Steven Moffat to Leave Doctor Who After Series 10? Chris Chibnall in the Frame?

Speculation is intensifying that current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat will leave the show at the conclusion of Series 10, with The Moff already involved in choosing his successor.

Speculation is intensifying that current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat will leave the show at the conclusion of Series 10, with The Moff already involved in choosing his successor.

While there has been no official word from either Steven Moffat or the BBC, fans have speculated that The Husbands of River Song was Steven “tying up loose ends” from his era, the head honcho having already stated that he won’t leave until the right person has been found to pass the baton on to and that he’s “actively engaged” in the search.

“That is an issue and one I’m actively engaged in but I can’t say much about that. Everything is difficult in Doctor Who, including leaving, and I would never do anything to harm it. I would never leave it in the lurch because it means too much to me. Yes, it’s a problem. Let’s not pretend it’s not a big problem. But there will be a solution. In terms of the emotional difficulty of leaving, it’s hard.”

Chris Chibnall is tipped

Broadchurch/Gracepoint creator and regular Doctor Who writer Chris Chibnall has long been linked with replacing Moffat when the current showrunner eventually steps down and is said to be the frontrunner, having the required experience not only from Broadchurch but Law & Order UK and Torchwood.

In 1986, Chibnall represented the Doctor Who Appreciation Society on the BBC’s public opinion show Open Air. There he famously criticised The Trial of a Time Lord season as a specific example of the generally inconsistent quality of the series in the 1980s.

With the third and rumoured to be final Series of Broadchurch wrapping up next year (David Tennant having described the series as a “trilogy”), it would seem that Chibnall would be available should the call come, however he is likely to face competition from the likes of Neil cross, Mark Gatiss, Toby Whithouse and others.

Gatiss has worked closely with Steven Moffat for several years

With Mark Gatiss working closely with Moffat on Sherlock and having regularly contributed to the ongoing series since it’s 2005 revival, many would see Mark as the “continuity candidate” from the ongoing era and, like Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat, he boasts a pre-2005 portfolio of work associated with the show.

Neil Cross is currently riding high off the back of Luther meanwhile and it’s understood that interest from the United States may take him out of contention, being announced as the script writer from the 2017 Escape From New York remake, however when asked in 2013 whether he would consider the role, Cross stated that the child inside him would meet the question with a “yes”.

Many fans however favour Toby Whithouse, creator of Being Human. The writer of the popular God Complex and School Reunion, Whithouse has previously said that he would be tempted by the role. Speaking earlier this year, Toby said:

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued by the idea, but also it would be terrifying. It’s definitely something I’d be really tempted by but I’m genuinely not in any hurry to do it.”

Toby Whithouse would “be really tempted” by the role.

Tale of the Tape