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Doctor Who – Season 12, Episode 8 The Haunting of Villa Diodati

Play trailer 0:19 Doctor Who – Season 12, Episode 8 The Haunting of Villa Diodati Aired Feb 16, 2020 Sci-Fi Fantasy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 16 Reviews
In 1816, the Doctor and gang arrive at a villa near Lake Geneva in Switzerland; they plan to soak up the atmosphere as Lord Byron and the Shelleys prepare for a night telling ghost stories, but the villa proves to have ghostly presences all its own.
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Doctor Who — Season 12, Episode 8

Doctor Who — Season 12, Episode 8

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Critics Consensus

A proper ghost story that strikes the perfect balance between horror and history, "The Haunting of Villa Diodati" is Doctor Who at its best.

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Critics Reviews

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Dan Martin Guardian 02/18/2020
A classic ghost story unfolds in a classic haunted house, and we get the sort of history lesson that should always form part of Doctor Who's MO. Go to Full Review
Michael Hogan Daily Telegraph (UK) 02/18/2020
4/5
It's an almost weekly gripe but there wasn't quite enough for the three companions to do here, except creep around looking scared - which jumpy Ryan did particularly well. Go to Full Review
Devan Coggan Entertainment Weekly 02/18/2020
B+
We've gotten to know the Thirteenth Doctor as largely happy-go-lucky and optimistic, so it's exhilarating to see Jodie Whittaker deliver a little more of that Doctor angst and grit. Go to Full Review
Alex Moreland alexmoreland.co.uk 02/25/2020
5/10
It's hard to feel particularly enthusiastic about this: the Cybermen are dull, Mary Shelley is a non-entity, and much of the drama is contrived. A disappointing episode. Go to Full Review
David Hogan hoganreviews.co.uk 02/23/2020
5/5
The Haunting of Villa Diodati is a great story, steeped in so much creepy atmosphere and with a fun and freaky looking central antagonist at its centre. Go to Full Review
Kieron Moore Starburst 02/19/2020
9/10
It's a creepy gothic horror, it's one of the best Cybermen stories we've seen in a long while, and it not only has a good handle on the Doctor and her companions but moves their relationship forward. Go to Full Review
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Episode Info

Synopsis In 1816, the Doctor and gang arrive at a villa near Lake Geneva in Switzerland; they plan to soak up the atmosphere as Lord Byron and the Shelleys prepare for a night telling ghost stories, but the villa proves to have ghostly presences all its own.
Director
Emma Sullivan
Executive Producer
Chris Chibnall, Matt Strevens
Screenwriter
Maxine Alderton
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Feb 16, 2020