Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who Christmas Special Tradition
By David Hill
The Doctor Who Christmas special is a holiday tradition for quite a few families. Peter Capaldi is no exception. Obviously, since becoming the Doctor, it has been more personal.
The Doctor Who Christmas special is naturally part of a Whovian’s holiday festivities each year. Everyone — from us common folk to the Prime Minister of Great Britain — arranges our schedules so as to make time for the annual treat. It is a tradition just like any other, and perhaps more enjoyable than dealing with one’s rude, intolerant brother-in-law, or eccentric aunt who brings her obnoxious dog.
It is not just we who have made the Christmas special a part of their holiday festivities. Even Peter Capaldi is going to watch it, as it is a tradition that he shares with his family. He, his wife, and their daughter will be gathered around the television, ready to watch the Doctor’s return. Although, according to Capaldi, he’ll be watching it from behind the couch. Is it really that scary, or is he just nervous about watching his own performance?
If the latter, it does make sense. Most people hate hearing or seeing recordings of themselves, and one can imagine that Capaldi would not be an exception. Just because he gets paid to be on television does not mean that he would be able to overcome that same sense of trepidation and self-criticism. For him, this even goes beyond acting into live appearances as himself.
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We do hope that he will feel good about his performance. Based on what he says about the episode, it could be an instant classic. One thing that makes it stand out is that, while it does have a vaguely festive feel to it, it is more reminiscent of the Christopher Reeve Superman films than your typical Christmas movie.
It will certainly be interesting to see how that model plays out. In a way, those earlier superhero movies could fit well with Doctor Who, and could even deliver a solid amount of levity to a show that can sometimes get dark and depressing. This is, after all, what the Christmas special is typically for. And given that showrunner Steven Moffat has said that Series Ten will have a lighter feel than the last, starting that off in the Christmas special would be a great way to set the tone for the coming season.
Next: Will the Parallels Between the First and Twelfth Doctors Continue?