Mark Gattiss vs Tom MacRae
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Who do you think will take on the responsibility of head writer once Moffat leaves? Gattiss and MacRae are the 2 obvious favourites I could think of.
Who would you like to see take over after the 50th?
Who would you like to see take over after the 50th?
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But not the biggest fan of his DW stories so far
I don't think any of the current Who-fans-turned-TV-writers have got the same skill so we probably need someone to come in brand new.
I think the show is at risk of becoming increasingly insular otherwise.
I'd like to see Whithouse in the job though.
I could imagine Gatiss going gothic/black comedy - which I wouldn't object to! As long as he writes with a bit of heart as well.
So far Doctor Who has been lucky to have two real powerhouse writers who were also fans but mediocrity is entirely possible in future. And then people will really moan.
What you have to remember is that we've only seen these other gentleman's scripts after they passed through RTD or the Moff's hands. Their stamp is all over every story they oversaw, whether they are the credited writer or not.
Let's hope Moffat is around for a good while yet.
Yeah, he's kind of busy with his day job of being a best-selling novelist and graphic novelist.
I think chimpnall will take over, personally.
I can't see it being Tom MacRae or Neil Gaiman but Mark Gatiss, Chris Chibnall, Toby Whithouse and possibly Gareth Roberts are all more likely candidates.
Whithouse would be my choice but they all have the experience of running shows at this point in their respective careers.
I think what Doctor Who needs next is to get away from the concept of a single showrunner.
Russell T Davies managed to write and produce a staggering variety of different types and styles of episodes but was pretty much burned out after 4 years.
Steven Moffat has written pretty much the same episode 6 times and relies on the other writers to bring variety to each season.
I reckon three writers would allow a good breadth and depth of story, and guarantee that the production timelines would be met for a full season each year.
So, I'd like to see a combination of Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts and Toby Whithouse taking over the reigns after the Moff steps down.
I think that's about the the time for a producer to go anyway.
Personally I'd like them to get away from the show runner also being the chief writer. It wasn't like that with the classic series. Personally I think it gives the person too much control, and not always make the best decisions for the programme.
There also seems to be an emphasis on the need for the producer to be a fan of Doctor Who. Again, I don't think this is necessarily the best thing for any programme. If you have a great TV producer running it, who knows how to make great telly, then have a script editor with a great grasp of sci-fi and Doctor Who's history, then employ imaginative writers who can shake things up but not dishonour what has happened before.
I certainly agree with your last point.
It's much easier for a good producer with an understanding of what makes exciting drama to learn about Doctor Who than for someone who knows Doctor Who inside out to learn all about being a good producer with an understanding of what makes exciting drama.
If you see what I mean.
That sentence kind of got away from me, there...
Being Human won't last forever and he's produced other successful shows too so has a good background.
Plus he can get the character stuff down to a tee when required. See School Reunion and The God Complex. I think the God Complex was the closest Amy got to being a "real" person in series six.
Two walk in, one walks out...
The only way to settle it
Basically I agree with everything posted here.