The eighth season of "Doctor Who" has a premiere date at last. Whovians can get their fix — and their first new episodes since 2013's Christmas special — starting Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. The first episode, which BBC America describes as "feature-length," airs at 8 p.m. EST, sporting the provocative title "Deep Breath." A publicist at BBC America has confirmed to Tech Times that the "feature-length" premiere episode will have a "longer than usual" runtime, but the exact specs will be revealed at a later date.
Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor gets his proper introduction in the season premiere, taking over following Matt Smith's celebrated, three-year run. Fans first snuck a peek of Capaldi in the show's 50th Anniversary Special, "The Day of the Doctor," which aired in November 2013. Fans then witnessed his first minutes as the Doctor in the last moments of the Christmas Special, "The Time of the Doctor." That episode saw Matt Smith's 11th Doctor run out of regenerations, but then be granted an entire new cycle of regenerations at the last moment.
Jenna Coleman reprises her role as companion Clara Oswald, who must figure this new Doctor out and how she fits into his world. Joining Capaldi and Coleman is actor Samuel Anderson, who stars as Danny Pink, a teacher. Danny and Clara work together as teachers at Coal Hill School. Some of the guest stars announced for Season 8 include Ben Miller, Keeley Hawes and Tom Riley. Season 8 is slated to consist of twelve episodes. Unlike the last two seasons, showrunner Steven Moffat has promised to air all twelve episodes consecutively with no long breaks in between.
With San Diego Comic-Con International coming up in late July, fans may be surprised to learn that unlike the last few years, there will be no "Doctor Who" panel. Instead, BBC and BBC America are sending Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman on the first ever "Doctor Who World Tour." The tour will take the star duo to major cities around the globe, including London, Seoul, Sydney, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro. United States fans hoping to see the stars in person will have to travel to New York City. Capaldi and Coleman will appear in New York at a special event on Thursday, August 14, 2014. BBC America calls the tour "the largest promotional undertaking in the show's 50-year history."
Take a look at a brand new teaser for Season 8 below.
