Peter Capaldi: Doctor Who Appeals to People of All Ages
By Leah Tedesco
In an interview with Radio Times, Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi discusses Doctor Who’s appeal to people of all ages.
Earlier today, we shared an article discussing a recent comment made by Peter Capaldi regarding the Twelfth Doctor. He addressed the opinion of some fans that he is too old to play the character, saying that he disagrees on the grounds of the precedent set by various Doctors of the past.
Indeed, William Hartnell, who portrayed the very first Doctor, was far from being in his youth when he took the role. And while, according an interview in the most recent issue of Radio Times (as reported by Rory O’Connor of the Daily Express), Capaldi sometimes “feels a little bit silly” being so very far removed in age from Doctor Who‘s target demographic, it would be foolish for him to leave the show at this point.
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One of the reasons for this is the wide appeal of the program. Addressing another common thought that the themes and plot lines of Doctor Who have become too complex for children to follow, he stated that it was important to consider “the constitution of the audience,” which “covers a huge age range.” From the “metaphysical and intellectual” to simply “blow[ing] up monsters,” there is something for practically everyone. And to the adults who feel that the show is sometimes too “silly” or “mawkish,” he reminds them that it is primarily aimed at children.
In spite of Capaldi’s acknowledgement of Doctor Who‘s mass appeal, he revealed that he lost interest in it during his teenage years, instead turning to more typical, rebellious teenage pastimes. This makes one wonder if, on average, there are more teenage fans of Doctor Who currently than there were during Capaldi’s youth. In any case, it is not as though debauchery and science fiction are mutually exclusive.
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