I cannot quite put my finger on why, but I find myself increasingly non-plussed at the thought of the next series. Matt Smith really personified the character, whereas Capaldi feels more and more like a poor fit. The 50th was a great story, whilst the Christmas special fell a little flat with the whole business about re-gen limits etc being a little silly IMHO.

Maybe because it is a bit quiet, and such a long gap makes it seem that the best of Who is behind us, and the end could be just round the corner....

How can you say Capaldi feels like a poor fit when you haven't even properly seen him in the role yet?

As for the next series, I'm actually looking forward to it but not getting excited. Hoping with a New Doctor that the Scripts may actually improve, not that Matt Smith was terrible by any means, just he wasn't well served by the scripts, imo of course.

Once I travelled to my Tardis to the future, I'll come back and tell you. Otherwise, I keep my "being underwhelmed" or "being overwhelmed" until I have seen it.

I would have been underwhelmed had matt smith stayed in the role good as he was. The last series enjoy I did not. Quite looking forward I am to a new doctor.

As much as David Tennant wasn't fit for the role after his first two lines.

I have to admit that twist in episode 4 of series 8 was a real low point, bring back the other guy or refund me my license!

And Matt Smith was going to be awful based on the leaked audio from VOTD when he says 'I am the Doctor!'.

I feel the exact opposite. Found the show increasingly underwhelming with Matt Smith but am pretty excited for Capaldi.

Perhaps I'm just getting old!

Not criticising, I actually like that spelling 'underwealmed'. It's got a superb Anglo-Saxon quality.

This basically. hoping that Capaldi will be good in the role but his abilities mean nothing if the scripts are bad. Really hope they can do a self contained arc this time so we can have the excitement and confidence in the storylines that was the norm in the days of series 1-4.

I think that is a bit previous, maybe you are feeling the wait a bit more than most of us. I always look forward with anticipation and excitement to the next chunk of Who stories, I will have an open mind about Capaldi like any new actor in the role. This time I am looking forward to seeing Clara adapt to the new Doctor.

No way! I'm really looking forward to the next series ever so much. I think Peter will be a great Doctor, taking on mostly David Tennant's and Tom Baker's Doctors traits and personalities.

What makes you think, that having to wait nine months before the next series airs, is going to gradually spell the end of "Who"? Doctor Who is doing better and better with every series that airs. You only have to look online at some of the viewing figures.

Yes, in the last series, there were a couple of poor episodes, e.g. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and The Crimson Horror. But with every series, you are bound to get one or two episodes that are not as good as the rest.

You only have to think back to Series 2, when Fear Her was broadacast. Not everyone liked the story. It was far from brilliant. The ratings were poor, only getting about 5 million on it's first showing. Add to the fact that it was shown in early Summer, so not everyone was in that Saturday evening.

Normally, if an episode is gripping someone and the script is good, then the viewing figures could be up to 8, maybe 9 million.

Also, I shan't be getting the Peter Capaldi action figure, as the modern "Who" figures have downscaled to 3.75 inches. I haven't bothered buying any 3.75 inch figures at all. The Classic figures have stayed at 5 inches, but you can only get them online, on sites such as amazon and forbidden planet.

I haven't bought any DW action figures now, for about three years. The last one I bought was the Fifth Doctor with Master's Tardis disguised as an ancient statue from Castrovalva. That was in 2011, on amazon, when it first came out.

Last year, I did get the life-size 'Bump and Go' Cybermat. I found it in my local TK Max for £6.99, instead of the full £15 that it was originally priced at. That was a bargain, wasn't it?

I am feeing underwhelmed but I think that's far more about the time taking for anything new to come out rather than a real expectation that the it will be bad.

I am somewhat hesitant as to what what Steven Moffat as showrunner will do in terms of series structure, pacing and character writing, for this viewer it needs to improve it drastically. I am really looking forward to seeing Peter Capadli in the role I just hope it isn't a case of him having to carry poor work as Matt Smith had to for series 6-7.

I hope the show has a new visual 'tone' to it, as nice as the cinematic feel of late has been I have found it somewhat disconnecting from the characters and action. To quote the often used 'style over substance' moniker seems apt.

If I hear the words 'Timey Wimey' or any more ridiculous character tags I fear it may be the last straw until another show runner comes along.

Eccleston, Tennant and Smith have all made terrible scripts watchable in their time.

Or not in Tennant's case...

I'm looking forward to Series 8. But I'm not excited for it. It's hard to be excited for something both far away and being kept under wraps.

I think this is likely to have some bearing here playing out with this. And I'm pretty sure (I bet my bottom dollar), even if he does play the part fairly well, people are by and large going to be fairly disappointed -simply by the long wait and the build up of anticipation going on -a natural reaction.

To be honest I'm not that confident as to if he can pull it off and do a good job of it or in how he will play the character will warm to audiences. Then again I wasn't too sure at first with Matt Smith either, but grew to love his Patrick Troughton rip-off (oww I know this is going to upset some people).

Any views on how Capaldi is going to portray the part (completely original or have some element(s) of previous incarnations(?) I'm picking definitely slightly mad & eccentric (that rules out the 5th by and large), with an authoritative nature and a bit of a temper. So may be between the 1st & 3rd & occasionally bordering on the 6th. Eww, that doesn't sound very appealing to me.

Patrick Troughton rip-off?! I'm upset.

Not really. Loved Matt and was initially very disappointed that we wouldn't get a full series with Eleven, Clara, the new TARDIS...but as soon as I heard Zoe Ball announce "It's Peter Capaldi!" I thought...well, that's cushioned the blow more than somewhat.

It does seem a long way off still, but am sure I'll be completely stoked by the time August bank holiday (my guess) comes around. Then again, I have enjoyed the last era more than others...

I have about as much of an idea how Capaldi will play it as I had with Matt Smith, ie not a clue. But he's a fine actor so will remain quietly confident that he'll be the canine's wotsits.

Agree with this.

It will be nice to get back to a more mature Doctor again. And Capaldi is a stunning performer so I think will be excellent in the role.

OP, isn't it a little early to be 'underwhelmed' (note spelling ...) when you haven't even seen the guy in the role?

Give him a chance at least.

I am not judging the new series as I haven't seen it but I am judging my anticipation and it's not there and seems to gets less and less every series.

When 1-4 were on I would literally be excited in the weeks and months prior to it but I have absolutely nothing at all for this forthcoming series, not sure why it is but it's how I feel and I'm comparing it to how I personally felt during the first 4 series. I am sure others are excited.

Might be something to do with how crap these series breaks and long gaps between series were. I don't really want to wait ages for a series that should be on every year like it was able to do in 1-4.

For me it all goes back to the split series.

We've had a few quiet years without a full-on 13+1 episode fix. Even with all the 50th stuff last year it feels like we haven't had a series for quite a while and there's simply nothing to talk about.

The split did feel like 2 small series rather than one large one spread over 2 years. The change in personnel saw to that.

I am looking forward to the new series but I simply don't feel anything at all right now. It seems a long way-away and I'm trying my best to avoid any spoilers.

I think Peter will play the Doctor, more like Tom Baker did, with more arrogance and hatred for most things bad. I see him playing the Doctor with a frowned expression.

He'll be a no nonsense Doctor, whilst still caring for Clara and River, but not having anyone stand in his way, trying to put a stop to his travels.