I woke up this morning to learn that Russell T. Davies would be leaving Doctor Who, the brilliant and imaginative series that he relaunched and watched over for the past four seasons.Davies will stick around to oversee the four feature-length specials slated to air on the BBC next year but will then depart prior to the start of Season Five.
I'm really sad to be losing Davies as the man with his hand on the Who tiller. He's done a remarkable job at keeping things running smoothly, through not one but two major cast changes (as the incomparable David Tennant replaced original star Christopher Eccleston and Freema Agyeman replaced Billie Piper... and then was recently replaced herself with Catherine Tate).
But I am pleased as punch that it will be Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat (who also created comedy Coupling and BBC limited series Jekyll) who will be taking over as the lead writer and executive producer on Doctor Who.
If anyone should be the one to take over as Keeper of the Secrets for the Time Lord, it's Moffat. After all, over the past four seasons, he's single-handedly crafted some of the most memorable, creative, and awe-inspiring episodes of the series, including "Blink," "The Girl in the Fireplace," and "The Empty Child." (Yep, he wrote all of those superlative installments.)
"It's a huge honor to be following Russell [Davies] into the best--and the toughest--job in television," said Moffat. "I say toughest 'cos Russell's at my window right now, pointing and laughing."
Season Five, which will be Moffat's first as the new executive producer/head writer, will launch on BBC One in Spring of 2010. No US airdate has yet been announced.
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