MovieChat Forums > Doctor Who (2006) Discussion > Stephen Moffat to return

Stephen Moffat to return

posted a year ago by peter_t_2k3 (979)
12 replies | jump to latest

It's been announced that Moffat will return to write for the show.

I did wonder if this will happen. In an interview with the 2 at an event a few years back, Moffat has said he's always seeing stuff and thinking it'll make a good idea/monster etc. for the show.

Personally Moffat is my favourite new who show runner but I felt his best stuff was generally under RTD. I feel this is probably because he was just focused on that one story and didn't have the burdon of trying to also run the show and at times other shows on top of doctor who e.g. Sherlock.

I do want us to get new blood in the show, but I can't lie, I'm excited to see what Moffat will bring, especially when he has less to focus on

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11847437/amp/Stephen-Moffatt-set-return-Doctor-Russell-T-Davies-asks-new-episodes.html

[–] capuchin (2715) a year ago

Yeah. I think it's inevitable that any Doctor Who show-runner will find themselves overstretched at times. RTD and Moffat are two of the best writers working in British television, but both of them had to make and write too much Doctor Who (and, as you say, other shows too) during their stints in charge to keep the quality high all the time.

Still, if the show was consistent -- if it didn't have a terrific episode followed by an absolute clunker -- would it even feel like Doctor Who any more? That seems to have been the nature of the beast almost from the beginning.

Anyway, I agree with you. The Moffat era was my favourite era of modern Who and I'd be perfectly happy to see him contributing again. I suspect his episodes would be among my favourites again. But the show definitely needs new blood as well. Also, he should leave Mark Gatiss at home.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) a year ago

I think the problem might also be ego. You probably need some ego to be a show runner but sometimes I feel they should have someone to keep them in check.

The idea of a writer's room has often been put forward and this could work, with people able to bounce ideas off each other and also importantly be critical when required.

[–] capuchin (2715) a year ago

Possibly, yes.

They seem to be locked into the 'show-runner' model where the main person combines the roles of executive producer, script editor and head writer. Which is fine when you have someone who can do it -- RTD and Moffat were both fine in that omnipotent role (for the most part) -- but there are alternative models (y'know, like the one the classic era had). It doesn't have to be that way just because it's been that way since 2005.

I worry slightly you see that once RTD steps down again, they'll hand it to Moffat because they can't find anyone else of that calibre and/or experience. Instead, they could just separate out the responsibilities.

And, yeah, a writer's room might help with that. It could be more collaborative than 'one person's vision for the show', which can go wrong if you have, I dunno, say a Chris Chibnall. It's not really how we make most TV in the UK, is it? We don't have a strong traditional for that. But there's also no obvious reason it couldn't work.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) a year ago

I suppose having too many people can also cause issues but I do feel like it could be more collaborative.

I do worry the show is trying to rely on too much on the past.

I was surprised when they announced RTDs return and wasn't sure what I thought but I do think it makes sense. Chibnall's era was certainly divisive. However I worry that it might try to play on the past too much. There's talk that Murray Gold for example might return. I liked his stuff but it started to get predictable and would rather see someone new come in.

It's the same reason I wasn't that excited when Tennant was announced for the 60th. I understand why, as he's the face of the show to many. Most of the stuff during 13s era had him on it which I find a bit rude. When he was announced it was just predictable I suppose

[–] capuchin (2715) a year ago

My initial response to RTD's (and Tennant's) return was 'Oh no.' Not because I don't like RTD. I do. But it seemed such a retrograde step for a show that should always keep changing and moving forward. Everyone else I saw online seemed to be delighted. I thought it could all devolve into an exercise in nostalgia and a 'greatest hits' package, which is anathema to creativity. RTD does have that ego you mentioned. He'll have to be careful not to relive 'the glory days'.

