Steven Moffat - PR Nightmare

[Captaindemotion]

I'm sure he said some of these things, but I doubt he was intending to be cruel and I suspect people are taking it out of context. And some other people just have an axe to grind and will twist a good natured joke into being a verbal attack.

Here's one report from someone there.

https://twitter.com/CultBoxTV

"Overriding memory of @DWFestival today: Steven Moffat being unforgivably cruel to an autistic guy who asked a question in Q&A."

"If Moffat genuinely couldn't hear the poor guy, I sincerely hope he's tracked him down and apologised since. It was horrible to watch."

"Even after he'd explained that he was autistic when a comment about liking Series 8 because it felt like the RTD era was misinterpreted.."

"...as criticising Matt Smith, he continued to lay into the fan in front of a packed audience of people. Genuinely disgusted to be honest."

"It was evident (to anyone with any sense or compassion) almost as soon as he took the mike, literally shaking, that he was on the spectrum."

You know, it's not exactly a State Secret that Moffat is a bully (just ask Caroline Skinner, oh wait, you can't) but given that he's being paid good money to turn up at a Convemtion and interact with fans, many of whom are children, you think he'd make some effort.

It is worth remembering, though, that this is one persons account of it. We all know how unreliable social media can be. But we don't know how this tweeter already felt about Moffat, what his agenda is etc.

He could of course he telling the truth. On the other hand, he could be one of those people who'd watch him walk on water and then post 'Steven Moffat can't swim!'

 

[StCoop]

It is worth remembering, though, that this is one persons account of it. We all know how unreliable social media can be. But we don't know how this tweeter already felt about Moffat, what his agenda is etc.

There are other people saying similar things; I picked this one because it's from people who run a professional website.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Ok, fair enough. Poor show on his part then.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Heh. He sounds like he wants to be remembered as the Al Swearengen of TV production.

 

[The Wormhole]

OK, this all sounds like Steve Moffat. I've heard some of those lines myself, and directed at me.
But... he is an arrogant talented git who doesn't disguise it. RTD is an arrogant talented git who was happy to be nice to people he liked, and behind-the-scenes was incredibly unpleasant to people he didn't.
The only difference is that SM is himself and doesn't disguise it, and RTD puts on a front.

Maybe I'm projecting things based on my own personal experiences in life, but the impression I got of RTD was that when the stress got to him he'd vent his frustrations on whoever was on hand. He may not always meant what he said to people, but because he was someone of influence everyone took it more seriously than he intended.

I'm mainly reminded of a part in The Writer's Tale where he talks about being shocked that Julie Gardner apologized after he flipped out on her once, even though in his opinion he was the one being unfair, which actually reminded me of how some co-workers reacted to me one time I epically lost my temper.

Moffat, meanwhile seemed overwhelmed by the job, and at this point burnt out. Not that anyone can really blame him, his tenure as showrunner has easily been during Doctor Who's highest profile point in its fifty year history, and he's been in the spotlight for the 50th anniversary special plus introducing new Doctors and companions. In addition to that he has another show which brings in just as much if mot more publicity. That doesn't excuse being an ass in public, though it is kind of understandable.

 

[JRoss]

Yes, but Moff also brought us episodes 3 through 9 of Series 5, The Pandorica Opens/Big Bang he personally wrote. Series six had Curse of the Black Spot, Night Terrors, The God Complex, Closing Time and The Wedding of River Song. Season 7 had one or two good episodes overall. Season 8 was stronger, but also had In the Forest of the Night (ugh, using a William Blake line on such a piece of garbage) and Kill the Moon, plus the poorly implemented finale. This season has been better, but then again it also had part 1 of the zygon duology and the Ashildir duology.

Even RTD's worst season (3) was better than that. He gets a lot of flack for Love & Monsters. The funny thing is, out of all of the RTD-era episodes, it's the one that most resembles a Moff-era episode.

