening credits with an eye toward the past, as well as bringing back classic monsters and villains.
Capaldi is a bit older and a lot more of a conventional choice. The Classic Doctors were always more fatherly with their companions, and an older Who will be able to fulfill that role better. I'm not overly familiar with Capaldi's work outside "The Fires of Pompeii," and that's a good thing. The less I know about him, the more I'll accept him as The Doctor.
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