Last year we witnessed the fall of the Eleventh, the clock struck Twelve and Matt Smith sported more looks in one episode than ever before.

Simultaneously the least and most Christmassy of all the Doctor Who Christmas specials, ‘The Time of the Doctor’ is perhaps one of my all-time favourite ‘event’ episodes.

Yes, on Christmas Day 2013, Whovians watched with baited breath as the clock slowly counted down to Twelve – what we saw was, perhaps, one of the most moving regeneration episodes ever to be part of Doctor Who canon.

While the story initially takes a little time to get going, I believe this is deliberately paced to allow the audience an opportunity to drink in both Clara and the Doctor as they go about their lives independently. When the two meet again we have a lot of wonderful gags from Moffat centred around the Doctor’s nakedness – who can forget the moment the Doctor reveals to Clara that her family can’t see his clothes? Brilliant!

While the story ramps up shortly after this domestic interlude, we’re still given ample time to savour the story which is being laid out in front of us; indeed, Moffat and director Jamie Payne do a truly stellar job in adding variety of pacing to the episode, something episodes prior to this had struggled with, either going for glacial or warp-speed in terms of their storytelling speed.

With the introduction of Tasha Lem and the wonderfully bonkers Papal Mainframe we’re given some of the most inventive and original story telling in a very long time making ‘Time of the Doctor’ one of most dazzlingly enjoyable episodes of recent years. Tasha is an interesting, engaging and strong female character who gives as good as she gets – a truly wonderful addition to the roster of new Doctor Who characters.

One of the most impressive balances the episode manages to strike is between heart and humour. Some episodes are moving, some are funny; excellent episodes can do both without it being a distraction from the narrative – the sight gag of “the old key in the quiff routine” is utterly hilarious and the emotional roller coaster that is Handles’ saga are just two examples of how one episode can really keep an audience guessing while still managing to tell a rollicking good story.

When the Doctor lands on Trenzalore the audience know some serious business is about to go down; what many Whovians didn’t expect was a centuries long conflict which would test not only the Doctor, but the limits of modern day prosthetics. With the passing of time we get to see the Doctor in varying stages of old age. These work incredibly well and add to Matt Smith’s masterful performance without masking the actor behind a rubber mask – my one criticism with this is that the first iteration of the ‘aged’ Doctor looks a little false. That said it can’t be easy to age up an actor whose face is a cartoony contradiction of old and young.

Moffat again deploys his clever ‘timey wimey’ technique to show us Clara in the present day and the Doctor as he grows old protecting Christmas on Trenzalore – the fact that the Doctor tries to send Clara back home in a similar manner to how he tried to save Rose in ‘The Parting of the Ways’ was a nice moment of Nu-Who being self-referential which wasn’t so on the nose as other examples have been. The fact that these trips are almost instantaneous for Clara is perhaps one of the most poignant uses of time travel in the programme to date and allow the audience to see a nice reversal of the Doctor’s usual perspective – that of seeing his companions grow old – another example of how ‘The Time of the Doctor’ tugs at the heart strings in more ways than would be immediately obvious.

The montage of the Doctor protecting Christmas is incredibly well done and shows just how brilliantly Matt Smith works with younger actors – the town of Christmas truly comes to life and the original fairy tale tone of Smith’s first series makes a welcome return in his swan song. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was Moffat’s intention all along, given that he seems to be a fan of having arcs come full circle (eventually!).

Perhaps one of the most moving moments of the episode which had this writer sobbing into his cold turkey sandwich was the death of Handles. Any fan worth his salt will tell you that, while he was short lived on screen, he’s actually the oldest serving companion the Doctor ever had – making his heart-wrenching final moments all the more powerful. Who would have thought that the disembodied head of cyberman reminding the Doctor to patch the phone line back through the console would have thousands in tears?! Wonderful work from all involved, especially Kayvan Novak who voiced Handles with a gravitas otherwise unseen in the line of cyborg friends.

As if that weren’t bad enough, fans also had to say goodbye to the eleventh Doctor – a man many had fallen in loved in spite of their initial reservations. Smith had proved himself to be a truly remarkable Doctor, old and young, funny and sad, wise yet foolish – in short, he had played the Doctor in the most truly timeless way we’ve ever seen, harkening back to the golden years of Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker.

