Who Doctor Who ?
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All around the world, at this very moment,
a very particular global community of geeks is having the time of their lives reveling in anticipation of the announcement of who will play the 12th Dr. Who. I can say ” at this very moment ” because … time travel, right ?
Dr. Who is a British television program about a Time Lord, the last survivor of a powerful alien race who travels through time and space in a blue 1960s police box. This year the show celebrates its 50 year anniversary as it continues to be the longest running science fiction series in the world. You may not have heard of Dr. Who in the USA but it is gaining a foothold and there is no truth in rumors that, because the Doctor’s help is without charge, the show’s success has been impeded by those whom think it is a state assisted medical initiative.
Dr. Who first screened in 1963 and the first doctor was played by the grandfatherly William Hartnell. The 11 incarnations since have been explained through the Doctor’s ability to ‘ regenerate ‘ a new body if mortally wounded, a useful trick to have in your locker when you are righting wrongs & dogooding throughout time & space. With each ‘ regeneration ‘ came the opportunity cast to an actor with a different style and charisma. Every fan has their favorite Doctor.
The role has boasted some illustrious names including Tom Baker ( the narrator in Little Britain ) & more recently David Tennant, plus a host of famous names in cameo roles. The show was scheduled for early evening and a family audience. Quirky and inventive, even the show’s low budget special effects had an endearing quality. Tuning in you would not be surprised to find The Doctor battling foes which had clearly evolved from egg cartons, trash cans or inflatable furniture.
This was the universe of uniquely British aliens and an untypical hero eccentrically going were no one had gone before … unless it was him … because of the time travel thing.
in 2005, after a 9 year hiatus, the revamped show blazed back onto British screens with a plump new budget, CGI effects to draw upon and Christopher Eccleston in the role of the Doctor. It retained its quirkiness and humor but now struck out in more sophisticated directions, including giving more focus to the relationships between the Doctor & his travelling companions. This romantic element kicked off in fine style with Rose Tyler ( Billie Piper) a story line which carried on with David Tennant’s Doctor.
David Tennant yielded his sonic screw driver to Matt Smith who will pass on captainship of the T.A.R.D.I.S. ( Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space ) later this year.
But whom to ?
Well I can now reveal that the 12th Doctor will be ….
Peter Capaldi
Who ?
Well, Peter Capaldi won an Academy Award for his short film, ‘ Franz Kafka’s It’s A Wonderful Life ‘ in 1995 and is a 2010 winner of a BAFTA Television Award and a British Comedy Award for his performance as Malcolm Tucker in the political comedy ‘ The Thick Of It ‘, a role loosely based upon Tony Blair’s right-hand man Alastair Campbell.
So what will Peter Capaldi, an older gentleman born in Glasgow in 1958, bring to the role of the Doctor ?
Time will tell …
Hopefully it won’t be anything too creepy.
