Olivia Colman was "wasted" on 'Doctor Who', according to Steven Moffat.

Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman

The science fiction favourite's former showrunner - who was at the helm when the actress appeared in a guest role back in 2010 - has admitted the team didn't make the most of the talent they had when she appeared in Matt Smith's first series at the Time Lord.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Steven said: "Well in my first series, [Eleventh Doctor] Matt Smith's first one, there was Olivia Colman.

"Olivia Colman, just a heartbeat before she was stratospheric. I think, 'Oh we wasted that, didn't we!' Bloody hell."

Colman - who won the Oscar for best actress last month for her role in 'The Favourite' - appeared in Smith's first ever episode 'The Eleventh Hour' as one of the hosts taken over by shapeshifting alien villain Prisoner Zero, who used the star's form to taunt the Doctor.

Meanwhile, Whovians will be excited after recent reports that the show could be set to return to its traditional Saturday time slot.

The next series of the sci-fi show - which will star Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in her second run - will air in early 2020, but after showrunner Chris Chibnall got his wish to have it moved to Sunday evenings the experiment is to be scrapped after just one year.

A source previously said: "There is a feeling families are freer to watch on Saturdays than Sundays, when kids have homework to finish. While the show rated well overall, there were concerns over the decline in the audience. Returning to Saturdays is being discussed as a likely option."

Jodie, 36, made history by becoming the first woman to portray the titular Time Lord and she is far from ready to hand over the TARDIS to another actor.

She previously said: "I really can't wait to step back in and get to work again. It's such an incredible role. It's been an extraordinary journey so far and I'm not quite ready to hand it over yet."

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