Doctor Who fans woke up to the news this morning that Peter Capaldi, the show’s twelfth incarnation of The Doctor, is leaving the show. His departure is not entirely unexpected, as it coincides with the exit of the showrunner Steven Moffat, who has been with the show since Matt Smith took over the role.
It is bittersweet ending for Capaldi’s Doctor, who had to follow the double act of the aforementioned Smith and David Tennant. The show struggled to find its feet with Capaldi initially, however under Capaldi’s reign the show has seen some of its finest hours. We loved his entanglements with Missy, and his one man show Heaven Sent from Series Nine is one of the best episodes of the show’s entire run.
But all’s not lost! We still have another series to enjoy with Capaldi in the lead, and HeyUGuys’ number one Whovian, Rioux Roper, is here to give us five reasons to look forward to Doctor Who Series Ten…
The only reason I watched the Christmas special of Doctor Who, The Return Of Doctor Mysterio, was to see the new trailer for Series Ten featured after the episode. Some fans have been unimpressed with recent episodes, and the next series is feared to fall short of The Doctor’s best. So, we are here to give you hope. To give you the reasons why the new series holds good things for fans and non fans alike!
1. Pearl Mackie as Bill
Newcomer Pearl Mackie is playing the Doctor’s brand new companion, Bill. We were introduced to this character in a mini-episode, Friend From The Future. This new character seems to be very different from the previous assistant, Clara Oswald. She is intuitive and curious, and seems to look at situations in a different way to previous occupants of the TARDIS. She is fun, happy, and seemingly very bright, so why not watch the episodes to see her character develop and grow inside this new world?
2. New Monsters
In the trailer there are a couple of new monsters and aliens, including a blue man wearing a futuristic space suit, a screaming girl who seems to be covered in water, and robots with emoji faces. The blue man and the screaming girl have not been hinted at before, but it seems the tabloids were right about the Emoji Robots, who apparently kill people by hugging them. There are also hints of a giant Loch Ness type monster snake who lives in the Thames, and giant woodlice that live under our floorboards.
3. The Movellans Are Back
After a thirty-seven year absence arguably the most camp Doctor Who aliens, The Movellans, seem to be returning. Last seen in 1979’s Destiny Of The Daleks, The Movellans seem to not have had their costume changed. Last time we saw them they were locked in a stalemate against The Daleks, which makes sense since The Doctor explains that they are ‘basically in the middle of a war’. So, what better time than now to watch these classic, if not slightly silly, aliens locked in a war with the almighty Daleks?
4. New Planets
Obviously a majority of the episodes are set on Earth, and in different time periods including what looks like winter in Victorian London, and present day England, we also have new planets. One is shown with Bill asking ‘Which way is Earth?’ as she and The Doctor walk through an alien cornfield to get to a futuristic city. Another looks like a rocky landscape, similar to The Crimson Heart in The Sarah Jane Adventures’ Death Of The Doctor. There is also an icy landscape which one of the Emoji Robots are seen walking on, plus what looks like a spaceship/station occupied by humans and aliens. We’ll have to wait until Spring to find out where and when these planets are.
5. Capaldi’s New Direction
Series Nine saw The Twelfth Doctor soften into a mellowed persona, rocking out with his guitar, wearing sonic sunglasses, and listening to Beethoven’s Fifth. Since Clara departed, the path of Peter Capaldi’s fantastic Doctor is uncertain. Will he be carrying on acting calm and collected, or will he go back to his more moody ways for his swansong? There’s only one way to find out – watch the new series!
