I'm guessing the 2016 Christmas special will be either Solo or a Guest Companion -- and considering the next full series might not air until September 2017 we might not even know for about a year yet!

Even though the series airing is a long way away, filming will likely start around the summer this year (with may rumoured) and they might announce it before then rather than have people leak it through filming pics

If they're doing a one off companion for the next Christmas special then they need it to be Katy Manning. She would be wonderful with Capaldi's Doctor and I think it would complete his dream to have one of his Who idols as his companion briefly.

What a funny old day on the forums..

Lots of hysterical arm waving

Where do you get the 'might not air till september 2017' thing from? Its been stated that series 10 will air in the Spring. Even with our messed up seasons lately.. spring is not september.

Personally, I'm quite happy to see it go back to Spring.... and also its been pretty obvious for a while now that there would be no series in 2016 - due to the filming not starting until the spring of this year.

As for the new companion, my guess is that their introduction will be the main hook for the Christmas Special 2016 - meeting the new companion - and seeing as whoever that will be would be chosen well in time for filming to start (of course) - I imagine the announcement will come sometime in the spring of this year, but at the latest before they start filming outside.

So, no - it will all become clear a lot sooner than 1 year.

Filming starts in April/may. ...so we should be hearing before then

God help us if there is an X Factor/The Voice type programme where the viewers choose the next companion!

We once came up with a truly scary idea (it was late, we'd been in the pub all night) about how we thought future Doctors might be chosen via a talent show - prospective Doctors would have to complete a series of challenges and tests over a few weeks and a panel of judges would whittle them down - it was to be called The Regeneration Game.

Please don't EVER let this happen...

Well as the BBC have lost The Voice I am guessing that the spring 2017 will be the ideal time to show Dr Who, this means that the series will only be 3 months later than the 2015 series. Also it means that the series will have a proper slot rather than the mixed up slot of series 9. The biggest advantage is warmer weather means less disruption and less re-shoots. All in all the delayed start is a good thing.

Not only that, it has already been stated in the many many many news feeds that series 10 will be shown in the spring 2017

Confusing how the media is talking about the next doctor and not the next companion.

They could call it

Who's that Girl?

How do you know it's going to be a girl?

aha this is true!