We all loved his daft face with his big chin and we all must have shed a tear when he gave his final speech – the speech that, while sentimental, wasn’t half so cloying or whiney as Tennant’s “I don’t want to go” moment.

In short, ‘The Time of the Doctor’ was an episode of the most brilliant contradictions – which, I suppose, is the most fitting swan song Smith could have hoped for.

Written by Christie Inman-Hall

As we rapidly approach the end of series 8, many viewers are waiting with baited breath to find out just who the nefarious Missy is.

As all good Doctor Who fans do, I’ve done my fair share of speculation and I have a few thoughts for your consideration.

Following the events of ‘In The Forest of the Night’ and speculating on the tantalising trailers shown for ‘Dark Water’ it’s pretty fair to say that excitement is building for the big reveal as to Missy’s true identity.

In preparation of writing this article, I’ve been making notes on who Missy might be. In fact, I’ve been reading up on some of the most popular fan theories online and some have been pretty convincing I must say. Some seem to believe that Missy could be a reincarnation of River Song, though this seems very unlikely as River sacrificed her regenerations in order to save the Doctor in ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’. I’ve also seen people claiming she could be a future incarnation of either Romana, the Rani, Tasha Lem, or Susan.

Indeed, any of these could be a potential solution, though Missy’s comment about the Doctor being her boyfriend would take on some very uncomfortable connotations if she is indeed Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter!

While these would make some element of sense in terms of the overall Who universe, I feel these would be ultimately dissatisfying as a denouement; furthermore, many casual viewers would be unfamiliar with many of these characters from the Doctor’s past and could, therefore, alienate the average Saturday night viewer.

For the same reason, I’m also ruling out characters such as Susan’s Grandmother (the Doctor’s first wife), his mother and any other potential character that hasn’t already made a return since 2005.

However, one person I feel is an apt candidate for Missy’s real self is none other than the Doctor’s old adversary; The Master. Many others have made the connection between ‘Missy’ to ‘Mistress’ to ‘Master’ and that seems a likely connection to make; however, the similarities don’t stop there. If you’re to take her costume, for example, it’s easy to see a gothic Mary Poppins thrown into the mix… Indeed, it could be taken as an appropriate female alternative to what Anthony Ainley or Roger Delgado wore in their interpretations of the character.

Similarly, in the teaser released on Monday 27th of October, Missy states while wearing a Machiavellian grin “You know who I am”. While this could be said by any returning enemy of the Doctor’s, it seems most fitted to the Master. Evidently, she seems to be taking a lot of glee and enjoyment out of her new female form, using it to flirt and taunt the Doctor; perhaps this is why she refers to him as her boyfriend in ‘Deep Breath’?

It’s also interesting to imagine the Master taking on the role of the anti-Doctor in a way which has never quite been experienced before. Now in a female form he can truly be the opposite of everything Doctor ever was. In Seb we could very well see Missy’s companion and photos from the filming of the finale show a red telephone box quite prominently placed… Could this be the Master’s TARDIS? It would seem deliciously twisted for the Master to be referencing the famous police box exterior of the Doctor’s Type 40 in this aesthetic choice (though perhaps his chameleon circuit is just working, whereas the Doctor’s is not).

Indeed, if Moffat has truly made Missy the Master (or vice versa, depending on your view… (Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey)) he would have made an amazing shift in the dynamic of the Master’s relationship with the Doctor. For decades now, the Master has been painted out to be the Doctor’s antithesis… Now in Missy, we could literally have the polar opposite of everything our favourite Time Lord is. This could be Moffat proving he’s the ultimate fan boy with ultimate power over his fandom! And frankly, who could blame him?

Another potentially damning piece of evidence is that Missy seems to be salvaging certain people from the Doctor’s recent adventures. Originally many fans thought that perhaps Missy was saving people who sacrificed themselves because of the Doctor, however, this theory seems to have gone out of the window in recent episodes and her selection process seems to be entirely random. She may well be trying to capture people she knows would be useful as leverage over the Doctor. Could she use these ghosts of his past as some sort of torture? Is she hoping to play on the Doctor’s innate sense of guilt?

It’s also been theorised that, due to the high number of Cybermen on display, Missy is converting these people. It could also be that what she calls ‘Heaven’ is actually her TARDIS… Which is now equipped with a Cyber conversion factory which she uses to transform the Doctor’s failures into the very tool for his destruction…!

