‘Doctor Who’ season 8: Steven Moffat was beyond worried about Peter Capaldi shift

While you can certainly argue over whether or not the past generation of “Doctor Who” featuring Matt Smith was the best, one thing we do feel pretty confident in saying is that it was certainly one that really thrust the show into the forefront internationally. It became widely popular in America, with it routinely setting records for BBC America.

With all of this being said, there were still so many ways things could have gone wrong very quickly, and just about everyone involved should be glad that a slight drop in the ratings for Peter Capaldi is the worst thing that happened with the change over this year. There were many great episodes, great characters, and moments that we’ll remember for some time.

None of this is to say that showrunner Steven Moffat was confident going into this season. As a matter of fact, he was just as worried, if not more so, than any viewer at home. Speaking recently while promoting the season 8 DVD (per the Radio Times), he had the following to say about his process going into this season:

“Any time you make a big shift in it or a big change in it, which we did this year, then you’re properly worried – it’s like you’re curator of the crown jewels or something … You have to shut that off in your mind. You’ve got to treat it like you own it – even though you don’t.”

At this very moment, we don’t feel like Moffat is quite as worried as he may have been once. The show already has a season 9 renewal, after all, plenty of critical acclaim, and Capaldi is confirmed to return. The only question mark is on Jenna Coleman, who could be bidding farewell with the upcoming Christmas Special.

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