With series 10 being Moffat's last and Chibnall taking over, there's obviously going to have to be discussions between the pair so that Moffat can leave it in a place that Chibnall is happy to start from.

This being the case, I'm wondering just how much influence Chibnall might have over series 10. For example if Moffat had a story arc or episode that was too similar or contradicted what he planned to do for his first series, he might ask Moffat to change it.

Similarly, if I were Chibnall, and Moffat had a plan for an arc or episode that involved yet more delving into and changing/altering/adding to the doctors history, and it was in a way I didn't like, I might politely ask him not to.

With the gap both of them had and still currently do(after the writing of series 9 when Chibnall would most certainly already have known he had the job, and still now whilst Moffat is still writing series 10), I do wonder if it was/is part of the plan for Chibnall to start thinking about his rough idea's now, so that he can confer with Moffat whilst he is actively writing series 10 if there is anything he might want/not want to be included.

I know that RTD said that all that Moffat asked of him, was not to use the daleks in the end of time (as RTD had originally planned) as he had a story with them early on in series 5, and also that he wanted to make sure Tennant was wearing his tie at the point of regeneration (no idea why though, a tie or lack there of didn't seem to be any sort of important point in the eleventh hour), but there was no full series in RTD's last year, and it makes me wonder whether if there had been, would Moffat have asked for it's direction to go in a certain way to compliment series 5, and may chibnall have influence over series 10 in a similar way.

I don't there will be much influence, if any at all, Chibnall just needs to know where Moffat leaves it.. and of course if Capaldi is staying on or not...

I would love to see Moffat be influenced by the words that Chibnall made about taking over, about how he was excited to bring new characters new creatures new worlds.. that sounds great.. a big problem and disappointment with Moffat's era has been that its far to insular, I remember when Moffat got the job and said he wanted to create new nostalgia rather than rely on nostalgia, he talked about wanting to bring new stuff into who and not just bump into the same old stuff making the universe seem small, and yet that's exactly what he did, he started of well with series 5 and 6 offering up new corners in the who-verse but from series 7 on his era has become very who-mythology heavy relying on previous ideas/things to create stories.... perhaps that's a comment on the realities of making DW with the budget they have or it speaks of Moffat looking to make stories that are easier to write as there's the building blocks and the fuel to create stories off from what's previously been, we know he struggles with the workload so its a fair guess that he chose the easier path to creating who stories.

I don't know exactly how much Chibnall would have. Wouldn't think it would be load's or that he could actually make demands of Moffat, but I personally think he would have more influence than you seem to. Either way, I would assume it could all be handled informally and friendly the way it was between RTD and Moffat.

Also, your post above reminded me one of the most important things I forget to say in my opening post - if the doctor should change, would/could Chibnall insist on a certain type of regeneration. After all the state of the doctor post regeneration is very much his business.

EXACTLY THIS

I remember 2010 I was a Doctor Who and Moffat fanboy I loved it all I loved Amy and Rory and The Doctor and I waited ages for the Christmas special and looved it and the soundtrack that I got Eleven's sonic.

I also LOVED Series 6 and even though mentions of Series 1-4 were non-existent, I couldn't care less I watched every Children In Need for Doctor Who and every appearance it was adventure it was awesome, Moffat was up there with RTD he created brand new nolstagia like he said like RTD in 2005.

Come Series 7 I felt the only thing keeping me watching is The Characters I have gotten to know The Doctor and his parents in law Amy and Rory then after part 2 of Series 7 I was still watching but mainky to finish what I started, as I noticed the tone seemed to be quite strange for Doctor Who watching it Saturday nights, BBC One after Total Wipeout.

When Smith regenerated I was so sad and distraught at how he has evolved as a character to watching someone I couldn"t care less about to someone who was kind, fun and caring and as Amy said the very last of his kind. Even though he was young I felt he did a good job of showing that he hides his true emotions and darker side under a cheery persona.

Although come Series 8 I thought even though Capaldi was old that somehow he'd win me over and have his moment but I tried but the show seemed like it was very Grandma just died and depressing but one thing that kept me watching is The Promised Land whole thing because that interested me but I wasnt an avid watcher or fanboy as before.

Series 9 continued to be about monologues and depressing character "psyches" as they say and it lost that spark for me it felt like an in depth character wikipedia analysis then fun and adventure and I was really dissapointed by the finale. However Husbands of River Somg, The Doctor was more awake and woohoo but I need to see more.

I think I relate to what you're saying.

