The BBC’s Doctor Who is one of the most successful shows in TV history. People of all ages from all over the world have enjoyed the show since it debuted in 1963. One of the most iinnovative things about the sci-fi series is the thing that has enabled it to run for such a long time. Every few years or so, Doctor Who reboots itself by replacing the performer portraying the titular Doctor. See, the Doctor is a 900-year-old “Time Lord” from another planet that can traverse space and time who must “regenerate” now and then, which means taking on a different human form. That’s how 12 different actors (and one actress) have all played the same character while also literally breathing new life into the franchise.
“Regeneration” is a painful process, an intriguing combination of death and turning into a werewolf. Alas, but it’s a part of life for the Doctor, and also the time when audiences get formally introduced to the “new” Doctor. On the most recent Doctor Who Christmas special, Peter Capaldi (the “Twelfth Doctor”) regenerated into Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to ever officially play the iconic role. While that’s exciting and awesome for a number of reasons, anytime a Doctor regenerates, it’s tough on fans who have come to love the outgoing actor.
Brian McGilloway, a mystery novelist and English teacher in Ireland, watches the show with his nine-year-old son, David. The kid was having a tough time coming to terms with the fact that Peter Capaldi would be leaving the show, as he was his favorite of all the Doctors. So, the elder McGilloway reached out to Capaldi. And just like on Doctor Who, the Doctor heroically swooped in to save the day.