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I've heard the same rumour from plenty of people who are usually 'in the know' on such Who matters, but of course, as always, with Steven Moffat at the helm, that really means nothing.

I've been tricked by Moffat's mastermind handling of the press more times than I care to remember (or admit to).

But if the rumours emanating from Doctor Who's inner sanctum are true, then it throws up a number of interesting and exciting questions for Doctor Who fans.

So let's just imagine, for the purpose of this piece, that Peter Capaldi is only appearing as the Doctor for one series.

His debut season is currently being filmed, which means they would have almost certainly selected a replacement.

It is possible that Steven Moffat and company could just film half of the Doctor's regeneration process for the finale of this season, and end on a mercilessly cruel cliffhanger - without unveiling the new actor.

This would mean they could delay the selection of the next Doctor for a few months.

But recent rumours and gossip suggest that Peter Capaldi was selected as a 'single season Doctor' in order to steer the show in a new direction and pave the way for an even more radical (and possibly more controversial) choice for the role.

Could it be? Well, yes, it could. But every Doctor Who fan knows to file these sorts of rumours under: "Approach with caution".

If true, the new Doctor would almost certainly have been chosen already, and will be sworn to secrecy with their part in the regeneration process being filmed on-set in the BBC's state of the art Roath Lock studios in Cardiff.

I didn't use gender-specific pronouns there, that's a whole different story for another day.

So let's imagine that Doctor Who is due a major new direction, who could take on the role, make it different, and take it forward?

Or is "new direction" actually a secret code for something much bigger, for the end of Steven Moffat's stewardship? This would be a circumstance which would also certainly almost involve a new Doctor and a new companion - as with the transition from Russell T Davies to Steven Moffat.

It's difficult to imagine Moffat sticking around for the Thirteenth Doctor, having previously hinted that he is closer to the end of his time as show runner than he is to the beginning.

It's such a huge undertaking every time a new actor is announced, or even a new companion.

The press junkets, the planning involved, the casting process, the interviews, getting a feel for the way the new actor works and ensuring nothing goes awry as they settle into the role.

He's done all of that twice now, and he's also pulled the strings on a 50th anniversary celebration.

Doctor Who is bigger than ever, the brand has expanded unthinkably and you have to give him credit for almost all of it. He will go down in history as one of the most important and influential people ever involved in the show.

If he steps down at the end of the next season, he will have lasted around the same amount of time as Russell T Davies.

Who knows - maybe a new head writer may have already been chosen, and they may have already chosen a new Doctor and a new companion with which to announce a new era of Doctor Who.

That reminds me, has anyone spoken to Mark Gatiss recently? He's the man best positioned to take over, and the episodes he penned for Matt Smith's Doctor were spectacular.

Whatever happens, whether these rumours are all just Chinese whispers, or there's something to them and we're about to get a new-look, new-feel Doctor Who, it doesn't change the fact that we soon get to see Peter Capaldi, a true gem of British film and television, appearing as the Doctor.