Filming for Season 8 of ‘Doctor Who’ began on Monday, January 6th, and today we have our first official look at Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.
While fans are looking forward to seeing how Capaldi handles the role, the star of ‘The Thick of It’ and ‘The Hour’ was a bit apprehensive stepping onto the set:
“New job, first day, slightly nervous. Just like the Doctor, I’m emerging from the TARDIS into a whole other world.”
Executive Producer and showrunner Steven Moffat jokingly added:
“First the eyebrows! Then, at Christmas, the face! Coming soon, the whole Doctor. In the Cardiff studios, the Capaldi era begins.”
To celebrate the new beginning (and to give fans something while we wait the 8 long months before the start of the next season), BBC America has released this image of the new Doctor making sure to note that this was not an image of the official new look:
So how will the new old Time Lord be dressing? Capaldi tweeted this to reassure fans:
I have had a big say in my costume, I can’t give too much away, but all I have to say is… “No regrets, no tears and no anxieties.”
— Peter Capaldi (@CapaldiOfficial) January 3, 2014
As usual, details are being kept close to the vest but we do know is that Season 8 will not be split into two parts (thankfully, as splitting seemed to be the norm for the last couple years) and that the first episode was scribed by Moffat with the second by Phil Ford. Ford has written extensively in the world of ‘Doctor Who’ which includes writing scripts for ‘Torchwood’ (he wrote ‘Something Borrowed’), ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ as well as working on Russell T. Davies’ new series ‘Wizards vs. Aliens’. He has also written for many of the ‘Doctor Who’ video games as well as the ‘Doctor Who’ episode ‘The Water of Mars’.
Other writers who are retuning next season include Mark Gatiss (’An Adventure in Space and Time’, ‘The Crimson Horror’ among others), Neil Cross (‘Hide’, ‘The Rings of Akhaten’), and Gareth Roberts (‘Closing Time’, ‘The Lodger’). Fan favorite Neil Gaiman has been approached to write an episode for the upcoming season but his availability to write will be a determining factor as to whether we’ll be graced with one of his exceptional episodes.
Moffat has also teased that this Doctor will be very “different” than his predecessor (played by Matt Smith) stating that the Twelfth Doctor will be somewhat of an “old beast” with a “snarl” and that we’ll be seeing an older, fiercer and trickier Doctor. Luckily, in the Season 8 premiere episode, he’ll not only have Clara to help him get his bearings but also the help of Madame Vasta (Neve McIntosh), Jenny (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey). There have also been rumblings that the Doctor may have another companion to deal with as fellow Coal Hill school teacher Tom (played by Tristan Beint and was seen in the 50th Anniversary episode ‘The Day of the Doctor’) was strongly hinted by the actor as someone who may be joining Clara in the TARDIS. And, of course, we can’t forget about River Song. Alex Kingston hinted her character’s return in this video thanking fans back in October:
So, new Doctor, new stories and some new faces for the next season of ‘Doctor Who’! We can’t wait to see how Capaldi’s Doctor will be portrayed and what his catch phrase will be! How about you?
