Brian Minchin was asked on Points of View (by a family. not me) why the start times were so late for a family watching the show together, he told them basically to watch iPlayer.

Huh? I thought the whole point was to watch the show collectively as a family, not to fob them off with an offensive exchange like that. Next year, the BBC should show the series at an earlier time, preferably around the 7:00pm mark to include the younger members of the audience who would be too knackered to get to the start, never mind the end.

Do children really go to bed at 8:30 on Saturday nights?!
I certainly never did...

Brian Minchin is not in charge of BBC scheduling, he's just the DW EP, and perhaps did not have an official answer to give (even though we all know it's Strictly Come Dancing).

Therefore, from his POV, watching later is the answer.

I do think it's ridiculous when people try to suggest the show is on too late for younger viewers, and that they'd be too tired to watch. The vast majority of kids will still be up at 9pm, the majority of those kids will likely still be up until around 10pm!

I think the 8:35pm start we got this year at one point is pushing the limit of what they can get away with, but by no means is it a bad starting time. Sure, it's less likely to be the traditional sit-and-watch-whilst-having-dinner kind of time, but my younger sister has preferred the later start time... she can actually see her friends, come home and not have to rush around so she can get seated in time for the show.

As for the use of iPlayer, it's now accessible via many televisions either by means of a Smart TV or by means of a console, or Tivo box or something. It has been adapted much better for family use, and is no longer consigned to more personal devices.

My wishes for series 9

More episodes set on other planets, moons, asteroids, space stations or ships, with just one episode set on modern day earth.

The return of Missy

All stories to be in two parts. If its back to 13 episodes next year rather than the 12 we had this year then the extra single episode should be used as a Doctor lite episode.

No arc, a series of standalone stories that have no connection to one another. I'm not a big fan of big story arcs for Doctor who as I think the adventures should be completely random scattered through time and space which doesn't lend itself to a continuous story. The contrived ways they put a part of the arc story in other stories that don't have anything to do with it always comes across as intrusive and clunky to me.

More Doctor awesomeness

I should of said regarding arcs that I think the connection between stories should just be the Doctor and companion, and how their relationship is developing. They could show how the adventures affect them, how they grow, say clara is incapable of doing something at the beginning of the series but in the last story of the series we see a similar scenario that she is now (due to growth and experience throughout the series) is able to handle. Just a thought.

Hope Capadi has more lighter moments rather then be grumpy all the tme.

Well it sounds like he is going to go back to being just an idiot in a box, and not some fabled soldier type ....

Galifrey might be the main storyline in S9 in the backround untill the last two episodes.
Other things could also be meeting a new companion if Clara does leave for good at christmas. Would also like a few past monsters and freinds to return. Weeping Angels or Sea Devils maybe Jack and River visiting would be awesome too. Hope Moffat has a good final year. Think he will leave with a two part finale in November or a 2015 Christmas special.

I think they were beginning to soften him a bit from Mummy On The Orient Express onwards. I think that will continue in Series 9.

Out of curiosity, why do so many people want the Gallifrey story wrapped up so quickly? There's drama to be had in playing a long game with this. Some of the best scenes from The Doctor to have come from Series 1-7 were when he was lamenting the loss of his home, the bad decisions he has had to make - absolute raw drama, providing plenty of strong and memorable scenes. It's half of why the decision to save it in the 50th Anniversary was so controversial - because it potentially cheapens the previous emotional investment.

There is the opportunity here for storylines to unfold over years... the show has a rich history of villains not linked to Gallifrey it could explore, as well as the potential for brand new villains as well. The show has never been short on variety...why do people keep seemingly want to wrap up the Doctor's story by Gallifrey-themed plots every year? Bring back Gallifrey, you take away an element of what keeps the Doctor so fascinating in contemporary 'Who.

This is just my opinion of course, but I'd happily not even see a glimpse of Gallifrey for another four or five years. Hint and allude to it, as Death in Heaven did, but I don't want it wrapped up. Capaldi delivered a powerful scene of frustration, rage and anger when he didn't find Gallifrey at the end of Series 8 - the show is very good at things like that. I wouldn't want to trade in that just to resolve the plot. Where would it go from there?

I would like to see the Autons back, and also a Dalek story set on a planet.

Perhaps a (flashback) prequel explaining the events leading up to him escaping from Gallifrey in the Tardis with Susan ?
Or, how the Doctor grew up before his first regeneration.

