10 Dumbest Doctor Who Controversies

10. Peter Capaldi Is Too Old To Play The Doctor

In 2013, it was announced that one of the UK's greatest actors – and major star of the BBC's foul-mouthed comedy hit The Thick of It – would be the next Doctor Who. It was an incredible bit of casting that felt like an extra special 50th anniversary present.

Or at least, it was if you weren't one of the ageist trolls scuttling around in the rocks upturned by the Daily Mail in the wake of Capaldi's casting announcement.

"Too old. Same age as the first Dr in 1908. All the others were more than 10yrs younger", said a user called shirley1919. Bit rich from somebody born in 1919, Shirley!

Meanwhile, another user was disappointed that the Doctor wouldn't be "cute" any more, while another claimed that the Doctor "needed to be someone younger and more attractive to keep Dr Who relevant."

Because it's not like the show became a pop-culture juggernaut under a 55-year-old or anything... oh wait.

It's tempting to ponder if these lunatic responses led to Steven Moffat making such a huge deal about the Twelfth Doctor not being Clara's "boyfriend" any more. Seems likely.