Doctor Who Series 8 (2014): What We Know UPDATE
A compilation article of everything we know about Doctor Who Series 8 so far. This will be continually updated as more info emerges over the coming months until broadcast.
Note: This post may contain some spoilers. Spoilerphobes read at your own risk!
LAST UPDATED: 3 October 2014.
Airdate
Filming began 6 January 2014.
Format
- 12 episodes (+1 Christmas special)
Other notes: Capaldi’s debut series is one continuous run and not split.
Main Cast
- Peter Capaldi – The Doctor
- Jenna Coleman – Clara Oswald
Recurring Cast
- Samuel Anderson – Danny Pink
- Ellis George – Courtney Woods
- Neve McIntosh – Madame Vastra
- Catrin Stewart – Jenny Flint
- Dan Starkey – Strax
- Paul Hickey – Inspector Gregson
- Michelle Gomez – Missy
- Chris Addison – Seb
- Jemma Redgrave – Kate Stewart
- Ingrid Oliver – Osgood
Guest Cast
- Tony Way – Alfie
- Michael Smiley – Colonel Blue
- Zawe Ashton – Journey Blue
- Tom Riley – Robin Hood
- Ben Miller – Sheriff of Nottingham
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths – Master Quail
- Trevor Cooper – Friar Tuck
- Ian Hallard – Alan-a-dale
- Robert Goodman – Reg
- Jonathan Bailey – Psi
- Pippa Bennett-Warner – Saibra
- Keeley Hawes – Ms Delphox
- Hermione Norris – Lundvik
- Frank Skinner – Perkins
- Louisa Rose Allen aka Foxes – Singer
- David Bamber – Captain Quell
- John Sessions – Gus
- Christopher Fairbank – Fenton
- Joivan Wade – Rigsy
- Sanjeev Bhaskar
Monsters & Villains
- Droids / Half-Face
- Daleks
- Robot Knights
- Sheriff of Nottingham
- The Teller
- Ms Delphox
- Scovox Blitzer
- Spiders
- The Foretold
- Cybermen
- Missy/Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere
Other notes: The Master is also rumoured as the major series villain.
Writers
- Steven Moffat (4 episodes, 3 co-writes + 1 Christmas special)
- Phil Ford (1 co-write)
- Mark Gatiss (1 episode)
- Steve Thompson (1 co-write)
- Gareth Roberts (1 co-write)
- Peter Harness (1 episode)
- Jamie Mathieson (2 episodes)
- Frank Cottrell Boyce (1 episode)
Other notes: Neil Gaiman and Chris Chibnall both stated that they’d been approached to write a story, but said it was dependent on their time and commitments to their other projects. Neil Cross also said he was asked to write a story. Tom MacRae has written another script although he is unsure if it will be in Series 8. Jack Lothian‘s CV originally claimed he was writing an episode, but a later update removed it.
Directors
- Ben Wheatley (2 episodes)
- Paul Murphy (2 episodes)
- Douglas Mackinnon (3 episodes)
- Paul Wilmshurst (2 episodes)
- Rachel Talalay (2 episodes)
- Sheree Folkson (1 episode)
Other notes: Peter Jackson has said that discussions over him directing an episode were “getting serious”.
Trailers
Teaser 1:
Teaser 2:
Teaser 3:
Teaser 4:
Launch Trailer:
2014 Episodes
For episodes one to six: show
807. Kill the Moon
Written by Peter Harness. Directed by Paul Wilmshurst.
Part-filmed in Lanzarote. In the near future, the Doctor and Clara arrive on a decrepit shuttle making a suicide mission to the Moon. Crashing on the lunar surface, they find a mining base full of eviscerated corpses, spider-like creatures scuttling about in the dark, and a terrible dilemma. Described as an “intense and emotional script.” Moffat teased “The Doctor is returning to the scene of an old adventure – but there have been sinister changes since his last visit.
Guest starring: Hermione Norris (Lundvik), Ellis George (Courtney), Tony Osoba (Duke), Phil Nice (Henry) and Christopher Dane (McKean).
808. Mummy on the Orient Express
Written by Jamie Mathieson. Directed by Paul Wilmshurst.
The Doctor is on the most beautiful train in history, speeding among the stars of the future. But a deadly creature is stalking the passengers. Once you see the horrifying mummy, you only have 66 seconds to live. No exceptions, no reprieve. As the Doctor races against the clock, he is seen at his deadliest and most ruthless. Moffat said: “The Doctor is finally catching up on his phone calls.” He also says that the “sparkling script” will showcase all of Frank Skinner’s famous wit and charm.” Singer-songwriter Foxes will cameo and is contributing a special track for the episode.
Guest starring: Samuel Anderson (Danny), Frank Skinner (Perkins), Foxes (Singer), David Bamber (Captain Quell), Daisy Beaumont (Maisie), Christopher Villiers (Prof Moorhouse) and Janet Henfrey (Mrs Pitt), John Sessions (Gus).
809. Flatline
Written by Jamie Mathieson. Directed by Douglas Mackinnon.
Clara is now separated from the Doctor and discovers a threat from another dimension. But how do you hide when even the walls are no protection? With no Doctor around, Clara goes against a foe that exists beyond normal perception. People are going missing and strange graffiti is appearing. Worse is that the Doctor finds himself in a shrinking TARDIS! Moffat said “starts off with a very cute idea and becomes really quite frightening by the end.”
Guest starring: Christopher Fairbank (Fenton), Joivan Wade (Rigsy), Matt Bardock (Al), James Quinn (Bill), John Cummins (Roscoe), Raj Bajaj (George), Jessica Hayes.
810. In the Forest of the Night
Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Directed by Sheree Folkson.
The human race wakes up to the most surprising invasion yet: the trees have moved back in. Everywhere a forest has grown overnight and taken back the Earth. Features a cast of child actors. Moffat said it’s “boldly beautiful, lyrical and poetic. A fairytale, but not Moffat fairytale. Quite different with a clever main visual idea.”
Guest starring: Samuel Anderson (Danny), Harley Bird, Abigail Eames, Ashley Foster and Jaydon Harris-Wallace (Samson).
811/12. Dark Water / Death in Heaven
Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Rachel Talalay.
A two-part finale. In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn. Old friends and old enemies manoeuvre around the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming over him. Death is not an end, promises the organisation known as 3W. Features a Cybermen invasion of earth and the return of UNIT, Kate Stewart and Osgood. The Doctor also has to contend with the mysterious Missy, also known as the Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere.
“You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust, our friendship, and everything I’ve ever stood for. You let me down.”
Guest starring: Samuel Anderson (Danny), Michelle Gomez (Missy/Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere), Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart), Ingrid Oliver (Osgood), Chris Addison (Seb), Sanjeev Bhaskar.
2014 Christmas Special
Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Paul Wilmshurst.
Little is known about the plot except it is Clara’s rumoured exit episode.
Guest starring: Nick Frost, Michael Troughton, Natalie Gumede, Faye Marsay and Nathan McMullen.
[For the Series 8 post archive, head to the next page…]
