Doctor Who’s first director on love for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor: 'He gave it a kind of vulnerability'

When asked about what he's looking forward to most in the future of Doctor Who, Hussein said: "[That he] goes off to a more mysterious future. I don't want him to be someone whose unavailable or is out of place."

He continued: "He's a guide to gather humans. He knows too much but he doesn't know how to convey things. I love Peter Capaldi. Peter gave it a kind of vulnerability."

Capaldi more recently reacted to the slate of 60th anniversary episodes of Doctor Who in an interview with Forbes. "I enjoyed it. I thought it was great and a lot of fun," he said of the 60th anniversary.

He continued: "It was wonderful, exuberant, and full of life, drama, and monsters. David was wonderful, and Catherine Tate, of course.

"It's Doctor Who, you know, it's a gas and a good thing in the world. It's a nice, fun, exciting thing, and I look forward to the rest of the specials and Ncuti Gatwa coming along. I've met him, and he's very inspiring and charming."

Currently, Capaldi can be seen on our screens in Apple TV+'s Criminal Record and in the upcoming new season of Prime Video's The Devil's Hour, but has reiterated the fact that he won't be returning to the Whoniverse, previously telling RadioTimes.com that he's "done his time".

Hussein, of course, directed the first serial of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, in 1963 and returned to direct most of the fourth serial, Marco Polo, in 1964.

Read more:

• Doctor Who's first director: 'I wish I had Russell T Davies!'
• Doctor Who's Steven Moffat on Ncuti Gatwa: "He's going to be magnificent"

Also speaking about the return of showrunner Russell T Davies, Hussein said of the new era of Doctor Who: "It's bound to change. And it's fascinating to see how it's developed.

"I had no idea when I took it what I was involved with, and how long it would take to come to fruition. I’m fascinated by it.

"I love what Russell T [Davies] is doing, I’m a great fan of his. It needs a good writer. I had no script to work with – I didn’t have Russell T Davies. I wish I did!”

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