The news that has been anticipated by Whovians around the world finally came to light on Sunday.  We now know who The 12^th Doctor is.  After a little over two months of speculating after Matt Smith, The 11^th Doctor, announced that he would be stepping down with this year’s Christmas Special we finally know that he will regenerate into Peter Capaldi.  Sunday afternoon my daughter and I sat together waiting somewhat patiently for the big news and when it was revealed my first thought was, “Who?”  I knew that he looked familiar but I couldn’t place him in my memory banks anywhere so I did some digging.

Peter Capaldi is a 55 year old Scotsman from Glasgow and from all accounts has been a Whovian nearly his entire life.  While he has been very popular in Great Britain he hasn’t been seen very often in the States.  Most recently though he was in World War Z playing a doctor working for the World Health Organization.   Yes, he was a W.H.O. Doctor as listed in IMDB.   Also, he was a guest star in Episode 4.2 “The Fires of Pompeii” as well as the 5 episode “Children of Earth” story arc on Torchwood.

While there has been a part of the Whoniverse who is upset that the 12^th Doctor is older, I am on the side that is excited about it.  It opens the possibility of a more serious and dark Doctor that is coming out of the troubles we will see in the 50^th Anniversary Special we will get to see in November.   Don’t get me wrong though, I have absolutely loved Matt Smith in the role.  His youthful jubilance and playful charm we just what was needed after the sadness and loss that David Tennant’s 10^th Doctor experienced and the end of his time.

Whether that is what we will get, well we will have to wait and see until next August unfortunately.  But until then I and my daughter are anxiously awaiting the 50^th and the Fall of the Eleventh in the Christmas Special.  Also, kudos by the way to BBC for simulcasting it around the globe in November.   I personally was not looking forward to an internet blackout so that I could avoid spoilers.   Hopefully they will take that same or a similar approach as they took with Series 7.2 where they air Series 3 of Sherlock on the same day on BBC America so that all of us U.S. fans don’t have to wait.   But given the group of writers and the actors involved I have no doubt that the 12^th Doctor will be great and then when his time is up we will have the 13^th and possibly final Doctor.   Maybe this time he, or she, will finally be Ginger just as the Doctor has always wanted.