This is only if prediction two doesn't come true. They won't jettison the whole cast that's an insane thing to do, and no one who did it with Moffat and Smith will want to do it again. But Capaldi is a busy guy. He's got a big career. Being the Doctor is an enormous commitment, and we will definitely have fewer episodes with Capaldi so he can, you know, do other things. And we've had two pretty long-term Doctors, preceded by two short-terms. It's time for something a bit different. A short Doctor, followed by a new Doctor stepping out of his shadow. An arc that carries across multiple Doctors. Maybe our first companion to witness not one but two regenerations, on top of sharing the Tardis with three Doctors at once. A single year for Capaldi will make everything more important, will heighten every episode's importance. When you don't get a second crack at an actor like Capaldi, you write really, really well. I hope. But a single year when everyone pours everything they have into giving the show a makeover will be very, very fun to watch.
Rebecca Kulik lives in Iowa, reads an obsence amount, watches way too much television, and occasionally studies for her BA in History. Come by her personal pop culture blog at tyrannyofthepetticoat.wordpress.com and her reading blog at journalofimaginarypeople.wordpress.com.
