Steven Moffat to Leave Doctor Who in 2017

It has been announced that current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is to leave the series and will be replaced by previous Who writer Chris Chibnall...

 

Moffat's last series in charge will be Series Ten which, in a shocking move, will not air this year but instead in the spring of 2017. By that point, the Sherlock co-creator will have taken hold of the show's reigns for an impressive seven years. 

Series Eleven will then broadcast in 2018, with Chris Chibnall in the head role. Chibnall has written several episodes for the show before, including '42', 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' and 'The Power of Three.' He was also the head writer of spin-off Torchwood's first two series as well as the creator of hit crime drama Broadchurch (which is famous for being a home for former Who actors like Arthur Darvill, Eve Myles and David Tennant). 

For any fans wondering how they are going to make it through until then without any series this year, there will still be the traditional Christmas special as well as the spin-off Class, which is coming this Autumn. 

This is surely a sad day for Doctor Who fans (no matter what the Moffat haters say). It can't be denied that Moffat has steered the show through its most ambitious and inventive run ever, with series arcs getting more extensive than ever before, the idea of time travel explored to a fuller extent and stories tackling some really big themes like the afterlife, immortality and the Doctor's increasing darkness. Moffat has indelibly left his mark on the show and it will be incredibly hard to match, let alone, top the creativity of his tenure. 

For me personally, Moffat is responsible for my favourite era of the show ever, in Matt Smith's time as the Doctor - which is no light thing for me to say as a fan of all 50 years and counting of the series. That era, in particular, encapsulates the scale, energy and heart of Doctor Who better than any other for me and I can't see it being replaced in that any time soon. 

Still, to end on a lighter note, I avidly await Series Ten next year which promises to be a wonderful run, with more Peter Capaldi and a new companion at his side, so hopefully it will be a fitting send-off for Steven Moffat. As for Chris Chibnall, I can't say his episodes rank up there with my favourites but I congratulate him on landing what must be the best job on telly. I hope he does the show justice.