'Doctor Who' Returns to BBC America August 23

BBC America has announced the premiere date for the eighth season of Doctor Who. The feature-length episode, entitled "Deep Breath," will air Saturday, August 23 at 8 p.m. ET. The episode ushers in an exciting new era for the show as Peter Capaldi (The Musketeers, The Thick of It) steps into the role of the Doctor. Fans first got a glimpse of Capaldi's Doctor in November's 50th Anniversary Special, and again in the final minutes of last year's Christmas Special, but the upcoming season premiere marks the first full episode for the Twelfth Doctor.

Capaldi will be joined by Jenna Coleman (Death Comes to Pemberley), who returns as companion Clara Oswald, and Samuel Anderson (History Boys, Gavin & Stacey) who joins the cast as Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where Clara also works. Previously announced guest stars include Ben Miller (Primeval, Death in Paradise), Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty, Upstairs, Downstairs), and Tom Riley (Da Vinci's Demons).

Leading up to the premiere, Capaldi and Coleman will appear together in the United States for the first time when they arrive in New York on Thursday, August 14 as part of the first ever Doctor Who World Tour. The largest promotional undertaking in the show's 50-year history, the tour will kick off in Cardiff, Wales before heading to London, Seoul, Sydney, New York, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro.