Steven Moffat

Doctor Who series 10: Steven Moffat clears up character name theory

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One of the little details that many people noticed about the series 10 opener, ‘The Pilot’ was that it had two characters with names that hinted at a Doctor Who homage. Now Steven Moffat has cleared up why…

Bill was one, as played by Pearl Mackie of course. But there was also Heather, who ended up following the Doctor and Bill to the end of the universe (and back). As many noticed, Bill and Heather relate back in a roundabout way to the first Doctor. William Hartnell was known to most as Bill, and his wife was called Heather.

Coincidence? Or was there something to it? In the new issue of Doctor Who magazine, Steven Moffat has cleared it up, insisting that the naming overlap was “not on purpose”.

“I toyed with lying, and pretending I’d done something clever, but no-one ever believes that, so I admitted it was a coincidence”.

“But was it really?”, he teased. “Had those names lodged somehow, mysteriously emerging as I typed my way into a whole new era of Doctor Who?”

“No, because it was just a coincidence”.

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, issue 513, is on sale now.