Indeed, the Nethersphere to which Missy is the Gatekeeper could be Gallifrey – the ‘Promised Land’ for which the Doctor has been searching since the events of ‘Day of the Doctor’. The droids in both ‘Deep Breath’ and ‘Robot of Sherwood’ were seeking this Promised Land and could have been looking for the secrets behind time travel and other Time Lord tech. Perhaps Missy is using this knowledge to have others do her bidding, making her the ultimate puppet master.

It all seems pretty damning but I’ve been wrong before and I’m sure I’ll be wrong again. The truth is, in spite of all my theorising, I just don’t know.

And I hate not knowing.

For perhaps the first time since the beginning of Peter Capaldi’s run, we’ve seen a romp so becoming of vintage Doctor Who that one would be forgiven for thinking the script had originally come from the cutting room floor of the BBC, circa 1963.

Indeed, to say I enjoyed this episode is an understatement. I excitedly told my fiancée at the end that it was, in fact, my favourite episode of the series so far. I usually favour the darker episodes and, what with the advent of the positively macabre nature of the 12th Doctor, dark episodes aren’t hard to come by. However, I seem to have set this predilection aside in favour the lighter and more personal tone set by ‘The Caretaker’.

From the opening montage showing Clara’s mastery of the double life, to the Doctor’s proud declaration of “deep cover” we’re treated to a fun, if occasionally plodding story based around the “love but not like that” triangle that we find at the heart of the series.

It is perhaps these more personal moments which truly make the episode so enjoyable and the dual authorship of Gareth Roberts & Steven Moffat has led to a very balanced story, even if the execution is, in part, a little bit slap-dash at times. Perhaps most tellingly for this story, the most powerful scenes for me were the ones wherein the Doctor (rather egotistically) assumes that Clara’s natural choice for a boyfriend is the bow-tie wearing Adrian simply because he reminds him of “a certain young time traveller”. I found these to be superbly acted by the ever-impressive Peter Capaldi and allowed viewers one of the rare insights into the true feelings of such an enigmatic and potentially prickly character.

Having the story almost entirely set at Coal Hill School was a lovely facet and allowed a great deal of nostalgia to be felt for those earlier Hartnell years. Indeed, we seem to be moving towards a team TARDIS dynamic which mirrors the original line-up; The Doctor, a teenager, and two teachers. Personally, I feel this is a nice move and I hope to see it explored to its fullest, especially as the 12th Doctor technically marks the beginning of a new regeneration cycle for the Doctor.

I’ve seen some critics complain about the Skovox Blitzer, claiming it to be under-developed, ultimately, nothing new or exciting to add to the series. However, I would argue that that is exactly what makes it such a perfect creature to set the events of the story in motion. If we’d had the Daleks, the Cybermen or any other more prominent enemy of the Doctor’s in this episode, they would have completely overridden the entire purpose, which was to have a more character driven story which developed and built on themes which were seeded in previous episodes.

The development of the tensions between Clara’s life with the Doctor and her life with Danny Pink were handled with aplomb, though there were some moments in the script which felt decidedly forced.

Up until this episode we’ve seen very little of Danny Pink and what we had seen hadn’t really allowed me to make up my mind as to whether or not I liked him; however, what I saw during this episode was, I’m sad to say, an unpleasant person. The scene in which he jibes the Doctor into a rage in a bid to show Clara who the Doctor ‘really is’ was utterly ludicrous and, frankly, made me dislike Danny intensely. I can only hope he redeems himself as the series progresses.

Enjoyable as the episode was for me, there were some serious pacing issues. The story takes a long time to establish the danger, the Doctor’s alias and the relationships between all the characters involved only to rush a conclusion in which Danny Pink performs an almost super-human front flip which helps to save the world. Initially I found this irksome, but on balance there have been worse denouements in Doctor Who and, as I said before, this episode is more about the characters than it is the threat.

It’ll be interesting to see where these relationships develop over the course of the remaining six episodes. I imagine we’ll see a lot more of Danny, and I hope to see more of the charming Courtney. This would make a lot of sense given that the Doctor seems to have a natural rapport with her, given they’re both kindred spirits of mayhem and mischief.

On the whole, I utterly adored this episode and found it to be the most indicative of how the Capaldi era can deliver on lighter, more fun-filled episodes as well as the darker themes many fans expected to set the overall tone for the series. Capaldi is going from strength to strength and I really feel we’re beginning to see him hit his stride in the role, I can only imagine the best is yet to come.

