Capaldi Already Filmed Regeneration

Despite not leaving until the unfilmed Christmas special, Peter Capaldi claims to have already filmed the 12th Doctor's death, saying, "I did it the other day. It was a strange day. It was explosive. He goes out a fighter." How this will play out remains to be seen. There could be a David Tennant-style thing where he holds the regeneration in for a long time. Or perhaps the regeneration is stopped by something, only for him to get killed again in the next episode.

Peter Capaldi Leaving Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi revealed today on BBC Radio 2 that he will be leaving Doctor Who after the upcoming season. He will regenerate in the Christmas special this year, maintaining the three season rule. The new season is confirmed to start on April 15.

12th Doctor #1 Preview

Titan Comics has released previews of a couple of pages of their first 12th Doctor comic. The issue goes on sale next Wednesday, priced US$3.99.

Offering shocks, surprises, and galaxy-shaking revelations, seasoned TARDIS pilot Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, The Authority, 2000AD, Nikolai Dante) and New York Times-bestselling artist Dave Taylor (Batman: Death by Design; 2000AD) mark the start of their first five-issue run by diving headfirst into the console room and pulling all the levers they can – spinning the new Doctor off to his most challenging destination yet!

Freshly regenerated and with a new head full of unanswered questions, the Doctor (as played by Peter Capaldi) whisks Clara Oswald (as played by Jenna Coleman) away to a strange and distant world.

Clara thought she was in for an evening of marking essays on the Metaphysical Poets, followed by going out on a date – or at least trying to. You know, normal stuff.

Instead, she’s facing down exotic flora and fauna in her best dress, backing up the Doctor on a trek through traumatically alien undergrowth – and she doesn’t even know what the Doctor is searching for, or what will try to kill them should they find it!

New Face! New Doctor! New Beginning! Get in on the ground floor of this amazing ongoing series!

Doctor Who Experience Trailer

The BBC has released a trailer for the new interactive exhibit at the Doctor Who Experience. The exhibit ties in with Peter's time as the Doctor and replaces the Matt Smith activity.

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff Bay will reopen on Friday 24 October 2014 after undergoing its very own regeneration.

The award-winning attraction has been closed since the start of September, allowing the interactive experience to be updated with a newly-scripted adventure starring the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi.

Tickets for the regenerated Doctor Who Experience will go on sale on 7 October from doctorwhoexperience.com

The newly scripted adventure -- written by Joseph Lidster (Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures) and directed by Paul Wilmshurst (Doctor Who, Da Vinci’s Demons) – lets fans star in their very own episode of Doctor Who. Beginning in the Gallifrey Museum and journeying to the heart of the TARDIS, visitors will have to grapple with a threat which could destroy the universe…

The exhibition space will also be given a refresh, with new props from Peter Capaldi’s debut series as well as sets and monsters from throughout the history of the world’s longest-running science fiction programme.

Also returning are the highly popular TARDIS set tours at neighbouring Roath Lock studios, available to purchase as an extra to general admission. From 24 October to 30 November, around 6000 fans will be able to set foot on the current TARDIS set, as featured in the past two series and the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor.

Stephen Davies, Director of Live Events and Entertainment at BBC Worldwide says, “As with all of the best Doctor Who adventures, we’ve undergone our very own regeneration down at the Doctor Who Experience and we’re sure Doctor Who fans will be thrilled to take part in a brand new adventure with the Twelfth Doctor.”

Tickets return to general sale on Tuesday 7 October and can be purchased for dates on and after 24 October 2014. Tickets are available from doctorwhoexperience.com and prices start from £14 for adults and £9.75 for kids.

TARDIS Crashes in Parliament Square

The BBC has released some very special promotional photos to celebrate the return of Doctor Who in about 27 hours.

12th Doctor eShort Confirmed

Following in the wake of last year's short stories featuring each Doctor, Puffin Books has hired Holly Black to pen one featuring the 12th Doctor. The story is titled Lights Out and will be released digitally on October 23, priced US$3.38

Series 8 Teaser 5

New teaser trailer for Doctor Who series 8

12th Doctor Novel Covers

BBC Books has released the cover artwork for the first three 12th Doctor novels. All three will be released for sale on September 11th

12th Doctor Comics

Titan Comics has announced that they will be releasing a 12th Doctor comic book series, in addition to their 10th and 11th Doctor series.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELFTH DOCTOR #1

New Doctor! New Beginning! Offering shocks, surprises, and timestream-shaking revelations, don’t miss your chance to get on board this amazing ongoing series!

