I'm on the daleks at the moment and the doctor is very much a secondary character. Ian is the one driving the show.

The companions (when new!) tend to get a lot of focus. But Clara's been around for ages now, and I think 12 needs more focus than she does this year.

I don't. The show's always given the companions the most focus anyway.

Not always, but whatever.

I just think it's time for 12 to stop being so 'around the edges' so to speak. We still don't have a firm 'grasp' on him (which is unusual and nice for a change), so I feel like it's now time to bring him more to the fore. They've had Clara in our faces for 2 years now.

agree, also with Danny out of the picture hopefully there will be much less about Clara's private life.

although I doubt she will totally leave Coal Hill school

I agree. I feel like we really didn't 'get to know' the current incarnation as well as we could have because of the Clara focus.

Companions don't have to be shoved into the background for the doctor to shine either. During the Tennant years I felt rose, martha and donna were all given more than enough background and focus on them, yet it was written in such a way that the doctor still felt like the main character and the main authority.

It's all about balance which series 8, for the most part didn't have.

"The Magician's Apprentice" was announced as the title for s9e1 just before Christmas and that led to speculation that Clara was leaving at Christmas and that the title referred to the new companion (which is probably why they released the title just before Christmas.)

Ever since the end of Last Christmas when Clara stayed (Hurrah!) I've been convinced the title referred to her.

And then this bleeding story emerged about the Doctor reviving a 40 year old moral dilemma; if he had the opportunity, should the Doctor kill the child Davros to stop growing up and creating the Daleks. And someone or something put it in my mind that the child Davros was going to be the Apprentice.

But now Michin's comments and Moffat's comments about Clara in his recent DS interview leave me once again convinced that the Apprentice will be Clara after all.

And yet I still don't trust Moffat. I still think he's going to start the new series eight months after last Christmas with Clara and the Doctor somehow separated.

When really the new series should carry on where Last Christmas finished off. The last scene from LC (from "The TARDIS is outside") should be the first scene in the new series. Then follow them into the TARDIS excitedly discussing their plans; where they want to go, what they want to see, whether Clara should put some clothes on first.

The Caretaker started with a short montage of adventures to highlight Clara's struggle to balance her Doctor-life and her Danny-life. TMA should start with a montage of the Doctor and Clara have fun and adventure together in space and time.

My problem with the amount of 'Clara time' was that it involved Danny. I agree that there was a lot of focus on Clara in series 8 and not enough on The Doctor. However I don't want less Clara, as such, I just want more Clara AND The Doctor.


Couldn't have said it better myself


I think The Doctor was sidelined too much because of Clara's 'life on earth.' I hope this year she is travelling full time.

I could be wrong but I think most people's problem, with the amount of Clara, is there was less Doctor (as he wasn't always involved in her 'life on earth' scenes.) I don't think people would have had the 'too much Clara' problem if all her time had been with The Doctor.


Agree with this too. As I said, there was far too much focus on Clara and her 'life on earth.' We all have our 'boring' lives on earth, we don't need to watch that on DW. I want to watch the companion and Doctor having the time of their lives. I don't want to watch Clara whinging about her boyfriend, teaching some snotty kids or The Doctor picking her up and dropping her off.

Get in the blooming Tardis, Clara and bloody well stay there

I don't get why some people seem to think there was too much Danny and not enough Doctor in the last series. Danny was just a cameo in a lot of episodes.

Deep Breath was before his time.
He wasn't in Robot Of Sherwood.
He was a cameo in Time Heist.
In Kill The Moon he was just there at the end telling Clara not to act too hasty on her anger with the Doctor.
In Mummy On The Orient Express he was one phone call at the end where the poor sod gets lied to,
the little cow. (Nobody dare say a bad word about My Clara.)
In Flat Line he was also one phone call, at an inappropriate moment
(just when Rigsy thought he was in there.)
And in Last Christmas he was in a 10 minute sequence that wrapped up his and Clara's story (and although that was before Jenna changed her mind about leaving, I'm pretty sure Moffat has no desire to go back there. it's time for Clara to move on.)

His first scene is considered 'too much Danny' IMO

Banging his head on the table when he thinks he's blown his chance with her. Quite honestly, she couldn't have made it more obvious if she'd changed into her nightie mid-conversation.

I wonder if Moffat will allow the Doctor to see Clara properly in the next series. Clara has suffered so much grief in her young life, losing first her mum and now Danny, and she looks young for her age.