By the time this reaches your eyes, dear reader, ‘Deep Breath’ will have been unleashed upon an unsuspecting planet. While I’m writing this from the past, a time where we still don’t quite know what Peter Capaldi will be like as the Doctor and where no one quite knows what to expect from the new series of Doctor Who, what I can do is look at a few of the previous Doctors’ first episodes and see how they did (or didn’t) set the tone for each Doctors’ tenure in the TARDIS.

Most recently, Matt Smith’s first episode ‘The Eleventh Hour’ was an all out adrenaline rush from start to finish. From the TARDIS crash landing in Amelia Pond’s garden, to the Doctor dashing away at the end to see the fairy tale like re-imagining of ‘Interior, space ship’, ‘The Eleventh Hour’ gives us a real mix of tones and emotions.

Like a toddler on speed, this episode certainly gives a taste of what was to come with the 11th Doctor. Having said that, as with all Doctors and all firsts, nothing stays quite the same. When Matt first showed his daft, rubbery, handsome face on our screens, he was in child-friendly mode. This new Doctor first saw a small girl and became the Cbeebies Doctor she may well have needed – over the course of his run, however, the 11th Doctor showed more than his fair share of darkness. Indeed, his last episode is as indicative of his persona as his first…

Things were slightly different with David Tennant’s ‘The Christmas Invasion’ – here we have a Doctor who is mostly comatose for the episode and only awakens when things are at their darkest, almost as if he were answering the prayers of Rose et al. This almost messiah-like nature would go on to flavour the Tennant era and is certainly the start of an over glorification of the Doctor which was, in my opinion, a shadow on the otherwise wonderful Tenth tenure.

Having said that, this isn’t all we get from ‘The Christmas Invasion’. Indeed, we get the first proper look at a cheekier, sexier Doctor, hitherto unseen on our screens before. On top of this, we’re first introduced to the faster, funnier and, some might say, campier side of Doctor Who under RTD’s reign. Indeed, I’d say that this episode is incredibly representative of David Tennant’s era as the Doctor, though he did get some chance for growth in series three and four.

While Christopher Eccleston never got a post regeneration (unless ‘Rose’ takes place moments after the War Doctor regenerates at the end of Time of the Doctor – but that’s a while other kettle of fish fingers and custard!) I’d say ‘Rose’ certainly sets a style, pace, and tone for the first series which all following episodes tend to match.

In fact, this may well be why series one will always be one of my favourite series of New Who; the cohesive nature of it is fantastic – all at once it’s exciting, engaging, scary, funny, sexy, charming, sweet and bitter. Everything about it is contradictory not only within its’ own terms, but completely contradictory to what many sceptics thought the show would be after such a long hiatus. A true gem of TV wonder which is amplified by that one, beautiful, gripping opener.

Another difficult one to gauge is Paul McGann as the beloved 8th Doctor. Up until last year’s ‘Night of the Doctor’, we’d only seen 89 minutes of the 8th Doctor on screen in the TV Movie. In this brief amount of time, we saw him regenerate from Sylvester McCoy, lose his memory, steal some clothes, have a flirt, have a snog, regain his memory and then save the world. While this break-neck pace is exciting, it can hardly be said to set the tone for his other episodes, quite simply because there aren’t any.

Yes, we have comic strip stories, novels, Big Finish Audio dramas, and now ‘Night of the Doctor’ (all of which seem to fit the style set down by the movie) but it’s difficult to say how this Doctor could or would have evolved and how much of a tonal shift we could’ve expected, had he been granted at least one full series aboard the TARDIS.

While I’d like to talk a little more about older Doctors’ first episodes, it’s difficult to pin point specific tonal shifts for the show following regenerations; it seems that, back when regeneration was still a fairly new concept, it wasn’t such a huge event the show didn’t change too much in the wake of a recast. Having said that, while things don’t change too much initially, towards the end of a Doctor’s run is when we have the most Doctor specific tonal shifts.

