I can hardly contain my excitement!Steven Moffatt, writer of many wonderful Doctor Who episodes, has agreed to takeover as showrunner for season 5 in 2010. Moffatt has been a part of the creative force on Doctor Who since its '05 revival, writing many celebrated episodes, including the BAFTA-winning Blink.
He replaces writer/producer Russell T. Davies, who had this to say about his successor:
"It's been a delight and an honour working with Steven, and I can't wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes The Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!"
BBC Fiction controller Jane Tranter agreed with Davies' enthusiasm, adding:
"The TARDIS couldn't be in safer hands. Steven's talents on both Doctor Who and beyond are well known. He is a writer of glittering brilliance, comedy and depth, with an extraordinary imagination and a unique voice. Steven has a wonderful mix of being a committed Doctor Who fan and a true artist, and his plans for the next series are totally thrilling."
Moffatt himself had this to say about his new venture:
"My entire career has been a secret plan to get this job. I applied before but I got knocked back because the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven. Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best -- and the toughest -- job in television."
In a great bit of timing, Moffatt's two-parter for Who's current fourth season are the next episodes to air, on 31 May and 7 June.
Okay, so it seems fans got their wish at last. Steven Moffatt will be in full creative control of the fifth season, possibly without David Tennant as the Time Lord -- although it's been rumoured Tennant's about to go since he got the job! We'll have to see if Tennant decides it's the ideal moment to leave the show after next year's three specials, along with RTD.
The show at the moment is obviously a massive success, so I doubt it'll be tinkered with too much. Although Moffatt will inevitably put his stamp on it with (possibly) a new Doctor, (maybe) a new companion, and masterminding the seasonal arc. If he follows RTD's example, we can also look forward to many more episodes from him -- most likely the season 5 premiere and 2-part finale, with maybe a standalone episode mid-season?
But I wouldn't expect "Moffatt-style" episodes to become the norm either. As much as I adore The Girl In The Fireplace and Blink, I think people forget that a lot of kids (certainly ones under-10) don't fully understand them. They're more for the parents watching. And Doctor Who is a family show, so I'd expect the same general mix of episode styles and depths.
Saying that, I do hope the formula and repetition that's crept into the show since season 3 can be shaken off. Moffatt's proven he has an intelligent, creative and humorous mind when it comes to writing "proper" science fiction, so I'm expecting great things. I just hope we haven't hyped him up too much, and ultimately disappoint ourselves. So maybe it's time to take a deep breath and put things into perspective. But... wow, can't wait. :-)
