Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Actor Announced

BBC One bring us new adventures in time and space with an ex-Doctor Who guest star who you may just recognise...
The BBC have today announced the name of the actor inhabiting the role of the Doctor in the character's Twelfth incarnation later this year. Peter Capaldi will take the reigns of the TARDIS at the climax of the 2013 Christmas Special, starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald.

This momentous piece of casting news comes via the live broadcast of Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor at BBC Elstree Studios this evening. Admittedly, the programme itself was not quite what some fans might have anticipated, dominated by alleged 'celebrities' deriving from quality shows such as Outnumbered, Celebrity Juice and the acclaimed innovative talent show Strictly Come Dancing (if the sarcasm littering the entirety of this sentence hasn't yet become apparent, this writer would suggest you leave at this instance). Perhaps a few more prolonged appearances from former Doctor Who stars like Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Janet Fielding, Katy Manning, Bernard Cribbins and the like would have better served the occasion.

Oh, but what an occasion this was. Peter's announced casting was met with a wealth of applause and cheers from the live audience, not to mention a surprisingly widespread level of approval and excitement present among the various reaction tweets. For this particular writer, the prospect of seeing the actor who gave us The Fires of Pompeii's Caicillius and Torchwood: Children of Earth's tragic middle man John Frobisher take on a more domineering role as a 1000-year old Time Lord is thrilling to say the very least. That Peter is 55 years old at present poses an equally intriguing situation, since no actor to play the Doctor has been quite that old since William Hartnell first debuted on the show. Worry not, though, fans, as Peter appears to be on strong physical form, even going so far as to have shot a remake of The Three Musketeers earlier this year for broadcast on BBC One in 2014.

What now, then? Those fans concerned at this casting development can at least rest safe in the knowledge that Matt Smith still has two episodes of Doctor Who remaining for transmission before his inevitable regeneration. First up is the blockbuster 50th Anniversary Special, starring Matt, Jenna, David Tennant, Billie Piper and John Hurt as its leads alongside an all-star cast and a storyline that will both pay homage to the past half-century while indeed also setting seeds of narrative events in place for the next fifty years. After that, there's the 2013 Christmas Special, which will reportedly feature a return trip to Trenzalore- perhaps the Doctor's supposed grave wasn't all it seemed?- before the Eleventh Doctor's final battle leads him to sacrifice his lifeforce once more in the name of galactic sanctity...

Just to wrap up this rather groundbreaking news development, here are a few comments from the stars and makers of Doctor Who on the next man to walk the realms of eternity in the fourth dimension:

• STEVEN MOFFAT (SHOWRUNNER)- "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! When he auditioned, you just knew the Doctor was in the room. There was only ever one name on our list, it was a very SHORT list! He's a brilliant actor, and he's a huge Doctor Who fan."
• JENNA COLEMAN (CLARA)- "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 (BBC ONE CONTROLLER)- "Peter Capaldi has all of the genius and versatility needed to take on the mantel of this 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 (BBC DRAMA COMMISSIONER)- "We started thinking Peter Capaldi might be the right person to take on this iconic role a few months ago. But it was only when we did a secret audition at Steven Moffat's house under 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!"

Doctor Who returns for its blockbuster 50th Anniversary Special on BBC One and in cinemas nationwide on November 23rd. The 2013 Christmas Special will broadcast on BBC One this Christmas Day, and Series Eight- starring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald- will broadcast on BBC One from August 2014.