Doctor Who fans mark Peter Capaldi appointment

Peter Capaldi was famous for his role in The Thick of It. Picture: PA

DOCTOR Who fans have celebrated the appointment of Peter Capaldi as the new lead in the show – with many making spoof online videos.

The Glasgow-born actor, who is 55, is famed for his role as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in BBC satire The Thick of It in which he fires off four-letter rants and filthy, withering put-downs.

Now clips of his outbursts have been edited together with footage from Doctor Who and posted on social media sites.

Many of the video clips and pictures include expletive-laden quotes which spin doctor Tucker has spoken in the political comedy show.

Gavin Fuller, who previously won the BBC quiz show Mastermind with Doctor Who as his specialised subject, described Capaldi’s new role as “interesting”.

He said: “It was interesting, and rather delightful, to discover that Peter Capaldi has been cast as the 12th doctor. Curiously, he has parallels with some other Doctors. When William Hartnell was cast in the role in 1963 he was 55; now, exactly 50 years on, we have another 55-year-old about to take on the role.”

And Dr Keith Johnston, a senior lecturer in film and television from the University of East Anglia, told how he was surprised when Capaldi’s name was announced. He said: “I assumed all the fuss around Capaldi was a smokescreen. I was shocked and overjoyed because he is a properly good actor.

“I thought he handled himself very well. There were tantalising little hints in there as to what his Doctor might be like.”

The Scot – who has appeared in Doctor Who before in a 2008 edition of the show – will film his first scenes this autumn.