New Doctor Who Season Eight Production Details Announced

Mark Gatiss and Gareth Roberts are confirmed as writers on the Twelfth Doctor's first season.
The BBC have today announced new details on the writing team, the supporting cast and the directors of the latest run of their science-fiction drama Doctor Who. Set to return to our screens later this year, the show now stars Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and Jenna Coleman as his travelling assistant Clara Oswald, and they'll be accompanied by Samuel Anderson's loyal Coal Hill School teacher Danny Pink in the next season.

Joining Steven Moffat, Phil Ford and Stephen Thompson in the list of writers confirmed to have penned episodes of Season Eight are Mark Gatiss (the man behind Episode 3, as well as The Unquiet Dead, The Idiot's Lantern, Victory of the Daleks, Night Terrors, Cold War and The Crimson Horror) and Gareth Roberts (Episode 6's scribe, who has previously offered up The Shakespeare Code, The Lodger and Closing Time). Both Episodes 3 & 6 are currently filming, with the former set to star Tom Riley (the lead star of Da Vinci's Demons), Trevor Cooper, Ian Hallard, David Benson, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Sabrina Barlett and the latter featuring Nigel Betts, Edward Harrison, Andy Gilles, Ellis George and Jimmy Vee (aka Bannakafallata in Voyage of the Damned). Word has it that Gatiss' episode plays with the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but whilst we cannot confirm or deny that alleged premise at present, Doctor Who Magazine have additionally made it official that Da Vinci's Demons helm Paul Wilmshurst will direct at least one of Season Eight's instalments, so look forward to that!

Doctor Who returns for an eighth season of time-travelling adventures this Autumn on BBC One.