Posted in: BBC, Disney+, TV | Tagged: doctor who, sherlock, steven moffat

Doctor Who: Steven Moffat Talks Series, Sherlock, Storytelling & More

Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat was at the TIFF talking about writing, Sherlock, and insights on the roots of all storytelling.

Former Doctor Who Steven Moffat is, like his friend, colleague, and fellow showrunner Russell T. Davies, an uberfan who ended up running the show. He was also the series' long-running showrunner having spent seven years on it, during which time he also co-created and ran Sherlock with Mark Gatiss. By this Christmas, he will have written more episodes of Doctor Who than any writer, with the upcoming Christmas special "Joy to the World" being his fiftieth. Recently, Moffat spoke at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and had a lot to say, of course, and in the most entertaining manner possible.

Steven Moffat Tells The Best Doctor Who Jokes

"Doctor Who is the single greatest TV format ever devised," he said. "YOU CAN SACK ANYONE! It is a starring role. And you can switch out the star. What other show can do that?… They all want to come back. Everyone who's ever played Doctor Who thinks they're the real one. That creates a problem in the David Tennant family circle."

"All Stories are Reboots"

Moffat used Doctor Who as a prism to talk about storytelling in general, especially when it came to reboots since the show is rebooted every time the Doctor regenerates into a new actor. "All stories are reboots," he said. Stories are told by people who always think of their own ways to tell a story or tell their version of a character's story or how they think a story should be told. "Even James Bond is a reboot of something. Ian Fleming just thought, 'This is something that should be done with spies.' Bond is really Richard Hannay (the spycatcher hero of John Buchan's novels including The 39 Steps), only he has sex more often."

"If you listen to true crime podcasts, you'd realise that Sherlock Holmes could never solve any real crime. He would just say, 'These people are all just doing something stupid!' Clever people needn't apply. He is the least qualified person to solve any crime." Moffat talked about how a policeman he knows has said the only reason the police solve crimes is because "Criminals are SO STUPID!" Committing a crime is the worst and riskiest way to make money when there are faster and easier ways to make money. You can become a banker and steal much more money by legal means.

To Be in Charge of Doctor Who is to be Hated

I broadly identify as a liberal, but I love it when people make jokes about them. Nothing wrong with that at all. You should be able to endure that very easily. When I was doing Doctor Who… Look, if you run a very big popular show that is talked a lot about on the internet and if you run another show which is also talked a lot about on the internet, the level of hate could down three passenger Jets! I mean, seriously, it doesn't stop. I was vilified endlessly. I was a homophobe, a misandrist, and a misanthrope and, a sexist and, a misogynist, and a racist. I was against so many people I could only be described as an omni-bigot, which suggests I'm treating everybody equally. 'The moment you arrive on the planet, I don't like you. I don't even know why yet, but I'll find something!' So that was weird, but I knew what it was, and it sort of faded over time. Of course, other people ran Doctor Who after me. Chris Chibnall and then the wonderful Russell came back, and they took on the role of being the Chief Satan of the Nation. We're all just a bunch of very amiable, middle-of-the-road nice men. We are quite harmless."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!