Doctor Who: Yesterday Is Today Once More

Last Sunday saw the last San Diego Comic-con Doctor Who panel with Steven Moffat as showrunner and Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.  I almost expected a quick pop in from Jodie Whittaker but this was a moment in the sun for the outgoing crew as it well should be. Peter and Steven displayed the depth of their affection for Doctor Who and they will both be sorely missed.

We still have one more adventure with the 12^th Doctor with the 2017 Christmas and we were treated with a brand new trailer for the special.

The trailer opens with Wiliam Hartnell in black and white as the First Doctor which fades into David Bradley as the First Doctor, seamlessly finishing off the line of dialogue began by Hartnell. It’s a bit that shows how good Bradley should be at evoking the original Doctor. 

We also have a guest character portrayed by Mark Gatiss, looking very much like a young Brigadier General Letheridge-Stewart. We’ve been advised that Mark’s character is a soldier from World War I. Still, could it be the Brig’s father or grandfather?  

We see a bit with the First Doctor with a modern regeneration glow around his hand while standing with a blonde woman who looks like Polly, the Doctor’s companion back in the 1^st regeneration.  

Peter Capaldi’s hair continues to reach new heights. If Peter wasn’t leaving the show and the hair kept exponentially growing, the Doctor would not be able to enter the TARDIS without bowing first. 

Here is a link to the Christmas special trailer. 

And look: Pearl Mackie’s back! Yay! The Doctor needs to know Bill is all right.  At the Panel, Pearl did sayshe ws only back for the special and not returning for Series 11. Which is a shame. I like Bill and I think she would continue to be good with Jodie Whitaker. 

Speaking of Jodie, Steven Moffat did speak out about the backlash against her casting as a female Doctor. Steven says there is NO backlash. OK, that may be a bit naïve to say there has been NO backlash but to Steven’s point, most fans are on board with the Doctor being a woman and with Jodie Whittaker being that woman. Any negativity towards this change is being overblown by a media desperate for some headlines. 

If you are having problems with the Doctor as a woman, there is help available.

Also at the San Diego Comic-Con was a classic Doctor Who panel to promote the BritBox streaming service with classic shows from ITV and the BBC. Former Doctor Peter Davison stumpled into the moinefiueld of the next doctor being female nd his own preference fpr the Doctor to remain male. Also in attendance, 6^th Doctor Colin Baker described Davison’s perspective as “rubbish”. Well, that was awkard. To be fair, Davison was describing a preference born of years accepting the Doctor as male. And he spoke well of Jodie’s casting.  All in all, not a particularly damning episode but Peter Davison still got chased off Twitter for his trouble. Are Dzvion’s views outdated? Yes. Could he have expressed those views better? Probably. But ultimately, the man is entitled to his opinion. 

And…

Oh, the 12th Doctor may have one problem with his future self.

That is that for today.

Until next time remember to be good to one another.