Doctor Who: 10 Things Fans Want From Series 9 (But Won't Get)
3. A Softer Approach From Peter Capaldi
Peter Capaldi hasnt been subjected to anywhere near the levels of criticism that Colin Baker received in the 80s with his tetchy and arrogant Sixth Doctor. But its fair to say that the acerbic Twelfth Doctor hasnt been everyones cup of tea, especially to some of the newer fans who only have Matt Smith and David Tennant as reference points. Steven Moffat has promised that the Twelfth Doctor in the new series wont be quite the same man we saw first time around. Specifically we have been told to expect more humour. It would be a mistake to assume that this means he will have a personality transplant and suddenly lose his offish demeanour. Hes not going to start hugging everyone and acting like the hero he was questioning in Series Eight. The difference is that he will no longer be so self-absorbed. Having worked out that he is neither a good nor a bad man he will be more comfortable in his own skin. With more confidence we can also expect a less readily identifiable hero, one who carries on regardless. Clara will no doubt continue to be annoyed and frustrated by his actions and words. The lighter side of this particular incarnation isnt going to be zany like Matt Smith, or infectious like David Tennant. There will be a dark, alien-like quality to his humour. Steven Moffat in Doctor Who Magazine issue 484 goes into some detail about how much of the Doctors character was shaped by the script and how much it was down to Capaldis style of delivery. He writes if you give a very, very mildly ascerbic line to Peter, it comes out like a gale force. Moffat is deliberately pushing Capaldis performance towards the lighter side for Series Nine, but the character isnt intended to be radically different. Tellingly, Moffats Series Nine notes to Capaldi included the following: Youre kind of the dont-give-a-damn Doctor. You actually dont give a damn what you say to people. So we should expect a less intense characterisation, but certainly not a more likeable, softer one.
Paul Driscoll is a freelance writer and author across a range of subjects from Cult TV to religion and social policy. He is a passionate Doctor Who fan and January 2017 will see the publication of his first extended study of the series (based on Toby Whithouse's series six episode, The God Complex) in the critically acclaimed Black Archive range by Obverse Books. He is a regular writer for the fan site Doctor Who Worldwide and has contributed several essays to Watching Books' You and Who range. Recently he has branched out into fiction writing, with two short stories in the charity Doctor Who anthology Seasons of War (Chinbeard Books). Paul's work will also feature in the forthcoming Iris Wildthyme collection (A Clockwork Iris, Obverse Books) and Chinbeard Books' collection of drabbles, A Time Lord for Change.