I’m sure with the dawn of ‘Deep Breath’ and the start of the Capaldi era, we’ll see a very deliberate and specific shift toward a grittier and more moody style for the show, and that the cuddly, bubble-wrapped side of Matt Smith’s incarnation will fade away. Undoubtedly, however, as with all Doctors, regenerations, episodes, series, and eras, there will be a warmth, a humour and an ineffable lightness of spirit underneath all the grit and eyebrows of the Capaldi era. Doctor Who will always be the same show at heart, just like the man in the middle of it all; 12 faces, one Doctor.

Editorial written by Christie Inman-Hall

On Sunday the 28^th of July, the Times newspaper published an issue of their Sunday Times Magazine which featured the first interview with Peter Capaldi about the new series of Doctor Who.

I don’t usually buy the Times but by golly if I didn’t rush out to get this edition. Disregarding all other content and speeding straight to the magazine emblazoned with Capaldi’s glorious mug I was almost beside myself with anticipation of what he’d have to say about his take on the Doctor.

Then I realised – this behaviour is indicative of my pre-series rituals since the age of fourteen…

Every year I’ve devoured every possible scrap of information pertaining to the new series that I could possibly find; the Radio Times, Doctor Who Magazine, Newspapers, Tweets, Facebook posts, and much, much more.

As I read the interview I found myself having a back and forth in my mind about just what got me so pumped in the run up to a new series of Doctor Who – was my excitement genuine or, due to the talent of those at the BBC, was I getting more excited simply because up until now we’ve been offered such little information about the new series, the 12^th Doctor or what we can expect to see on our screens come the first episode’s airdate.

I’m more inclined to believe that the frenzy of excitement caused by the few trailers and images we’ve seen is due to the fact that we’ve been so starved of new Doctor Who content for so long.

That’s not to say I don’t like this strategy. Quite the contrary, I love the way the BBC draws out the experience for us. Like kids at Christmas, Doctor Who fans get more and more excited as we approach the big day and these little teasers help us to get in the true spirit of the event.

That’s why I was utterly appalled to learn that script for the first five episodes had been leaked online recently. I was even more appalled to discover that a certain faction of fans had read the scripts. While I understand the temptation to read these and to see exactly what we’re in for come the start of the new series, I must admit that, personally, I’d be absolutely devastated to know anything more about the plot of the episodes than what Steven Moffat or the BBC have let us know in advance. This isn’t necessarily so I can enjoy the show more, but so that all those hard working people that pour their hearts and souls into this programme don’t feel like their tight-lipped work-days have all been for nothing.

Imagine how your parents would feel if you opened your Christmas presents early? You’re denying crew behind the show the joy of watching us all geek-out over a well executed show! Don’t ruin Christmas. Don’t be that guy.

Now, I may have seen my share of filming pictures for the new series and, while some are potentially spoilery, many publishers (online or otherwise) manage to give fair warning of an upcoming day-ruiner and thus, crisis can be averted. Everybody is happy, those that want to be spoiled can be and those that wish to remain pure can do so as well.

I mention all of this because, in my quest for fresh (official) media relating to the new series I often, inadvertently, come across something which many would regard as a spoiler, from sources other than those directly related to show. While I find this disappointing I don’t throw my toys out the pram, it is after all, a risk of being a fan and using social media.

Stay sharp out there, one mis-click and you could know far more than you’d like to!

Going by what those in the know have told us, both at the Beeb and at Moffat-Manor, I must admit that this is the most excited for a series of Doctor Who I’ve been in a long time.

Everything about the upcoming run looks bum-tinglingly fantastic. Of course, what makes this series more exciting than most is of course, the new Doctor.

Naturally, this is what I’m most excited about.

The Doctor has a new body, a new personality and a new, darker, wardrobe! What snippets we’ve seen of the 12^th Doctor let us know very little about his character development since his days as Matt Smith, but as many are already saying, it seems he’s going to be a much grittier, much darker Doctor than we’ve seen before.

Older fans regularly call for a “darker” Doctor Who and it seems that they may well get their wish. What will be most interesting for me, will be seeing whether or not the team behind it manages to strike the balance between a darker tonality while still remaining child friendly. I’m certain we’re in safe hands – the production team and the Moff certainly know what they’re doing and Capaldi has some serious nerd-cred in so much as being a life-long Whovian!

In addition to the new Doc on the block, I’m excited to see the new direction the show is taking. Aside from a darker nature, there’s some seriously excellent writing and directing talent on board. It’s refreshing to see Moffat making space for talent on his roster of regulars. It’d be all too easy for someone in his position to churn out the usual stable of writers, directors and actors we’ve seen before. Luckily, with a new lead actor comes the much needed shake up which only seems natural.

