‘Doctor Who’ season 8: Controversy erupts over Peter Capaldi’s … accent?

“Doctor Who” season 8 production has not even started yet, but there is already some rather bizarre controversy that is starting to unravel over something that really does not matter that much in the context of the series: The accent of some of the Doctors that are on the show.

When David Tennant first joined the show many years ago, there was a controversial decision made for the actor to adopt an accent that was in line with all of the other Doctors who have been on the show. Given that Tennant is Scottish, this may have felt like a disappointing move at the time.

So why does this matter now? Basically, it comes courtesy of the revelation that for his take as The Doctor, Peter Capaldi has been allowed to keep his own accent rather than adopting one deemed to be a little more English and similar to that of Matt Smith. An insider claims to the Mirror that this move is more or less a “kick in the teeth” to Tennant, who has been so kind to the show to even return recently for the 50th Anniversary Special.

However,a  spokesperson for the BBC claims that the decision for Capaldi to keep his accent was a “creative decision and not part of his contract.” Therefore, it was not required that he be allowed to use his natural accent in order to take on the role.

To us personally, we understand there being a bit of local pride that goes into wanting to use a specific accent with the character; but in the end, what matters most is that the character is good, and the actor does a good job. Tennant ended up being one of the most beloved Doctors in history despite having to change his accent, and we personally hope that Capaldi will at least produce a similar sort of feeling for viewers.

What do you think about all of this? Share your thoughts below.