Series 8 (Doctor Who)

Series 8 of Doctor Who ran from 23 August 2014 to 8 November 2014. It starred Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. The series opened with and concluded with .
== Overview ==
It consisted of eleven stories and twelve episodes. The series saw the debut of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. Capaldi was announced in a live television special, Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, on 4 August 2013. The previous Doctor, Matt Smith, announced he was leaving on 1 June of the same year.
Filming began on 6 January 2014, and ended on 7 August of the same year.Interview with Steven Moffat on BBC Radio Wales, 7 August 2014: recording of the event can be found here Series 8 was the first series since series 5 in 2010 to be broadcast straight with no series split halfway through it, and the first series of the revival not to consist of 13 episodes (excluding Christmas and other specials), instead running for 12.
The new Doctor was joined by Series 7, Part 2's companion, Clara Oswald, as played by Jenna Coleman, in her first full series.
Samuel Anderson joined the cast as a new recurring character, Danny Pink, a fellow teacher at Coal Hill School. Although initially reported by media as being a new companion for the Doctor, in fact the character never actually took on an official companion role during the course of the season.
The Paternoster Gang returned, each using a sonic device designed in a Blue Peter competition in the series. Kate Stewart, Osgood and UNIT also appeared.
This series also saw the return of the Master, now in a female incarnation known as Missy, played by Michelle Gomez, which was the first time a Time Lord had been portrayed in two distinct genders. The overarching story elements revolve around characters who have died in the episode being greeted to 'Heaven,' by , where the heaven is revealed to be a data cloud to store the minds of the deceased, as Missy upgrades the bodies into Cybermen before manipulating the minds to delete their emotions and put them into their old cyber-upgraded bodies as an army. This is a plan to lure the Doctor into a trap so she can get her 'friend back.'
== Cast ==
* The Doctor - Peter Capaldi
* Clara Oswald - Jenna Coleman
* Danny Pink - Samuel Anderson, Remi Gooding
* - Michelle Gomez
=== Recurring ===
* Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith
* Madame Vastra - Neve McIntosh
* Strax - Dan Starkey
* Jenny Flint - Catrin Stewart
* Inspector Gregson - Paul Hickey
* Courtney Woods - Ellis George
* Rusty - Nicholas Briggs
* Fleming - Bradley Ford
* Mr. Armitage - Nigel Betts
* Daleks - operated by Barnaby Edwards and voiced by Nicholas Briggs
* Seb - Chris Addison
* Rigsy - Joivan Wade
* Clara Oswald's gran - Sheila Reid
* Cybermen - Jeremiah Krage and voiced by Nicholas Briggs
* OsgoodThe story features Osgood from Operation Double but it is not clear whether that is the human or the Zygon. - Ingrid Oliver
* Kate Lethbridge-Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
* Santa Claus - Nick Frost
=== Guest ===
* Half-Face Man - Peter Ferdinando
* Journey Blue - Zawe Ashton
* Colonel Morgan Blue - Michael Smiley
* Gretchen Carlisle - Laura Dos Santos
* Ross - Ben Crompton
* Robin Hood - Tom Riley
* Sheriff of Nottingham - Ben Miller
* Alan-a-Dale - Ian Hallard
* Friar Tuck - Trevor Cooper
* Little John - Rusty Goffe
* Will Scarlett - Joseph Kennedy
* Maid Marian - Sabrina Bartlett
* Reg - Robert Goodman
* Ms. Delphox - Keeley Hawes
* Psi - Jonathan Bailey
* Saibra - Pippa Bennett-Warner
* The Teller - Ross Mullan
* Skovox Blitzer - Jimmy Vee
* Adrian Davies - Edward Harrison
* Lundvik - Hermione Norris
* Duke - Tony Osoba
* Henry - Phil Nice
* McKean - Christopher Dane
* Captain Quell - David Bamber
* Perkins - Frank Skinner
* Prof Emile Moorhouse - Christopher Villiers
* Maisie Pitt - Daisy Beaumont
* Gus - John Sessions
* Fenton - Christopher Fairbank
* PC Forrest - Jessica Hayles
* Roscoe - John Cummins
* Maebh Arden - Abigail Eames
* Samson - Jaydon Harris-Wallace
* Bradley - Ashley Foster
* Ruby - Harley Bird
* Dr. Chang - Andrew Leung
* Colonel Ahmed - Sanjeev Bhaskar
* Boy - Antonio Bourouphael
== Production ==
Brian Minchin, the new producer of the series, explained in the July 2013 issue of Doctor Who Magazine that "I have just spent a very happy few days meeting some scarily clever writers, and we have an incredible set of stories to work on. More adventures ahead!". In a May 2013 interview, Steven Moffat claimed that "the next season is plotted out."