With all of this in mind, I must admit that I’ve not been more giddy since I was a much younger man than I am now. Doctor Who became a huge part of my life at a relatively early age and I’m thrilled to say that the joy is still there. My passion hasn’t deteriorated with age, as I was worried it should have done, indeed, it’s increased.

I’d go so far as to say this may well be the best series we’ve seen since 2005. I love Chris and David and Matt and they were all marvellous in their own way but I truly feel that Peter is going to be one for the ages.

Bring on Capal-Day!

When I was asked to review my favourite episode, I must admit I was horrified at the selection which lay before me. There are countless episodes in the entire pantheon of Doctor Who which could, at various times, have been my ‘favourite’ episode.

Of course, there are episodes which will always be near, or at, the top of my all time favourites list. These episodes are spread right the way across the history of Doctor Who but, as you may have guessed from the article’s title, ‘Amy’s Choice’ is one of my absolute favourites of the post-2005 era and, perhaps most poignantly considering his recent regeneration, one my favourite 11th Doctor episodes.

I’ll try my best not to recount the story to you, but as we all know the story begins with a humorous and confusing moment in which we see a heavily pregnant Amy baking in a small country cottage, we discover Rory has a pony-tail and is the village doctor and they seem quite content in their lives… That is, until the Doctor turns up, crushes Amy’s flowerbed and chaos ensues.

However, not all is as it seems and the gang soon find themselves waking up on board the TARDIS, looking more like their regular selves and with no baby bump in sight. Only with the introduction of the nefarious Dream Lord to we finally begin to understand that the trio are doomed to choose one reality or another – if they die in the dream, they wake up in reality, if they die in reality, well – as the Dream Lord puts it, “you die, stupid, that’s why it’s called ‘reality’.”

Originally broadcast on the 15th of May, 2010, this episode was a stellar addition to Matt Smith’s first series as the Doctor and allowed him to showcase the barmy, gangling style of acting which would become one of his trademark Doctor-isms. Written by Simon Nye, this episode has an interesting and engaging premise which makes for an interesting, if repetitive story telling technique.

Having our heroes bounce between their lives in the TARDIS and Amy and Rory’s potential future is at first a quirky and amusing device allowing the audience to see the Doctor’s (and to a lesser extent, Amy’s) repugnance at the quiet country life the gang are presented with. While it’s undeniably fun and entertaining trying to guess which world is real and which is merely a dream, the constant flitting can at times become irksome, though I feel this was a deliberate choice by Nye to make the audience doubt whichever world they find themselves erring towards.

While the trio is flitting between one reality and another, the Dream Lord is a constant presence of maliciousness and calm – it is this cool exterior which makes for unsettling viewing, had he been a moustache-twirling, shouting villain (a lá the Master) he would have been diminished for it. It is the sadistic level-headedness with which he torments our heroes that makes him so compelling a baddie. Naturally, this is thanks in part to Toby Jones’ wonderful portrayal and gleeful delivery of his dastardly dialogue which makes for such wonderful television.

In addition to this, the audience gets a real insight into the dynamics of Amy and Rory’s relationship. Throughout the story we get clever, if sometimes heavy-handed, glimpses of the fact that Rory is eager to have children and settle down, while Amy wants to travel the universe with the Doctor. Indeed, these hints come thick and fast and it would be easy to jump to the assumption that Amy is seriously lacking in desire to stay with Rory. While this is just a small niggle, it’s something I find myself fixating on upon repeat viewings; perhaps it was just because the cast was still relatively new to the series and Simon Nye was writing the characters without much previous experience of what they were like (this was only their first series, after all) but Amy is shown as being quite selfish and evasive with Rory. This doesn’t seem to ring true to what we see before or after the episode, though it could be that her fear of losing Rory after the events of the episode is what causes her to renew her passion for her relationship.

Both realities the gang are faced with seem equally preposterous and equally plausible within the world of Doctor Who. This is probably the most ingenious device utilised by Nye throughout the episode, as it gives the audience a genuine conundrum as to which reality seems the most real to them. Personally, I found myself edging towards the TARDIS version of events, though I get the impression this was done deliberately. It’s not until the end when we learn that BOTH worlds were hallucinations caused by the Dream Lord.

