The Twelfth Doctor of the BBC television series Doctor Who was portrayed by Peter Capaldi.
Doctor Who . The current lead , Peter Capaldi , took on the role after Matt Smith 's exit in the 2013 Christmas special `` The Time of the Doctor '' . The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor , the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who . Capaldi 's first full appearance as the Doctor was at the end of the 2013 Christmas special `` The Time of the Doctor '' .