The first read-through for series 8 was held on 17 December 2013. This was an unusually long lead time, as actual filming for the first episodes of series 8 did not commence until 6 January 2014, with Capaldi filming his first scenes the next day. In a break from what was done with Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith and several Classic era Doctors, the first episode filmed by Capaldi was also to be the first episode to be broadcast.
=== Crew ===
==== Producers ====
Series 8 was co-executive produced by Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin. (DWM 460) Series 7's producer, Caroline Skinner, officially stepped down on 13 March 2013, and Minchin was announced as her replacement on 30 April. 
Producer Marcus Wilson stepped down following production of . His role was filled by former producers Nikki Wilson and Peter Bennett.
==== Writers ====
Steven Moffat penned both the series opener, episode 4, and the two-part series finale, as well as co-writing on episodes 2, 5 and 6. Phil Ford wrote episode 2, Mark Gatiss wrote episode 3, Steve Thompson's script is for episode 5, and Gareth Roberts wrote episode 6 of the series. Three new writers joined the series: Peter Harness (episode 7), Jamie Mathieson (episodes 8 and 9) and Frank Cottrell-Boyce (episode 10). All three of these new writers returned for further episodes, in later series.
==== Directors ====
Ben Wheatley directed episodes one and two. Paul Murphy directed episodes 3 and 6, Douglas Mackinnon directed episodes 4, 5 and 9, Paul Wilmshurst directed episodes 7 and 8, Sheree Folkson directed episode 10 and Rachel Talalay directed the two-part finale.
== Television stories ==
EpisodeNumber	Title	Writer 	Director 	Notes
1 	 	Steven Moffat 	Ben Wheatley 	Final televised appearance of the Paternoster Gang. First appearance of and Courtney Woods.
2 	 	Phil Ford & Steven Moffat 	Ben Wheatley 	First appearance of Danny Pink, Mr. Armitage and Rusty.
3 	 	Mark Gatiss 	Paul Murphy 	
4 	 	Steven Moffat 	Douglas Mackinnon	Appearance of a young First Doctor.
5 	 	Steve Thompson & Steven Moffat	Douglas Mackinnon	
6 	 	Gareth Roberts & Steven Moffat	Paul Murphy 	First appearance of Seb. Courtney takes her first trip aboard the Doctor's TARDIS. The Doctor finds out that Danny is Clara's boyfriend.
7 	 	Peter Harness 	Paul Wilmshurst 	Courtney takes her second trip aboard the Doctor's TARDIS. Clara decides to leave the Doctor's company.
8 	 	Jamie Mathieson 	Paul Wilmshurst 	Clara reconsiders her decision and resumes travelling with the Doctor.
9 	 	Jamie Mathieson 	Douglas Mackinnon	Doctor-lite episode. First appearance of Rigsy.
10 	 	Frank Cottrell-Boyce 	Sheree Folkson 	
11 & 12 	/ 	Steven Moffat 	Rachel Talalay 	Missy is revealed to be the Master. First story to show a Time Lord with a gender different from previously seen. Deaths of Danny, Zygon Osgood and Seb. Posthumous appearance of Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, reanimated as a Cyberman. Clara and the Doctor part ways. Conclusion to the "Promised Land" arc. First on-screen appearance of Santa Claus.
=== Episode notes ===
* This is the first series of the revived series that does not consist of 13 episodes (excluding Christmas and other specials).
* This is the first series since Series 5 to be broadcast straight with no split.
* , , , and all feature the appearance of a mysterious character known only as "Missy". This is analogous to the early appearances of Madame Kovarian in Series 6 and is the overall arc for the series. In Dark Water, Missy is revealed to be a female incarnation of the Master.
* This is the first series since Series 5 to end with a two-part story and the first since Series 6 to have an officially-designated two-parter.
* One episode experienced censorship issues during the series. BBC Entertainment serving SouthEast Asia announced it was required to delete a brief sequence from the region's broadcasts of showing Vastra and Jenny transferring oxygen by way of a kiss due to some jurisdictions prohibiting the depiction of same-sex kissing. 
