{"id":42840,"date":"2024-01-02T11:45:12","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T10:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1952490"},"modified":"2024-01-02T12:19:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T11:19:09","slug":"steven-moffat-says-doctor-who-feels-wrong-when-theres-no-comedy","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/steven-moffat-says-doctor-who-feels-wrong-when-theres-no-comedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Moffat says Doctor Who \u201cfeels wrong\u201d when there\u2019s no comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

“If you take the comedy away, the Doctor is terrifying.” <\/p>

By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 02 January 2024 at 10:45 AM<\/p>

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Doctor Who fans may know Steven Moffat, the sci-fi series\u2019s<\/a> former showrunner, for writing some of the scariest episodes<\/a> of all time \u2013 from Blink to Silence in the Library, from Heaven Sent to World Enough and Time.<\/p>\n

However, his scripts were also known for their comedy \u2013 something he has now said is crucial to the show\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview with The Times<\/a>, Moffat said: \u201cIf you write funny then you have to be in the present tense. I was writing studio sitcoms like Coupling, then Doctor Who came along. Suddenly, people were saying I write serious drama. What are you talking about?<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the Weeping Angels had two sitcom characters with funny names, Sally Sparrow and Kathy Nightingale. Russell [T Davies] writes like that, too. If there\u2019s a page without a joke in it, it feels wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you take the comedy away, the Doctor is terrifying. This guy\u2019s running into the middle of every fight he can find and deciding who should win. People get one chance, then he exterminates their species.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ncuti\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson in the Doctor Who Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC Studios 2023,Lara Cornell<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Other than short stories and Comic Relief sketch The Curse of Fatal Death, <\/span>Moffat first wrote for the series during Davies\u2019s first era, before taking over as showrunner in 2010.<\/p>\n

He oversaw the tenures of two Doctors \u2013 the Eleventh, played by Matt Smith, and the Twelfth, played by Peter Capaldi \u2013 before handing over to Chris Chibnall in 2018.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n