When Peter Capaldi’s escapades as the Twelfth Doctor (also known as the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord currently known as the Doctor… so confusing) kick off this fall, it won’t only be Jenna Coleman’s plucky Clara Oswald that he will deal with on a regular basis; a new character has been announced who will play a recurring role in the Doctor’s adventures.
BBC America revealed this morning that actor Samuel Anderson (The History Boys, Gavin and Stacey) will join the cast as the character of Danny Pink, a recurring character who also teaches at the Coal Hill School along with Clara. The Coal Hill School, you may well remember, is the place the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan, was a student when her teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright became unwilling companions back in 1963.
In the press release, Anderson (no relation) said, “I was so excited to join Doctor Who I wanted to jump and click my heels, but I was scared I might not come down before filming started! It’s a quintessential part of British culture and I can’t believe I’m part of it. It’s an honor to be able to work alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman and I can’t wait to show people how my character becomes involved with such a fantastic duo!”
Executive Producer and Lead Writer Steven Moffat had his own traditionally-cryptic explanation for the character of Danny Pink: “For the fourth time in Doctor Who history, Coal Hill School is coming to the aid of the TARDIS. In 1963 teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright accompanied the First Doctor. These days it’s the turn of Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. And very soon now, Sam Anderson as Danny Pink will be entering the world of the Doctor. But how and why? Answers are coming later this year in Peter Capaldi’s first season of Doctor Who!”
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how Danny Pink fits in to everything. Will he be friend or foe? As long as he’s not a put-upon boyfriend, I think I’ll be okay. What are your theories about this, if you indeed have any? Will he be the heir to the Pink’s Hot Dogs fortune, or the British version of Steve Buscemi’s character from Reservoir Dogs? No to both ideas.
Ach… maaan, thought we might finally get a pared-down, high-intensity, straight sci-fi story-driven Who focused on Peter Cs incredible presence. …a more adult, mature, back-to-basics, sort of “punk” take, where they strip away the many, many layers of Moffats pomp and fluff, ditch the CGI and orchestras, quit belaboring everything with unnecessary extra character distractions and bloat, and just set up premise, and wield the Doctor like a hammer. Historically that’s when this show is historically its most successful and memorable. Somebody’s got to rescue this show from Moffat.
Can’t wait to see how this plays out. Hopefully he won’t be another romantic interest that gets chosen second most of the time. My hopes are that he’s very assertive and doesn’t let The Doctor do whatever he wants.
@Commonperson actually PC is going to be Scottish!! Can’t wait!!!
Booo! Bring back Mickey!
14th regeneration, 13th incarnation, 12th Doctor. It’s not that complicated. He’s regenerated 14 times, into 13 faces, 12 of which have been called the Doctor.
Forward! Into the Past!
This is a brilliant piece of symmetry since this is sort of resetting at the top of the clock as it were! Capaldi is the same age as Hartnell when he started and the pair of teachers from Coal Hill were two of the first companions this feels very much like a tribute to the first series (and what little has been released Capaldi sounds more Hartnell Doctor than any of the later Doctors). This is truly brilliant! This has me very excited for what the future of The Doctor brings.
I think he’s actually a ghost. Or a merman.