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Is the Doctor a good man? We finally got our answer to that question, first posed in the series eight trailer, and it was worth the wait. “I’m not a good man and I’m not a bad man,” he concluded. “I am an idiot with a box and a screwdriver.” Aren’t we all, Doctor, aren’t we all? Only minus the box and the screwdriver.
“Death in Heaven”, the last episode in this series of Doctor Who (Sat BBC1), was the first finale of the weekend (Downton also wrapped up on Sunday) and it had its disappointments – the zombie-cybermen weren’t scary enough, the “love conquers all” resolution was a cop-out and the full-on Thick of It reunion snog between Peter Capaldi and Chris Addison never quite came to pass. It also had its triumphs, namely Michelle Gomez as Missy – the Doctor’s nemesis, The Master, reincarnated into female form.
Like Hannibal Lecter in a Mary Poppins outfit, Missy was an unsettling mix of prim and predatory, even while shackled to an upright gurney. Gomez’s native Glaswegian accent also made the childhood friendship with the Doctor believable and recalled happy memories of Channel 4’s Green Wing, in which she also starred.
Show all 122 1 /122In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Missy, The Doctor and Clara in the Doctor Who series eight finale
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Missy screams at The Doctor
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Cybermen return
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Missy seen in a graveyard with the Cybermen
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Sanjeev Bhaskar in the Doctor Who series 8 finale
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Time Lord seen in a graveyard
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Cybermen in the Doctor Who series 8 finale
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Doctor Who and Missy in the Doctor Who series 8 finale
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Cybermen return
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Peter Capaldi in the Doctor Who series 8 finale
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Kate Stewart, Osgood and The Doctor
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Look familiar? The Cybermen march through London
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Michelle Gomez and Peter Capaldi star in 'Doctor Who'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara is seeking answers in 'Dark Water'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Can the Doctor defeat Missy?
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Chris Addison as Seb and Michelle Gomez as Missy
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The invasion begins as the Cybermen emerge
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Chris Addison in the Nethersphere
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Missy and the Doctor in 'Dark Water'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Cybermen appear again in 'Dark Water'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor is not where he thinks he is in 'Dark Water'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 What has this little girl noticed? The Doctor investigates in 'In the Forest of the Night'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor finds himself in a forest version of London in Doctor Who episode 'In the Forest of the Night'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 A girl starts to run from an unseen threat in Doctor Who episode 'In the Forest of the Night'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 What have Danny and the kids found?
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor leads the group as they run for their lives
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 It's London but not as we know it in Doctor Who episode 'In the Forest of the Night'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny takes the pupils from Coal Hill School to the museum
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara and a student from Coal Hill School look at the rings on an ancient tree
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor finds another inquisitive pupil from Coal Hill School in the Tardis
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor investigates London
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny is trying to figure out where his group have ended up
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and Clara investigate strange goings-on in London, after the city is transformed into a forest
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara and Rigsy try to escape something on the floor
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 What's happened to the Tardis?
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara takes the lead in 'Flatline' while the Doctor remains in the Tardis
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor tries to make something in the Tardis for Clara
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 There are strange goings-on near the railway
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Rigsy looks at a "murals of missing people
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara tries to unlock a door with an odd-looking contraption
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Something is coming in 'Flatline'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Jovian Wade as Rigsy in 'Flatline'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Christopher Fairbank as Fenton in 'Flatline'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara takes charge of the Sonic Screwdriver this week
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor faces a Mummy on board the galactic Orient Express
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Singer Foxes makes a cameo in 'Mummy on the Orient Express'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Frank Skinner stars as the chief engineer of the Orient Express
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 David Bamber stars as Captain Quell in 'Mummy on the Orient Express'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Daisy Beaumont as Maisie, one of the passengers on the Orient Express
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Professor Moorhouse played by Christopher Villiers in 'Mummuy on the Orient Express'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor has a difficult decision to make as the Mummy attacks people on the Orient Express
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Maisie looks like she has seen a ghost - or a Mummy
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Perkins the chief engineer of the Orient Express
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Ellis George as Courtney Woods in 'Kill the Moon'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor is not happy about the terrible dilemma that faces him and the fate of the Earth
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor goes to investigate what is going on under the surface of the Moon
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The dark side of the Moon: The Doctor and Captain Lundvik investigate
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Captain Lundvik is surprised to see a teenage schoolgirl in space
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Captain Lundvik played by Hermione Norris
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara embarks on a journey into space with Courtney Woods and the Doctor
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Tony Osoba as astronaut Duke in 'Kill the Moon'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Captain Lundvik is perplexed as she is forced to make a decision about the fate of the Earth
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor takes on the deadly Skovox Blitzer in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor goes undercover at Coal Hill School in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Nightmare student: Courtney Woods played by Ellis George
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 A familiar face joins the staff at Coal Hill School in 'The Caretaker', where Clara works as an English teacher
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny Pink finally meets the Doctor in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 English teacher Adrian, who works at Coal Hill School with Clara and Danny
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The deadly Skovox Blitzer and the Doctor meet
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny Pink encounters the Doctor for the first time in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 A familiar face joins the staff at Coal Hill School in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara and Danny are in trouble in 'The Caretaker' when a deadly force threatens the Earth
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor at work in his workshop at Coal Hill School
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny Pink is not quite sure what he has just witnessed in 'The Caretaker'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor tries to communicate with the Skovox Blitzer
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Mr Porrima (Trevor Sellers), The Doctor , Clara (Jenna Coleman) and Psi
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 With Clara by his side, there's no turning back
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The twelfth Doctor turns bank robber...
