Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat considered leaving previously

Showrunner Steven Moffat is a man preparing for his Doctor Who swan song courtesy of the 2017 Christmas Special for the show … but it was actually “The Husbands of River Song” that actually made him considering hanging it up.

In speaking in a new piece with Empire Magazine, the prolific writer-producer made it clear that he was “vaguely thinking” about departing after that episode was written. Why was that? Well, after chronicling the relationship between The Doctor and River over such a period, he felt as though that could be the best opportunity that he would have to get some sort of closure on the series.

Well … that opportunity is now coming up again. He will be writing the majority of the Christmas Special this year, or at least the part until the departure of Peter Capaldi. If the new Doctor makes his debut during the special, the writing will turn over to new showrunner Chris Chibnall. This is a way to pass the torch, and allow the new man in charge to dictate entirely what he wants the new Doctor’s journey to be. It’s a classy move by Moffat, and one that also feels right given that this is the sort of show that does operate rather well when it comes to having consistent voices behind the scenes dictating the story of certain characters along.

New episodes of Doctor Who are going to start beginning next month, and from there, you’ll get a chance to see what some of the final stories are that Moffat wants to tell. We know that specifically, he’s planning to dive further into some old characters, especially some that we haven’t seen on the series for a rather long time. That’s exciting, and consequently something that should give us a celebratory tone. While there are some serious episodes here and there, we do perceive Doctor Who to be for the most part a smart show that also embraces action, fun, and anything and everything in between. It wants to bring you joy as opposed to bringing you sadness, and allows your brain to run wild rather than shutting it down.

Do you think that “The Husbands of River Song” could have worked as a worthy Doctor Who farewell to Moffat? Share below!

If you’re interested in getting some additional news when it comes to Doctor Who season 10, be sure to head over to the link here! (Photo: BBC.)