The Clock is Striking Twelve: Peter Capaldi’s First Day on ‘Doctor Who’
We got our first glimpse of Twelve at the very end of Christmas special The Time of the Doctor, but since he got to utter all of two lines, fans everywhere are very eager to see what the new Doctor is going to be like. And, just as importantly, what he will wear.
(I know there is a not-insignificant internet argument going currently about the proper way to title Capaldi's Doctor, given that apparently John Hurt's War Doctor AND Ten's meta-crisis clone copy are supposed to be counted as "official" regenerations. Or at least so Steven Moffat says. Or something. However, as I refuse to address Christopher Eccleston's Doctor as anything but Nine, we're just going to tough it out with actual actor equals number titling. Just so you guys know.)
The BBC released the first official photo of Capaldi on set with returning companion Jenna Coleman yesterday – but before you get too excited about that, he’s still wearing the purple jacket and waistcoat combination of former Doctor Matt Smith, so clearly his first scenes are also Twelve’s first scenes. We still have no idea what his own iconic outfit’s going to look like and probably won’t for a few weeks at least. Sigh.
But, still, new Doctor Who photo! A new season is officially under way! Take a look at a larger version of Capaldi’s First Day below, and get a few fun quotes from the lead parties and other new tidbits.
Capaldi had this to say about officially taking up his Time Lord duties: ““New job, first day, slightly nervous. Just like the Doctor, I'm emerging from the TARDIS into a whole other world.”
Producer and headwriter Steven Moffat chimed in with this comment: ““First the eyebrows! Then, at Christmas, the face! Coming soon, the whole Doctor. In the Cardiff studios, the Capaldi era begins.”
Indeed it does. Capaldi’s already landed his first cover – gracing the first issue of Doctor Who Magazine in 2014. But considering this cover shot looks basically like what he was wearing during the BBC special in which his casting was announced, there doesn’t appear to be anything new to go on here, either.
The first episode of Series 8 has been written by Moffat himself, with the second episode penned by Phil Ford, who was responsible for the uber-creepy The Waters of Mars back during the Specials Season that served as David Tennant's farewell tour. These are the first episodes that Capaldi will shoot and they're both being directed by Ben Wheatley.
Filming on Series 8 will be continuing in Cardiff until August 2014 and the new season is expected to debut this Fall. Which, sadly, is quite a bit of a ways away – but I know I’m already excited. Are you? What sort of Doctor do you think Capaldi will be?
