Doctor Who: Deep Breath

Britain's cult sci-fi/fantasy hit, featuring a brand new Doctor played by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, is currently underway on BBC America (the complete new season will be out on home video on December 9). Released as a standalone, this extra-long debut episode takes viewers into Victorian London as the Doctor tries to reconstruct his memories while recovering from his latest regeneration, and his companion, Clara (Jenna Coleman), struggles to come to terms with this new, older incarnation of the friend she had a crush on. This episode features a dinosaur and spontaneous combustion, along with old allies Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), who is a high-society lizard-woman detective, and her loyal soldier Strax (Dan Starkey). Bonus features include a prequel scene and a behind-the-scenes featurette (shown in exclusive theatrical presentations but not on TV), plus the original live announcement of Capaldi as the new Doctor, and a Doctor Who-themed segment from the BBC documentary series The Real History of Science Fiction. Given that this singleton is nearly half the price of the full season, most will be better off waiting for that. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)