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The good Doctor lands in season 8 - with the exceptional Peter Capaldi replacing the equally exceptional Matt Smith. Thankfully, Capaldi takes the reigns from the get go and cements his version of the character from the moment he arrives. And I'm sure I wouldn't like the colour of his kidney's, either.
Beginning with episode 1's ''Deep Breath'' where the newly regenerated timelord is wonderfully spat out of a dinosaur's mouth in Victorian London. Nursed back to health by the Paternoster Gang, our crankily weird hero is flung into a new mystery when said dinosaur spontaneously explodes forcing him to investigate - whilst a bemused Clara (a great Jenna Coleman) looks on in unbalanced disbelief. This is a cracking opener, wonderfully directed by Ben Wheatley with a fun and frothy Steven Moffat script.
Next up are ''Into The Dalek'' where a miniaturised Doctor treks into the very heart of darkness by being placed inside ''Rusty'' - a Dalek seemingly turned good and ''Robot of Sherwood'' where The Doctor arrives in 12th century Nottingham in an effort to prove to Clara that Robin Hood is a myth. What they discover is a fantastical robot army and a band of merry men very much of flesh and blood. Again, both stories are good ('Dalek' more so than 'Robot') bolstered by great visuals and the beginning of a great chemistry between Capaldi and Coleman.
"Listen" finds The Doctor and Clara seeking a creature he believes to have perfected its ability to hide. A burgeoning romance is also illustrated with Clara's colleague Danny (a really good Samuel Anderson) and this forms the basis of this episode. "Time Heist" finds our heroes awake in a strange chamber suffering from memory loss, where they are forced to break into the maximum security Bank of Karabraxos. This is a minor episode in the series but does manage to feature Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer so not all was lost. Next up is the sublime '"The Caretaker" where The Doctor takes a job at Clara's school in order to locate a mysterious menace. More situation comedy than sci-fi shenanigans, but this sixth episode is both fun and engaging allowing Capaldi to develop his character from cranky old loon into a much warmer personalisation.
Proceedings take a slightly downward turn with '"Kill the Moon" (I won't get into much here, but its not the best) only to be enlivened by the quite daft ''Mummy on the Orient Express" where the Doctor and Clara board a futuristic version of said train. Cue a series of murders caused by a mysterious mummy creature with Capaldi going full Poirot. Its slight but fun, allowing the duo to indulge in humorous banter and again, another excellent performance from this new Doctor.
Episode 8's "Flatline" is a major step back up with the Doctor finding himself locked within an ever decreasing Tardis. Clara acts alone to discover who or what is doing this - ably assisted by a graffiti artist. This is a wonderful episode, both creative and well realised. Sadly, its follow up "In the Forest of the Night" is another minor affair featuring Clara and Danny as they take a school trip to a museum only to discover that the earth has been taken over by trees. Its a nice idea, but the lack of a real threat renders this one more ho-hum than slam dunk.
Things pick up in double episode finale "Dark Water" and "Death in Heaven" where Danny is unceremoniously killed, forcing a distraught Clara to take The Doctor on an almost literal journey to the afterlife. Throw in series arc villain 'Missy' (an excellent Michele Gomez) and the appearance of an old foe - ensuring this Rachel Talahay directed send off for this new Doctor is a show stopper. Both emotional and epic, its a great payoff.
Thankfully, this eight season of 'Nu-Who' is a triumph with both an amazing new Doctor (Capaldi is pitch perfect for the role), equally flanked by an excellent Jenna Coleman. The tone is more 'adult' with many of the stories interwoven by her relationship with Danny and their burgeoning attraction to each other. Capaldi's Doctor begins as a crankily, weird old loon but softens as the stories play out. His ability to balance joyous humor with deep, darkened regret is a thing to watch (especially the haunted emotion in his eyes). There are a number of moments where he's simply alone in the perfectly designed Tardis interior just talking to himself and I have to admit, they are wonderful to watch. This Doctor is a complex creation and Capaldi mines the intimate nuances for all their worth. Previously, David Tennant and Tom Baker were tied as my ''favourite Doctor'' but here we have a new contender. Well, for me personally.
BBC's Blu-Ray release is a nicely packaged presentation with great visuals and vibrant audio. The extra features are seemingly getting less and less as the series releases go on, but when the performances and production are of this high level quality - one can hardly complain. It was comforting to see this new iteration of The Doctor in safe hands at this point (and even though the quality does drop in season 9, thankfully enlivened by portions of 10) with an actor clearly born to play the role. Thanks Mr Capaldi. For being a great Doctor... and not swearing.
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