While the revelation that everything we had seen and the very appearance of the Dream Lord was nothing more than a hallucination caused by psychic pollen (whatever that is) is, at first, a disappointment we’re left with a poignant and powerful end thought.

Matt Smith handles the last few moments of the episode with a skill and precision we would come to expect from him. The Doctor reveals that the Dream Lord was himself – or at least, all of the dark parts of his personality. This makes the Dream Lord’s earlier statements criticising the Doctor all the more powerful upon reflection. It’s this revelation which makes the Doctor seem more human than ever before and is a truly wonderful twist of story.

The story is by no means diminished upon repeat viewings, indeed, I would say it improves. The episode is layered with a depth of character and story which some episodes tend to lack and features the cast on fine form. For one of their earlier episodes, it’s certainly a hint at the skill and deftness with which Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill would come to wield their characters. For Smith especially, this was one of the first episodes I saw where I truly felt he’d arrived as the Doctor and he seemed to start as he meant to go on. A truly wonderful episode.

Editorial written by Christie Inman-Hall

“Well, of course I’m being childish! There’s no point being grown-up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”
The Fourth Doctor – Robot – 1974

I first discovered Doctor Who when I was 14 years old. At that time I was awkward and uncomfortable and generally a little bit out of place wherever I went. Generally, I was bumbling and shy and found it very difficult to assert myself.

I was often picked on for being eccentric and scrawny and (fairly, if not exceptionally) intelligent… When I found Doctor Who, however, I found a kindred spirit. The Doctor, in any of his regenerations, was always a little bit awkward and out there, he was always bright, he was always proudly nerdy and he was often out of place wherever he went.

In finding the Doctor, I’d found a role model. He taught, by example, that no matter what great evils you find in the world, you could beat them and stand above them, not by show of force, but by show of great intellect. While he may sometimes do things we as fans may not agree with, his actions are (for the most part) noble and just. The Doctor’s oath is a code we could all do well to live by, “Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in” (The Day of the Doctor: 2013)

Certainly, by these virtues alone it would be easy to cite the Doctor as one of the best possible role models for any young person to have. However, not all of his actions, words or personal quirks are ideal, let alone acceptable.

Of course, the way the Doctor is portrayed has a big effect on his suitability as a role model; certain actors to take on the role chose to bring out some of the character’s more unpleasant or darker qualities, thus making him slightly less ideal than others – Colin Baker as the 6th Doctor, for example, would regularly exhibit signs of aggression and William Hartnell was often curt and occasionally downright nasty.

On the flip side of this, we have the puppy-dog Doctors, i.e. Doctors who appear softer and warmer and make a much nicer base onto which a viewer could project his or her own best qualities. David Tennant and Matt Smith both showcased this ability in their interpretations of the role and allowed for an entire generation of fans to adopt the 10th Doctor’s “no violence” policy or the 11th Doctor’s charming buffoonery.

Setting aside the Doctor’s incarnations, or at least the actors to play such incarnations, and viewing the each Doctor as a facet, a personality trait, we begin to get a much clearer picture for who the Doctor is. While certain incarnations have exaggerated one quirk over the other and vice versa, it is ultimately irrelevant, “The Doctors are all the same Doctor really, at the end of the day, but you can slide the faders up and down. And to emphasise the senior consultant over the medical student for once reminds people that he’s actually a terrifying old beast.” (Steven Moffat in the Radio Times, 17-23 May, 2014) by ignoring the regeneration process and looking at the Doctor as one complete man, it’s easier to spot just why he might make such a good role model.

Ultimately, while at times he can be erratic, angry, funny, sexy, charming, annoying and any other adjective you want to throw into the mix, he is (surprisingly) well balanced! Who hasn’t changed massively over the years? We all have and so has the Doctor. It’s his ability to be consistent in his beliefs and his ideals that makes him so perfect as a role model.

What other hero, cinematic, literary or televisual comes back time and time again in spite of the loss, sadness or remorse he may be feeling? Who else would let their plans get derailed by the Daleks so frequently? The Doctor gives many fans a standard, a moral code, by which to measure themselves. If, each day, we can get anywhere near the nobility, selflessness and heroism of the Doctor, then I’d say it’s a pretty good day all round.