Only 'Listen' from Series 8 gave us a brief insight into the Doctors' childhood on Gallifrey.

Thanks for the positive comments for my idea about having flashback eps, but I think it would only work for Doc 8 and here is my reasoning:

1. We have absolutely no idea what Doc 8 got up to in his time or for how long so we could have multiple stories that link in with that years story arc and aging would not make any difference.

2. While I would love to have various Docs come back for flashback stories, I think the age differences from then till now would make this quite prohibitive (although imagine a Capaldi Doc/McCoy Doc linked storyline).

3. This is the main one for me. Paul McCann never got the real opportuity to let his Doctor fly. The film was meh, but he was magnificent and this was backed up with the 50th Special short. We all loved seeing him back and I personally would like to see more.

Actually, perhaps a prequel explaining why he had to run away in the first place.

I think the Eighth Doctor works because he's right in the middle of it all, and yet we know practically nothing about him. There's a brilliant actor waiting there to play the role, who is good in the role, and who can feasibly be written in without causing much fuss where continuity is concerned.

Pre-Hartnell for me is a no go area... Listen worked because it was subtle enough in its inclusion of a young Doctor. The Name of the Doctor is passable because it was sentimental and worked in Hartnell himself. But anything beyond that takes away from the mystery behind the character. I don't need answers to why he ran away exactly, it takes away from the sense of wonder whenever someone talks about the man who stole a box and flew away...I don't want to know why!

Before The Sarah Jane Adventures was commissioned the BBC wanted a young Doctor in a spin-off. RTD rightly put it that watching the Doctor in a workshop making screwdrivers would completely undermine the magic of the character. His adventure started after stealing the TARDIS...no need to peek at the man before it.

Abomination, fair point about he first Doc although i was thinking more about the story of Gallifrey and what caused him to rebel, but I agree it would probably take away the mystery of the man.

I think they missed a trick here. As much as would love a McGann spinoff, it's not going to happen. I think the best we can hope for, and I think they should do something like this, is|

Dr gets injured, mentally incapacitated by some unseen force which he recalls but can't quite remember. He tries to regenerate but can't remember how due to his injuries.

The enemy are trying to get hold of the tardis but luckily, the defences are up. However it is only a matter of time before they break them down and get in. Unfortunately, The dr's memories have been scrambled. He needs to use the tardis to help him Remember how he defeated them before.

We then get to see glimpses of how McCann dealt with them previously as the tardis accesses the memories via the neural link thingy.

This allows the doctor to remain our doctor but let's fans have a little bit more McCann goodness to savour.

So do I. A sinister, non-crazy-acting, polite Master.

Like Roger Delgado.

Agreed. 8 is PERFECT for a Doctor Lite story in a similar situation to this one. Or Clara (or a new companion) does a River Song - calling the Doctor, only for the wrong one to turn up...

Good writing. Good acting. It's as simple as that (and I'm not saying those things haven't been present). I have no wishlist or criteria. I love all eras of Doctor Who (maybe not totally equally) and have a broad perception of what they can do with the show.

If I'm wishing for anything it's to be surprised by the show again. I would like them to have the confidence to go with an idea rather than feeling too strong an urge to revert to the mean. If they have a bold story idea then let it run its course. Have faith in the show's audience. Cop-out resolutions are perhaps my biggest current bugbear with Doctor Who.

Format-wise, I've said many time that I would love to see 60 minute episodes. I think it gives just that little extra time they need for pacing and characterization. Most of the stories don't have enough to them for 90 minutes, and the show is all about variety, so 6 two-part episodes really does not seem like a good idea to me. I think 60 minutes is the sweet spot.

Unfortunately, the show's popularity in the US won't allow that as the current episode length fits perfectly into their hour long slots (including commercial breaks)

Unless they did something like Jonathan Creek when it became popular stateside - creating a subplot which could be dropped without affecting the main plot. In Jonathan Creek that was accomplished with the Adam Klaus subplots, which is why his storylines have absolutely no bearing on the main plot in series 4 - they were planned that way so they could be dropped from the American broadcasts to shrink the running time. A clever idea, but in DW that would defeat the object of extending the episodes in the first place!

Not happening I'm afraid. It's Michelle Gomez for now.

No more messing about with the Doctor's past and monsters who are an actual threat.

Love the direction of series 8 with the unpredictable and unapproachable capaldi doctor.
Ive never looked forward to a series more....its almost pathetic of me.
Hope they do new and wondrous things with the Doctor....