BWW Preview: Get Ready for Season 8 of DOCTOR WHO

This Saturday is the premiere of the highly anticipated eighth season of "Doctor Who." The last time we saw the Doctor, he and Clara were about to crash in the TARDIS, because the Doctor forgot how to fly it thanks to his recent regeneration. The premiere episode will be an interesting one, since we don't yet know much about the 12th Doctor, portrayed by Peter Capaldi; except that he has new kidneys!

Capaldi is the first older Time Lord since the series reboot in 2005, which is reminiscent of the original Doctor Whos. Capaldi, 56, is 30 years older than the last Doctor, Matt Smith, who was 26 at the time of his casting. The age difference will definitely bring a new dynamic to the Doctor.

Capaldi said of his incarnation, "He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 percent Rebel Time Lord." It will be a stark contrast to Smith's Doctor, who was very silly and almost childlike at times.

In the "Doctor Who" special, "The Day of the Doctor," we found out that the Time Lord race is not dead, but instead frozen in time, which leads the Doctor to realize he is not the only of his people left. Since Capaldi's regeneration of the Doctor is the first after the events of "Day of the Doctor," I'd expect to see a Doctor that is much less brooding. He knows he's made mistakes, and he's ready to take action and fix them. Capaldi's Doctor is expected to be the farthest removed from the other most recent three.

I'm personally curious to see if they spend any time this season focusing on the Doctor's attempt to save the Time Lords from being frozen in time, since the Time Lords were unable to return through the last crack in the skin of the universe in "The Time of the Doctor." The Doctor may feel even more inclined to help them after they gave him a new cycle of regenerations. If he does manage to save them, I wonder if other Time Lords will be introduced as primary characters. This season can definitely go in many directions, and I'm excited to see the path it takes!

There have also been rumors that Jenna Coleman, who plays the Doctor's companion Clara, might be leaving the show. Neither BBC, nor the show's Executive Producer, Stephen Moffat, have commented on this story, but since most companions only last a season or two, there is a chance that this will be Coleman's last.

Despite there not being anything concrete about Coleman's future, there is already speculation as to who would replace her if she does in fact depart the show. Names like "Game of Thrones'" Rose Leslie and "Skins" actor Chris Addison, who will appear in the "Doctor Who" Season 8 finale, have been mentioned. If Coleman is leaving, I doubt we will get word of a replacement until much later on in the season.

This season of "Doctor Who" also includes a few new faces; Keeley Hawes, who is best known for her roles on "Spooks" and "Upstairs Downstairs," will guest star in Season 8 as Ms. Delphox, and actor Samuel Anderson is to portray Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where Clara works. Not much else is known about these characters, so it will be interesting to see how they are involved in the Doctor's adventures.

The first episode of Season 8, "Deep Breath," is set in the 1890's with Stephen Moffat teasing the premiere with the description, "Killers stalk London in the late 1890′s. A restaurant that is actually a slaughterhouse and a buried spaceship see the Doctor confronting a long-forgotten foe."

The video preview for the season premiere gives us a glimpse into the episode, which includes a dinosaur, the Doctor in a nightdress on a horse, Daleks,a cyborg in the 1800s and Vastra! From how it looks, this episode is definitely going to be an exciting one.

The 8th season of "Doctor Who" will bring many changes to the show, but I don't doubt that the overall feeling of it will remain the same. There will definitely be a lot to look forward to during this season, from Capaldi's take on the Doctor, to Clara's fate on the show, to what is in store for Time Lords, and to what this Doctor's catchphrase will be!

Check back this weekend to read my recap and feelings on the premiere episode. As I hope you will do throughout the season, share your own thoughts on what you are hoping for from Season 8 in the comments below.

"Doctor Who" Season 8 premieres Saturday, August 23rd at 8/7c on BBC America!

Photo Credit: The Doctor Who Facebook Page

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