Peter Capaldi Becomes The 12th Doctor In “Doctor Who”

In a live special simulcast on BBC One and BBC America, the BBC named actor Peter Capaldi the latest to topline the 50-year-old British franchise. He’ll join the sci-fi series when current lead Matt Smith departs the role after this year’s Christmas special.

Peter Capaldi is an Academy Award winner, who most recently appeared in this summer’s “World War Z.” He is no stranger to the “Doctor Who” universe, having appeared opposite David Tennant and Catherine Tate in the fourth season episode “The Fires of Pompeii” as well as appearing in “Torchwood: Children of the Earth. He appeared in the second season of the acclaimed BBC series “The Hour.” While in art school, Capaldi was also the lead singer in a punk rock band with Doctor Who super-fan and late-night host Craig Ferguson.

The announcement was dressed up with interviews from past actors from the series, as well as various celebrities and professors. While the BBC treated the event with far more importance than it deserved, several interviews were interesting in tone and content. Specifically, Matt Smith, who’s tome and wording made it clear to all that  leaving the show was not his decision, and executive producer Steven Moiffat, who made it clear that he did not have total control over the show, as opposed to the image he put forth when Matt Smith joined that he was in command.

Speculation is that the BBC has been unhappy with the overwhelming number of negative comments coming from the show’s fan base about Moffat’s weak scripts and Smith’s poor acting. BBC previously named a new executive producer to work with Moffatt. The announcement of Peter Capaldi as the next doctor cements the move away from the past four years.