Eagle award-winning writer Robbie Morrison (Drowntown, The Authority, 2000AD, Nikolai Dante) and New York Times-bestselling artist Dave Taylor (Batman: Death by Design, 2000AD) dive headfirst into the TARDIS console room and spin the new Doctor off to his most challenging destination yet!

As with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor ranges, Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #1 comes with a beautiful regular cover painted by Alice X. Zhang, plus five other variants - including a "100% rebel Time Lord" photo cover and Mariano Laclaustra penned picture of Clara.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor is available to order from comic stores tomorrow and will hit retailers on October 1. Due to licensing restrictions, fans in the UK and Ireland can only purchase this comic digitally. Titan Comics' new Tenth and Eleventh Doctor ranges will hit comic bookstores on July 23, and print or digital editions are available to pre-order now - for more information, visit titan-comics.com.

US residents can get 15 issues for $53.99, while Canadian residents can get them for $63.99. The rest of the world (except the UK and Ireland) can get 15 issues for $153.99, plus $100 shipping and handling.

main cover

1 of 5 variant covers

Synsopses for New 12th Doctor Novels

BBC Books has released the synopses for the first three books featuring the 12th Doctor and friends.

Silhouette by Justin Richards

“Vastra and Strax and Jenny? Oh no, we don’t need to bother them. Trust me.”

Marlowe Hapworth is found dead in his locked study, killed by an unknown assailant. This is a case for the Great Detective, Madame Vastra.

Rick Bellamy, bare-knuckle boxer, has the life drawn out of him by a figure dressed as an undertaker. This angers Strax the Sontaran.

The Carnival of Curiosities, a collection of bizarre and fascinating sideshows and performers. This is where Jenny Flint looks for answers.

How are these things connected? And what does Orestes Milton, rich industrialist, have to do with it all? As the Doctor and Clara joint the hunt for the truth they find themselves thrust into a world where nothing and no one are what they seem.

The Blood Cell by James Goss

“Release the Doctor – or the killing will start.”

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space – the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the cruellest murderers. So he’s not impressed by the arrival of the man they’re calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

But when the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape, and keeps trying, the Governor sets out to find out why.

Who is the Doctor and what’s he really doing here? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers…

The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker

“Well, I doubt you’ll ever see a bigger insect.”

Gabby Nichols is putting her son to bed when she hears her daughter cry out. ‘Mummy there’s a daddy longlegs in my room!’ Then the screaming starts… Kevin Alperton is on his way to school when he is attacked by a mosquito. A big one. Then things get dangerous.

But it isn’t the dead man cocooned inside a huge mass of web that worries the Doctor. It isn’t the swarming, mutated insects that make him nervous.

With the village cut off from the outside world, and the insects becoming more and more dangerous, the Doctor knows that unless he can decode the strange symbols engraved on an ancient stone circle, and unravel a mystery dating back to the Second World War, no one is safe.

The three books will be released on September 11th of this year. Prices have not yet been announced.

Theorising on Capaldi's Doctor

As everyone's aware by now, Peter Capaldi has had two previous appearances in the Whoniverse prior to becoming the Doctor. His first role was Caecilius in Fires of Pompeii, followed by John Frobisher in Torchwood's Children of Earth. I posit the following theories on how he can play all three roles.

1. Time stream doppelgangers. This is identical to how Jenna played three distinct characters during her time on the show. The Doctor jumped into his own timestream and got scattered across it, just like Clara did. The only difference is, they didn't all come out with Matt's face. BONUS: this explains Tom Baker's appearance in the 50th anniversary.

2. Fob watches. The Doctor basically repeats the adventure of Human Nature/Family of Blood and goes into hiding as a human. It'd be difficult to explain him doing this twice in the same regeneration in two different time periods. He wouldn't do it lightly, so there would have to be some explanation as to why.

3. They're all completely the Doctor. Both prior appearances are completely, 100% the 12th Doctor. They were completely ordinary adventures for him, we just saw them a bit out of order. This would require an explanation as to why he crossed his own timestream and why he didn't try to help the Earth's children.

4. The Valeyard. In Trial of a Time Lord, they said the Valeyard is created sometime between the Doctor's twelfth and final regenerations. That means it can happen at any time now. Perhaps one of these characters is the amalgamation of the Doctor's dark side that we've been waiting to see again for 30 years.

5. Curveball. Moffat and Davies throw something completely unexpected at us. No one really saw the explanation for Clara coming until they released the trailers. It's possible that every fan theory is going to be completely wrong and that the writers have got something really good up their sleeves.

6. Some combination of above. Perhaps one of these theories applies to one appearance and another theory explains the other appearancne. 

12th Doctor's Costume Revealed!

