| 252b – "Death in Heaven" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Who episode | |||
| Cast | |||
Others
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| Production | |||
| Directed by | Rachel Talalay | ||
| Written by | Steven Moffat | ||
| Script editor | David P Davis | ||
| Produced by | Peter Bennett | ||
| Executive producer(s) | Steven Moffat Brian Minchin | ||
| Music by | Murray Gold | ||
| Series | Series 8 | ||
| Running time | 2nd of 2-part story, 57 minutes | ||
| First broadcast | 8 November 2014 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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"Death in Heaven" is the twelfth and final episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 8 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay. It is the second of a two-part story; the first episode "Dark Water" aired on 1 November.
In the episode, Missy (Michelle Gomez), an evil alien time traveller (also known as the Master) resurrects the dead as an army of cyborgs called Cybermen as a gift to her former friend the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), intending to prove that they are alike.
The episode was watched by 7.60 million viewers and received positive reviews, with critics praising its writing, direction, and acting. Gomez was consistently highly praised in reviews, with many calling her a highlight of the eighth series.[1][2][3][4]
The title sequence was subtly different for this episode. In the cold open, Clara tells the Cybermen that she is the Doctor to convince them to keep her alive. The image of Peter Capaldi's eyes in the opening credits is replaced with one of Jenna Coleman's eyes and Coleman's name precedes Capaldi's.[5]