During Sunday’s live broadcast on BBC America, Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, whom fans might know from Torchwood, The Thick of It, and this (pretty good) spoiler Easter egg, was crowned the twelfth Doctor on the popular series Doctor Who. The other Doctor Who contestants showed gracious smiles as the exited the stage, where their families awaited them with open arms and heavy hearts. You could faintly hear their loved ones let out their rehearsed condolences: “Maybe another time…and space!” “Doctor who even cares about these judges, they literally don’t even know anything.” But the sobs of the formerly potential doctors drowned out even th– oh, it wasn’t a contest? They just hired a new guy, like normal? Eek! Whoops! Ahhhh. Anyway, this guy’s the new guy! From The Guardian:

Internally the BBC referred to the selection process as project Houdini, with reportedly only 10 people knowing Capaldi had been chosen.

“It is so wonderful not to keep this secret any more,” [Capaldi] said. “For a while I couldn’t even tell my daughter. Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can’t wait to get started.”

…

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, said: “It’s an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television.” he said. ” Peter Capaldi is in the Tardis.”

Who would have thought that in our lifetimes we’d see an either non-white or non-male or both Doctor Who? It can be hard to tell sometimes, because many things still remain frustratingly backwards, but things are actually changing for the better and more inclusive at a fairly quick pace, and– oh wait, what? Uggggggh, there are so many things I had wrong originally about this new Doctor Who!! Anyway, here he is as Sid’s dad on Skins: 

And as Malcolm Tucker on The Thick of It.

(He is very good.)