Steven Moffat has been nattering about the Doctor Who Christmas special, and what's coming up in the next year or two...
We’ve just been leafing through Doctor Who: The Brilliant Book 2012, the kind of Doctor Who annual that we used to pine for when we were kids. It’s a seriously impressive piece of work, with lots of bits and bobs awaiting your discovery.
It also boasts some sizeable interviews with many of the main people involved in the show, including the boss-man himself, Mr Steven Moffat. And in his interview, he gives some hints as to what to expect in the year or so ahead.
We’re not going to give them all away here, because the book is very much worth investing in. But here’s a flavour.
Firstly, he’s confirmed that Amy and Rory aren’t in this year’s Christmas special, although they will be back in the next series. He’s a little more coy as to the future of River Song, saying, “That’s dependent on Alex Kingston”.
As for the show in 2012, and why it’s being pushed back, Moffat says that, “The truth behind the delay next year is: why are we killing ourselves and risking compromising the show, in order to go out in the middle of summer? I’m sick of it. I’m sick of standing in the blazing sunshine, with a barebecue fork in my hand, knowing that Doctor Who is coming on any minute”.
Seemingly confirming that the show won’t return, post-Christmas special until next autumn, Moffat says that, “Six o’clock on a sunny Saturday is the middle of the afternoon, whereas six o’clock on a winter or autumn Saturday is dark and exciting” (elsewhere in the book, it does imply that some episodes will be screened in 2012, reiterating that 14 episodes will still be produced).
As for the 50th anniversary of the show, Moffat teases that it’ll be “Epic, huge, massive, indulgent... all your treats at once”. He adds that “I guarantee you it’s going to be the best year ever to be a Doctor Who fan. We’re going to be in production for longer than ever, just to do everything that we intend to do”.
Doctor Who: The Brilliant Book 2012 is out now from BBC Books, priced at £12.99. It’s ace.
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