“Doctor Who” Losing Steven Moffat

By Reggie's Take on January 23, 2016

BBC’s long running and immensely popular “Doctor Who” will be undergoing changes at the conclusion of its tenth season.

The current incarnation of “Doctor Who” began airing on the BBC in 2005 with actor Christopher Eccleston in the role of the Doctor, with Russell T. Davies serving as showrunner.

Since 2005 we have seen four different actors as the “Doctor”, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi who’s the current “Doctor”. In 2010 Steven Moffat took over as showrunner not to mention writing and directing a countless number of episodes along the way.

Moffat who is currently working on the scripts for season ten will step down and walk away from his duties as the showrunner when season ten comes to a close. Chris Chibnall who was once a main writer for the Doctor Who spin-off, “Torchwood” and currently the showrunner for “Broadchurch” will take over for Moffat beginning with season eleven of Doctor Who.

Moffat had this to say about his departure and Chiball taking the keys to the Tardis.

“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.”

Chibnall, with his own statement had nothing but high praise for Moffat and his love of “Doctor Who” since he was a kid.

(Left) Steven Moffat , (Right) Peter Capaldi

“It’s a privilege and a joy to be the next curator of this funny, scary and emotional family drama. I’ve loved Doctor Who since I was four years old, and I’m relishing the thought of working with the exceptional team at BBC Wales to create new characters, creatures and worlds for the Doctor to explore. Steven’s achieved the impossible by continually expanding Doctor Who’s creative ambition, while growing its global popularity. He’s been a dazzling and daring showrunner, and hearing his plans and stories for 2017, it’s clear he’ll be going out with a bang. Just to make my life difficult.”

Unlike previous years the only new “Doctor Who” story you will see for 2016 will be a Christmas Special in December. The tenth and final season for Moffat won’t actually air until sometime in the spring of 2017.

According to the BBC1 controller, Charlotte Moore, scheduling the tenth season of “Doctor Who” for the spring of 2017 is a chance to create a huge event.

What do these changes mean for Peter Capaldi the current doctor? For the short term nothing. Capaldi will be back for the tenth season, but after season ten and the departure of Moffat, Capaldi’s future will be up to him and the new showrunner Chibnall.

Capaldi has hinted previously that season ten could be his final year as the “Doctor” and its also possible Chibnall may want a clean slate in order to put his stamp on the show, but nothing has been decided or set in stone at this point.