Moffatt and friend

[JRoss]

I've come to the conclusion that Doctor Who would benefit from having more than one showrunner. People point out JNT and RTD as egomaniacs who ruined the show, but I feel that anyone person with that much creative control over a series will ruin it eventually. Look at Chris Carter and the X-Files. Moffatt will eventually go down the same road. I think that Mark Gatiss should be brought on as a co-showrunner. Each could act as an ego check to the other. Look at what they've accomplished with Sherlock.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I've come to the conclusion that Doctor Who would benefit from having more than one showrunner. People point out JNT and RTD as egomaniacs who ruined the show, but I feel that anyone person with that much creative control over a series will ruin it eventually. Look at Chris Carter and the X-Files. Moffatt will eventually go down the same road. I think that Mark Gatiss should be brought on as a co-showrunner. Each could act as an ego check to the other. Look at what they've accomplished with Sherlock.

After one (great) series, you're already calling for help?

Nah.

Sorry. I think Moffat is more than capable of running the show himself, like RTD was. And, I think will know when it is time to leave, like RTD did.

JNT wanted to leave, the BBC wouldn't let him.
And American TV has a tendency to go beyond what it should, especially in series with a story arc, like X-Files, so, that should have just ended early.

But, with a creator like Moffat, and a show like Doctor Who, I would rather have one clear vision and then someone new.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I wouldn't mind Gatis writing more Who episodes but i don't think it needs a co-showrunner.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Barry Letts and Philip Hinchcliffe did wonderful jobs as solo showrunners so I don't see any reason why Moffat can't either (which, of course, he has already proven that he can).

 

[JRoss]

I wouldn't say this series was great:

The Eleventh Hour: Pretty Awesome
Beast Below: Tearjerker, but resolved too quickly
Victory of the Daleks: No. Yet another group of Daleks survives an extinction.
Time of the Angels/Flesh and Stone: Epic.
Vampires of Venice: No. We've covered the whole "chased by zombies" thing too many times in Who already.
Amy's Choice: Big letdown. I think a lot of it has to do with Karen Gillan's acting, though.
Hungry Earth/Cold Blood: A two parter with a first half that was completely unnecessary.
Vincent and the Doctor: My favorite episode of the season, for many reasons.
The Lodger: Two thumbs sideways.
The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang: I fell asleep watching TPO, no exaggeration, at only like 9 pm. TBB did not sufficiently explain how the universe was magically wished back into existence, nor how Amy all of a sudden could remember the Doctor simply by seeing River.

About 50%. And as a writer, SM can give so much more.

 

[Admiral_Young]

My only dud from series five was "Victory of the Daleks". Big let down. Especially with Ian McNiece as Churchhill. I think he overacted the part big time. I'm assuming big time here but my guess would be that Moffat is a collaborating showrunner. Promoting a showrunner I don't think would make much difference to the quality of the stories, that comes down to writing and execution of the stories. I dunno. I guess I don't see the need.

 

[Skellington]

As James Cameron told Guillermo del Toro regarding The Hobbit, you can't have two captains.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

I'd like to hear more about the merits and drawbacks of co-showrunners first, before we turn this into another season 5 debate thread.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ In that case...re:Brian Peterson and Kelly Sounders from "Smallville". The two of them seem to have no checks and balances in terms of balancing their egos and promote each other all the time and go for "big, dark, and epic" stories. Having a co-showrunner does not necessarily mean your show will improve.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I'd like to hear more about the merits and drawbacks of co-showrunners first, before we turn this into another season 5 debate thread.

But isn't that at the heart of the OP thread? The OP didn't like half of the series, so he thinks Moffat needs creative help.

I thought it was great overall. So if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I think there would be more of an argument/discussion if it wasn't after ONE series.

 

[JRoss]

To give an example of an outstandingly-run collaboration, look at Fringe. It has producers coming out the wazoo, two of whom are credited as showrunners. Each contributes somewhat to the show as far as writing goes, and they've managed to keep the story arc coherent and compelling.

 

[Skellington]

Benign dictatorship works creatively, assuming that the dictator knows wtf he/she is doing. It's been said that no great decision was ever made by committee, and in my opinion that isn't too far from the truth.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I've come to the conclusion that Doctor Who would benefit from having more than one showrunner. People point out JNT and RTD as egomaniacs who ruined the show...

That would be a nonsensical and ill-informed opinion for someone to express, if anyone actually did.

 

[Kelso]

By 2005 there was nothing left that RTD could have ruined.

 

[Skellington]

I've come to the conclusion that Doctor Who would benefit from having more than one showrunner. People point out JNT and RTD as egomaniacs who ruined the show...

That would be a nonsensical and ill-informed opinion for someone to express, if anyone actually did.

Well, one could construct a credible anti-JNT argument, perhaps based on casting decisions.

By 2005 there was nothing left that RTD could have ruined.

Some of his detractors do seem to ignore the fact that he resurrected the franchise and made it as healthy as it had ever been.

 

[DWF]

I guess Piers Wenger and Beth Willis don't count then.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ They do for me...is Beth still part of the EP group? I thought she was fired or something.

 

[DWF]

^ They do for me...is Beth still part of the EP group? I thought she was fired or something.

Yeah she did leave but I don't know when or why. But then I still don't know why Mal Young left after one season.

 

[JRoss]

People on the imdb boards say JNT and RTD both let their egos ruin the show. Once again, I will point to fringe. A dozen producers and it works. Imagine how much better TPO and TBB would have been if MG had been there to say, Steven, you have to explain this more clearly.

 

[VDCNI]

Beth Willis is still part of the team as far as I know - she's been mentioned in Moffat's production notes recently.

JNT was a producer but not really a showrunner - that position didn't really exist in British TV until RTD on Who and he had Julie Gardner & Phil Collinson working with him the whole time. Plus the head of BBC drama was involved quite a bit as well.

Anyway just because Fringe 'works' with 12 producers doesn't mean Who will (what do they all do!?) especially when it is about half the episodes of a US drama. In a time of cutbacks the BBC are hardly going to hire a ton of extra producers just to fix some perceived weaknesses in Moffat's scripts.