Doctor Who thing: Peter Capaldi, teenaged Doctor Who geek

Tue, Aug 06, 2013

Turns out our new Doctor is a lifelong Doctor Who fan himself. In February 1974, the Radio Times published a letter from the 15-year-old Peter Capaldi:

@Matthew_Kilburn uncovered a May 1976 fanzine article by Capaldi, about the show’s opening credits (via Digital Spy):

And do not miss the post at SFX about how 14-year-old Capaldi so wanted to run the Official Doctor Who Fan Club that he became a thorn in the side of the 13-year-old kid who was running it. Capaldi was such a pain in the ass that a production secretary, who corresponded with the fan-club runner, actually wrote about Capaldi: “I wish the Daleks or someone would exterminate him or something to that effect.”

That could potentially happen now…

H/t’s: @Paul_Cornell, @emmafgreen.

(If you stumble across a cool Doctor Who thing, feel free to email me with a link.)

share and enjoy

If you haven’t commented here before, your first comment will be held for MaryAnn’s approval. This is an anti-spam, anti-troll, anti-abuse measure. If your comment is not spam, trollish, or abusive, it will be approved, and all your future comments will post immediately. (Further comments may still be deleted if spammy, trollish, or abusive, and continued such behavior will get your account deleted and banned.)

If you’re logged in here to comment via Facebook and you’re having problems, please see this post.

PLEASE NOTE: The many many Disqus comments that were missing have mostly been restored! I continue to work with Disqus to resolve the lingering issues and will update you asap.

6 Comments

oldest

newest most voted

Inline Feedbacks

view all comments

Mate Sršen

Tue, Aug 06, 2013 10:55am

This is beyond amazing. The show really is made by fans these days, isn’t it?

PJK

reply to Mate Sršen

Tue, Aug 06, 2013 11:10am

The only problem I have with fans creating new versions of shows that they themselves where fans of is that they have a tendency to only base those new versions only on those aspects of the original that they liked, not on all aspects that made up the original.

This tends to take away some of what made the original show the thing that it was, which is a pity.

Paul

reply to PJK

Tue, Aug 06, 2013 11:35pm

You’re right. On the other hand, the assumption is that if they aren’t fans then they will be basing their version on all aspects that made up the original. Which is, of course, rather unlikely.

I’m hopeful that Capaldi, fine actor, and forceful personality that he is, will bring something distinctive to the role.

singlestick

Tue, Aug 06, 2013 3:25pm

I guess this means that the 13 year old kid who was running the Doctor Who Fan Club will be in line to become the next Doctor after Capaldi moves on.

These stories about Capaldi’s affection for Who is really amazing. Of course, he also went on to become an excellent actor (and even an Oscar winning director of a short film), so he is bringing a considerable amount of talent to the role.