The BBC have revealed the costume that Peter Capaldi will wear in his time as the 12th Doctor.

The Doctor has a new look as Peter Capaldi’s era officially begins. In a picture released today by the BBC, Capaldi can be seen in the costume that will define his time as the Twelfth Time Lord in one of TV’s biggest roles. Sporting a dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a white shirt as well as black Dr. Marten shoes, the look was created by Doctor Who costume designer Howard Burden.

Commenting on his costume, Peter Capaldi said: “He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.”  While lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat added: “New Doctor, new era, and of course new clothes. Monsters of the universe, the vacation is over - Capaldi is suited and booted and coming to get you!”

Filming for episode one of series 8 began earlier this month, after 10.2 million tuned-in on Christmas Day to get their first much-anticipated glimpse of Capaldi’s Doctor Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One, commented: "Peter Capaldi's Doctor is officially recorded in history today with the unveiling of his new costume. It's sharp, smart and stylish - The Twelfth Time Lord means business."

Proposal for Series 8 and Beyond

Here are a few things I would like in the coming few seasons (during Peter's time).

More two-part stories. Some of the stories in the new series could have benefited from extra time. This would allow 90 minutes per story, plenty of time to develop characters, lay out background, and tie up loose ends. I also feel like some of the longer stories are more "epic" with more interesting movie-style plot lines.

Keep the credits until Jenna leaves. The current title sequence isn't Matt's and it isn't Peter's, it's Jenna's. The new credits started when she came aboard, and they should leave with her. They can alter them to show Peter's name and face in the beginning. When she leaves, they can start a new credit sequence. I actually like the idea of theme music corresponding to companion, rather than Doctor, and they could probably keep it up indefinitely.

Have the search for Gallifrey be more low-key. This story arc could be drawn out over a long time. However, it shouldn't be as heavy of a plot line as series 6. It should be more similar to Davies' story arcs, where references are only thrown in every couple episodes. There could be a dramatic season finale where the Doctor picks up a Time Lord beacon and thinking it's from Gallifrey, goes to investigate. Instead it could turn out to be a lone scout TARDIS attempting to find a way back home. The Doctor could meet up with the crew and receive news of home while battling Daleks. There could also be an episode where the Doctor attempts to bust through to the parallel universe where Gallifrey is, but instead lands on the set of the show in Cardiff.

Revisit old companions. It'd be lovely to see how Martha and Mickey are faring, or for the Doctor to finally meet Gwen face-to-face. We could even meet a classic companion, such as Tegan or Ace. They don't even have to travel in the TARDIS, just meet the Doctor again for one more adventure.

Bring back Confidential. Seriously. Just do it.

Do something for the 10th anniversary of New Who. I don't care what it is, just something. It can be a brand new story featuring Chris, David, Matt, and Peter. It could also be a documentary about what it took to bring the show back to the air with brand new interviews. A retrospective look at the past ten years featuring never before seen behind the scenes footage would work, too. An Adventure in Space and Time, Part 2 starring Russell T. Davies, Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper, and David Tennant as themselves with other supporting actors and actresses would be brilliant.

Bring back K-9. There's no time like the present to bring back the Doctor's trusty robot dog. Kids love it, the Doctor loves it, I love it (and I'm a cat person). I think Clara would be amused by the fact that the Doctor once traveled with no more company than a metal dog. They should definitely do it while John Leeson is still alive.

Create a spin-off. I don't care whether they bring back Torchwood or create something brand new. There's been talk of a Paternoster spin-off, however, I would prefer to see the adventures of the Doctor's daughter, Jenny. I know it's been five years, but her story is just one giant loose end that needs addressing. The very least they could do is a novel or Big Finish series. Someone also suggested a semi-canon series where each week River, Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy, & Clara (or some combination thereof) steal the TARDIS and go on their own adventures.

More UNIT stories. I love a good old-fashioned "invasion Earth" story. There haven't been many of these stories since Davies left, in fact, there's only been two with UNIT in them. Just one story of this type per season would be sufficient. I think some fans would like to see more of Osgood and the secret underground base.

Break the fourth wall. A few possibilities exist here. First, the TARDIS could crash and get replaced with the TARDIS set at the studio and the Doctor and Clara swap places with Peter and Jenna. Then they'd have to find their way back. Another possibility is that the Doctor already knows he's a fictional character. Perhaps something happens (such as a plot hole the characters notice) and the Doctor comments on the poor quality of the script.

Have the next companion not be from present-day Earth. Davies and Moffat have been using the same format of present-day Earth girl over and over again since 2005. The classic series had all sorts of different companions. Someone from another planet or another time period would bring a nice refreshing change. Some ideas include a slave girl from ancient Rome, the daughter of some noble in 15th century France, or the sole survivor of some expedition in the 47th century. A Time Lady would work, too.

