Steven Moffat - PR Nightmare
- Thread starter StCoop
- Start date
This just goes to show you: I love "Love & Monsters" because I think it's an affectionate take on fandom, and I thought "Random Shoes" was a disjointed, uninvolving mess. (I agree with you re: "The Other Guys" vs "Avenger 2.0," though.)
I really enjoy Russell's series, felt lukewarm during the Matt Smith era, but Peter Capaldi's era sees me enjoying the show more than I have since series 3. Different strokes, I suppose! (Though I think I liked series 8 more than the current one.)
Ok I take on board what people are saying and hereby retract my utter tosh micro rant!
I like that idea, though much as I love the PG I do think it's have to feature short seasons because the joke could wear thin.
I actually think I sit in a curious place re L&M, because there are some bits I think are lovely: Elton and Ursula, LINDA before Peter Kay shows up, and I think it's almost Jackie's finest hour. But...the Benny Hill chase at the start (part of the wider Ten/Rose giggling schoolgirls trope of the series), the Absorbaloff (I know I know...) and the eventual killing/absorption of LINDA and, or course, Ursula ending up a paving slab. I mean, seriously, who, I mean WHO, would want to end up like that. The sex joke was just the icing on a very sour cake.
For me the episode showcases RTD at his very best, and his very worst.
All writers are derivative of themselves, RTD was, Terry Nation was etc. etc. What that suggests is that there really is a finite time for someone to be a showrunner for Who. I think RTD timed his exit very well, and much as I'm enjoying S9 a lot I wonder if Moffat shouldn't have left with Day of the Doctor as his crowning achievement?
Honestly, it feels like every episode lately is a rough draft that they didn't bother to go back and revise.
True. I guess I'm still just suffering from post-Torchwood withdrawals.
I agree with those that say that perhaps, since all writers eventually become derivative of themselves, that it's best that the head writer does change every so often. In some ways, Moffat's era might be most fondly remembered had he left after Season 5. So maybe they should try to get Gatiss to do it under the stipulation that he only do 1 season. That way, he wouldn't be locked into it for so long that it would prevent him from acting or working on his own shows.
In fairness, I do think certain parts of the episode worked. The Absorbaloff is fine as a one-off monster (certainly better than the winners of some of the classic Blue Peter competitions). And it is probably Jackie's best episode. But the bad far outweighs the good in the end.
I was actually at the Festival. Not at all panels, so I can't competently comment on the specific incident with the autistic man in the OP, but generally speaking, these accounts do not match my experiences at all.
Yes, Moffat was dryly sarcastic in response to many of the audience questions (so was Michelle Gomez), but it was overwhelmingly in response to questions/comments that unfairly criticized members of his cast and crew - many times those present at the Festival, or even on the stage at the time. As a show runner, it's his job to stand up for his cast and crew if they're attacked. It would not have ever occurred to me to be offended by this. I more got a papa wolf vibe off him when this happened. He didn't get nearly as defensive when his own writing was criticized (which happened too).
Yes, Moffat was dryly sarcastic in response to many of the audience questions (so was Michelle Gomez), but it was overwhelmingly in response to questions/comments that unfairly criticized members of his cast and crew - many times those present at the Festival, or even on the stage at the time. As a show runner, it's his job to stand up for his cast and crew if they're attacked. It would not have ever occurred to me to be offended by this. I more got a papa wolf vibe off him when this happened. He didn't get nearly as defensive when his own writing was criticized (which happened too).
Interesting stuff, it's nice to get a different perspective.
Thanks for your report.
Two sides to every story. Nice to hear.
Glad my account was appreciated.
