Doctor Who: 7 Most Unfair Criticisms Of Steven Moffat

1. Steven Moffat Has Overly Complicated Doctor Who

Steven Moffat has been typically acerbic when responding to complaints that his plots are too complicated. More than any other writer or producer, Moffat has meddled with time in his plots and narrative structures. He has run with such ideas as time being non-linear, of the Doctor meeting River in the opposite direction in their timelines, of time moving at different speeds and of time being rewritten and its consequences, both in the story and for the characters. It's a little disingenuous to say that the show isn€™t hard to follow but, on the other hand, it's patronising to suggest that it goes over the viewers' heads. The series long arcs of Russell T Davies€™ seasons did not take away from the self contained nature of each individual story. They were simply hints of things to come but, particularly in Series 7, Steven Moffat's arcs have been more intertwined within the stories. The two producers prioritise their audience differently with Russell T Davies highlighting the casual viewer who dips in and out of the show, and Steven Moffat writing for those who watch week in, week out. Douglas Adams famously said in 1979 that his task as script editor was to make the show simple enough for adults and complicated enough for children. There is some truth to this observation. Children are still finding the world a complicated place, their universe is huge and uncontrollable and their imaginations are open to all manner of possibilities. As we mature, we order and structure the world around us to fit into neat boxes and categories. Some of the complaints about how complicated Doctor Who has become are because not everything is explained. Steven Moffat does not spoon feed the viewer. But why does a story have to make complete sense, and why does it have to have a single reading? What did you think of this list? Do you agree/disagree that these are unfair criticisms? Join the discussion the comments section below!