For die-hard Doctor Who fans, it can seem like a very long wait for new episodes, especially for those without a time-traveling police box at their disposal. But with the ninth season premiering this Saturday, the Doctor is nearly in. We sat down with the shows stars Peter Capaldi (going into his second season) and Jenna Coleman (going into her third and last) to discuss their experience scampering around the universe for another year.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You are filming your second season together. Hows the working relationship now?
PETER CAPALDI: Us personally? [Sighs and rolls eyes] I can barely stand to be here with her.
JENNA COLEMAN: I knew it!
CAPALDI: Jennas fabulous. I always like when we get back to the TARDIS and its just us. We have huge adventures where gigantic things have happened, but personally Im always most pleased when we are doing our stuff in the TARDIS.
So at this point have you fiddled with all the various buttons and levers?
COLEMAN: I have. Peter has a system and a method. I like to press things, and Peter looks very disapprovingly at me.
CAPALDI: Im like, Get your hand off of that! Thats
 not what that one does! I thought it was important 
 to have a logic to the switches, so I worked out a rough geography of what each one does. The thing about the TARDIS is that it has a telepathic and organic quality about it as well as a mechanical one.
Sure, like a Prius.
CAPALDI: Exactly. So it has a relationship with each individual Doctor. So one can alter the purpose of a specific switch.
Would you ever ask Jenna, How did the last guy do it? Or is that like asking about an ex?
CAPALDI: Pshaw! Id never ask how to work the TARDIS. Ever. Never need to. When I first arrived, the props man very kindly showed me around the TARDIS and showed me how to operate it and I didnt want to say, You dont have to show me any of this stuff, I know exactly how to drive this beast.
What does season 9 look like for Clara and the Doctor?
COLEMAN: Theyve become adrenaline junkies. Especially Clara. She doesnt fear her own mortality in the same way anymore, so with that reckless abandon comes quite a lot of danger. Especially when you have two 
 similar minds without the person to say, You guys
CAPALDI: I think theyre very bonded. The Doctors quite a tricky part to play because, if you go back to Chris Ecclestons first episode, he says that he could see all that ever was and all that ever is and all that ever will be and that drove him mad. I took that to mean that he could see the future and the past, so he knows the fate of his companions, and thats quite a difficult knowledge to have. So this season especially, hes decided to enjoy what good times are available to him. You only live once, even if youre 2,500 years old. So grab it and embrace it and hold it tight, because its dark outside.
COLEMAN: Scottish doom!
CAPALDI: She says Im full of Scottish doom.