Develop the Paternoster Gang's backstory. We've already had The Crimson Horror, which was pretty centered on our Victorian trio. However, an explanation as to how Vastra and Jenny met and fell in love would be nice. It would also be nice to see how they came to be fighting crime.

Write pure historical episodes. They haven't done one of these since the sixties. Instead of all the usual sci-fi and aliens, an episode where the Doctor and companion travel back in time and get caught up in historical events. No monster, no aliens, no tech, just the Doctor and friend getting themselves in a pickle and having to get out. It's a nice break from the usual technobabble and complicated timey-wimey stories, just a nice, simple historical. Plus, it would go back to Doctor Who's roots as being educational, although I think we're long past that now.

More episodes set on other parts of Earth. The curse of the new series is London, London, London. Everything happens in London. An episode set in another part of Earth would be nice. There are loads of good places: the Mediterranean, Australia, the Amazon, China, the African Serengeti, North America, etc. It's quite literally a big planet.

Halloween special. With a full thirteen episodes airing in the fall, Doctor Who has an opportunity it's never had before. There's no time like Halloween for Moffat to crank up the fright levels. I know it isn't going to happen, but a crossover with Supernatural would make for some very spooky fun!

Tom Baker-esque pockets scene. I really want another scene where the Doctor is forced to empty his pockets and produces an endless array of random items. He's either captured and made to turn out his pockets or is looking for something and can't remember which pocket it's in. Either way, he produces a bizarre assortment of items that only a Time Lord would have on them.

Clara-centric story. In the theme of having Doctor-lite stories, I suggest something similar to Supernatural's Weekend at Bobby's. Since Clara doesn't travel with the Doctor all the time, it'd be interesting to what she gets up to in between adventures. I suggest something following up on her teaching job seen in The Day of the Doctor, while also showing what happened to the Maitland kids. Perhaps the Doctor phones in several times to update Clara on the status of some adventure he's having. He shows up later, needing her help, and Clara offers to help him in exchange for housework. The Doctor does some chores, then they pop off to another planet to finish his adventure.

Cross-over. I'd be happy with anything really, Star Trek, Supernatural, Sherlock, Warehouse 13, you name it. With the TARDIS' ability to travel to parallel universes restored, the list of possibilities is endless.

The aftermath of the Earth-Zygon treaty. How it plays out all depends on whether it's public knowledge. If it's an international treaty, and not just Britain (since UNIT is a global organization), every politician on Earth would have to be informed. The UN would probably ratify it, and it would have to become public knowledge. Then there's just the question of how much becomes public knowledge. The details of how the treaty was signed could probably be hidden. That way, the public doesn't know about the Doctor or the Dark Vault. Of course, there would always be rumors and speculation as to what really happened.

Pompeii story. I know Moffat has already promised to explain what the 12th Doctor was doing in Pompeii, but I want to see a full-fledged story made out of it. There needs to be a proper plot line (one that isn't totally dependent on David's story) that stars Peter, Jenna, John Barrowman, David, and Catherine Tate. The reason I want Jack there is because he mentioned visiting Pompeii way back in series 1. Also, we always need more Captain on this show.

Moffat on the 12th Doctor

Steven Moffat has given a few hints about the next Doctor in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

• Capaldi will keep his Scottish accent
• No real ideas yet on the costume
• Clara may not have a crush on him
• The new Doctor may be difficult to like as well as quite different
• He's going to be "older, trickier, and fiercer"

Peter Capaldi Intro Videos

Two short videos have popped up on the BBC's YouTube page following the announcement of Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor earlier today. One of them is a short "hello" type video and the other is a clip from Doctor Who Live when they announced him.

Peter Capaldi Announced as the 12th Doctor

The BBC have formally announced that Peter Capaldi will be playing the role of the 12th Doctor. The announcement came during a special live event on BBC One hosted by Zoe Ball. On the show were special guest stars, including past Doctors, companions, celebrities, Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and Steven Moffat.

Peter will take over the role this Christmas and continue alongside Jenna-Louise Coleman in Series 8 next year. Various bookies had the odds set on him recently, and the odds were actually so good that they suspended betting. At age 55, he is the first older Doctor since Christopher Eccleston. He also played the Roman Caecilius in the 2008 episode The Fires of Pompeii.

Misha Collins for 12th Doctor?