But I've made my peace with it. I think he's a good writer. I think whatever we get will be better than what we had under Chibnall. And I'm going to trust him to actually refresh the show for the 2020s and -- sure -- acknowledge the past but without wanting to recapture it wholesale. Unless and until, of course, he gives me reason to think otherwise.

We'll see, I suppose. But I'm confident it'll be an improvement either way.

[–] hurricane (1926) 6 months ago

Tennant isn't such a big deal, because he's coming back for like four episodes for the 60th Anniversary. It's not like he's going to be around for years. The Anniversaries in Doctor Who are always about nostalgia, usually having a multi-Doctor story. In the absence of this, having a popular Doctor like Tennant return seems like a good idea. I'd rather this than they invent old Doctors who we've not seen before to bring in, which I wasn't keen on. (No disrespect to the actors, I just didn't like the idea that we're supposed to consider people Doctors because a new actor turns up for a couple of episodes, and pretends to have been there all along.)

I am happy RTD is coming back. He was my favourite showrunner of Nu Who, so seeing him again will be cool. It'll be cool to see what he does with Ncuti Gatwa.

[–] capuchin (2715) 6 months ago

Tennant isn't such a big deal, because he's coming back for like four episodes for the 60th Anniversary.

It was just my initial reaction to RTD and Tennant returning to the show. It just felt like an overwhelmingly backwards step for a show that should always keep evolving and moving forwards. 'Hi. I'm Russell T. Davies, you might remember me from such hits as....'

But you're absolutely right. There's nothing wrong with Tennant returning for Anniversary specials. Former Doctors returning for these events is the long-standing tradition. Indeed, I hope one or two more show up... because, as you say, we usually get multi-Doctor stories. It'd be nice if RTD had at least another one up his sleeve, even for a cameo.

But then they should stop it. The show's had too much nostalgia / fan service / 'member-berries in recent years.

So, yes, I'm looking forward to seeing Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and what RTD will do to reinvent the show again... as long as he does reinvent it again and doesn't rely too heavily on his old box of tricks like it's 2005.

But he's a smart man. At this stage, I'm more concerned about the influence Disney might have on the thing than the show runner.

[–] hurricane (1926) 6 months ago

I did think Moffatt and Chibnall slightly overplayed the nostalgia as show-runners.

We often got jokes like Matt Smith's Doctor holding up a licence, only to see it had a picture of William Hartnell on, and him quipping that he's been meaning to update it. It's not a bad joke in itself, but he seemed to do that sort of reference a lot. I get that he might have been trying to show that The Doctor considers himself one person throughout all his regenerations, but you risk undermining the current Doctor, if he throws back to former Doctors too often.

[–] capuchin (2715) 6 months ago

Yeah. I don't mind a few references / callbacks / jokes sprinkled throughout. It's fine. The moment in The Eleventh Hour, for example, when Matt Smith steps through the old Doctors' faces and announces 'Hello! I'm The Doctor' is... just glorious.

But they've done too much of it recently. And it reduces the impact if you're seeing references to old Doctors every other week. I started to find it a bit tiresome under Moffat...

... and Chibnall became heavily reliant on it by the end of his stint. Almost, just almost as if he didn't have any workable new ideas of his own. 'Don't look at the writing! REMEMBER THIS!??'

So onwards on upwards.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) 6 months ago

I think for me part of the issue was that Tennant's return was expected. It was basically predicable.

The problem I've had is during 13s run, Tennant still seemed to be the face of the show and we had the whole timelier victorious multimedia event based on his doctor.

I'm not a big 13 fan but I think it's a bit unfair and rude to have someone else the face of the show.

While I enjoyed the 50th in general it was also very new who centric

[–] M1sterDoct0r (3964) a year ago

I love most of the episodes that Moffat wrote. I like him as a writer. But not as a showrunner.

His solo episodes are usually fantastic. So him under RTD could honestly be great.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (979) a year ago

Yeah I am interested like I said, to see what Moffat can do without the pressures of show running. When he had more focus he was great