an open letter to steven moffat
delroy14
Posts: 222
Forum Member
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Dear Mr, Moffat
Every year on digital spy the same thread will appear on the forums the title generally being something like "who's your dream writers for season X" and every year I throw the same name into the hat, unfortunately this writer has not to my knowledge even been approached about the slightest possibility of even writing the title to an episode, and that would be a classic title in its own right, I speak of none other than ROBERT RANKIN, this man in my opinion is the natural sucssesor to Douglas Adams a legend in his own right nowhere more so than in the league of Dr who fans. Please Mr Moffat I implore you read Mr Rankin's works he has over 30 to choose from and I am sure you will see how this man could do things like I am sure you and Neil Gaiman are cooking up at the moment, I think he would probably be up for it so go on ask him
Yours in hopeful anticipation
Delroy
Every year on digital spy the same thread will appear on the forums the title generally being something like "who's your dream writers for season X" and every year I throw the same name into the hat, unfortunately this writer has not to my knowledge even been approached about the slightest possibility of even writing the title to an episode, and that would be a classic title in its own right, I speak of none other than ROBERT RANKIN, this man in my opinion is the natural sucssesor to Douglas Adams a legend in his own right nowhere more so than in the league of Dr who fans. Please Mr Moffat I implore you read Mr Rankin's works he has over 30 to choose from and I am sure you will see how this man could do things like I am sure you and Neil Gaiman are cooking up at the moment, I think he would probably be up for it so go on ask him
Yours in hopeful anticipation
Delroy
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Comments
Possibly true but having read most of Roberts work having met him and been for a pint with him I know he is more than able
Oh an Douglas Adams hadn't done a novel till HHGTTG and look how that turned out
Would the big bad be a lady in a straw hat?
And old experienced writers don't make mistakes either, do they? or go stale? Another example of Moffat's arrogance.
They probably would have a better track record than any new writer with respect to making mistakes, with less requirement for rewrites (and ensuing delays)
Remembering that rewrites cost money, they cost resource, and importantly they cost time. And when production is behind schedule, that is also likely to cost money.
There aren't going to to be that many episodes where scripts from new writers would be used and we're talking here about asking experienced writers to write a script, people who already know how to tell a story.
Unfortunately, Doctor Who is too big a show for an experienced writer with little TV experience to cut their teeth on.
Writing a story is not the same as writing one that works in the confines of a 45 minute TV programme.
So one, or maybe two episodes where the scripts are delayed, where filming cannot begin, where guest actors have to be retained, where location shooting has to be rearranged (if possible), where post-production and sfx have to be delayed (assuming that the sfx company also has the necessary slack ......
Yeah, that would work.
Especially on a flagship series that is one of the centrepieces in the BBC's schedule.
It's a pity nobody thought that way in 1987.
Unfortunately, at that time, Who wasn't a big show any more.
Spot on. There's no way someone like Cartmel would be allowed to come in and do what he did with all the new writers he used. Not unless he was the showrunner
Is it a tradition or an old charter or something?
And I presume the hat will be a straw hat removed from the head of a lady?
I think Robert Rankin is an excellent choice - not considered him actually...and I first read The Brentford Triangle in 1988...and still re-read it every few years now...it used to be every year.
He does admit in this interview to not being a script-writer:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/interview/with/author/robert-rankin
I think they should get Hugo Rune to play the Dr in his next regeneration...although I have a feeling Dr Who IS Hugo Rune really.