An addition I wanted to make, regarding this:
I would not be so fast in assuming the picture was quite as clear from the stage as it was from the hall. If this incident occurred as described, then it was, of course, not optimally handled by Moffat, and he should try to be more careful in future. But, two things:
* Some accounts of the episode I heard said that it was obvious the guy was on the spectrum from how nervous/stammering his speech he was, etc. But pretty much everybody was stammering once given a microphone. I'm an educator by profession and am fully used to speaking in front of large groups of people, but even I found myself completely flustered when I actually got to meet Peter Capaldi, and had the dorkiest little chat imaginable with him. (He asks me where I'm from, and I say "It's, uh, complicated".
) So voice cues might not have been as easy to catch as one might think.
* Visual cues would be even harder. Here're two pics I or the friend with whom I was there (don't remember who had the camera at what point) took of the stage, in two different panels:
So you have an absolutely massive screen behind the panel members on which you could see a close-up view of the person asking the question. While the panel members themselves had a dinky little monitor standing on the stage in front of them on the far left, with Moffat, sitting on the far right, further away from it than anybody else. I.e. it's quite possible the audience had a perfect view of the guy's face, while Moffat didn't see it at all.
TL;DR: even if Moffat's conduct was not optimal, I would be a bit cautious about rushing to judgement. Esp. given that the nastiness the guy's regularly exposed to (he's been getting death threats and the such from disgruntled "fans", because of course he has) is self-defeating if you really hate the guy: that's one of the thing that's making sure nobody else wants the job, and he has to hang in there till a replacement is found.
Oh, and if I'm already posting pics, some more from the Festival that have bugger all to do with the "scandal":
I officially love Peter Capaldi. I officially love the gaudy Christmas jumper I got at the BBC shop at the Festival. I am officially in love with Ingrid Oliver - Peter Capaldi and she struck me as some of the most approachable, kind, and just downright cool people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. The Ingrid pic went right up on my shelf - first time I've put something scifi-related up on a wall since the Spock poster I had on my wall as a kid/teenager:
An addition I wanted to make, regarding this:
I would not be so fast in assuming the picture was quite as clear from the stage as it was from the hall. If this incident occurred as described, then it was, of course, not optimally handled by Moffat, and he should try to be more careful in future. But, two things:
* Some accounts of the episode I heard said that it was obvious the guy was on the spectrum from how nervous/stammering his speech he was, etc. But pretty much everybody was stammering once given a microphone. I'm an educator by profession and am fully used to speaking in front of large groups of people, but even I found myself completely flustered when I actually got to meet Peter Capaldi, and had the dorkiest little chat imaginable with him. (He asks me where I'm from, and I say "It's, uh, complicated".
) So voice cues might not have been as easy to catch as one might think.* Visual cues would be even harder. Here're two pics I or the friend with whom I was there (don't remember who had the camera at what point) took of the stage, in two different panels:
So you have an absolutely massive screen behind the panel members on which you could see a close-up view of the person asking the question. While the panel members themselves had a dinky little monitor standing on the stage in front of them on the far left, with Moffat, sitting on the far right, further away from it than anybody else. I.e. it's quite possible the audience had a perfect view of the guy's face, while Moffat didn't see it at all.
TL;DR: even if Moffat's conduct was not optimal, I would be a bit cautious about rushing to judgement. Esp. given that the nastiness the guy's regularly exposed to (he's been getting death threats and the such from disgruntled "fans", because of course he has) is self-defeating if you really hate the guy: that's one of the thing that's making sure nobody else wants the job, and he has to hang in there till a replacement is found.
Oh, and if I'm already posting pics, some more from the Festival that have bugger all to do with the "scandal":
I officially love Peter Capaldi. I officially love the gaudy Christmas jumper I got at the BBC shop at the Festival. I am officially in love with Ingrid Oliver - Peter Capaldi and she struck me as some of the most approachable, kind, and just downright cool people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. The Ingrid pic went right up on my shelf - first time I've put something scifi-related up on a wall since the Spock poster I had on my wall as a kid/teenager:
^ I want a 'like' button for Chilli's post.
^Ashley Walters from Journey to The Centre of the TARDIS. That's it for me. He was very nice, I should say, though it was in a professional capacity.