 

[tomalak301]

When RTD was the show runner, I was excited for the new episode. Now it's been 10 years and things change, but I don't feel that same excitement anymore. Also, some of my favorite episodes are from RTD, like the Season 4 finale two parter, or the Season 1 Parting of the Ways, or "The End of the World", which made Britney Spears "Toxic" cool way into the future and was actually the first episode of Doctor Who I ever saw.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Its hard to get excited when the standard of writing has been sub-standard since the sixth series (or seventh year, if you like). Great/decent stories have since become rare, and we cherish the ones that while unexceptional, still have moments in them that remind us of yesteryear (like the Zygon two-parter, for instance). Only Day of the Doctor came close to being a kind of story that reminded us of the RTD years, and even then, it wasn't quite what it could and should have been.

Really, its like Moffat has stopped caring after the first series.

 

[Volpone]

RTD was largely terrible IMO. You want a lot of the Doctor mooning over his companion and running around frantically, waving his sonic screwdriver at everything? RTD is your man. I watched the last Tennant episode and said "Well, screw it. This is terrible. I guess I'm done with 'Dr. Who.'" Luckily I decided to try on "The 11th Hour" and was back because Smith and Moffatt were, to me, everything "Dr. Who" should be.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

RTD was largely terrible IMO. You want a lot of the Doctor mooning over his companion and running around frantically, waving his sonic screwdriver at everything? RTD is your man. I watched the last Tennant episode and said "Well, screw it. This is terrible. I guess I'm done with 'Dr. Who.'" Luckily I decided to try on "The 11th Hour" and was back because Smith and Moffatt were, to me, everything "Dr. Who" should be.

Moffat started out well, but these last two years have shown that a change probably wouldn't be bad for the show at this point.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Given that RTD's Who got me into DW in the first place, I just won't abidbe to Volpone's opinion. His tenure was, for the lack of a more suited word, exciting.

 

[Gov Kodos]

RTD had his excesses but he gave a freshness to Doctor Who in having an emotional attachment between the Doctor and his companions that was rarely the case in the old series. He did go overboard into soap opera with it, but the intention was great. Moffat has gone overboard with the attachment far more than RTD who confined it largely to Rose. Amy and River made one very small universe in feeling, especially River. Human life span, no way she remotely knows everything about the Doctor and all his incarnations, Mof. And Clara, this season is taking portents to a ludicrous extreme. In addition, Moffat's love of 'Bill and Ted' timey-wimey plot contrivances is no longer clever, it's an overused crutch that needs to be put aside for solid story telling.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Given that RTD's Who got me into DW in the first place, I just won't abidbe to Volpone's opinion. His tenure was, for the lack of a more suited word, exciting.

It got me into the show too, back in 2005. But when I did a marathon of the show with a friend of mine in 2013, I found a lot of it very "Saturday morining" and juvenile stylistically. Many episodes bored me or seemed silly, while my friend adored them. I didn't remember thinking it was juvenile which I watched the eps first-run.

Regardless, when Tennant left, I didn't like it. I took a bit of a break from the show, and came to Series 5, Moffat and Matt Smith, a bit before Series 6 premiered. It was a revelation. Moffat "grew the show up" in terms of look and tone, and I loved it. Series 5 was amazing for me, as were series 6 and 7. Yes, I'm a fan of series 7, especially 7B. And Clara is no more "just a plot point and not a character" for those episodes as Donna was in series 4. Any accusation you level at Clara the "Impossible Girl" also has to be leveled at Donna, Miss "Turn Left" and "Bad Wolf" and Ood prophecy. But guess what? They were both fully-realized characters AND plot points, at the same time. Fancy that, eh?

...Sorry for that tangent, but I had to say it.

