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Doctor Who Face the Raven writer, Sarah Dollard on Peter Capaldi

http://www.thegallifreytimes.co.uk/2...view-with.html

Imo, he's the best actor in the role since Tom Baker and his portrayal of the Doctor is vastly intriguing compared to the more generic style of the Tenth Doctor. He brings his own to the role while still keeping true to the character and you can tell he loves being in the role as it shows through. It's a shame there are some people who won't give him a chance because he doesn't jump around the screen and make lots of noise, or even worse because he's not "cute"

Capaldi and Jenna comprise a dramaturgical dyad.

I really enjoy listening (or rather, reading) what Sarah Dollard has to say. I've not even seen her episode yet, but am anticipating it (whilst nipping hype in the bud) and have read a few of the things she's had to say...about her approach to writing, about how others can get into writing for television, about Doctor Who in general, about Capaldi's Doctor...and I agree with so much of what she says. She also served as a script editor on Primeval's latter series', and I enjoyed a lot of them (despite ITV doing all they could to sabotage the show!). If her episode proves to be as well received as it has been reviewed, she's a definite keeper for Doctor Who!

A shame Catherine Tregenna's script wasn't particularly strong as I much of her stuff, but as a new writer on Doctor Who it was one of the weaker first efforts I feel.

And more on point, I agree with what she says of Capaldi's Doctor. He affords the role a depth and complexity, an undeniable hero character but one dipped in multiple shades of moral standing, and not as straightforward to suss out. Capaldi plays this fantastically well, and I've every belief that his fanatic status of the show is what makes him stand out in this way - he lives and breathes his incarnation of the Doctor in a way that feels much more fully-embraced than just playing a role for a dozen hours a year.

That being said I think all four lead actors have enjoyed their time in the role - even Eccleston with his behind-the-scenes dispute, I feel I can at least see that they all loved the role they were playing whilst they played it.

Couldn't agree more,he's my favourite Doctor of the new lot and is even getting up there with Tom and Patrick as one of my favourites of all time.

Was there a November Thesaurus sale I missed or something? You and spaggeti_monste must have known... You could have told me!

Agree, I never thought we would see an "classsic" doctor type in Nuwho again, Thrilled we did.

What, you didn't get the message, missive, communique, bulletin or memorandum?

Tee-hee, chortle, guffaw, haa, ha-ha, lol, rofl, roflmao, roflcopter...

But surely the tardis crew needs a third character to refresh things? Someone like Rigsy. I hope they properly flesh him out as a character - something along the lines of a rapping surfer gangster fonzarelli dude.

Agree, I liked him in Flatline and look forward to seeing in in more expanded role,

Capaldi's not a patch on Tom Baker.

Tom Baker was the best Doctor. Anyone who says otherwise is objectively wrong and should not be trusted.

I don't know who that is, but I agree with them.

She wrote the next episode,
Face the Raven"

Well, that's an opinion, a personal judgement, and not an objective statement of fact.

Valid opinion

But, I see no mention of Baker in her statement.

100% agree, Even Capaldi would admit to it

True but she talked about: properly grand and alien and Other. The actor who has done that better than anyone else, effortlessly, with no gurning and over-acting, was Tom Baker. He IS the Doctor, and always will be

I am aware of this.

But he was the best Doctor though

For me, Capaldi is entirely too mannered, studied and self-conscious. He's obviously acting the part of the Doctor rather than being the Doctor, like Tom Baker was. Nobody does it better.

Erm, I think if you haven't already you should dig out a copy of the Tom Baker Years where he admits he did overact in The Creature Of The Pit, during the scenes where he was trying to communicate with Erato and I think personally the large majority of Season 17 he did overact rather badly!

However, back on topic. I don't know how long Capaldi will be in the role for but I hope somewhere along the line everything will come together for him and he will have a storming Series with some great stuff to work with. In some ways I prefer his more grumpier version of Series 8, at times this Series he just seems to be going through the motions. The first two episodes he was awesome but since then.....

I don't think the silly sunglasses and all the guitar playing have helped this year either. Unlike Troughton and the recorder and Tom Baker and the Jelly Babies they just don't seem to suit his Doctor.

Maybe the change of companion also will be the changing point for him.

Don't get me wrong, I do like his Doctor but imo I see bags of room for improvement.

Funny isn't it but of the New Who actors Capaldi strikes me as the least like the classic Doctors. Although possibly there is a dead heat there with Eccleston.

One thing is clear though which is being older does not correlate with being more like Classic Who and being younger does not correlate with being less like Classic Who. Both Tennant and Smith did a great job of incorporating classic elements into a more modern interpretation.

As an actor, I find Peter Capaldi compelling and captivating. He lights up the screen, but equally has the tremendous ability to slink to the sideline to let someone else have their moment as well - and that in itself is so in the spirit of the character he plays. His range, in my opinion, is phenomenal - actually highlighted further than expected by issues with the writing. I really, really liked most of Series 8, and I've absolutely loved most of Series 9. But the transition between 'grumpy, distant' Twelve in the last series, and 'accessible, friendly' Twelve in the current series was going so well for so long, and then they fired on all cyllinders to give an out-and-out nice Doctor with so few hints of who he was before.

In some ways, it's as if he's played two versions of his character. He's so blindingly good at it though, without ever complacently feeling like he's just drifting through the job, that I've enjoyed both interpretations - because I genuinely enjoy watching him in the role. I cannot say I had the same enthusiasm for Smith (who I still thought was superb) or Tennant (who did the job well) but he brings that range I feel the role demands.

In terms of an identity, Baker had his nailed. It was pinned down, quite possibly with more consistent writing. Capaldi, though quite possibly held back by the limitations of the writing (which despite me mentioning a few times, has impressed me more this year than for a good many) is doing a blinding job with what he's given. If he continues to be more multi-faceted in Series 10 (maybe a mixture of the two extremities) and we hone in on the most genuine Twelfth Doctor we can then it may well be a long game well played. If not then he still brings more range to the role than any actor before him in my opinion, certainly more so than the still-fantastic Tom Baker.

I'm not qualified to determine who's the "best" Doctor but Capaldi may yet be my favourite Doctor, unexpectedly knocking Eccleston from the spot.