In Stunning 2D! [probable SPOILERS for NuWho episode "Flatline"]

[jjpor]

Is it just me being a curmudgeon, or is it a bit early to be crowning Jamie Mathieson showrunner-in-waiting just because he wrote two good scripts in a row? Are people that eager to be rid of Moffat? (And before you scoff at my naivety, I do glance at Tumblr from time to time nowadays and know that yes, yes quite a lot of them are

Comments

[gonzo21]

Way too early for people to be calling for the new guy to be show-runner. Running a show and writing well are two completely distinct skillsets.

And frankly the whole idea of the celebrity Who show-runner is something that needs put to death soon. Just get some competent producers in and let them do what producers are supposed to do. And let the writers do what they're supposed to do.

Moffat does need to go though.

[jjpor]

Way too early for people to be calling for the new guy to be show-runner. Running a show and writing well are two completely distinct skillsets.

That's what I thought, really. Although if he does this French show for a while, maybe he'll have the experience to do a good job on Who. Not that I expect this to be a thing for very long - Moffat sort of built his reputation with fandom over a couple of seasons or so before anybody was calling for him to succeed RTD.

I guess it's just the way TV is nowadays - all of the prestige projects seem to be the personal vision of some creative type with wide-ranging control over the direction of the production. I think it's probably an extension of the way directors became the main figures in cinema when at one time producers and studio heads enjoyed more kudos for their parts in filmmaking. I agree, though, that it's not always a positive thing.

[gonzo21]

I can't think of any other program on British tv that has a celebrity show-runner like Doctor who has?

[jjpor]

I do think it's primarily an American thing, now that you mention it. But then, Who and Sherlock are probably the closest thing British TV has compared to the prestige American TV series (not making a judgment on quality, just on the position they occupy in the culture), and there's Moffat self-aggrandising with the best of them.

[gonzo21]

I... Hmmm. I think you might be right. That's... a bit pathetic actually that the BBC only has these two prestige flagship drama series. What else is the beeb really known for... Strictly and Eastenders?