Doctor Who Showrunner Tells Press To “Shut The Hell Up” About Casting Controversy

Steven Moffat isn’t afraid to speak up whenever it comes to Doctor Who. The executive has been […]

September 5, 2017, 2:58pm

Steven Moffat isn’t afraid to speak up whenever it comes to Doctor Who. The executive has been series’ showrunner for years, and Moffat isn’t about to let Doctor Who hang on the eve of his retirement. The writer will exit the BBC series in a few months, but that doesn’t meant Moffat won’t defend it from anyone wanting to undermine it.

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Earlier today, Moffat appeared at San Diego Comic Con with the cast of Doctor Who. It was there the showrunner opened up about the show’s so-called backlash against Jodie Whittaker, the actress cast as the 13th Doctor. And, spoiler – Moffat blames the media entirely for the ordeal.

“There has been so many press articles about the backlash among the Doctor Who fandom against the casting of a female Doctor,” Moffat started (via Variety).

“There has been no backlash at all. The story of the moment is that the notionally conservative Doctor Who fandom has utterly embraced that change completely — 80 percent approval on social media, not that I check these things obsessively. And yet so many people wanted to pretend there’s a problem. There isn’t.”

Continuing, Moffat said, “Doctor Who fans are more excited by the fact that there’s going to be a brilliant actress playing the part than the fact that she’s a woman. It’s been incredibly progressive and enlightened and that’s what really happened. I wish every single journalist who is writing the alternative would shut the hell up.”

Earlier this month, news broke about Whittaker’s casting, but a small group ofpurists resisted the reveal. The BBC series was founded decades ago, but the Doctor has steadfastly remained a male up until now. A minority within the Doctor Who fandom subjected Whittaker to misogynistic ribbing over the casting, but the show’s following at large has embraced the actress and her groundbreaking role.

So, if you have something bad to say about Doctor Who‘s first female Doctor, don’t. Moffat may be waiting just around the corner to knock you over the head for such silly complaining.

Steven Moffat will hand over the reins of Doctor Who to Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall for Season 11. Chibnall is a longtime Doctor Who fans who has written for the series during the Russell T. Davies time and acted as head writer on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood.

Doctor Who Season 10 introduced Pearl Mackie as the Doctor’s new companion Bill Potts. The newcomer replaced the previous companion Clara Oswald once Jenna Coleman left after Season 9. Whether Bill will join the new Doctor in Doctor Who Season 11 is still unknown, but fans don’t seem to think the companion will carry on with the Time Lord for much longer.