11 Great Doctor Who Moments The Writers Chickened Out Of

This came mighty close to being the number one entry to top of this list, with Moffat's self retconning of his own storyline that was Clara's death. It is puzzling to think what was going through the show runner's mind, especially as the initial farewell we received was nothing short of brilliant. Not only was Clara's death a clever and fitting farewell to the character, it was also a brilliant insight into the grieving process, and an illuminating exploration of the meaning of life- until Moffat undoes all his good work.

The actual death of Clara in 'Face the Raven' is well executed, with Clara becoming a little too clever for her own good, despite pure intentions, before being 'executed' by the Raven. The following episode, 'Heaven Sent,' is one of the greatest Who episodes of all time, and is so because it deals with The Doctor coming to terms with the loss of his friend. We even receive a final moment between the Time Lord and his companion, a perfect farewell moment that even Clara haters were genuinely moved by.

That is, until Clara turns up the following week in a TARDIS that looks like a restaurant, before seemingly living for as long as she wants, despite having no heartbeat. It is a bonkers and heartless conclusion for the character that criminally undoes all the good work of the previous two episodes. It was a staggering act of self-sabotage by Moffat that he surely would want to take back.