Anyway, my point is that for 3 years, Moffat was more great than bad. He gave me stories and companions I loved (I'll forgive him for the irritating smugness of River Song). I mourned Amy and Rory, but Clara wiped all the sadness away in a matter of 15 or 20 minutes, and she's become my favorite companion. Another thing to thank Moffat for. But the past two series have shown, just as it did near the end of RTD's run, that he's creatively spent.

I don't think the show needs RTD back, and I think Moffat took it forward and evolved it fantastically, but now it can benefit from a new, fresh voice.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Series 6 kinda jumped the shark for me, and from series 7 onward there has been a creative lull that I'm not at all appreciative of. So, I'd say Moffat's run did it for me for the first one and half series. I mean, his arcs just got really lazy, really fast.

That said, I agree that it needs a new voice, and not bring RTD back (although I'd love to see him write at least one 12th Doctor story).

 

[JRoss]

One thing, about Moff "growing up the look" of the show. When it started in 2005 they had to use SD cameras and crappier sets. The move to HD, and the big buzz and fandom explosion at the beginning of S5 didn't come from Matt Smith and the Moff. It was riding the waves of S4 and Tennant's last hurrah. Only after that does the BBC decide to spend a billion dollars plastering the character everywhere.

 

[Mr Awe]

OK, this all sounds like Steve Moffat. I've heard some of those lines myself, and directed at me.
But... he is an arrogant talented git who doesn't disguise it. RTD is an arrogant talented git who was happy to be nice to people he liked, and behind-the-scenes was incredibly unpleasant to people he didn't.
The only difference is that SM is himself and doesn't disguise it, and RTD puts on a front.

That's kinda what I always suspected tba, I do agree that given its a family show he should at least try and be user friendly to kids at the very least.

If the quotes are true and reflect the true tone, it's actually pretty unforgiveable to be acting like that in front of children who are fans of the show and acting like that towards an autistic child.

At this point, I just want Moffat off the program. Thanks for all of your contributions. Next!

Mr Awe

 

[Starkers]

One thing, about Moff "growing up the look" of the show. When it started in 2005 they had to use SD cameras and crappier sets. The move to HD, and the big buzz and fandom explosion at the beginning of S5 didn't come from Matt Smith and the Moff. It was riding the waves of S4 and Tennant's last hurrah. Only after that does the BBC decide to spend a billion dollars plastering the character everywhere.

What utter tosh!

 

[StCoop]

One thing, about Moff "growing up the look" of the show. When it started in 2005 they had to use SD cameras and crappier sets. The move to HD, and the big buzz and fandom explosion at the beginning of S5 didn't come from Matt Smith and the Moff. It was riding the waves of S4 and Tennant's last hurrah. Only after that does the BBC decide to spend a billion dollars plastering the character everywhere.

What utter tosh!

Which part of it? Because I don't see anything that's not factually correct there.

The look of those first four series was a result of they way they had to be shot.

Matt Smith did arrive when the series was at it's most popular.

Thanks in large part to BBC Worldwide/America the show got much more publicity at that point.

 

[stardream]

I really liked the Eccelston/Tennant era but I have to say that Season 5 (Moffit /Smith's initial outing) is one of my favorite seasons of any television show...ever.

Now....haven't watched for over a year and its not because of Capaldi.

 

[Starkers]

One thing, about Moff "growing up the look" of the show. When it started in 2005 they had to use SD cameras and crappier sets. The move to HD, and the big buzz and fandom explosion at the beginning of S5 didn't come from Matt Smith and the Moff. It was riding the waves of S4 and Tennant's last hurrah. Only after that does the BBC decide to spend a billion dollars plastering the character everywhere.

What utter tosh!

Which part of it? Because I don't see anything that's not factually correct there.

The look of those first four series was a result of they way they had to be shot.

Matt Smith did arrive when the series was at it's most popular.

Thanks in large part to BBC Worldwide/America the show got much more publicity at that point.

It's tosh because it presupposes that any success that followed for the brand wasn't down to Smith or Moffat, or to Karen, Arthur etc etc but to people who were already long gone.