So American actor Misha Collins just tweeted one of the most suspicious tweets I've ever seen.

also, in totally unrelated news, i'll have a very exciting announcement tomorrow. Hint: it has something to do with the UK and phone booths.
— Misha Collins (@mishacollins) August 3, 2013

He could just be bluffing, or have they finally selected an American to play the Doctor? If they were to finally pick a foreigner, it would make sense to try to head off the haters by picking someone immensely popular, like Misha. Collins currently plays the angel Castiel on the CW show Supernatural, and as such, is very popular among hormonal teenage fangirls the world over.

Trailers for Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor

BBC and BBC America have released trailers for the special live event set to air on Sunday. Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor will announce who has been selected to play the role of the 12th Doctor. It will air at 7pm BST (11am PDT) and be hosted by Zoe Ball.

BBC America trailer


BBC online trailer

12th Doctor to Be Announced on Sunday (UPDATED)

Rumors have been flying around a lot lately that the 12th Doctor will be confirmed this Sunday. Supposedly, the BBC will air a special episode of Confidential entitled Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor Sunday at 7pm.

The episode will be filmed live in front of a studio audience. Currently a rerun of Celebrity Mastermind is scheduled during that timeslot, but that is expected to be replaced tonight at midnight UK time. The show will be hosted by Zoe Ball and feature interviews with past Doctors, companions, celebrity guests, and Steven Moffat.

Moffat has been denying for a while now that the new Doctor has been cast. However, since he's a known liar, it's likely he's had one picked out for a while now. I wouldn't be surprised if the 12th Doctor was cast weeks ago.

UPDATE: The rumor has now been confirmed. The BBC have released a press statement which you can read here.

12th Doctor Audition Scripts

This month's edition of Doctor Who Magazine has released three scripts used in the auditions for the 12th Doctor. The magazine makes it very clear that the scripts are not from actual episodes and will never be seen onscreen. However, they should still reveal some of the personality of the new Doctor.

INT. TARDIS
The new Doctor is checking out the new body. Clara, watching. It’s been a few minutes, they’re both still adjusting.

THE DOCTOR: Right then, eyesight. Not bad, bit blue. Ears – not pointy, right way up, more or less level. Face – well I’ve got one. Oh, no -French!
CLARA: French.
THE DOCTOR: I’ve deleted French! Plus all cookery skills, and the breast stroke. And hopping. Never mind hopping, who needs to hop. Ohh, the kidneys are interesting. Never had that before – interesting kidneys.
CLARA: Are you all right?
THE DOCTOR: I don’t know, do I look all right?
CLARA: I don’t know.
THE DOCTOR: How’s the face? Seems all right from the inside. Nice action, responsive. Bit less heft on the chin. How is it?
CLARA: It’s… okay.
THE DOCTOR: Okay?

INT. SPACE SHIP BRIDGE
The Doctor is facing down the Cyberleader, who stares balefully down from the screen. The bridge around the Doctor is burning, ruined.

THE DOCTOR: Ah, Cyberleader, hello!
CYBERLEADER: Do you have a response, Doctor.
THE DOCTOR: Yes, I do. Definitely got a response. And here it is. Yes, your ears look big in that! Sorry, did I misunderstand the question?
CYBERLEADER: You will return the stolen cargo.
THE DOCTOR: Yeah, well, two points. One, I didn’t steal it. No, actually, I did steal it, I was just hoping if I said that I’d think of a really good excuse before the end of the sentence. Didn’t happen, never mind. Point two – well, point one, second attempt – that isn’t cargo. Those are human beings.
CYBERLEADER: They are primed for conversion.
THE DOCTOR: I’ve unprimed them.
CYBERLEADER: You will return the cargo.
THE DOCTOR: No, I won’t.
CYBERLEADER: Then the cargo will be taken.
THE DOCTOR: Not going to happen, and do you know what’s going to stop you?
CYBERLEADER: We will not be stopped.

The Doctor and a little boy. They’re sitting in the little boy’s bedroom.

THE DOCTOR: Does everyone tell you it’s going to be all right?
LITTLE BOY: Yes.
THE DOCTOR: Do you believe them?
LITTLE BOY: No.
THE DOCTOR: Good man. Tell me what happens when the lights go out.
LITTLE BOY: No.
THE DOCTOR: Because you’re scared? (Silence) Because you think I won’t believe you. Because you think I’ll tell you everything’s fine, when you know it isn’t, and leave you alone like all the other grown-ups?
LITTLE BOY:… yes.
THE DOCTOR: Look at me. Am I grown up?
LITTLE BOY: Yes.
THE DOCTOR: Good! You’re the very first person I’ve fooled. Look, what if I promise I won’t tell you it’s okay. What if I just listen, and then try my best to help, and never tell you that I know better. How about that?