I haven't met anyone Who-related. A co-worker of mine met and had his picture taken with Peter Davison, though.
I don't go to many conventions so, for a long time, the only Who person I had met was Peter Davison back in the 80s when he came to the US for a tour. His episodes were still in their first run here.
Nearly 30 years passed before my next Who encounters. I went to London for the 50th Celebrations and met a whole bunch all in one weekend: Davison again, Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Carole Anne Ford, William Russell, Deborah Watling, Fraser Hines, Katy Manning, Louise Jameson, Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, and Nicola Bryant.
I had very nice conversations with some of them. I remember a particularly nice long conversation with Deborah Watling. Finally, I had to be the one who said I had to go on somewhere else! Nicola Bryant was very gracious and even took a photo with me even though the setup was inconvenient for that. William Russell is such a nice person, but so old and frail now. Perhaps my favorite was Katy Manning, who is as personable and bubbly as you'd expect. We had a very nice conversation in-depth and as I was leaving she actually caressed my face and said it was very nice.
Anyway, as someone who doesn't usually go to conventions, I suddenly went from just one Who person, to a whole a bunch. That was a fun weekend.
Mr Awe
Nearly 30 years passed before my next Who encounters. I went to London for the 50th Celebrations and met a whole bunch all in one weekend: Davison again, Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Carole Anne Ford, William Russell, Deborah Watling, Fraser Hines, Katy Manning, Louise Jameson, Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, and Nicola Bryant.
I had very nice conversations with some of them. I remember a particularly nice long conversation with Deborah Watling. Finally, I had to be the one who said I had to go on somewhere else! Nicola Bryant was very gracious and even took a photo with me even though the setup was inconvenient for that. William Russell is such a nice person, but so old and frail now. Perhaps my favorite was Katy Manning, who is as personable and bubbly as you'd expect. We had a very nice conversation in-depth and as I was leaving she actually caressed my face and said it was very nice.
Anyway, as someone who doesn't usually go to conventions, I suddenly went from just one Who person, to a whole a bunch. That was a fun weekend.
Mr Awe
Well, since I won't be the one to derail this bugger, circa 1986-ish, the BBC Loaded a trailer with Zygon masks and such, rounded up the current Doctor, Colin Baker, and Patrick Troughton, and turned it all lose on America.
Me and a couple friends tromped around the Minneapolis Armory. I wore a long multicolored scarf my aunt knit for me and bought my first bag of Jelly Babies as well as a publicity photo of Peter Davison who, at the time, was my favorite Doctor.
And I don't know if I can say I "met" them, but I was in a room with the 2nd and 6th Doctors and I was close enough to them that I handed them something to autograph.
Oh, they were both awesome individually and played off each other very well too.
Me and a couple friends tromped around the Minneapolis Armory. I wore a long multicolored scarf my aunt knit for me and bought my first bag of Jelly Babies as well as a publicity photo of Peter Davison who, at the time, was my favorite Doctor.
And I don't know if I can say I "met" them, but I was in a room with the 2nd and 6th Doctors and I was close enough to them that I handed them something to autograph.
Oh, they were both awesome individually and played off each other very well too.
The combined brains of Capaldi, Moffat and Gatiss entered a Doctor Who Quiz held in Australia
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They came in third....
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-23/the-awkward-moment-when-peter-capaldi-steven-moffat-and-mark-gatiss-came-third-in-a-doctor-who-pub-quiz
They called themselves "The time wasters"
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They came in third....
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-23/the-awkward-moment-when-peter-capaldi-steven-moffat-and-mark-gatiss-came-third-in-a-doctor-who-pub-quiz
They called themselves "The time wasters"
I can't really say I blame him. I'm pretty well fed up with the fandom as well, which seems to have been overrun by hostile and negative people. He even mentioned during the recent interview re the 50th anniversary show that he recieved death threats over it.
I think I'd be touchy too in his shoes.
I think I'd be touchy too in his shoes.
