Doctor Who fans have plenty of exciting things to look forward to this year. The 2023 Specials aired as an introduction to the upcoming season, and they were an absolute blast. Not only did we get to see David Tennant take up the mantle of the Doctor once again, but we also saw Neil Patrick Harris as the Celestial Toymaker — who alluded to an even greater adversary. We’ve finally gotten to see the much-awaited regeneration scene, and the introduction of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. But that’s not all.
The upcoming Season 14 of the show is nearly upon us, ready to take the viewers on a journey through the fantastic Whoniverse. The Doctor and companion (portrayed by Millie Gibson) will go on new adventures through time, space, and relative dimensions, starting May 11, 2024. Also, from what we heard, a key member of the Doctor Who team may return for one of the upcoming Specials. As rumors suggest, a former showrunner, Steven Moffat, might return as the writer for the upcoming Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special episode.
Now, that rumor alone is enough to get the fandom excited. Moffat, though having also acted as Doctor Who showrunner in the past, is often hailed as one of the best Doctor Who writers, and his return to the writer’s table could bring a sense of nostalgia, as well as mystery, to the show. The rumors began after Alison Sterling, a Moffat-era producer, updated her CV to include information about her work on the upcoming Christmas Special, which also listed Alex Pillai as the director of the Special and Moffat as one of the writers.
This prompted massive speculations about the episode and Moffat’s involvement with the show, after which the notes regarding the writer and the director of the 2024 Christmas Special have been removed. How conspicuous! Since the information is no longer available, it’s important to take Moffat’s alleged involvement with the 2024 Christmas Special as just speculation at this point, especially since it wasn’t officially confirmed by either BBC or Moffat himself.
However, since nobody has publicly denied Moffat’s involvement in the series, we can always speculate on what exactly is going on behind the curtains of Doctor Who’s production. This isn’t the first time Moffat’s return to the show has been mentioned, and fans have speculated that the writer could come back for another episode or two in the new series. Currently, it’s led by Russel T. Davies, who is regarded as one of the best Doctor Who showrunners ever. Of course, BBC has declined to comment on any of these rumors.
When previously asked about his return to the show under Davies’ leadership, Moffat was fairly evasive in his answer, not confirming nor denying his involvement. This only added more fuel to the already flaming rumor mill. However, the writer and former showrunner has assured audiences and Doctor Who fans that the show is “in very safe hands with Russel.” So, if the rumors turn out to be true, and Moffat has indeed written the 2024 Christmas Special, it’s most probably something Doctor Who fans should look forward to, given Moffat’s track record with the show.
For those who aren’t acquainted, Moffat’s previous tenure as a Doctor Who showrunner, from 2010 to 2016, is considered to have produced some of the best seasons in the Nu Who era. Moffat was known for his intricate plots and elaborate story arcs, which often involved complex time travel elements that spanned entire episodes or even seasons, like the “Silence” and “The Impossible Girl” arcs. The show often took on a darker and more emotionally charged tone during his tenure since Moffat liked to explore the themes of loss and the impact of time travel on personal relationships.
Not to mention that Moffat also introduced some of the most iconic Doctor Who monsters to the series, like the Weeping Angels and the Silence, both of which are terrifying and thematically tied to the show’s time travel theme. So, Moffat’s return to the series could also mean the series’ return to thematic explorations and storytelling that made the Nu Who run great — before Chibnall came around and ruined it.
Before we close this discussion, we’d also like to point out that Moffat subsequently confirmed writing an episode for the upcoming Doctor Who seasons, much to the fandom’s content. He hinted at the tone of the script he penned by saying, “Hitchcock.” He was quite hesitant about revealing any details about the upcoming episode, and that’s quite reasonable. However, for the purpose of this discussion, he never confirmed his involvement with the 2024 Christmas Special. Could that be the episode he wrote? Or did he write something else entirely? Or could it be that he wrote both?
There are details that might rule out the rumors suggesting Moffat’s involvement with the Christmas Special. In 2022, Russel T. Davies noted that he’s the one actually writing the 2024 Christmas Special, which casts some doubt on Moffat’s return. But, it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that Davies was trying to keep Moffat’s return to the show a secret to avoid giving away a surprise of his return.
In the end, this is all speculation. Without the official confirmation from BBC, Davies, or Moffat himself, the information regarding the latter’s involvement with the Christmas Special should be taken with a grain of salt. Oh, and everything BBC says about the series should be taken with a grain of salt as well. Their April Fool’s shenanigans regarding Ncuti Gatwa’s exit from the show nearly gave us a double heart attack.