Doctor Who: 10 Things That Must Happen In Series 10
Let the Twelfth Doctor go out on a high.
After a year's absence, Doctor Who finally returns to our screens for a new full-length season this April. It's a massively important one, too. As well as seeing the introduction of new companion Bill, played by newcomer Pearl Mackie, Series 10 will be the last run of both incumbent Doctor Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat.
More than usual, then, this needs to be a terrific season, not only to give Bill a strong first - or possibly only - year on the show, but to act as a final bow for both Capaldi and Moffat - one that could go someway to fixing the uneven quality which their era of the show has endured. Let's face it: despite Capaldi giving it his all and the odd brilliant script from Moffat, the Twelfth Doctor's tenure has had its ups - some very amazing ups, mind you - and its downs.
If Series 10 is to be a worthy finale for the current regeneration of Doctor Who, there are a few things that have to happen in the new season, particularly in the areas of tone, characterisation, story arcs, and the screentime of Matt Lucas.
10. A Fun-Loving, Uncomplicated TARDIS Team
The dynamic of the two central stars of Doctor Who - the Doctor and his companion - is a huge part of the series' core appeal. The usual - and best - way to handle it is to show the pair having a blast as they travel around the cosmos. That way the viewer feels like the lucky guest who has been invited on this trip of a lifetime with them.
In the last two seasons, though, things got quite complicated in the TARDIS. First of all, back in 2014's Series 8, Clara and the Twelfth Doctor's friendship was heavily strained due to his abrasive new regeneration and her being caught between her romance with Danny and her life as a time traveller.
In Series 9, the pair were firmer friends again but Clara's increasing overconfidence and Doctor-y demeanour again put them at odds. Eventually, their friendship was portrayed as a self-destructive one - apparently they could even destroy the universe if they continued to stay together (see the Hybrid story arc).
With the introduction of Pearl Mackie's Bill, we would really like to see a simple yet satisfying fun-loving friendship between the Doctor and his companion - maybe something like that of the Tenth Doctor and Donna back in Series 4?