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Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat quits to be replaced by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall

Steven Moffat has decided that his “timey wimey” as showrunner of Doctor Who has come to an end and he will step down as the show’s lead writer and executive producer after six series at the helm, RadioTimes.com can reveal.

Moffatt will hand over the keys to the TARDIS at the end of the next series in 2017 to Broadchurch writer and Doctor Who fan Chris Chibnall.

BBC1 has decided to air Moffat’s final 12-part series - the 10th of the modern era - in spring 2017. Chibnall’s debut series as head writer and executive producer will launch in 2018.

A Christmas special WILL air this year overseen by Moffat, though it is unclear whether Peter Capaldi’s new companion will feature

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I'm glad he is quit. I hope Chibnall can make Doctor Who better.

It probably was time for a change

Yeah, I think so.

Yaaaaaaas. Maybe I'll start watching again once the new guy starts!

Hopefully it will get a positive enough reception to bring more fans back :)

Good news (other than having to wait until 2017 for a new series). I'm loving Broadchurch.

Yeah the wait will be a bit frustrating, although at least we have a Xmas special this year anyway. I just hope that Capaldi doesn't leave with Moffat! It's strange because with Matt and David it did feel like they had been with Who for quite a long time two years into their time, but for some reason it still feels to me like Capaldi has barely began, so I'm hoping that he will stick around for Chibnall's Who

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 07:59 am (UTC)

Yeah. I think he could ultimately be as iconic as Baker, but part of the reason Baker was iconic was because he was able to do his thing for like seven years.

Yeah I don't want every actor playing the Doctor to feel pressure to leave after exactly three/four years, there's no reason that they can't stick around a bit longer and further develop the character, especially as Capaldi is going to have almost a year's break now before they start filming series 10

I have a nasty suspicion that he probably will leave with Moffat though, it seems to be the done thing for the new showrunner to start off with a fresh slate :(

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 01:42 pm (UTC)

I can see them doing that, but I hope they don't. Eccleston left For Reasons, but with Tennant and Smith, it made sense for them to leave to avoid getting typecast. Capaldi has enough iconic other roles that it's not as much of a problem for him.

Let's see... I'm going to bet that it takes about six months for Who fandom to start complaining about how awful Chibnall is and lamenting the good old days when Moffat was in charge.

My thoughts exactly *g*

Six months? I doubt it'll take much more than six minutes! It's what DW fandom is for.

Personally, I'm starting complaining right now because I actually hate everything I've ever seen by Chris Chibnall. He nearly stopped me watching Life on Mars, 42 is my wors DW episode, I detested so much of his Torchwood stuff.

I can enjoy Dinosaurs on a Spaceship with my brain switched off and I did quite like Power of Three, but this is awful... just awful.

/o\

Yeah I must admit that I wasn't thrilled when I first heard the news, I actively disliked 42 and The Hungry Earth two-parter, although his episodes were much better in series 7. I'm only familiar with him as an executive producer from Torchwood otherwise, and the first series of that doesn't really inspire much confidence either, although again it did improve a lot I suppose as they went into series 2

ETA Well and I did also watch Life On Mars and very much enjoyed it, but it's been so long now that I can't even remember his episodes and what I thought of them, that's probably due for a re-watch this year!

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 12:20 pm (UTC)

I think, in one sense, he has much more experience as the regular sort of showrunner for things (whereas RTD and Steven MOffat are people who tend to create their own ideas and write all the episodes as a rule), and I do like lighter things he's done, both for TW and DW, but... yeah. I seem to have an unfortunate allergy to him that's going to be interesting to navigate in future!

The Life on Mars thing I only know because it was orginally shown on a night I was out, so I only managed to catch bits of ep1 and had been intrigued (I don't know why I didn't record it, maybe the video was playing up!), but the first chance I got to actually watch it, I was so disappointed with the ep as just being rather bland TV that I'd never have watched it again - except I happened to around the next week & wound up with it on regardless and was blown away by it. It wasn't till I eventually picked up the DVD years later that I realised that the episode I'd seen was written by Chris Chibnall & I just had to sit there and laugh. I just seem to have this hopeless allergy to him, which, judging by other people who enjoy his writing, is probably unfair, but there it is!

