Originally Posted by The Gatherer:
“Certainly disagree that average Moffat is very good for anyone else, I would put that the other way round, but disregarding that and not going into detail about your list I am completely shocked that anyone can bracket The Doctor, The Widow etc with The Girl in the Fireplace. For me the latter is one of the greatest episodes of Who ever, whilst the former, to put it bluntly, is utter shite. But do agree with your bottom two, although, again, for me Day is one of the best things he's written since he took over as showrunner.”
Very good Moffat is average for anyone else? I think that's a plain silly thing to say, but fair enough, we all have our own opinions. I presume you don't like his writing, which is your perogative. I regard only Robert Holmes as being a challenge to him as Who's greatest writer.
I don't want to put words into your mouth, but would 'Day' being one of his best stories for you have anything to do with how many elements from the former era (eg. the RTD one) there are in it? I say that as I'm getting the impression his era (and presumably his approach to Doctor Who) is not your cup of tea. Again, that's your perogative, but I attempted to be a little more objective with my list. It doesn't necessarily reflect which are my personal favourites to watch and rewatch, but an attempt to assess each story on its merits.
'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe', for example, offended many fans with it tone and alleged over-sentimentality but I thought it was an imaginative episode, with good ideas, tonally appropriate for its intended mass Christmas day audience, and had some of the most humorous scenes he has written for Doctor Who, giving Matt Smith very good material to work with in the context of the way he performs the character, which is what a good, professional script writer would do (I've seen other popular authors fail to do that. For example, Neil Gaiman left Matt Smith exposed and out of his depth with the Cyber Planner scenes in 'Nightmare in Silver', which is a terrible thing to do to your leading man. Toby Whithouse frequently writes melodramatic and physically angry scenes for the Doctor, which I also don't feel fits Matt Smith's portrayal). Sure, it doesn't stand out or thrill me, which is why I rated it in the relatively average bracket but is it a bad script? Hell no, that's bias, and I couldn't be persuaded otherwise. It's not one I'm likely to want to rewatch very often for sure, but that doesn't make it bad.
It should be noted, I also rate Love & Monsters, Delta and the Bannermen and numerous other often-reviled stories. I'm not someone who values a rigorous adherance to a perceived 'correct' way to do the show or thinks the show should only be one tone and style. That's a little perspective on where I come from.
Of course at the end of the day, taste inevitably comes into critical judgement and that is not something that can ever achieve unanimity.
Here's my favourite to least-favourite list of his stories. I've paired up his two-part propers as they're fairly consistent - the Anniversary Specials and AGMGTW/LKH are not paired together.
