STACK #121 Nov 2015

DVD&BD

FEATURE

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Scottish actor Peter Capaldi finds himself in the thick of it once again, this time at the controls of theTARDIS as the 12th DoctorWho.

W hen it was announced on 4 August 2013 that the 55-year-old star of BBC political comedy TheThick of It would be replacing the youthful Matt Smith as TV’s Time Lord, the first thing that sprang into Doctor Who fans’ minds was his previous involvement with the long-running programme. Capaldi is no stranger to theWhoniverse, having appeared in the 2008 story The Fires of Pompeii and also Who spin-off Torchwood: Children of Earth (2009) – a fact that wasn’t lost on writer and showrunner Steven Moffat, who included a subtle reference to the Doctor’s “familiar” new face in the Season Eight opener Deep Breath . A longtime fan of the show, Capaldi admitted that playing the Doctor “wasn’t something I ever thought I’d end up doing”, during a recent world tour with co-star Jenna Coleman to promote the

“they didn’t realise they were standing next to the new Doctor”. Capaldi’s casting as the Doctor harkens back to the series’ beginning; first Doctor William Hartnell was also 55 when he took on the role in 1963. It’s a refreshing change from the more youthful actors – Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith – who have played the part since the series’ return in 2005. However, having a younger Doctor

[Playing the Doctor] wasn’t something I ever thought I’d end up doing.

new series – which included a Sydney stopover. “But it’s a huge privilege and very exciting,” he added. He also revealed that, prior to the official announcement of his casting, he mingled with unsuspecting fans in London’s sci-fi store Forbidden Planet, slyly acknowledging that

plus a hint of romance with his female companion (something hardcoreWhovians have never been comfortable with) did prove instrumental in the success of the new series. Attend an Oz Comic-Con or similar pop culture expo and

NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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