The last time we saw something new from Doctor Who we had just finished opening presents and houses were still strung with Christmas lights. I thoroughly enjoyed the little trilogy that bade Matt Smith farewell: The Day of the Doctor, The Name of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor were all tremendous episodes. I was sad to see Matt Smith leave, but I am very ready for Peter Capaldi.
The BBC recently announced that Series 8 of Doctor Who would premiere August 23. In less than two months we’ll finally get to see the Twelfth Doctor as he regenerates and reengages the world around him, all with a new face and personality.
Below you can see a teaser for the upcoming season.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKyKI2Gg8HU&w=560&h=315]
That trailer fills me with anticipation and questions. Unfortunately those questions won’t get answered until August 23, if they get answered at all. Steven Moffat seems much fonder of leaving storylines hanging than Russell T Davies did.
I enjoy Doctor Who because of its entertainment value but also because of its ability to bring people together. Doctor Who isn’t as ubiquitous as Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Doctor is still one of those characters lurking on the fringes; he hasn’t been fully embraced by mainstream society yet.
Because Doctor Who is still outside of the mainstream its fans have more affinity for each other. Just last night we were at a baseball game with our student ministry. I was able to connect with one of our new seventh grade students over Doctor Who. He told me that he’s as caught up as Netflix allows him to be but still hasn’t seen The Name of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor. Not only did we have a great time talking about Doctor Who but we also made plans to get together and watch those episodes.
I’m sure that the Doctor will still bring people together even if he gains popularity and becomes more mainstream. Unlike fans of indie bands who don’t want to see them “sell out,” I’ll be happy to see the Doctor become even more popular. The more popular Doctor Who becomes, the more likely we’ll keep getting new series and specials every year.
I’ll be fine with Doctor Who’s growing popularity as long as Sheldon doesn’t trade his Flash shirt for a TARDIS shirt. I can’t stand Big Bang Theory.
What excites you about the upcoming series of Doctor Who?
Nice reflections, Scott! It’s important to remember, as you do here, that nerdy stuff is really only a good if it is connecting us to others in some way or other. Not even nerds were meant to be alone!
As for series 8, I am excited about (hopefully) moving away from byzantine plots focused on “characters” who are mysteries to be solved (I enjoyed it with Amy, but it got old with Clara, who was much better in “Day” and “Time” than in series 7.5). And, of course, excited to experience my first Doctor switch – I’m caught up on all the new series, but I came aboard with Matt Smith in 2010, and this will be the first time I’m watching a Doctor change as a fan. I expect to have a lot of fun.