Interesting comment from Steven Moffat about the (as yet uncast) new companion.

Steven Moffat has revealed that ​Doctor Who​'s next companion doesn't even have a name yet - but told ​Digital Spy ​that the new character will fundamentally change the series. Moffat explained that the character is in "quite early stages" - but that he has already pitched the companion and the arc of series 10 to the BBC.

Full story here.

It will be interesting to see what that change is. I'm hoping for something much lighter, less complex. FUN in other words.

I'm calling it now: it's Paul Higgins a.k.a. Tucker's pal Jamie from The Thick of It.

Doctor: Do you want me to bring in Jamie? Would you like that?
Dalek: Mercy!

It's interesting that he's pitched the companion and arc to the BBC. I didn't think that they usually got involved and just left the production team to get on with it.

Also interesting what he says about series 10 production. Clearly he's not been allowed to say very much so far... (and what little he does say on the matter usually gets taken out of context so he's probably better off saying as little as possible anyway ).

Every single series under Moffat has had a different tone. Every time he says he is shaking it up, reinventing, re-energising, revitalising, remixing, whatever.

Unless he is going for a male or alien companion, anyone expecting a new companion not to be a modern day Earth female who is mysterious for some reason that is key to something incredibly important to do with the things the Doctor is facing/doing?

Damn, take some wide eyed young/old man/woman/alien/fish whatever out into the massive and random universe and see what is out there to be encountered and stop making the arc of the companion character the axis around which everything turns. It becomes repetitive and it often relegates the stories of the week almost exclusively secondaryv to have basically every companion (including those under RTD) be, for some reason, 'The Most Important Person in the Universe'.

The 'tone' I want to see is stories that (without trying to hit ALL these notes in EVERY epiode) attract, divert, entertain, amuse, horrify, excite as much as the individual story can be made to in the context of intended audience, and character development to happen organically, without discussions of theme and foreshadowing 'something terrible coming' being wedged in bluntly whatever the story of the time is.

Maybe he could visit the moon and pick up the Old Man from the John Lewis advert (and the girl) and they could go on wacky adventures.

I'm sure the production team has always had to run their high level ideas past the BBC1/BBC Drama bigwigs. Even if Moff would probably get his way if he INSISTED on someone or something, it's sensible to have the dialogue before filming starts.

I don't think this guy understands the show...

I would agree with you there. I certainly think many of the changes - big and small - over the past five years were not necessarily Moffat's choice.

One thing I would say about RTD is that his Doctor Who was very consistent in terms of style, story-telling and characters. Seasons 1-4 feel like one long story, with a very cohesive approach across all the episodes.

But seasons 5-9 have been a little all over the place. As caveatman said earlier in this thread, each series has a different style and tone. And I don't personally believe this is planned, I think its because the current team have received feedback from the BBC about things that were not really working.

Perhaps this was a result of some audience research or perhaps just the more obvious public feedback through (for instance) Twitter. I think there are many examples of this:

1/ The massive step change in style between season 6 and 7
2/ The decision to drop (pretty much) all the ongoing plot lines from season 6 (eventually wrapped up in a few short sentences in Matt Smith's final story)
3/ The decision to never mention Clara's 'impossible girl' story ever again, even when there was a perfect opportunity to do so (e.g. "Into the Dalek")
4/ The 12th Doctor's personality re-write for season 9

My personal feeling is that Clara hasn't worked as a companion and isn't particularly liked by viewers more generally. Nothing against Jenna, just poor writing and shoddy planning. But then I don't think Capaldi's 12th Doctor is proving successful either - again, no blame on Capaldi.

So the fact that the new companion is being used to usher in yet another change in style isn't a surprise. I guess the question, very simply, is will they get it right this time and is it going to be enough to help the public re-engage with both the Doctor and the show.

Usual show hyperbole. Either way, I just wish they'd announce the new person already.

I'm going to predict now that Sass Feistington will consider herself to be an ordinary girl until she saves the life of the "lonely god" who shows her how very special and unique she is. She's also sassy and feisty.

She may have a boyfriend who she treats quite badly. He's a bit of drip (until he later becomes a hero) while she's always sassy and feisty.

In the Series 10 finale, Sass temporarily gets super powers which enable her to save the entire universe from THE BIGGEST THREAT EVER! Plus she's sassy and feisty.

They are hardly likely to announce anything whilst S9 is still airing, never mind whilst Clara is still in the show (assuming that they have someone lined up of course)

That was one of my first thoughts when I saw that advert. Think it would be pretty awesome myself... that guy is way to lonely on the moon...

I bet she's the bestest companion ever, annoyingly sassy and has a quirky name.

Woah. That would be great. How do you get these ideas?

Bring back his daughter.

Heard SM was asked about Jenny, not for the first time I'm sure, at the Festival, and replied that he couldn't see a return because whilst the last time we saw her, she was zooming off in her ship, we didn't see the bit where she flew straight into the nearest moon a second or two later.

This is either a) Moffat showing lack of respect for an iconic character from a great RTD era story, the rude, egomaniacal cad, or b) quite funny. Depends what side of the fence you're on, possibly.

Wasn't the ending of The Doctor's Daughter changed specifically because Moffat wanted her alive?

You must've hacked Moffat's computer to get such a scoop. She sounds GREAT. We really need a sassy and feisty companion who can save the Entire Universe every week.

I think that's been claimed by Russell, and SM can't remember so gawd knows. But a return does seem pretty unlikely whatever...

I'd settle for likeable

We need someone as irritating as Mel or as dull as Dodo.

That'll make a nice change.

Game changing. Raising the bar. The stakes have never been higher. The Doctor is going to a dark place. Amazing story arc.


Yawn.

Sounds to me like the next companion is going to be a talking dog with no nose from the planet Barcelona.

I hope the next showrunner doesn't ever big up the show he or she is working on, just to keep those of you who dislike the hyperbole happy! Better yet, I hope they trash it in public!

You've heard the phrase 'let's get busy'... well this is a gal who likes to get biz-zay! She's edgy, she's 'in you face'...