It’s early in the morning, I’m awake. Why am I doing this? Who knows.
Other people get up early for sporting events. Or to go fishing. Or to have babies.
I get up early because the BBC says it’s announcing the twelfth (and, according to series canon, final) actor to play the Doctor, and the ABC decides to play it live. I’ve got coffee, I’ve got very little common sense. Let’s do this thing!
The current smart money (is there such a thing?) says that Peter Capaldi will get the role. Equally, the smart money says we’ll get 28 minutes of talking heads (including many classic actors, hurrah!), then the reveal. But maybe they’ll mess with us and make it in the first minute.
Specifically, we’re getting Peter Davison, Matt Smith, Colin Baker, Bernard Cribbins, Anneke Wills, Katy Manning, Janet Fielding and Bonnie Langford. Woo! Bonnie Langford!
That might just the be the first (and only) time I’ve typed “Woo! Bonnie Langford”. Mark this moment.
Ooh, ABC ads. Yep, I don’t care. I’m not even looking up. More Coffee!
Will we get a new theme tune?
Ooh, nice intro sequence. And they’re not ignoring the classic series!
Daleks! So, Terry Nation’s estate is getting paid.
That audience looks VERY happy. I can’t blame them. I am very clearly jealous of them.
The TARDIS as a “very special” guest. Have they crammed some poor soul in that thing for 28 minutes?
There is a standardised BBC news tone for announcing the retirement of the Doctor. Hasn’t changed in 50 years. Well, 48 years, but you know what I mean.
TARBY! (that joke is just there for my brother, and Rik Mayall). Also, of course, Peter. The Doctor and his father-in-law, etc, to use that by-now-old joke. Although given his sometime comments about the series, an interesting choice. I’m sure he’ll be more polite here.
Mind you, Peter aside, the UK celebs are likely to mean slightly less than nothing in the antipodes. We’re uncivilised like that.
Ah, the time filling “Who is your favourite Doctor” question. Of course he is!
“Chris Ecc?” Ecc? Eeh, bah gum ecky thump and all that.
Yay, Peter is a Troughton man. I take back any and all criticisms I’ve ever had of him. Except the Myrka, that is.
Matt Smith, with shorter hair. Not a surprise for anyone who’s seen a pic of him recently. He’s pointing out he was an unknown. I kinda hope the next one is.
I mean, Pertwee (and maybe Ecclestone) were the best known “cast” actors previously. It’s a great stepping up role when you don’t have character baggage with you.
Matt being very polite here.
Oh. Matt’s cryptic comments indicate it could well be a “name”. Then again, subterfuge, perhaps.
Happy to take (and quickly approve) comments and thoughts, by the way. As fast as I can type, anyway…
This is, by my counting, nearly the halfway point. So it’ll be the 28-minute announce, I suppose.
Ah, they’re teasing the Next Doctor/Female thing. Me? Don’t care — want a good actor, good scripts much more than caring about what is or isn’t between the legs. Not interested in seeing that bit, you see.
JANET!
JENNA, COLIN, BONNIE, ANNEKE IN QUICK SUCCESSION!
Also Stephen Hawking. Sorry, Stephen.
Also the wonderfully strange Katy Manning!
Eww, they showed a bit of Warriors of the Deep. But not the Myrka, obviously.
Now the guest stars coming faster than I can type them. But names, you know? Names.
Colin bitching about his costume. He’s ENTITLED to.
McCoy was a great Doctor. Actually, they haven’t really cast a dud. McGann got a rough run with a poor script, though.
CRIBBINS! CRIBBINS!
(all is forgiven for the Dalek movies)
(I’m more or less assuming you’re watching along if you’re reading this live. If it’s after the event, watch along — it’s on ABC iView all day).
Bernard as Doctor post Pertwee? That would have been interesting. I know a few Tom Baker fans who’d be devastated by that idea, though.
Rufus Hound can be very funny; I wonder if the tongue-tripping is an act.
Big applause for The Doctor being “British”. I get what they mean. Also big applause for Bernard Cribbins. Why isn’t he SIR Bernard Cribbins, I wonder?
Steven Moffat: “The Doctor is an icon. Everyone is hugely interested.”
“We see lots and lots of people. It didn’t happen this way this time. We all had an idea. It was quite a different idea. We made a home video of that person being the Doctor.”
Briefly thought of pre-Matt — so that does strongly suggest a “name”. Is it too late for me to bet on Sophie Aldred?
OK, they’re just stringing it out now. But then again, that’s what this whole program IS.
The Next Doctor is: Peter Capaldi
Image: BBC
“It’s so wonderful not to keep the secret any longer. So many wonderful things have happened. For a while I couldn’t tell my daughter. She was getting upset that they couldn’t mention me.”
“I hadn’t played Doctor Who since I was 9. So I downloaded some old scripts. But Steven had already written some scripts. I was filming in Prague; I’m doing the BBC adaptation of the 3 Musketeers. So I MISSED THE CALL. And she said “Hello Doctor”, and I just started to laugh, and I haven’t stopped since.”
“I don’t say ‘I’m the Doctor’. I’m surprised to see Doctor Who looking back. He’s not me yet. He’s reaching out. Hopefully we’ll get it together.”
Mention of the Capaldi Radio Times letter.
“I think DW is an extraordinary show; the reason I think it’s still here is because of the writers, producers and directors on the show. Also the actors, not just the doctors, but those who’ve sweated in catsuits. But the real reason it’s still with us is because… Doctor Who belongs to all of us.”
Matt Smith message: ” I just want to wish my successor all the best.”
Aaand… that’s your lot. Let many, many articles either praising or damning the choice happen. I’m going to go have some breakfast.