* On 4th September 2014, BBC One announced that a brief sequence in was to be removed from the broadcast edit on 6th September in the wake of the recent execution of two Western journalists by terrorists, out of concern that it might be disrespectful or otherwise inappropriate.https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/doctor-who-beheading-scene-cut-from-robot-of-sherwood-after-steven-sotloff-murder-9712496.html?amp As of 2020, the scene has not been included in any release of the episode.
* This is the first full Doctor Who series in Australia to be rated M (for mature audiences) Australia's Classification website (Doctor Who Series 8)
http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/View.aspx?sid=69RopHhhBWvUbT%252fpWbFxFw%253d%253d&ncdctx=CS%2bmGrIk86InRL%2bTUFqPefzY4hRzQs24Ci%2bbEv0WqasqB6llZOIGTxb%252fMQecAI5FChov8be%252f5GGazzHQh2s9jDJkREdcr6K27nDctGfCTEk%253d
. This rating had previously been given to (before being reclassified the family-friendly rating of PG), the TV Movie, Attack of the Cybermen & The Ambassadors of Death. It would also later be given to Series 9 on release.
* This series is the first series since Series 3 not to feature River Song.
* Counting as part of Series 7, this is the first series in which the 9th and 10th Doctor TARDIS interior does not appear.
* The title sequence of has Jenna Coleman credited before Peter Capaldi and Clara's eyes appear instead of the Doctor's, thus marking the first time for a companion both being credited before the main incarnation of the Doctor in the episode and replacing the Doctor's face in the opening credits.
* This series is the only series during Steven Moffat's time as showrunner to not include a story written by Toby Whithouse.
== Aliens and enemies ==
* Paternoster Gang
** Madame Vastra (Silurian)
** Jenny Flint (human)
** Strax (Sontaran)
* Half-Face Man
* Clockwork Droids
* Daleks
* Dalek antibodies
* The Sheriff of Nottingham
* Robot Knights
* Being (possibly)
* Memory worms
* Ms. Delphox
* Madame Karabraxos
* The Teller
* Skovox Blitzer
* Spider germs
* Giant bat-chicken
* Foretold
* Gus
* Boneless
* Seb
* 
* Cybermen
== Adaptations and merchandising ==
=== Home media ===
==== DVD / Blu-ray ====
Title 	Number and durationof episodes 	R2 release date 	R4 release date 	R1 release date
Doctor Who: Deep Breath 	1 × 76 min. 	8 September 2014	10 September 2014	9 September 2014
Doctor Who: The Complete Eighth Series / 	1 × 76 min.10 × 45 min.1 x 60 min.	24 November 2014	19 November 2014 	9 December 2014
Doctor Who: Series Eight, Part One (DVD Exclusive)	1 x 76 min.5 x 45 min. 	TBA 	TBA 	20 September 2016
Doctor Who: Series Eight, Part Two (DVD Exclusive)
 /	5 x 45 min.1 x 60 min. 	TBA 	TBA 	20 December 2016
Series 8 released on 21 November 2023 in a limited edition Blu-ray box set containing every "New Who" series up to Series 13.https://www.ign.com/articles/doctor-who-limited-edition-complete-new-who-blu-ray-set-is-up-for-preorder
Limited Edition New Who Blu-Ray Collection Box Set front.jpg|New Who Limited Edition (front)
Limited Edition New Who Blu-Ray Collection Box Set back.jpg|New Who Limited Edition (back)
Limited Edition New Who Blu-Ray Collection Box Set promo front.jpg|New Who Limited Edition (front)
Limited Edition New Who Blu-Ray Collection Box Set promo back.jpg|New Who Limited Edition (back)
Limited Edition New Who Collector's promo 1.jpg|New Who Limited Edition promo
Limited Edition New Who Collector’s promo 2.jpg|New Who Limited Edition promo
== Notes ==
* The box set was previewed in DWM 480.
== Stories set during this series ==
=== Novels ===
* The Blood Cell
* Silhouette
* The Crawling Terror
=== Short Stories ===
* Light's Out (between and )
=== Comic books ===
* Four Doctors (before Dark Water)
* The Fractures (before Dark Water)
== Footnotes ==
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es:Temporada 8 (DW-M)
it:Ottava Stagione (Doctor Who)
pt:8ª Temporada (SN)
ru:8 сезон (новые серии)
Series 08 (Doctor Who)
Series 08 (Doctor Who)