In my mind there is one question that we should be focussing on ahead of the appearance of Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor (please don’t let them change the numbering we all use, wrong though it might be). I don’t mean will Clara stay, is River Song still his wife, will Clara get a chum (the chap from Day of the Doctor?) or even why will the Doctor have a Scottish accent. No. The only question is:
How will the Doctor take his tea?
The vital role of tea
Any Doctor Who fan should be clear of the vital role tea has to play in Doctor Who – something picked up in the AudioVisuals range as well (Nick Briggs’s Doctor has a teapot lapel pin). If you need more insight try the TARDIS wikia entry.
Tea and previous Doctors
This is a sample of tea based moments in the last of past incarnations:
- Third Doctor – tea was so important the UNIT tea-lady had access to the Doctor’s laboratory. He took tea with milk and four sugars
- Fifth Doctor – took tea with two sugars
- Sixth Doctor – took tea with six sugars
- Seventh Doctor – liked Lapsang Souchong as well as Earl Grey (and Arcturan)
- Eighth Doctor – ‘Never turn down tea if it’s offered’
- Ninth Doctor – took tea with two sugars
- Tenth Doctor – fumes from tea helped him through his regeneration (Christmas Invasion)
- Eleventh Doctor – used tea to save Craig Owens in The Lodger
My prediction
I think we are overdue a decent mug of builder’s tea but with no sugar. That’s my guess – any other opinions? Let me know!
Red Rocket Rising 
I sure hope you’re right. It’s a dirty little secret that tea time isn’t at all about tea, but the English white powder addiction. Take it black! Or maybe you don’t like tea… I do love that odd interaction that seems to happen on the subject when only Gallifreyans are present, as per Shada. “Would you like one lump or two?” “Two”. “Sugar?” Perhaps there’s a lump of something else they add.
The other thing I’ll never understand is the way the UNIT predilection to always sort things over a cup of tea is poo-poo’d so often. It works! I take mine black made from decaf and it still gets the neurons firing and settles the constitution.
LikeLike
Thanks Elizabeth – I seem to have missed out on any white powder addiction and I’ve been drinking tea man and boy! Maybe Capaldi will drink Redbush?!
LikeLike