The BBC has officially announced that Steven Moffat will step down as the lead writer of Doctor Who next year.
Steven Moffat took over as showrunner for 2010’s Season 5 following Russell T Davies’ 2005-2010 era. His sixth and final season in charge will air in spring 2017, the BBC has confirmed.
As rumoured for some time, there will not be a full season of Doctor Who this year. Instead there will be just a Christmas special and BBC Three’s upcoming spin-off, Class.
> Buy the complete Season 9 box set on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy the complete Season 9 box set on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall will be the new showrunner and his first season will launch in 2018. It has not been revealed who will oversee 2017’s Christmas special.
Chibnall has written several previous Doctor Who episodes, such as ’42’, ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ and ‘The Power of Three’. His other writing credits include Torchwood, The Great Train Robbery, United, Law & Order: UK and Life On Mars.
Steven Moffat commented: “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.”
He joked: “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.”
Chris Chibnall said: “Doctor Who is the ultimate BBC programme: bold, unique, vastly entertaining, and adored all around the world. So 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.”
He added: “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.”
Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One, commented: “I want to thank Steven Moffat for everything he has given Doctor Who – I’ve loved working with him, he is an absolute genius and has brought fans all over the world such joy. I will be very sad to see him leave the show, but I can’t wait to see what he will deliver in his last ever series next year with a brand new companion.”
Polly Hill, Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, added: “Like Charlotte, I would like to thank Steven for his brilliance, which has made Doctor Who a global hit under his tenure. Chris Chibnall is the perfect successor to take over the reins of this incredible show, so I am delighted that his love for Doctor Who has made it impossible for him to resist! Chris is an incredible writer and his vision and passion for Doctor Who gives it an exciting future and promises to be a real treat for Doctor Who fans across the world.”
Season 10 is expected to begin filming in May.
> Here’s everything we know so far about Season 10.
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