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 ...and he looks more than ready to take on the challenge
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and Clara are walking right into danger's way...
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 ... and must evade the Bank of Karabraxos' intensive security
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Saibra, played by Pippa Bennett-Warner
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) must take on one of his most difficult tasks yet
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Teller - a formidable creature with the ability to detect guilt
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 On the Doctor's team: Psi (Jonathan Bailey)
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Bank of Karabraxos' head of security Ms Delphox, played by guest star Keeley Hawes
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The bank heist is on
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and Clara enter the bank of Karabraxos
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Orson Pink a time traveller in 'Listen' played by Samuel Anderson
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor poses the question of whether we are every truly alone in 'Listen'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Orson Pink embarks on his voyage in 'Listen'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Peter Capaldi as the twelfth Doctor surrounded by his calculations
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor boards a spaceship in 'Listen'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Danny Pink does not look impressed in 'Listen'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor tinkers about with the controls on a spaceship in 'Listen'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Orson Pink played by Samuel Anderson, who also plays Danny Pink
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and Clara meet Robin Hood in 'The Robot of Sherwood'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The knights are not what they seem
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Robin Hood played by Tom Riley
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor is not pleased when he finds an arrow in his Tardis
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 One of the deadly knights belonging to the Sheriff of Nottingham in 'The Robot of Sherwood'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Robin teaches Clara to shoot an arrow
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara, the Doctor and Robin Hood get captured in 'The Robot of Sherwood'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Robin Hood and his band of merry men
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara and the Doctor stumble across something in 'Into the Dalek'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and the Dalek meet
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Daleks attack in 'Into the Dalek'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Journey Blue investigates goings-on in 'Into the Dalek'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Zawe Ashton as Journey Blue in 'Into the Dalek'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor faces one of his oldest foes
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara meets the Daleks
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Michael Smiley as Colonel Morgan Blue in 'Into the Dalek'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara steers the Tardis
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink, the new companion and a teacher at Coal Hill School
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Clara and the twelfth Doctor embark on their first adventure together
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The new Doctor and Clara in the Tardis
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor and Clara have their first real heart to heart since he regenerated in 'Deep Breath'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 The Doctor on the banks of the Thames stares up at the creature that has been terrorising Londoners in 'Deep Breath'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Madame Vastra has a plan of action in 'Deep Breath'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 Peter Capaldi as the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in 'Deep Breath'
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In pictures: Doctor Who series 8 Doctor Who - Series 8 'Deep Breath' is Peter Capaldi's first full-length adventure as the twelfth Doctor
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This was an episode filled with flashbacks to sitcoms past, in fact. Sanjeev Bhaskar from Goodness Gracious Me played a UNIT officer, whose fawning manner brought out the Doctor’s inner Malcolm Tucker: “Oh, don’t do that,” was his snappy response to a salute. “You look like you’re self-concussing... which would explain all of military history, now I think about it.”
Yes, the Kate Stewart-led UNIT was back to help the Doctor battle Missy and her army of dead souls, recently returned from the dead. From a dramatic point of view, the danger with all this toing and froing between dimensions is how it robs death of its proper impact. We’re never too sad when a favourite character snuffs it, because there’s always a fair chance they’ll be back again. In “Death in Heaven”, however, that assumption led to a surprisingly downbeat ending for the Doctor and Clara. Some things, it seems, really are gone for ever. Or at least until the Christmas special.
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