And the 12th Doctor is…….

Peter Capaldi!  The BBC just announced that the next iteration of The Doctor will take over after Matt Smith leaves the show in this years Christmas Special.  At 55 years old, he will be the same age that William Hartnell, the first Doctor, was when he started the show.

Fun fact: Capaldi was credited as playing “W.H.O. Doctor” in World War Z,  coincidence?

For now we will just have to wait a few more months to see how the events unfold.  The first of two major episodes coming is the 50th Anniversary Special set to air on November 23rd, where the current Doctor, Matt Smith will be joined by his predecessor David Tennant as well as John Hurt.  Three Doctors in one episode, and then add in the return of Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, that should lead to a pretty exciting 90 minute special.

The second major episode will of course be the Christmas special, where Doctor Who fans have been seeing major events take place in the series over the years.  This is where we will see exactly what happens to the 11th Doctor that leads to his regeneration into the 12th.

Source: BBC America