Steven Moffat Says Doctor Who Is Still the Same Show It Ever Was

“Basically, he runs out the TARDIS and says, ‘There’s something terribly wrong here,’ and sorts it out for a while, right? Then blows everything up at the last minute.”

As descriptions of Doctor Who stories go, it’s pretty solid – as well it might be, from the mouth of former showrunner and returning writer Steven Moffat. Speaking at a recent ‘In Conversation With’ event held by the University of Glasgow Screenwriting Society, as reported by RadioTimes.com, Moffat dismissed the idea that societal changes made writing for Doctor Who now a different job than it ever was.

“We are talking about a show that started in 1963 and hasn’t changed that much,” Moffat told attendees when asked about changes in representation in TV in Britain in recent years. “I think you’re slightly foolish to think it’s your job to reflect society,” he continued. “I don’t think it really is.”

Jokingly describing himself as “the old geezer coming along to do Doctor Who”, Moffat said there was nothing wrong with that and that there are also young people writing on the show’s new episodes. Two of those already confirmed are Loki director-writer Kate Herron and Briony Redman, the pair behind series 14’s Regency era-set episode six, feat. Indira Varma and Jonathan Groff.

Moffat questioned the idea that TV should be a mirror to societal issues. “Tell a story,” he urged screenwriters. “Do you want your television just to broadcast agreement at your face? ‘Yes, you’re right about everything, here’s your world.’ I don’t think you ever… you just try to tell exciting stories.”

“Tiny details change” about Doctor Who, the former showrunner allowed, but to him, the show is essentially about the Doctor fixing something terribly wrong for a bit and then moving on to the next terribly-wrong-something to fix. That’s what it’s always been and the Ncuti Gatwa era, Moffat promises, will be no different.

“Doctor Who is very much Doctor Who,” Moffat continued, “and I can assure you, having read quite a few of the new ones, that it’s still that show.”

The Bowie song used to back the series 14 trailer asked viewers to “turn and face the strange”, but perhaps they won’t be facing as many ch-ch-changes as anticipated.

Doctor Who returns at midnight on Saturday May 11 in the UK and 7pm ET on Friday May 10 around the world.