Steven Moffat is notoriously a man of few words when it comes to Doctor Who. Nonetheless, he let a few tidbits slip about what to expect for the next eight episodes and the 50th anniversary special.
In an interview with the Radio Times Steven Moffat was asked to drop a few hints for viewers. After a moment of refusing to say anything Moffat revealed the following:
“We’re in the air, we’re under the water, we’re at a fantastic alien planet, we’re back in time, we’re forward in time, and the Doctor’s greatest secret is in jeopardy.”
Moffat’s day is quite busy as you could imagine. He described his day as “hell in a lovely way” because even though he’s doing something that he loves, he’s somewhat concerned about wrecking it up and letting people down. Given that he is not only involved with the second half of the current series, the Mark Gatiss An Adventure in Time and Space docudrama, the 50th episode itself, and all peripheral events surrounding the 50th anniversary it’s probably a good thing that he is concerned.
Speaking of the Mark Gatiss’ An Adventure in Time and Space docudrama, Moffat mentioned that he had just come from a read through and found the project to be, “A moving and revealing piece particularly if you knew nothing about the early days of Doctor Who I think it will startle you, and if you know everything about the early days, I think it will make you cry.”
The docudrama, An Adventure in Time and Space, primarily focuses on the lives of Waris Hussein, the first director of the series who got the job at age 24 because no one else wanted it, producers Verity Lambert and Sidney Newman who brought the show to air, and William Hartnell who was the first Doctor. No specific air date has been set.
Writer and creator, Mark Gatiss, also spoke to the Radio Times about the upcoming special.
“He [William Hartnell] was much more of an antihero. It’s mostly the personal journey of William Hartnell and his relationship with Verity Lambert. Eventually he had to leave, and none of us like to find that we are replaceable.”
How much do you know about Doctor Who‘s early days? Have you seen the first ever episode?