. ▁Fil ming ▁began ▁on ▁ 6 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁last ed ▁exactly ▁seven ▁months , ▁ending ▁on ▁ 6 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁series ▁premi ere ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁ 9 . 1 7 ▁million ▁view ers , ▁the ▁highest ▁ratings ▁for ▁a ▁premi ere ▁since ▁Matt ▁Smith ' s ▁first ▁episode ▁as ▁the ▁Doctor ▁back ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁Rat ings ▁remained ▁consistent ▁throughout ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁seeing ▁a ▁low ▁of ▁ 6 . 7 1 ▁million ▁view ers ▁with ▁the ▁episode ▁" F lat line ", ▁and ▁ended ▁with ▁ 7 . 6 0 ▁million ▁people ▁watching ▁the ▁finale ▁( up ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁view ers ▁from ▁the ▁previous ▁season ▁finale ). ▁The ▁e ighth ▁series ▁became ▁the ▁highest - r ated ▁series ▁ever ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁audience ▁of ▁ 2 . 0 4 ▁million ▁view ers . ▁It ▁also ▁received ▁high ▁acc laim ▁from ▁critics , ▁with ▁pra ise ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁writing , ▁direct ing , ▁and ▁acting . ▁ ▁Epis odes ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁" De ep ▁Bre ath ", ▁has ▁a ▁running ▁time ▁of ▁ 7 6 ▁minutes , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁second ▁longest ▁episode ▁since ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁longest ▁being ▁" The ▁Day ▁of ▁the ▁Doctor " ▁with ▁a ▁running ▁time ▁of ▁ 7 7 ▁minutes .