They'll obviously have chatted generally, but beyond possibly a few minor things I can't see CC having much input. Don't think he'd presume to, which I'm sure is the same attitude that SM would've had with Russell. Steven will no doubt keep him posted though as far as companion/s and developments in Series 10 scripts are concerned. The general shape is obviously in place already if we're about 3 months away from filming and CC is privy to those details, as he's stated....

The new companion would surely be a point of discussion.

Moffat has to introduce that character but he'd need to know if Chibnall is going to use that character or not. If he doesn't want to use them, Moffat has to write the character's ark over a single series.

If Chibnall does want to use that character, then there has to be generally agreed direction for that character.

The Doctor can be written similarly whether there's a regeneration or not, so I would expect the companion to be the major discussion point.

Honestly, that sounds kind of appealing. It'd be nice if Steven Moffat's last companion had a beginning, a middle and an end - rather than a beginning, a middle, a looks like an end, more middle, then three non-consecutive ends. Series 10, like series 5, might end up being quite self-contained, and all the better for it.

That would also depend on whether Capaldi stays or goes. We've not seen a companion and Doctor leave at the same time before in the new series. Doable of course but introducing a companion and then writing the exits of both a Doctor and the companion would be quite a bit to do in a single season.

That's a good point although it shouldn't be too hard for Moffat, given that he's already written a one series companion arc 3 times, they just all happened to be Clara. Their was clearly a series 7 Clara, series 8 Clara, and series 9 Clara, all of whom were not half as interesting or likeable over the course of 3 series as Oswin Oswald had been in one episode.

The companion question on whether Moffat's series 10 companion will stay on is an interesting one nonetheless. Almost as interesting as the question of doctor himself.

Liked Oswin, Victorian Clara and 'proper' Clara myself. Only the latter actually had a "series companion arc" (7b, 8, 9) rather than a one off appearance, obviously. But know what you meant. You didn't like 'proper' Clara!

That's true! They could stagger it, though, I suppose, so the companion leaves at the end of the series and the Doctor goes at Christmas. Then again, if anyone could get em both out the door at the same time in a satisfying way, Steven Moffat must be up there...

I think a single companion could work in a self standing arc, though. No change of Doctors, but Martha's series feels very like Martha's story, told in order, and I think that's quite satisfying. It'd be nice if S10 could do that.

Have them involved in some devestating battle/event and you could easily have the companion die (or more likely perhaps be too shaken to travel with the doctor again) and have it ultimately cause the doctor's regeneration at the same time.

Could even have it that the doctor fatally damages his body saving the companion but tries to act like he's fine almost hoping he is, but then as he realises the regeneration is coming, she/he says they can't bear to travel with him again after what they've seen (like Martha) so then the doctor holds of his regeneration long enough to take them home and say his goodbye. He then stumbles into a lonely TARDIS, doubles over in pain on the console, picks himself back up, maybe utters a reassurance to himself, then lets the regeneration take hold.

Obviously we don't know if such a scenario of Capaldi and the series 10 companion leaving the same time would happen, just giving examples of ways it could feasibly be done smoothly if it needed to be the case.

Who knows, maybe rather than have all the effort of creating a new companion for one series, and when he knows he's leaving, Moffat will just have 12 travel with Captain Jack and/or the paternoster gang (would have said River too, but I think the recent Christmas special should stay as her final episode). Unlikely I know, but I can dream

Also, another possibly likely option might be that the doctor travels alone, only having one episode (or two or three at a time episodes) companions throughout the series. That again would negate the need to show a full on companion introduction in series 10 or a companion exit.

All I know is that If I were Chibnall and there is a series 10 companion (most likely I know) and I were planning to keep them on for series 11, I'd probably want a bit of input in that companion's creation with Moffat now.

I suspect there's be a few things that get covered though Series 10, like The Tenth Doctor Specials, will be pretty well-rounded off at its end.

There will be a consideration as to who the leads are to be for Series 11 - whether Capaldi will still be involved, whether the Series 10 companion will still be involved, or whether we'll be getting newcomers on either front. With carry-over where either are concerned I suspect there will be some discussions to allow Chibnall to set up where his series is going to start out. The same will be true of any regeneration scene if Capaldi happens to go - it's likely in this case Chibnall would write the last minute or so of the Series 10 finale.

I guess perhaps the only other thing that would need addressing would be the same sorts of things as last time - RTD held off from using the Daleks in The End of Time because they were to appear early on in Series 5. There may be little points of note such as these that the two consider between them, but mostly Chibnall will be left to his own devices and will likely only have a small sway if his own leads are carrying over from the series before.

Just reading Chibnalls comments in the article about the change of showrunner on the official bbc doctor who site, where he says of Moffat:-

"He’s been a dazzling and daring showrunner, and hearing his plans and stories for 2017, it’s clear he’ll be going out with a bang. Just to make my life difficult."

