Like most of the collective internet and population, I was taken aback when Matt Smith announced he would be leaving “Doctor Who.” Smith, who played The Doctor for nearly four seasons captured hearts with his genuine and excited version of the character. Much like when David Tennant left, I had the immediate reaction of “who else could play this character that I love so much?” Who can compete with Smith? Unfortuantely, like the other actors before him, it is time to move forward. Smith will be leaving in a few months and BBC has announced who would take over the post as the 12th Doctor. Scottish actor Peter Capaldi has officially been chosen to take over the role.
The announcement was made during a special half-hour program called “Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor,” airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom and BBC America in the States.
You might recognize Capaldi as the oul-mouthed political spinmeister Malcolm Tucker on the comedy series “The Thick of It,” a role he reprised in Armando Iannucci’s feature film debut In the Loop. The 55 year old actor also directed the Oscar-winning live action short “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Capaldi will take over the role on the 8th season of the series which is set to air sometime in 2014.
The 50th anniversary special of the long-running BBC sci-fi series will premiere November 23, 2013.
