We knew the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who would begin in August and now, thanks to BBC America’s announcement, we know the exact date is August 23rd. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, we also know that the much-anticipated premiere will be a feature-length episode! Our first introduction to The Twelfth Doctor will be of movie-style proportions. Here’s the offiical press release from BBC America:
A NEW ERA BEGINS SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 8:00PM ET ON BBC AMERICA
BBC AMERICA has announced the premiere date for the eighth season of Doctor Who. The feature-length episode, entitled “Deep Breath,” will air Saturday, August 23 at 8:00pm ET. The episode ushers in an exciting new era for the show as Peter Capaldi (The Musketeers, The Thick of It) steps into the role of the Doctor. Fans first got a glimpse of Capaldi’s Doctor in November’s 50th Anniversary Special, and again in the final minutes of last year’s Christmas Special, but the upcoming season premiere marks the first full episode for the Twelfth Doctor.
Capaldi will be joined by Jenna Coleman (Death Comes to Pemberley), who returns as companion Clara Oswald, and Samuel Anderson (History Boys, Gavin & Stacey) who joins the cast as Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where Clara also works. Previously announced guest stars include Ben Miller (Primeval, Death in Paradise), Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty, Upstairs, Downstairs), and Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons).
Leading up to the premiere, Capaldi and Coleman will appear together in the US for the first time when they arrive in New York on Thursday, August 14 as part of the first ever Doctor Who World Tour. The largest promotional undertaking in the show’s 50-year history, the tour will kick off in Cardiff, Wales before heading to London, Seoul, Sydney, New York, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro.
The premiere will be titled Deep Breath (possible jab at fans freaking out over Matt Smith’s departure?) and strangely there’s no mention of whether or not Steven Moffat wrote the episode. Moffat’s involvement is generally a given with episodes of this importance, and especially season premieres. It’s possible that he did indeed pen the script, but it’s unusual for his name not to be showcased in some capacity when he’s behind an episode.
Also, did you catch the snazzy new photo at the top of the article? That’s a new teaser promo image, care of the good folks at BBC America, that you can see in full here:
Still not satiated? How about another very cool, but brutally short teaser?
“Am I A Good Man?” We certainly don’t know yet, but I can’t wait to find out this August. Hopefully much like last year, we’ll be able to bring you some more scoops and exclusive coverage of Doctor Who from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Stay tuned.
Doctor Who returns with the Peter Capaldi era on August 23rd only on BBC America.
bbc america doctor who jenna coleman peter capaldi steven moffat