Speaking at the BAFTA Television Awards in London this week, Moffat commented: “This is a thing that just seems to have slipped by… so can I say it very firmly – Series 8 is absolutely, definitely confirmed. It is real and it’s happening – it’s [taking up] most of my time at the moment.”

He added: “I get people telling me [that Series 8 is] not really happening. It really, definitely, honestly is!”

Jenna-Louise Coleman has confirmed that she will return as Clara in Series 8, but Matt Smith’s involvement beyond the upcoming 50th anniversary special is uncertain.

Series 7 concludes this weekend with ‘The Name of the Doctor’ at 7pm on Saturday on BBC One.

Moffat recently told CultBox: “It’d be fair to say ‘the 50th starts here’. It begins. It’s quite a dark episode; it’s quite a serious episode. You’ll start to see the Doctor enter a phase of his life that’s going to change things.”

> Catch up on all the 50th Anniversary Special news and rumours so far in our summary.

What would you like to see in Series 8? Let us know below…

> Order Series 7 Part 2 on DVD on Amazon.

> Buy Series 7 Part 1 on DVD on Amazon.

Watch the Series 7 Part 2 trailer…