SCOTTISH ACTOR PETER Capaldi, best known as the abusive spin doctor in satire The Thick of It, has been named as the new eponymous star of cult British series Doctor Who.
The BBC unveiled the 55-year-old Glaswegian as the new Time Lord during a live programme yesterday evening, with Capaldi describing it as 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,” said Capaldi, who will replace outgoing Doctor Matt Smith.
Capaldi’s new role comes after he finished his stint in The Thick of It which returned to our screens in September last year.
For those of you not familiar with it, the BBC programme was a satirical take on the inner workings of the modern British government. The programme’s protagonist, Malcolm Tucker (played by Capaldi) gained notoriety for surreal and violent outbursts at staff and hapless ministers.
Some even speculated that the character was based on perhaps the most famous spin doctor of them all, Alastair Campbell, though the former Downing Street communications director has distanced himself from Tucker.
Series four of the Bafta-award winning comedy marked the last time Capaldi starred as Tucker but with him now returning to our screens in Doctor Who we thought we’d look back at some of his best Malcolm Tucker moments…
Be warned, extremely strong language from the start:
Malcolm is not a big fan of blogs:
YouTube: keepinitgroomey
Specials: With Abbot away, his junior minister at DOSAC, Ben Swain goes on Newsnight and a disastrous interview with Jeremy Paxman has inevitable consequences:
YouTube: BBCWorldwide
Specials: After the resignation of the unidentified ‘Prime Minister’ it’s a night of high tension at No.10 Downing Street as the government seek a successor who is not ‘Tom’ leading to much spinning and arguing:
Season 3: As Tucker meets the new Minister for Social Affairs and Citizenship, Nicola Murray, the term ‘omnishambles’ is born:
YouTube: Brizdyn
Season 3: As Murray, goes up against her shadow in the opposition, Peter Mannion, in a radio debate Tucker goes up against his opposite number in the opposition and fireworks ensue:
YouTube: waynecarr949
Note: This post was first published on 6 September 2012 to coincide with the final series of the The Thick of It but has now been republished to coincide with Peter Capaldi’s new role as Dr Who.
