Peter Capaldi Reflects On His Time As Doctor Who: A “Very, Very Special Privilege”

2017 marks a historic year for the Doctor Who series.

Not only will outgoing Time Lord Peter Capaldi bid farewell to the hit sci-fi show, but Jodie Whittaker has been selected as his replacement, which means series 11 of Doctor Who will herald the first female Doctor at long last. It’s an exciting time for the Who universe, then, and while in attendance at Portland’s recent Rose City Comic-Con, Peter Capaldi waxed lyrical about his time spent wielding that famous Sonic Screwdriver.

And so, after naming Jodie Whittaker to be his favorite Doctor, despite having not seen the Broadchurch star in action, Capaldi took time to reflect on his experience headlining Doctor Who. It’s one he won’t forget in a hurry, that’s for sure.

It’s just an amazing experience, because all the time you are the Doctor you are the centre of all this attention, this warmth and so to have that in your life is extraordinary. I feel it’s just a very, very special privilege and position to be in. It’s life-changing. It’s wonderful to be the Doctor. You are Doctor Who – for a while.

Companion Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts) echoed those comments, too, with both stars due to appear in this year’s long-anticipated Christmas Special, “Twice Upon a Time.”

Per Radio Times:

“And I think one of the best parts of it is that every episode is kind of a different genre, while still having monsters and things like that,” says the actress. “It’s just wonderful. One day you’re on a different planet fighting emoji robots, the next day you’re in a full Victorian period costume on ice. It’s insane. Every day was so different, and so new. It’s basically the best show on TV.”

There’s nothing quite like the enchanting magic of Doctor Who, and fans can look forward to the show’s return, along with Capaldi’s last hurrah, on Christmas Day.