Another recent rumor was that Doctor Who’s next season—the second for star Peter Capaldi—would be “lighter” than the first because Moffat told a reporter, ”[The Doctor has] left some of the burden of being a superhero of the universe behind. So I’m pushing him—I’m writing quite funny this year—I’m pushing him the other way.”

Moffat says that quote was misinterpreted. “I told the [show’s] writers, don’t just write him mean, write him funny—because he’ll make any joke fly,” Moffat says. “As ever, Doctor Who is a combination of complete daft silliness and loads of people getting slaughtered in the early evening. Tonally, [next season is] very much the same. Peter is getting stronger and more confident in the role.”

Not a huge surprise really. When people just say/think off the top of there heads that Capaldi was mr mean and grumpy in series 8, I think they forget things like him swiping the coffee for a joke in listen, his line in time heist about his new look 'I was hoping for minimalist, but I think I came out with magician.', and the lengths he went to in order to help Clara in the finale even after she betrayed him by trying to stop him ever getting in his TARDIS again.

My point being as well as a bit more of a grump on the surface than the previous two incarnations, he was still funny, silly warm and caring too in series 8, so no reason why that would change.

I would agree with Moffat that Capaldi is getting more confident in the role also, as last Christmas was obviously filmed way after the series 8 episodes and he feels more comfortably like the doctor in that episode than in any other that came before it.

Just hope the 'same tone' thing dosen't extend to over the top Clara focus again.

Agree on both.

.I really detest the word "grumpy" to soley describe 12, he's much more layered than that

I think we perceived Capaldi as a grumpy, humourless Doctor because:

- he was mean to Clara in Deep Breath (but that's because he was going through a regeneration when he always behaves weirdly.)

- he was mean to Danny in The Caretaker (but as Danny observed, that was because he was making sure the Soldier was good enough for "his Clara"

- he deeply upset Clara in Kill The Moon (but it was quite clear he didn't understand what he was supposed to have done wrong)


There was tons of evidence, without having to spell it out in block capitals, that Capaldi-Doctor cares deeply about Clara, perhaps even more than Smith-Doctor, and that gave him a warm side to sit alongside the tetchy one. I think their relationship is really endearing and I'm glad it will continue in the next series.

But, yes, there's no need to change the tone of the series.

But Doctor Who fans love to have things spelled out in block capitals. If it isn't they take it as a sure sign that Steven Moffat 'can't write'. Block capitals and fullstops are the lifeblood of this show. If Moffat didn't show us the UNIT soldiers taking a pee break they rightly scream 'plothole' because they must pee right, but Moffat just acts as though they don't!

"I was just so infuriated by the whole MESS last season. Sometimes Danny Pink was onscreen and I didn't know if I liked him or not! I mean, Moffat can't even signpost emotional responses correctly for me, so how am I supposed to have any except ANNOYANCE at Moffat's bad writing?! How am I supposed to have an opinion about someone if he won't tell me what it should be?! In the end, I just wanted shot of him, along with Moffat's bad writing. Danny Pink was supposed to be a good guy but sometimes he seemed bad. WTF Moffat. And when he didn't seem bad I didn't like his personality anyway. WTF Moffat. Such bad writing"

Doctor Who fans NEED the biggest, HUGEST block capitals possible in every episode. They think 'good writing' is generic writing that prescribes thoughts and feelings. They think good writing is rigidly defining a character so that there can be no ambiguity about them. They think character development is David Tennant becoming the dark 'Timelord Triumphant' for 15 minutes for a single episode before instantly going back to normal. They think 'good writing' is a line of exposition resolving every conceivable question that might have occurred to them during the episode to save them from the burden of using their imagination.

And when I say 'Doctor Who fans' I do of course mean the rubbish ones, not you reading this

I have to admit, it took 2 viewings for me to appreciate how much affection the Capaldi Doctor and Clara have for each other - the child-like delight of the Doctor when Clara told him she would carry on travelling with him at the end of Mummy On The Orient Express, or Clara's big smile of delight in Flat Line when the TARDIS returns to normal size and the Doctor emerges to defeat the aliens.

