As filming of Doctor Who‘s 2013 run draws to a close, star Matt Smith has teased fans with some of the things they can expect from Jenna-Louise Coleman, Neil Gaiman, and the rest of the creative team.

Earlier this week, we learnt that production had begun on Neil Gaiman’s sophomore Who effort. Speaking about the episode, Smith complimented the Coraline writer on his “brilliant ideas” which always “add another level” to the show – and promised that the adventure would be a “fan favourite”. Now (in an interview with Collider), the actor has extrapolated on the episode as well as new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman and showrunner Steven Moffat’s imagination and high workload.

Matt wasted no time in revealing a small Dalek, given to him by a young fan when he first kept the job, which has remained in his tweed jacket pocket ever since. Soon after he announced that production had just wrapped on the first episode of series 7 part, and there were only five weeks left on the shoot (a lengthy process which began way back in January). Among the adventures left to be filmed is Gaiman’s, described by the show’s star as “brilliantly re-inventive”.

When asked about the change in the Doctor now that Clara (the new companion) is aboard the TARDIS, Smith explained that the changes were an “ongoing process”. Though the loss of Amy and Rory has obviously had a profound effect on the Timelord’s eleventh incarnation, the changes brought out by Coleman are “hard for [him] to articulate” because it’s not something that [he’s] conscious of really.

Finally, the British actor spoke about head wrtier Steven Moffat’s considerable workload, describing how writing six episodes in a very short amount of time has (in the past) lead to him not knowing “important” plot points until “two days before” they are shot – and big details are sometimes changed on the day of filming!

Matt Smith returns in Doctor Who this Christmas in an episode also starring Jenna-Louise Coleman and Richard E. Grant.

What impact do you imagine the new companion will have on the Eleventh Doctor?