That Time Doctor Who And A Late Night TV Host Were In A Punk Band

When the BBC announced Peter Capaldi would be taking the lead role in Doctor Who, one man who congratulated him was Craig Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show on CBS.

Great news that Peter Capaldi is the new Doctor. A spectacular talent and a beautiful man. #DoctorWho
— Craig Ferguson (@CraigyFerg) August 4, 2013

But Ferguson's praises didn't come from some ordinary fan; he and Capaldi know each other from over thirty years ago. More after the jump.


In 1980, Capaldi was in a punk-rock band called Dreamboys while he was enrolled at the Glasgow School of Art. Capaldi was lead guitar and vocals while a 17-year-old Ferguson, fresh out of Cumbernauld, played drums. Also in the band were Temple Clark on bass and Roderick Murray on guitar. The band played regularly in Glasgow for a couple of years, recording one three-track record at the Hillfire Club in 1980; Ferguson, unfortunately, could not be present, so it's Robin Livsey on drums. The three tracks were "Bela Lugosi's Birthday," "Outer Limits," and "Shall We Dance?"



Two months after Capaldi announced the band would be calling it quits, Capaldi and Ferguson played a Christmas show in drag as the "Ugly Sisters." They were performing with, and wearing similar makeup as, the all-girl group Sophisticated Boom Boom. Ferguson said Capaldi was the one who pushed him into comedy, and Craig soon started performing as a parody of Scottish folk singers called "Bing Hitler," named by Capaldi himself.



For many years, both men performed regularly in several TV shows and movies throughout Britain, before Craig left for Los Angeles in 1994. Craig would go on to star as Nigel Wick on The Drew Carey Show, write and star in three movies of his own, and in 2004 was announced as the host of CBS' The Late Late Show. In 2005, Capaldi began his most famous role as Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It and it's 2009 film spin-off In The Loop. He also held roles on Skins and The Hour, and even guest-starred in a 2008 episode of Doctor Who. For those interested, Temple Clark went on to work as storyboard artist for such films as Kick-Ass, The Avengers, and part of the Harry Potter franchise; Roderick Murray currently runs an art gallery.
Both Capaldi and Ferguson are life-long Whovians. Artwork and fan letters from a teenage Capaldi have already reached the press, and he's admitted Doctor Who sparked his interest in working television. Ferguson affirmed his fandom after watching an episode of the revived series, and has hosted several Who-themed shows with guests and props, including a small TARDIS that sits on his desk every night.
Read more at BBC America's Anglophenia Blog and The Daily Record.