This week we finally got a formal announcement that the first episode of Series 8 will go out on 23 August (as several fans had already surmised). While I’m still looking forward to Capaldi as our new Doctor, I’m getting really nervous about what the series has in store.

I’ll admit, a lot of it has to do with Moffat remaining at the helm. When the Grand Moff first came on board, I was pretty psyched. I’d really enjoyed his episodes under RTD, and figured we were in for some great storytelling. Three series later, though, I’m long since ready for him to move on. (This week’s other news—that Moffat is staying at least through Series 9—thus had me grinding my teeth.) The real question, though, is whether the change in lead will yield any change in either tone or structure of the stories being told.

Capaldi himself has been in the business a long time, and as a life-long Doctor Who fan (like Moffat), has his own ideas about what is or is not Doctor-ish. I can’t help but wonder whether or not these two facts will allow Capaldi the confidence to push back against Moffat. Something about Matt Smith makes me doubt he would ever have dreamed of second-guessing the man. I can only hope having someone equally knowledgeable of the Doctor’s history might rein in this show-runner.

Because seriously—it’s time for some new tropes.

The fact that Capaldi is older (the oldest since Hartnell, if memory serves) is a step in the right direction, I think. I’m well over the Companions-fawn-over-the-Doctor stuff, and I’m hopeful that the Doctor’s apparent human age will make it easier for writers to avoid that trap. (Not to say that Capaldi isn’t still appealing, but he won’t be so in the same way to the same fan demographic.)

Further, I’d like to believe we can turn the focus back toward the Doctor himself, rather than on Companions-as-plot-device. Again, I see Capaldi as a good catalyst for change in the work of the writing staff. (Although, hell, if Moffat never allows any women on board, it’s unlikely much will ever be different…) That is, I expect what he brings to the character to be different enough that writers will be more interested in exploring that than making him flit after mysterious human women.

The danger, as always, is that each fan projects their own preferences on their wishlist for the coming episodes. I’m as guilty as anyone else; everything I’ve said here undoubtedly says more about my own psyche than about the show. It’s tough, though, when the guy in charge actually gets to put his own fantasies for the Doctor’s adventures on screen, and the rest of us just have to cross our fingers and hope either (a) we find it as brilliant as the production team does, or (b) we can stomach it until we get a new production team.

And this has been true throughout the show’s history. Those of us who haven’t been with it as long tend to forget that there’s been plenty of infighting among Doctor Who fans for as long as anyone’s been able to identify the species. No one could ever take Tom Baker’s place; Tom Baker’s old news—this Davison guy is where it’s at; Colin Baker nearly destroyed the show; no, Colin’s awesome—Sylvester McCoy’s to blame for the show getting “permanently” canceled; etc., etc., etc.

Take a position about the show, the lead, the production team, the writers—whatever you care to harp on—and someone else will be every bit as vehement with an opposing opinion. That’s the nature of the beast. The one thing we all share, though, is that something about this show somewhere along the way touched us, grabbed us, pulled us in. At one point or another, each fan fell in love with this amazing, alien vagrant and begged to go along on the ride.

I just really hope I feel that again in August.