The new season of Doctor Who is now filming in Cardiff!

> Here’s everything we know about Season 9 so far.

Here are 12 things we’d like to see when Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman return to our screens later this year…

 

More Jamie Mathieson

This one’s a no-brainer. A new writer to Who last year, Being Human’s Jamie Mathieson knocked two acclaimed episodes (‘Flatline’ and ‘Mummy on the Orient Express’) right out of the gate.

Many were even anointing Mathieson as Moff’s heir apparent, which is perhaps a little quick on the draw, but you can certainly see why he excited so many.

It’s rare to see a writer other than Moffat have not one, but two stories in quick succession so highly thought of. For me, ‘Mummy’ was only beaten by ‘Listen’ as the finest episode of the season, so surely he must be in line for a quick return?

 

Female writers

Well, finally! The news recently broke that Torchwood writer Catherine Tregenna would be writing an episode in the new season.

Yes, the first female writer during Moffat’s time in charge, the first since Helen Raynor’s Sontaran two-parter in 2008, and only the second female writer since the show returned a decade ago.

Of course, what matters most is the quality of the writer, not which gender they happen to be, but come on, one female writer in ten years does look terrible and reflects badly on the show – particularly a show with a sizeable female fanbase these days.

Tregenna writing an episode for Season 9 is a step in the right direction. Let’s hope there are a few more steps in that direction to come soon.

 

Stick with the new tone

Slightly more grown up, slightly darker and often thematically deeper than we’d come to expect, Season 8 really shook things up in regards to what we’d become used to during the Matt Smith years.

It’s quite something that Moffat was able to re-evaluate what the show should be and move forward with a slightly tweaked voice; and it was a timely change that paid off in spades with Moffat’s most highly regarded season in charge since Matt Smith’s debut year.

Yes, this change in tone lead to perhaps one of the most divisive runs of the show we’ve had, but for me this is just evidence of a strong, bold flavour.

 

The power of three

So Clara is (apparently – remember ‘rule number 1’) sticking around for the whole of Season 9, which as far as this Who nerd is concerned is wonderful news – she and Capaldi spark off each other in spectacular fashion.

But, that doesn’t mean we should let the TARDIS team stay settled. I think it’s time for another person to hop aboard, and I believe there are two ideal options…

Now I can’t have been alone in utterly adoring Shona in last month’s Christmas special and assuming she was being set up to be the next companion. Moffat seemed to give her a bit too much life and character to simply be a one-off; surely she’ll be appearing again soon? Shona deserves a trip around the universe – and perhaps another dance or two!

If not Shona, then please, let’s have someone that’s not from contemporary Earth. We’ve done that to death now surely; and with Clara sticking around we have our contemporary identification character, so let’s add something new to the mix. My ideal choice would be for the Doctor to pick up someone from the past to offer a fresh perspective; someone for who all of these adventures through time and space would truly be a disorientating and magical experience.

We’re also keen to see Doctor Who’s companions back living full-time on the TARDIS, rather than the stop/start mini-break format seen with Clara and the final days of Amy and Rory.

 

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