This weekends Doctor Who episode, The Doctors Wife, is written by Neil Gaiman.

And he spared us some time to talk about it.

And we got a chance to sit down with the mighty Neil Gaiman to talk about it all.

But that, in his words, I can get my calls returned!

And we picked things up from there…

Its not just getting your calls returned, though.

Youre of such fame that if its announced youre doing aDoctor Whoepisode, the Internet melts down!

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And was it that simple?

It really was that simple.

But it wouldnt have been that simple if I hadnt have come up with an idea.

I came up with something that was one of those things where you thought that nobodys done that before…

This is a planet of junk?

Which for me mostly went back to Totters Lane.

I describe it in the script as the Totters Lane at the end of the Universe.

And thats where you start from.

you’re free to throw in a turnip that nobodys ever seen before.

Im throwing in carrots and things that other people can use if they want to.

But Im not just taking from this thing, Im going to leave more behind.

And when I was writing my episode ofWho, that was one of the things I wanted to do.

I wanted to leave a little bit more of the mythos.

I wanted to leave a little bit more of the story than I had when I got it.

Because thats fun for other writers, and fun for other places.

And is it fun for you, potentially then, to return to the show?

Or is this a one off for you?

You know, its weird being interviewed!

And I said well, I would love to write another episode ofDoctor Who.

I loved writing it.

Then I found myself saying something, and realising it was true as I said it.

Its not like… do I want to become a regularWhowriter?

No, I dont want to become a regularWhowriter.

This one fed off stuff Ive been thinking about since I was kid.

Theres stuff where the mystery drives the engine.

So why not do a story with X, Y and Z in?

And for me I actually got to do one of those.

But in doing that I realised what an incredibly fragile thing that is.

Because if you actually answered all the questions… well, think of one.

Was William Hartnells Doctor actually Susans grandfather?

Which is an absolutely fascinating question, which I can guarantee is not answered in my episode.

Theres something so gloriously barking mad about it!

I didnt have any trouble writing dialogue for the Doctor!

I had a little bit of trouble in that I did my first draft before Matt was even cast.

You got the audition tapes to look at, didnt you?

But I was writing the first draft before even Matt had auditioned.

I got to rewrite all of Matts dialogue, going, I know what he sounds like now.

I got to go in and un-Tennant any lines of dialogue that were Tennant-y.

Even though they were good Tennant-y things.

And oddly enough, the couple of lines that remained werent the best.

I thought I should have lost them too.

Yes, it was a great line, but its not quite Matt.

And that for me was the fun of getting to do my draft.

It really was for Matt.

But no, I didnt have any trouble writing the dialogue for the Doctor.

And he says Thats a new feeling.

you’re able to see Christopher Eccleston delivering that.

you’ve got the option to see Patrick Troughton.

And they all would have delivered it differently, and its a line thats pure Doctor.

I was really happy, really happy.

Was it really nerve wracking for you?

A show youve cared about for so long, and this is your moment with it?

Its like no, arrgh.

And you have to take a deep breath and say, thats okay.

But its because you love the thing so much that it’s possible for you to care about it.

So it was downbeat, and had a very sad ending.

And it was the Doctor and Amy, because Rory didnt exist.

Because its not in the right place now.

Its now no longer one person.

Its now two of them.

And it gives you a different dynamic.

So yeah, there was that stuff.

But thats the nature of the game.

And my episode is expensive.

Its not that I sit down to write an expensive episode.

It was many things.

There was nothing that I did that was cheap!

But bless them, they gave me my story.

And thenThe Lodgeritself looks to be having ramifications on this new season.

I know every penny thats in my episode, and its all on the screen.

Neil Gaiman, thank you very much!

The Doctors Wife screens this coming Saturday on BBC One