He got the run of the island during Death In Heaven, taking to the air and being handed the keys to our planet's future. And didn't he do well, as a certain gameshow host might say? He was arrogant. Lacked empathy. Threw his weight around like an Abzorbaloff in a wind tunnel. But he's the Doctor. He's the current Doctor. And he's the best half man, half Gallifreyan for the task. Don't believe him? Well, he'll tell you to shut up until you do! When Peter Capaldi landed the role, the concerns were obvious. Isn't he that guy who played the sweary spin doctor in The Thick Of It? Yet this fine actor managed not only to make that trick happen, he went on to import great swathes of Malcolm Tucker's personality into his portrayal, albeit pruned of anything that might turn our Earth air or alien atmosphere blue (provided the alien atmosphere wasn't already blue in the first place). Yes, he's a preening grotesque, a Ralph Steadman caricature brought to life, a velociraptor dressed as a magician. However, he cares. He has a beating heart(s) and a soft centre, even though it hardens frequently under his brusque chill. At close of play, when all the slips have been tallied, when Britain is on the cusp of an abyss or an epiphany, he's the man you want covering your back. Vote Doctor! Do you agree with this list? Are there other Doctor Who characters you feel have been overlooked? Is Capaldi the right Doctor to take the country forward? Let us know your opinion in the comments section!
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
