Peter Capaldi has been doing the rounds prior to tonight’s Last Christmas, speaking on his time during Series 8, looking forward to Series 9 and of course tonight’s festive special.
Speaking to the BBC:
Everyone will be pleased to see the Doctor and Clara brought together again for this Christmas special. What does bring them together?
“A terrifying festive dilemma forces the Doctor back to Earth to help Clara. Then a story unfolds which is quite unexpected – I can’t really say more than that.”
How does filming the Christmas special differ from the series?
“It’s all very festive and even though you’re shooting in October it does lull you into the festive spirit, because there are lots of Christmassy things around. There are snow machines all the time which is lovely but they’re noisy like lawnmowers or concrete mixers. We have Christmas lights, polystyrene icebergs - which is classic piece of set dressing on Doctor Who. There’s a roast dinner going on in Clara’s house and a big Christmas tree. There were also lots of tangerines! “
What was your reaction to Nick Frost being cast as Santa? What sort of Santa does he play?
“I was delighted when Nick was cast, I’m a big fan of his. I love Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead. He’s actually quite a traditional Santa but with a comic undertone. He is the real Santa – he’s not a robot or an alien, but he is a little bit cantankerous. He’s a little bit like the Doctor and at first they don’t really get on together.”
How do the Doctor and Clara become involved with Santa?
“Santa appears on the roof of Clara’s house and only the Doctor knows the danger of it.”
What can viewers expect from this episode?
“It’s both really scary and really festive. It manages to be quite frightening and still have Santa Claus in it. It is extremely Christmassy but there is a plot line in it that is quite dark and I think Steven has done a brilliant job at balancing those two things. It’s perfect for Christmas viewing – it supplies everything that Doctor Who should supply at Christmas. It’s scary but it leaves you feeling warm and cheerful.”
What have been your fondest memories of your first year as the Doctor?
“It’s difficult to say what specific moments were significant to me because the whole thing has just been amazing. So many things have been fantastic. The first time you go onto the set, the first time you meet a Dalek or even the first time the TARDIS wobbles when you shut the door. I know it won’t last forever so I’m just enjoying it all.”
The show is now a global phenomenon – how was it to see the reactions of fans in different countries earlier this year? What is it about your Doctor that you think they’re enjoying?
“It was extraordinary to see how popular the show is all over the world. I’ve had the great benefit of riding the wave of success that Matt, David and Chris had started. I myself was fascinated by what made the show so popular abroad. To me it seems a particularly British thing. However, it seems that the themes of escapism and adventure are universal. Fans of Doctor Who are usually so warm-hearted and creative. It’s quite moving to see how much they love it. You don’t realise when you’re making the programme that it’s reaching out to so many people in Latin America or Asia or Australia. Obviously the character is so popular now and the concept is so clever, so I think that is what they’re responding to rather than me.”
What will you be doing this Christmas and is there anything you want from Santa?
“I’ll be watching the Christmas Special and I want a tangerine and a Doctor Who annual because that’s what I had as a kid.”
From WhatsonTV:
So can you set the scene for this year’s festive special, Last Christmas?
“It’s a rather clever episode because it’s incredibly festive and jolly, but also quite terrifying. I’d say it’s one of the scariest Christmas adventures ever. Santa has crashed into Clara Oswald’s roof so he’s there with his elves, but while this might otherwise be an excuse for cheer and happiness it’s actually a nightmarish development, and only the Doctor knows why! So the Doctor has to arrive there, too, to save Clara from what Santa being there means for her life!”
Will Santa survive?! Surely he can’t be killed off!
“Kids will be glad to know that Santa will remain intact by the end of the show. He’s not a Santa robot or Santa alien or anything sci-fi like that! He’s the real genuine Santa Claus!”
The Doctor and Santa Claus have a past history don’t they?
“Yes, because the Doctor is slightly competitive with any semi-mythical characters and it’s the same with Santa. The Doctor probably thinks Santa’s had things to himself for too long.”
What was it like working with Nick Frost playing Santa?
“It was just fabulous and he was a brilliant Santa. I’m not an actor who usually suffers much from corpsing, but Nick made me laugh and giggle so much on set. He knows how bad I was getting with him there so he deliberately provoked it in me! There’s lots of out-takes of me hiding behind monsters and such like! Nick’s great because he brings a great deal of jollity and fun to that role - and he’s very convincing as Santa Claus.”
Does the Doctor’s relationship with Clara change at all in this Christmas special?
“Oh yes. She’s fabulous, but yes there’s something quite profound that happens to her in this story… but of course I can’t go into that.”
Michael Troughton stars in this adventure as a scientist on the base that’s under attack by Sleepers and Dream Crabs. Was there an inevitable discussion about his dad, Patrick, who played The Doctor from 1966 to 1970.
“Of course, and mainly because I was a huge fan of his dad. In fact, I had his autograph. I wrote a fan letter to his dad, and he sent me a little snapshot of himself on his boat and autographed that with a Biro. I remember really cherishing that because it was such a personal thing. I spoke to Michael a lot about his dad and of course he looks bit like his dad too. Michael and I had worked together before, and he had some very interesting stories.”
This is the 10th Doctor Who Christmas special. As an old-school fan does it seem strange to you that the show has become such a big part of Christmas TV tradition now?
“It does, and it has fitted into family traditions too. I’ve always insisted on watching it. It’s terrifying that it’s now in that ‘Morecambe & Wise’ slot as it were. But it just shows how this show has expanded and become so popular among families that it works so well on Christmas Day. It’s got that very British mix of something a little scary and something festive. It’s like the tradition of having a Christmassy ghost story.”
Has your Doctor stopped evolving yet? Is he now how he’s always going to be?
“I think it would be wrong to say he’s ‘arrived’ now. And that’s certainly not how I feel. That would be lazy, and a bit foolish! I think you have to keep moving him on because in a way if he’s regenerated he’s still learning about himself, such as how he responds to the universe and the world, so I think he probably will be different again when he comes back for the next series.
So how might The Doctor change in the new series?
“It’s inevitable I suppose when you play Doctor Who, that your first season has to be a direct contrast with the previous Doctors. And that’s worked well with my age and curmudgeonliness against Matt’s youth. I’m just finding out who this character is and also there are more mysteries about him, so it’s good to hint at those. There are other things in my Doctor that we’re still to display.”
Last Christmas airs tonight at 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC One HD, it will be available on the iPlayer from 7:15pm.
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