Which proves what I already strongly suspected, that they have at least already been having conversations about series 10 between them.

I suspect Chibnall has know of his appointment for months (like Moffat knew way beforehand) and that they've likely already been having casual chats about the changeover for some time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho...c-82bd514f02fe

exactly.

You read that post, but not mine after it where I suggested there are many ways it could be done.

This is a really interesting thread and I agree with a lot of what's been said. It will be interesting to see if Capaldi wants/is asked to stay and whether the season 10 companion is a 'one year only' character like Donna.

I got the impression that because Moffat had set up so much of his Who while RTD was in charge, he needed a blank slate (companion-wise at least) to set it all in motion from season 5.

I guess it depends whether Chibnall also wants a completely fresh start or is happy with some form of continuation. Whilst I like the idea of the latter, I'm not keen on Moffat's companions (or Doctors to be honest) so would probably prefer the fresh start.

I don't think I've ever agreed with another member's post more lol

Oh, it can be done, but will they all put all that effort into finding a "Different" companion..just to writen them out after 12 eps.

I think the only time a Doctor and his companions were really written out simultaneously was The War Games, but they had ten episodes to tell the story and the newest character was Zoe, who'd already had plenty more episodes to settle in.

Well Donna and Martha still seem popular enough despite only being one series companions.

They have to put the effort into finding someone interesting whether they are going to be in one series or many, because even if they are only a one series companion, they still have to be watchable for that series.

With Moffat going, and being in the position of needing to cast a new companion, I'd guess he'll put as much effort into finding someone different and interesting to make his last series look good, even if Chibnall has told him he will recast, because anything that happens after series 10 (and whether or not Chibnall keeps his companion on) is of no concern to Moffat.

I wouldn't be surprised if the issue has already been discussed and decided on (it would have to be for Moffat to write the series finale) and I would guess that if the companion is staying on then Chibnall probably has been (or should have been) involved in the process of creating the character.

No you wouldn't. You think you would, as a fan, with a fan mentality and hostility towards Moffat, but if you were someone who was becoming the actual showrunner you would be a professional with respect for the outgoing writer. If you were not then you wouldn't be in the position in the first place. Only fans imagine this kind of passive-aggressive attitude between the creators.


I think it's very unlikely that Chibnall would be inclined to tread on Moffat's toes. For sure there'll be some communication but it will largely be in the form of Moffat keeping Chibnall informed of what he is doing so that Chibnall can account for it in his own planning. I really doubt he'll influence the storylines and he certainly won't try and 'veto' anything Moffat plans. Again, that's you fantasizing as a fan, projecting your own attitudes onto Chibnall. Your scenario above isn't even logical. Why would the ideas of a man not even employed by the BBC yet be given priority over those of the man who is employed by them to to create an already commissioned series? Moffat will keep Chibnall informed so that Chibnall does not plan anything too similar to what Moffat may have already done in Season 10. That's the proper way for it to work, not vice versa.

Moffat is the showrunner and he will run the show until his contract ends. Anything he offers to chibnall during that time is a courtesy, not a requirement, and I am sure he will extend every courtesy possible, as RTD did for him. But I'm certain Chibnall would not ask for any kind of creative control of Steven Moffat's show, which it remains for now. Again, these guys are professionals, not children squabbling over who gets the red crayon.

I don't mean that Chibnall would be harbouring some kind of hostility towards Moffat. I simply meant that if he saw that Moffat was doing some altering/changing/adding of the doctors history that had far reaching consequences, and he didn't want to have that element hanging around in the show from series 11 onwards, he might politely suggest changing or altering the idea,in a way that might help him.





Again, I'm not saying in a bickering hostile manner. That is just you projecting the tone which you think i'm implying. I'm simply saying that if Chibnall see's a storyline, or certain element, which would put him in a bad starting position, or completely undermine/contradict what he had planned out for series 11, that he would be likely to voice his concerns. I don't mean in the form of 'you can't do that' at some bbc meeting, I mean more like a casual chat sort of thing. I'm sure like with RTD, Moffat would be happy to accomodate Chibnall in any way unless it really was something that went against his series 10 vision.

It is though, because no doubt he wants the best of luck for Chibnall and he's not going to stop caring about the show because he's not the showrunner anymore.

whoswho1 said that they wouldn't put effort into finding a companion only to right them out after 12 episodes, and my point was that being Moffats last series, and him wanting to make it the best he will try as hard to make the companion as good as possible either way.

When I said after is of no concern to Moffat, I simply meant it won't stop him trying hard to find a companion even if he knows they will be written out at the end of the series.