Russell T Davies and David Tennant are interviewed inside this week’s edition of Radio Times, which also boasts a glossy Waters of Mars cover to mark the debut of the long-awaited special on our screens this Sunday!

In the interview, it is confirmed that the outgoing showrunner opted to tone down the episode after watching the first rushes - as he decided the original cut was too scary for teatime viewing!

“The Waters of Mars is certainly one of the scariest episodes,” he told the listings magazine. “It’s the intensity – it’s trapped, claustrophobic, desperate – which really ups the stakes. Towards the end, the monsters aren’t the scary things: it’s the humans and the Doctor who really give me a chill.”

He added: “The Doctor makes some remarkable decisions, which might surprise the audience. It’s like the safety net is taken away. Who knows what he’s capable of?”

Speaking of the upcoming regeneration two-part finale, which will air at Christmas, he teased: “The shadows are darkening as we head for the Doctor’s final journey. Old friends are returning – with Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate delivering their most heartfelt peformances – but there’s an old enemy crawling back into life as Christmas approaches. The Master’s return is just the start of our biggest, most heart-breaking story yet. The Immortality Gate is waiting, and beyond that… the Tenth Doctor faces the greatest terror of all.”

You can read the full interviews in the latest issue of Radio Times, which is out to buy now in the UK, priced £1.10.

» Interested in The Waters of Mars? Keep on top of the next special here!