New DW companion to be revealed soon

[Jubal]

This weekend, apparently! Any thoughts/speculation? 

[comrade_general]

Hodor.

[Jubal]

That would be amazing

[Clockwork]

I thought it was going to be Maisie Williams?

[Jubal]

I think they pretty much shut that down with the season finale last time, though I may be surprised.

[Clockwork]

Welp, guessing she's brown bread. I've not watched it since matt smith started tbh. I heard Stephen Moffat left and the broadchurch guy is writing it now?

[Jubal]

Moffat is doing one more series, then Chibnall is taking over in late 2017 or 2018 (possibly with a new Doctor, Capaldi will then have had the usual sort of four year stint in the role).

As for Maisie Williams' character...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

She's not dead, but she's immortal and buggered off around the galaxy with Clara in a secondary TARDIS disgused as an American diner - hypothetically she could of course turn up again, but part of last series' arc included the Doctor explaining very very carefully why having an immortal companion could be a bad idea, so if she does come back I don't think it will be as a companion (they could make a new character for her of course, but I think having done like 4 episodes last season she might be too well known in her current role; they'd certainly have to leave it a few seasons before bringing her back as someone else).

[Clockwork]

I'm a little surprised they wouldn't call it quits after Moffat tbh, I thought the show was hemorrhaging viewers?

[Jubal]

My impression is that it's still valuable enough abroad that the BBC wants to keep it going, and that quite a few people in the Beeb are fighting hard for it to stay; the percieved viewer dropoff has probably been exacerbated by them messing around with the scheduling the last couple of years, it's not doing as well as it did but it's not doing badly either.

[Clockwork]

Pearl Mackie, pretty sure she's a newcomer to TV.

[Jubal]

Yeah, looks like she's done some interesting stage acting, currently doing Curious Incident apparently.

[comrade_general]

Hodor.

[Jubal]

It was alas not hodor