Things have been a bit bleak for ‘Doctor Who’ over the past several months. First it was announced that the next season wouldn’t begin until 2017, then showrunner Steven Moffat stunned fans by announcing that he was leaving the show. Chris Chibnall was announced as his successor.
At the time, Moffat declared in a statement:
“Feels odd to be talking about leaving when I’m just starting work on the scripts for season 10, but the fact is my timey-wimey is running out. While Chris is doing his last run of Broadchurch, I’ll be finishing up on the best job in the universe and keeping the TARDIS warm for him. It took a lot of gin and tonic to talk him into this, but I am beyond delighted that one of the true stars of British Television drama will be taking the Time Lord even further into the future. At the start of season 11, Chris Chibnall will become the new showrunner of Doctor Who. And I will be thrown in a skip.”
It’s been no secret that ‘Doctor Who’ can be a grueling show for both the cast and crew. Current star Peter Capaldi has expressed this in the past. Moffat has been a part of the modern ‘Doctor Who’ series from the start, taking over as showrunner with the departure of Russell T. Davies following Season Four. He has seen four Doctors and even more companions pass through the TARDIS and been a guiding force behind their exploits for many years.
Capaldi has finally offered feedback as to Moffat’s departure, saying:
“He’s an astonishing talent, but he’s a human being, and I don’t think he can continue working at this rate. The cost of doing Doctor Who to an individual is immense. He takes the greatest weight on his shoulders, he loves the show and he’s absolutely responsible for it and feels that responsibility gravely – and with delight as well. He loves this job so I think it’s very, very difficult for him to leave. But I think he has to, otherwise he might have a heart attack.”
Keep in mind, Moffat hasn’t left just yet. He is still guiding Season Ten. Beyond that, he’ll continue guiding his other BBC smash ‘Sherlock’ which is reported to begin filming its fourth season this spring.
Moffat has made quite a mark, for better or worse. Unfortunately, not all ‘Who’ fans are Moffat fans, so this changing of the guard could be a nice refresher.
In what direction would you like to see this seminal series headed?
Source: Newsweek
