After keeping us in suspense for what seems like eons the BBC have finally revealed the the planned start time on BBC1 for the much anticipated ‘Doctor Who’ series 8 premiere episode ‘Deep Breath’.
Peter Capaldi‘s debut as the new Doctor will air at 7.50pm on Saturday, August 23.
Of course this will mean that the series will most likely collide with ITV1’s ‘X-Factor,’ which is something that lesser television shows would not survive. In recent years ‘Doctor Who’ has managed to hold its own against ITV’s juggernaut, which is something that other shows have always struggled to do.
80 minutes in duration, the Steven Moffat-penned adventure will conclude at approximately 9.10pm.
As you will have noticed. 7:50PM is kind of late for a ‘Doctor Who’ episode. Especially a premiere episode. In fact ‘Deep Breath’ has gotten what is the latest time slot for a ‘Doctor Who’ premiere episode since the series returned in 2005.
‘Rose’ aired at 7pm on March 26, 2005, while
‘New Earth’ was shown at 7.15pm on April 15 the following year and
‘Smith & Jones’ opened the third series at 7pm on March 31, 2007.Series four’s ‘
Partners in Crime’ aired 6.20pm on April 5, 2008 – with Matt Smith’s debut
‘The Eleventh Hour’ occupying the same slot on April 3, 2010.
The sixth series premiere
‘The Impossible Astronaut’ marked the shows earliest ever premiere time slot of 6PM on April 23, 2011. While
‘Asylum of the Daleks’ kicked off series seven at the later time of 7.20pm on September 1, 2012.
I suspect the later time for the series 8 premiere may have something to do with the slightly darker and edgier feel of the new Doctor and a more mature series of adventures, but I can’t help but be a little concerned about the fluctuating time slots the show has been given in recent years.
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