Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who
Capaldi's new costume BBC

Following the BBC revealing Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who costume, filming for the new series took to the streets of Cardiff.

Hundreds of fans flocked to see the new Doctor film scenes with his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) and the Tardis.

Onlookers were happy with what they saw of Capaldi's performance, but what do we know about the new Doctor and the eighth series of the show?

Peter Capaldi as 'Rebel Time Lord'

Describing his new costume, which looks remarkably fashionable compared to the costumes of David Tennant and Matt Smith, Capaldi said: "He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100% rebel Time Lord."

Just what does that mean though? Will there be a punk streak to this older, but more stylish Doctor? Well, Capaldi is certainly a punk at heart, having played lead guitarist for Scottish punk band Dreamboys, alongside US talk show host Craig Ferguson.

He may be a much older Doctor than fans are used to, but this might be an indication of how writers will attempt to connect the actor with a younger audience, by making him an older man behaving more like a youngster, but not in an immature way like Matt Smith's incarnation.

Show-runner Steven Moffat said: "We've got used to two brilliant iterations of the younger, more puppy-dog Doctor and both have been superlative. But now it's time for the old beast to snarl at you for a bit."

Ben Wheatley is directing the first two episodes

Ben Wheatley is a British director who has made a name for himself with critically lauded films such as Kill List, Sightseers and A Field In England.

He will helm the first two episodes of series 8, which has been penned by Moffat.

What Wheatley can bring to the show is a sense of darkness already present in Capaldi. The pairing is unlike any in recent Doctor history and could add a dark twist.

Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who
Peter Capaldi with Jenna Coleman on the set of Doctor Who BBC

Strax is back

Shots from the first days of filming revealed that the show will once again return to Victorian England for Capaldi's first adventure.

That means Madam Vastra, her partner Jenny, and Strax will all be back to meet the new Time Lord.

Surrounding Capaldi with faces familiar to Matt Smith's fans is a sensible if safe move, and should set him up nicely for adventures with Clara on his own.

At Comic Con last year, Moffat talked about the decision to bring the characters back: "You can push that [new] Doctor a bit further, maybe, if you've got a familiar world around him."

The Hunt for Gallifrey

In last year's 50<sup>th anniversary special the 11th and 10th Doctors worked with John Hurt's War Doctor to alter the past and save the Time Lord homeworld Gallifrey from destruction at his own hand.

At the end of that episode – in a moment as nonsensical as it was wonderful – Tom Baker informed Matt Smith that the plan had worked, and the Time Lords had survived. In the Christmas Special they attempted to contact the Doctor, placing him in the predicament that eventually led to the resetting of his regeneration limit.

Moffat, who wrote both episodes, did so to set up the hunt for Gallifrey as a major plot point of Capaldi's run as the 12th/13th/First Doctor - whatever he technically is.

With the Time Lords alive and well, it also leaves the door open for the return of the Master – who hasn't been seen since Tennant's final episode on New Year's Day 2010.

Doctor Who series 8 is expected to air this autumn.