Working on the BBC’s iconic series, “Doctor Who”, is a dream come true for show runner Steven Moffat. For the BAFTA-award winning writer, “Doctor Who” is the reason why Moffat got into television in the first place. Moffat, who has over than twenty years under his belt in the UK television industry, talks about how it all started:
“I suppose I could say the reason I started working in TV is because I was such a huge fan of Doctor Who. I was absolutely fascinated and thrilled by the show. I wanted to know how the TARDIS disappeared, how all the special effects worked and why the Doctor changed. As a viewer you want to know why he looks different; it’s a show that compels you to look behind the scenes. In fact, over the years I think I’ve bought every single issue of Doctor Who Magazine
since it launched.”
The stars aligned and Moffat did finally get to work on “Doctor Who” in 2005 as a writer for the show under Russell T. Davies. Now that Davies has stepped aside for other pursuits and Moffat inherited the executive producership.
“The transition has been strange and has lasted a long time for me; since I first got an email from Russell about the job in fact. We’ve been saying goodbye to each other for two and a half years now – we’d really better stop before one of us drops dead in a desperate bid for closure. I hugely enjoyed working with Russell and every time I came back to Doctor Who during those years it was an absolute treat. I knew this job was going to be difficult; I was never under any illusion about it. I could see that Russell was getting tired and he has acknowledged he is a workaholic. I’ve managed to take up workaholism, but it never sits quite as easy with me.”
Casting the eleventh Doctor was a point of high controversy and even Moffat was initially against the casting of a young Doctor:
“I had a clear idea, which actually turned out to be the absolute opposite of what we ended up doing – which always happens when you get the casting right. I actually remember at the beginning of the process when- I got a little bit cross while looking at the list of actors as it was full of people in their twenties. I said to everyone that we couldn’t have a Doctor who is 27. My idea was that the person was going to be between 30 – 40 years old, young enough to run but old enough to look wise. Then, of course, Matt Smith comes through the door and he’s odd, angular and strange looking. He doesn’t come across as being youthful at all, in the most wonderful way.”
The casting of the new Companion presented a challenge as well as Moffat explains how they decided on Karen Gillan:
“The challenge with casting the Companion is that there are only so many people that would actually go through those blue doors. It has to be someone that loves adventure and doesn’t quite feel at home with where they are. They have to be a feisty, fun-loving and gutsy person – and now we’ve got Karen Gillan. She was just exactly right for the role despite inhabiting Amy Pond in a way that was quite different from how I originally wrote the part.”
How will Moffat guide the “Doctor Who” series to new and brilliant adventures?
“I’ve never done anything differently, at least not deliberately. I just try and think of all the best and maddest Doctor Who stories I want to watch, and get them made – there are worse ways to make a living. You could say that I’m more into the clever plots; I like the big twists and the sleight of hand. I like playing around with time-travel but I don’t think it should be at the front of Doctor Who in every episode. However, I do think it should happen more often and reinforce the fact he has an odd relationship with time. For example, no one is ever dead to him. He can’t say ‘I knew Winston Churchill’ he’d say ‘I know Winston Churchill’. Everyone in the whole universe is still alive to him and he has no sense of time passing. I find that all fascinating. If you look at the stories I’ve written so far I suppose I might be slightly more at the fairytale and Tim Burton end of Doctor Who, whereas Russell is probably more at the blockbuster and Superman end of the show.”
Steven Moffat on the Doctor
Watch the eleventh Doctor and his new companion this coming Saturday on BBC America! Season premiere on Saturday, April 17th 9/8 C.
[Source] BBC America
