The BBC has announced that Steven Moffat will be stepping down as showrunner of Doctor Who after the tenth series of the British sci-fi show, where he’ll be replaced by Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch). Moffat’s final twelve-part series will get underway in the Spring of 2017, which means Doctor Who fans will only have a Christmas Special to look forward to this year.
“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,” Moffat tells Radio Times. “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. 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.”
“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,” adds BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore. “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… I have decided to schedule Steven’s big finale series in Spring 2017 to bring the nation together for what will be a huge event on the channel. 2016 is spoilt with national moments including the Euros and Olympics and I want to hold something big back for 2017 – I promise it will be worth the wait!”
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Are you sad to see the back of Steven Moffat, or is it time for a change behind-the-scenes on Doctor Who? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
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Originally published January 23, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
