Doctor Who Season 8

Doctor Who Season 8 has built a real following on and among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. A single, tightly-focused season means there is plenty to get through without ever feeling padded. With 702 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Jon Pertwee — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Doctor Who Season 8 is worth clearing space for. Doctor Who Season 8 uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. As of 2017, season 8 remains notable for being the season with the most number of regular characters. Not only did it see a new companion in the form of Jo Grant, but it featured a regular enemy — The Master — who was the first regular Time Lord enemy of the Doctor to appear more than twice, and an expanded regular UNIT cast that now included Sergeant Benton and Mike Yates in most episodes. Adding in returning regulars Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney, the regular cast swelled to six. Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 1971. Doctor Who Season 8 resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

Doctor Who Season 8 is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Jon Pertwee grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.