Doctor Who Series 8 First Details Announced

The day of Capaldi (Capal-Day?) is here, as Series 8 commences shooting.
BBC Worldwide have today announced the first details on Doctor Who's new series. Currently filming in Cardiff, the latest run will mark the eighth full season of the science-fiction drama since its revival in 2005, starring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald.

There's been something of a blitz of new details courtesy of the BBC Press Office this afternoon, so first thing's first, here's what key members of the series' production team and the BBC itself had to say on the ongoing opening week of filming:

• PETER CAPALDI ON FILMING- "New job, first day, slightly nervous. Just like the Doctor, I'm emerging from the TARDIS into a whole other world."
• STEVEN MOFFAT ON THE TWELFTH DOCTOR- "First the eyebrows! Then, at Christmas, the face! Coming soon, the whole Doctor. In the Cardiff studios, the Capaldi era begins..."
• BEN STEPHENSON (DRAMA COMMISSIONING CONTROLLER) ON FILMING- "Excitement and anticipation fills the air as Peter Capaldi's Doctor takes control of the TARDIS for the very first time today. It's going to be one hell of a ride and I can't wait for the journey to start."
• CHARLOTTE MOORE (BBC ONE CONTROLLER) ON SERIES 8- "A new year, a new face, a new Doctor! 2014 has arrived and it's Peter Capaldi's time so let the adventures begin."

On a more concrete basis, the official Doctor Who website was the first source to confirm that Series Eight's première episode will be penned by showrunner Steven Moffat and that the second instalment's scribe is Phil Ford, who has previously collaborated with Russell T Davies on The Waters of Mars and has written several episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures along with the animated mini-series Dreamland. Other writers currently confirmed to have penned episodes in the run include Neil Cross, Stephen Thompson, Mark Gatiss and Gareth Roberts, with Ben Wheatley known to be the director of Episodes One and Two. Filming on Who's next thirteen episodes (well, either twelve or thirteen) is set to continue through the Spring and into the Summer.

Eagle-eyed fans have additionally spotted that the Paternoster Gang, aka Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Commander Strax were on set to film new scenes alongside the Twelfth Doctor. No guest stars have been announced for the opening episodes as of yet, but expect news on this subject and others to surface later this month. This Thursday's issue of Doctor Who Magazine will contain exclusive interviews with both Capaldi and Moffat, as well as teasers regarding the series itself, and therefore definitely warrants a look from any seasoned follower of the show.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One for a new series of adventures this August.