The popularity of the BBC television show Doctor Who exploded since the show was brought back in 2005. Nine years later and the world premiere of the upcoming season brought fans from multiple countries to Cardiff, Wales. Some lucky attendees are among the first to see Peter Capaldi in his first full length episode as the Doctor.
The streets were teeming with crowds who hoped for a glimpse of Capaldi. Those in the audience for the screening roared with excitement to see this new iteration of the beloved Time Lord. Both Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat promised a grittier, darker Doctor following in Matt Smith’s whimsical footsteps.
Even Capaldi sees the shift in character design. He calls his Doctor “more alien than he’s been for a while,” stating that he doesn’t understand humans.
The first episode, penned by Moffat and titled Deep Breath, brings the new Doctor and his current companion, Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) to Victorian England. With dinosaurs, cyborgs, and aliens, this 80 minute season opener both references the show’s iconic history and introduces a Doctor who doesn’t recognize himself.
For those worried about the Doctor-Clara relationship, Capaldi’s Doctor clearly states “Clara, I’m not your boyfriend” in this episode. That doesn’t stop Capaldi and Coleman from having witty banter and playing off one another. In Deep Breath, Clara is the closest person to the Doctor and subsequently the only who who can help him decide what kind of a man to be.
Doctor Who returns to television on Saturday, August 23 at 8 p.m. on BBC America. When marking your calendar for this premiere, check your local theatres. BBC America and Fathom Events have once again partnered to show Doctor Who in theaters.
The highly anticipated series brings back the admirable characters of the Doctor, Clara Oswald, Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax in Deep Breath. Despite some scripts and footage being leaked online in July, global anticipation of series 8 and the 12th Doctor remain high and fans will flock to their screens for the next chapter of Doctor Who.
Are you excited for the next series of Doctor Who? What kind of Doctor do you want to see from Peter Capaldi? Share your thoughts in the comments.
