It has just been announced by the BBC that Russell T Davies will be standing down as executive producer of DR WHO and will be replaced by Steven Moffat, who will also become lead writer. This is great news for the series and older fans because Moffat has written the best episodes of the revived series, and possibly in the series long history. The Girl in the Fireplace, The Empty Child (are you my mummy?) and Blink have all won awards, including a Bafta this year for Blink. Moffat also wrote the critically acclaimed series Jekyll as well as creating the adult comedy series Coupling.
With those credentials the show can only improve with Moffat at its helm when he takes over from with the fifth series, which, unfortunately, won’t be going to air until spring 2010, according to the BBC. Although Davies did a great job in relaunching the series back in 2005, of late his scripts have not been of his earlier standard, and were tending to become even more camp. And I’m still not convinced that Catherine Tate as Donna was a good move either, although I may be in a minority there.
On taking on the new role Moffat was reported as saying, “I applied before but I got knocked back ‘cos 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. I say toughest ‘cos Russell’s at my window right now, pointing and laughing.”
Anyway, we will be treated to more of Moffat’s writing before the current series is out. In the meantime he is working on the screenplay for the forthcoming TIN TIN movie.