DOCTOR WHO
BBC America, 8:00 p.m. ET
SEASON PREMIERE: After a week of Doctor Who repeats, here comes what all the show’s fans have been waiting to see: The first Season 8 episode of the new Doctor Who, introducing the latest regeneration of the Doctor – now played by Peter Capaldi, who inherits his fabulous co-star, Jenna Coleman as the Doctor’s time-traveling companion, Clara. Coleman has such a vibrant presence on screen, and has been so good, so magnetic, and sometimes so chameleonic, throughout her run on this show, that I expect bigger roles will come to her quickly in the years to come. For Capaldi, the oldest Doctor in quite a while, this is the biggest role for his lifetime – and he knows it. Though, if you want a look at a much younger Capaldi, and a pre-stardom Hugh Grant as well, I strongly recommend seeking out Ken Russell’s kinky camp horror classic, 1988’s The Lair of the White Worm, based on a story by Dracula creator Bram Stoker. It stars Amanda Donohoe, later of L.A. Law, as a serpentine demon seductress, and features some of the most knowingly funny and twisted scenes ever included in a horror film. But back to the new Doctor Who, David. Take a deep breath – and recommend “Deep Breath,” the season-opening episode introducing Capaldi as the new Doctor.