Doctor Who executive producer Brian Minchin has promised a wider variety of stories in Series 8.

Speaking to CultBox at the show’s studios in Cardiff, he explained that this year’s continuous run of 12 episodes allows for “more variety” and “some quieter ‘Blink’-like episodes.”

The exec also hinted that the new series has “real heart and humour”, revealing that Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman have “a Doctor/companion relationship unlike any we’ve seen in a long time.”

BBC Cymru Wales announced last year that Minchin (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Wizards Vs Aliens) was to be the new executive producer of Doctor Who, alongside showrunner Steven Moffat, following the departure of Caroline Skinner.

Minchin also confirmed that new recurring cast member Samuel Anderson appears as teacher Danny Pink from Episode 2 onwards.

> Here’s everything we know about Series 8 so far.

Series 8 begins on BBC One on Saturday 23 August with a feature-length opener, ‘Deep Breath’.

> Here’s our round-up of the first reviews for ‘Deep Breath’.

What are your hopes for Series 8? Let us know below…