Doctor Who: Series Eight

Doctor Who: Series Eight, 2014. An alien travels through space and time with a human girl.

Created by Sydney Newman, C.E. Webber & Donald Wilson. Directed by Douglas Mackinnon (3 episodes), Ben Wheatley (2), Paul Murphy (2), Paul Wilmshurst (2), Rachel Talalay (2), & Sheree Folkson (1). Written by Steven Moffat (7 episodes), Jamie Mathieson (2), Phil Ford (1), Mark Gatiss (1), Stephen Thompson (1), Gareth Roberts (1), Peter Harness (1), & Frank Cottrell Boyce (1). Starring Peter Capaldi, & Jenna Coleman.

Concept: A
Story: C
Characters: C
Dialog: B
Pacing: B
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: C
Enjoyment: I put off watching this for a really long time, largely because "The Time of the Doctor" was so completely godawful. I'm relieved to find that the show seems to be back on its feet, though. They have adventures. There's minimal bullshit (the "teases" throughout the season mostly tease stuff that actually happens, instead of Moffat's usual empty bluster). Clara's still not much of a character (despite spending most of the season attempting to develop her). Moffat's writing style still tries too hard (and has a way of sounding like he's writing for trailers more than for the episode). Overall, it's a great show again, the best series since series five. Hopefully the Capaldi Years don't decline as sharply as the Smith Years did. A

GPA: 2.8/4