So if the Doctor sees her as almost child-like, it could put a new angle on their relationship and create some of that tension between then that we enjoy, if the Doctor becomes just a tad overprotective.

I dont think there was too much of him, I just didnt like him. I thought the character was unneccesary,

I hope she is too, and I've never thought that before for Doctor Who. I've always wanted the show to give the companion a grounding somewhere, to give the show perspective and to remind us of the one thing the Doctor can never have for himself. But I think for the sake of a refreshing direction it'll be interesting to see Clara well established away from home.

I've wondered whether they're going to aim for a similar route that they did with Rose. In Army of Ghosts, Jackie was talking with Rose about how Rose would end up some strange girl on a distant moon once Jackie had died. I've wondered whether this is the direction they're heading with Clara in Series 9. She's not been shown to have a particularly close relationship with her family (not to say they don't get on), and she's lost Danny now as well.

The character Clara turned to when she thought she lost The Doctor was her Nan. The character she turned to when she found out she'd lost Danny was her Nan. What if the threat of losing her Nan is what makes her eventually depart The Doctor (considering this is in all likelihood Clara's final year and something is going to have to draw her away)? It'd be interesting to see Clara decide to return home to care for her Nan, perhaps due to a downturn of health or something. It would serve as a low-key but poignant and heartfelt exit, affirming Clara as a heroic woman with a sense of responsibility and a bright future ahead. It could even be somewhat optimistic (or bittersweet) with Clara going home having had the most wonderful adventures and the prospect of seeing The Doctor again some time. Like Martha, there's no overwhelming need to seal off Clara's character forever...even if there is never an intention to bring her back.

I've got a feeling things will be good right up until the episode before the finale. Don't know exactly what the cliff hanger will be but it should be something big.

Would like Clara to have a happy ending but this is DW. Anything can and will happen at any moment.

Could be quite funny if Clara went Speed Dating and The Doctor turned up.


Clara- Lovely to meet you.
Guy- And you, I'll be over at the bar if you want another chat.
Clara- Next please.
(The Doctor sits down in front of Clara.)
Clara- That's a surprise, you have four minutes to tell me about yourself.
The Doctor- Clara, it's me
Clara- I know it's you, Doctor but this is my fun time.
The Doctor-I've something to show you
Clara- Doctor, not the place
The Doctor-You'll be impressed
Clara- That isn't the first time I've heard that tonight.

Danny cared about Clara, The Doctor seemed more concerned about Clara caring.


The Doctor-This is Clara, not my assistant, she's er..... some other word
Clara-I'm his carer
The Doctor-Yeah my carer, She cares so I don't have to.

Ah, but now we know he does care. He cares so much for Clara, he tries to bring people back from the dead for her. We know how much he cares for Clara. He knows. She knows.

I'd like that to be the theme of series 9 - that they care so much for each other it makes them do reckless things (such as forming an alliance with Missy).

Are you Chris Maloney?

(http://www.gigwise.com/news/78029/ch...an-album-spoof)

I consider myself quite a fan, loads of behind the scenes books etc but my first thought was Tim Minchin? what's he got to do with it.

Genuinely glad you added Brian - still not totally sure who he is tho (well, googled him now of course)

Too late now, but we should have started a campaign to have the new royal princess named Clara in honour of the Doctor's current princess.

Princess Clara Amy Rose Martha Donna has a nice ring to it.

(Actually Rose might make it in there as it has royal history, It might even be the main name if the royal couple are looking for something a little different.)

Clara said quite clearly, and apparently meant it, that she would never say, "I love you" to anyone again.

If Danny was the thing holding her back, her remaining tie to her 'old life', then this may be the series where the addict goes 'off the rails', throwing herself into her life with the Doctor, perhaps going too far.

Steven Moffat, in his recent interview with DS, said that Clara's journey in series 9 is very pronounced and she continues to complicate whilst Jenna has talked about Clara becoming more reliant on the Doctor

It would follow on naturally from where they were at the end of Last Christmas if the Doctor and Clara had an emotionally complicated relationship in the next series.

Watch has just repeated The Time Of The Doctor and the Doctor's regeneration scene is actually very sad, mainly because of the effect it has on poor old Clara.

Clara's first encounter with the Capaldi Doctor so much different from her more recent, beautiful encounter at the end of Last Christmas.

Should there be a seperate thread about the ratings and David Tennant?