Ah, well, I can wallow in nostalgia and rewatch all my faves from 50 years and listen to Big Finish and read fanfic. It'll be cool! :-)

ETA: Also, I apologise for sounding quite so negative; I'd only just heard the news, and it was a bit of a disappointment. Though, to be honest, I don't know who else would be a viable contender and willing to take on such a poisoned chalice at the moment, so...

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 12:50 pm (UTC)

Though, to be honest, I don't know who else would be a viable contender and willing to take on such a poisoned chalice at the moment, so...

Yeah I've seen comments like oh Jamie Mathieson should be the new showrunner, but writing a few (admittedly excellent) episodes is hardly the same as having the experience to oversee an entire show. I'd say that Toby Whitehouse and Mark Gatiss were probably the only other viable candidates really :wouldn't have minded Toby Whitehouse:

And no need to apologise! I drew a bit of a blank when I first heard Chibnall's name as well, a lot of his episodes felt quite workmanline to me and not really someone that leaps out at you as having a really exciting creative vision for DW, although eh I'll try and come into it with an open mind and give him a fair shot anyway. It could well be a good thing for DW I suppose as I realise that Moffat was apparently a bit of an acquired taste, but still I will really miss the crazy genius of episodes like Heaven Sent :(

Hey, he might well still write one-off episodes! No reason why not!

lol, see above comment.

Moffat actually earned back my respect with the last two series, but sign me up for that Broadchurch ambiance!

I haven't seen Broadchurch, but the positive response to his work on that is a good sign anyway! I was a bit nervous just going by Chibnall's DW episodes tbh

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 07:38 am (UTC)

OMG check out Broadchurch. I'm in the middle of season 2 now and it's so good. Loads of excellent actors (including Tennant, whatshisface who plays Rory, and Gwen) and just beautifully written and filmed. Also, excellent female characters, including the lead, which gives me hope.

I think that might be good since I've never been the biggest fan of episodes that were written by Moffat anyway... but we'll see how that changes :)

But wow... DW is only coming back in 2017? Do I understand that right?

Apparently they're taking a break this year so as to not compete with the Olympics, we're not getting a new series until spring 2017 :(

Even though I haven't been watched Doctor Who lately, I'm relieved by this news of Moffat finally leaving.

On the other hand, I remember when people were not happy with RTD during the end of his run and were pleased that he was stepping down and Moffat was taking the helm. Moffat was mostly known for writing some of the most memorable episodes at the time, but he then proved to not be a good showrunner once he took control. Perhaps this might be the case with Chris Chibnall, but in reverse. Some have mentioned that he didn't write good episodes for DW (and Torchwood), but has proven himself capable of being a good showrunner and writer with Broadchurch. So we'll see where he lands.

Edited Date: 2016-01-23 05:06 am (UTC)

Looking at his credits https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Chibnall#Selected_credits I haven't loved his early DW and TW work, I found his first DW episodes especially pretty generic, but to be fair they did improve for me as they went along. I really liked Fragments and Dinosaurs On A Spaceship in fact, and The Power Of Three wasn't bad either

I like Moffat and most of his writing, though I hate the Clara Oswald storyline. I've enjoyed Chibnall's episodes and Broadchurch so I feel quite positive about the change.

I might give Broadchurch a look to get more of an idea of Chibnall as showrunner, it does seem to have been very well-received

I only saw the first season and I thought it was extremely well put-together, so I think he'll be great.

How is Chris Chibnall regarding LGBT representation? For all that a lot of people criticise Moffat, I think he did a great job.

He was pretty heavily involved with Torchwood, and that show had quite a few bisexual characters, who knows maybe he will even bring Captain Jack back to DW now

And agreed on Moffat :)

Well, most of them are dead and RTD acted like a jerk about it, so that's not an A+ reference as far as I'm concerned.

I'm ready for new blood and new ideas, but I have loved having Moffat around for so long <3 <3

Same, it does feel like the time is probably right for Moffat to depart, but I will really miss his episodes :sighs:

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