This is quite ironic really, as Moffat wrote him as a bit mean to clara in every episode, almost as if they were lines originally intended for Strax's "Comically misunderstanding human foibles to the point of being brazenly rude" perspective.

It's about the ONLY fault I had with 12, his needlessly insulting Clara's attractiveness, hair, make up, amount of sleep, etc for no real reason.

Maybe Moffat is telling his writers "don't write the Doctors as mean because I have a load of great 1 liners in that area and I'll insert them into the scripts for you!"

the thing is...PC/12is sutble with the emotions especially caring and Love. 10 and 11 were over the top with it so people are more used to that. imo

This Doctor likes winding people up to see how they react, or to push them to react. It's kind of his thing.

And that's been evident since the very first episode back in 1963 when he first met Ian and Barbara. That's what makes the first episode so brilliant.

(edit: I apologize for my overuse of the word "first" in this post.)

That is a pretty apt summation actually! xD

Yawn.

Good. Series 8 was great and so was 12. Been watching the set again today, actually.

It's good you have such imaginary doctor who fans to rail against with rants such as this because I'm pretty sure you're getting furious about a type of fan that exists only in your mind

A bit like how classic who fans got furious with the teenage tumblr posting girls who came in board with the revival in 2005 because they assumed that only nerdy, teenaged to middle aged men deserved to accept the doctor into their hearts

indeed the only complaints I've seen about your imaginary waters of Mars complaint in real life is that the time lord victorious stuff didn't spill over into the end of time too

In fact in this era of extended box set serials and Netflix binge viewing Doctor Who might well be left out with its standalone episodic format with large uses of the reset button.
Now and again they hint something might be coming but it's largely a 30 second sting at the episodes end that's allowed to have its moment in the last 30 mins of the finale.
Not the 3 or 4 season long arc of something like the walking dead which is dominating cult tv at the moment


But continue railing against imaginary aspects of fandom if it makes you feel better, instead of realsing that all fans of Doctor Who should be celebrated whatever makes them a fan

Nothing but divide in bloody conquer in this fan base, we need another micheal grade to get everyone United again

Wasn't the age/appearance thing something to do with how he always see's her the same, didn't she look the same to him when she was older in Last Christmas? Maybe that's something I made up on Christmas Day but I'm sure I remember thinking that.

Christopher Stevens, TV critic in the Daily Mail, seem to regard it as a bit seedy that 56 year old Peter Capaldi and 28 year old Jenna Coleman were travelling together in the TARDIS in a sort of loved-up Doctor-companion relationship.

Perhaps the Doctor not being able to see Clara's age properly was Moffett anticipating just this sort of reaction to an older actor playing the Doctor.

Personally, I find this particular Doctor habit a bit annoying but I guess Moffett would argue that that's the Doctor judging Clara by what's on the inside rather than the outside.

And, of course, as the Doctor is 2000 years old but looks 55 (and looked about 30 before his last generation) it kinda makes sense that he can't judge human age properly. Although it does seem to be only Clara he has the problem with. Perhaps Moffett will offer an explanation for this situation in the next series.

Exactly, It all went back too to her juding his appearance & age after regen. Unlike her he always saw her the same way.

When everyone was screaming down the tube in Into The Dalek - cut to The Doctor laughing his way down, having a jolly old time

Speak for yourself, Moff.

Are you finding Series 9 to be different in tone so far?

I was talking about his comment about the Doctor being funny.

Loved that

Hes speaking for many others too Capaldi is amazing at comedy.

with every new article i read , i am closer to joining the 'anti moffat brigaide'
i dont want to be one of these people. but i cant help it.
especially after what to me was a pretty dire season last year.

That's how we First Doctor fans feel all the time.


At least you didn't say First Doctor.