Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has discussed the problems with Clara’s introduction in Series 7 and how the character has changed in this year’s series.

Jenna Coleman made her debut as regular companion Clara Oswald in ‘The Bells of Saint John’ in March 2013, following previous appearances in ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ and ‘The Snowmen’ in 2012.

Moffat told Doctor Who Magazine: “One of the difficulties with her ‘impossible girl’ story was that she wasn’t actually a participant in it, because she didn’t actually know about the mystery … Certainly she came to life immediately as a character and as a performance with Peter [Capaldi]’s Doctor … suddenly there was a different chemistry.”

He commented: “Peter and Jenna absolutely belong together in Doctor Who. To be absolutely honest, there’s also the problem of … you look at Matt Smith in a bow tie and you’re looking for Karen Gillan. You just are. So it was tough for Jenna.”

The writer explained: “Do you remember back in the day … Sarah Jane Smith seemed like a rather dull replacement for Jo Grant, til Tom Baker’s Doctor came along? Sarah Jane was quite boring for that first year, then Tom Baker came along and – fazoom – she was brilliant.”

Moffat added: “Clara has her own Doctor now, and she becomes the main character – which of course the companion always should be, really…”

Series 8 continues next weekend on BBC One with ‘Time Heist’.

> Order Series 8 on DVD on Amazon.

> Order Series 8 on Blu-ray on Amazon.

What do you think of Clara in Series 8 so far? Let us know below…