Editorial written by Christie Inman-Hall

“I’m quite spry for my age, actually.”
- The Third Doctor, The Green Death (1973)

“I’m like, 1,995 years too young for the part really. So no, I think he’s going to be quite happy to look his age at last.”, so said Peter Capaldi, the man we all know is the 12th incarnation of our favourite Time Lord. Many fans were pleased with the casting decision, however, many people proclaimed that he was simply too old to play the Doctor. A man who walks in eternity and travels through time. Yes, this man, this wonderful actor, this talented, gifted and brilliant performer who has been a life-long fan of Doctor Who is simply TOO OLD to play the part.

How absurd.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a little absurdity from time to time, but this really takes the biscuit. I thought it was clear that, from the first tug of his lapels, Capaldi was going to be the man for the job. Like many, at first, I had my doubts, not due to age, but because he was so well known for his other roles (Malcolm Tucker springs immediately to mind, but he’s since been known as Cardinal Richelieu in the ridiculously fun The Musketeers). I was worried I wouldn’t see him as The Doctor.

However, as time went on and more information came out about Capaldi’s interpretation of the role, I began understand where he was coming from and how his performance may or may not turn out. In interview after interview, he built upon what has been said before, he fought his corner and casually pointed out that he was, in fact, too YOUNG for the role, narratively speaking.

And therein lies the question: Does age matter? The Doctor is a character who can never really know his true age. Of course, both the First Doctor and the War Doctor regenerated due, in part, to old age. These incarnations just wore “a bit thin” (The War Doctor, The Day of the Doctor: 2013). The Doctor ages, in a sense, but for a man who doesn’t exactly die, does his age even affect him? Would it make a difference if he never even mentioned his age? What if, instead of an audience obsessed with the age of the actor portraying the character, we allowed ourselves to be so completely immersed in the narrative, that we didn’t see David Tennant or Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi. What if we only saw the Doctor? Would it matter then how old the Doctor looked?

The Moff has gone on record as saying that Capaldi was considered for the part when it came to casting the 11th Doctor and that it just didn’t feel right. I believe he made the right choice, to go from the 40 year old David Tennant to the 55 year old Peter Capaldi would have been an odd transition. Now, going from the rubber-faced youthfulness of Matt Smith the the stern and silver visage of Peter Capaldi feels right. It just works as an aesthetic decision.

That snap regeneration in The Time of The Doctor? It worked so brilliantly due to the sheer polar differences in appearance between the two actors.

With Matt having been so young in the role it would’ve been weird and inappropriate to for for a similarly aged actor. Furthermore, it would have been met with accusations of just trying to have lightning strike twice by casting a Matt Smith-a-like.

Personally, it makes no difference to me. So long as the right actor is cast in the role, he would be 18 or 80, for all I care. Remember when Matt Smith was cast? The outcry was enormous! Too many people said too many times that he was simply TOO YOUNG to play the part. Look how they ate their words! Matt became one of the best actors to inhabit the TARDIS ever. He became a Doctor for the history books and the world wept as he shed his bow tie.

Indeed, I feel that this constant ageist fear is due, in part, to the loyalty people feel to the outgoing Doctor. It’s the standard “He’s not MY Doctor” statement dressed up differently. Peter may well not be your Doctor yet, but he’s the Doctor for a whole new generation. The best we can do is go along for the ride and see where he takes us.

It’ll be interesting to see what the casting decision not only does in terms of the tone and quality of the show, (I can’t help but feel that top class talent such as Ben Wheatley will have been partly attracted due to the gravitas and high esteem held by Capaldi) but in terms of viewing figures as well. I get the impression that the small percentage of the audience who simply cannot come to terms with an older Doctor may well switch off, but then, does that really matter? The show isn’t necessarily made for fair weather fans who want to ogle a quiff or a chin, it’s for the children, the parents, the grandparents. It’s a family show, and so long as families embrace the quintessence of Doctor Who, it will still be, at heart(s), the same programme.

In essence, I don’t honestly believe Capaldi’s age will have any sort of negative effect on the show. Indeed, I feel this regeneration will usher in a golden era for the show unseen yet in its’ New-Who iteration. Personally, I think Capaldi’s joining the show gives an indication of the quality we can expect from the new series. If viewing figures dip slightly to begin with, I’m sure many more will tune in again once word gets out of the superb viewing we’re sure to be in for.

Editorial written by Christie Inman-Hall