Deep Breath is to be the premiere episode of the new season of the science-fiction drama series, now in its 51st year.
Written by
Who head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, it heralds the first full season with Peter Capaldi playing the Doctor.
According to Digital Spy, the story will be “feature-length” — as opposed to the regular nominal 45-minute format adopted for most episodes.
Capaldi, who took over from Matt Smith (
Terminator: Genesis) last Christmas, will be joined by
Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald, the character first introduced in 2012.
At just 15 seconds long, the new teaser trailer focuses on Clara’s relationship with the newly regenerated Doctor, asking whether his latest incarnation remains “a good man.”
Clara, be my pal and tell me: Am I a good man? — the Doctor asks his TARDIS travelling companion.
I don’t think I know who the Doctor is any more — Clara replies, little hesitantly.
This is the second official trailer to be released in recent weeks. However, the
first trailer has led to a number of fan-produced ones appearing online, including the very impressive
Rain from well-known YouTuber John Smith.
Capaldi is the thirteenth actor to portray the Doctor — a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey — in the long-running sci-fi series; and the fourth to do so since the show returned regularly to TV screens back in 2005.
At 56, he is almost twice the age of Smith and the oldest actor to play the part since William Hartnell, who portrayed the First Doctor from 1963 to 1966.
Introduced
live on television last August, the Scot has already appeared as the Doctor in two episodes of the series (albeit briefly): first, in last November’s 50th-anniversary special,
The Day of the Doctor; second, in the 2013 Christmas special, Smith’s swansong,
The Time of the Doctor.
Incidentally, the Doctor is actually the third character Capaldi has played in the
Who universe, having previously appeared as Caecilius in 2008’s
The Fires of Pompeii and John Frobisher in 2009’s
Children of Earth, the third season of
Torchwood, the
Doctor Who spin-off starring
John Barrowman (
Arrow) and
Eve Myles (
Broadchurch).
F**k Who
Prior to becoming the Doctor, Capaldi was
well known for playing the foul-mouthed political spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in
Armando Iannucci’s TV series
The Thick of It and its spin-off film,
In the Loop. Most recently, he played Count Richelieu in the BBC drama series
The Musketeers; a part he had to relinquish in order to join
Doctor Who.
Later this season, the Doctor and Clara will be joined by two new companions — Danny Pink (
Samuel Anderson) and Courtney (
Ellis George) — however, for their first story, they will meat up with some old friends: Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax, who, collectively, make up the Paternoster Gang.
Doctor Who Season 8 is expected to comprise 12 episodes, including the 2014 Christmas special.
Deep Breath has been written by Moffat, along with several other of the upcoming episodes. Other writers this year include Mark Gatiss (
Game of Thrones), Gareth Roberts (
Wizards vs Aliens) and
Steve Thompson (
Sherlock) — all returning —
as well as newcomers Jamie Mathieson (
ALT) and Peter Harness (
Is Anybody There?).
