When the 12th Doctor’s judgmental eyebrows first appeared in “The Day of the Doctor,” fans wondered how the Time Lord even got there. And if Steven Moffat wraps up all his storylines before leaving, the world might finally get an answer. Steven Moffat — Doctor Who’s showrunner since 2010 — has been writing for Who since its resurgence in 2005, but he has said that he won’t write for the show ever again after this year. That means Moffat has to wrap up all of his existing storylines, including “The Day of the Doctor,” in the impending Season 10.
Chris Chibnall will take over as Doctor Who showrunner for Season 11 with a new Doctor at his side. While no one knows yet who will fill Peter Capaldi’s shoes and take over as the 13th Doctor — wild speculations are being thrown about, but there’s still no confirmation — Chibnall’s resume provides a good look into what to expect from Who’s future. He’s previously written for Doctor Who, created the David Tennant-starring Broadchurch, and acted as head writer for the first two seasons of Who spinoff Torchwood.
With his declaration, Moffat’s made dropping the Doctor Who reins to make way for a new visionary a sort of tradition. Former showrunner Russell T. Davies did the same for him.
“I know I always tried to get Russell to write for me but I think it is the right thing to do,” Moffat said of his decision to leave Who behind entirely.
Back in 2015, Davies said: “The lovely Steven [Moffat] invites me every year to come and write [an episode]. And I love him and I love them and I love watching it, but here I am moving on. I love Doctor Who with all my heart, but nothing is more important to me than my own stuff.”
Russell T. Davies (left) has refused Steven Moffat's (center) repetitive offers to return to write for 'Doctor Who.' It looks as if Moffat will do the same for upcoming 'Doctor Who' showrunner Chris Chibnall (right).
Moffat’s decision to leave the show behind might indicate that his most impactful plot points — the Time War and the resurgence of Gallifrey, to name a couple — might finally come to an end in Season 10. It might also be a sign of fewer paradoxes to come, much to the relief of many Doctor Who fans.
Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi’s final season of Doctor Who, Season 10, premieres in April.
