Doctor Who could make BBC money forever, says Steven Moffat

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/25/doctor-who-bbc-steven-moffat

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Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has said the show has the capacity to be a moneyspinner for the BBC for generations to come.

Moffat, the BBC1 show's executive producer and head writer, said the new series which returns on Saturday 3 September with Asylum of the Daleks, would be a season of "blockbuster" episodes.

Asked about his budget for the Saturday teatime show, Moffat said: "I"m never going to say I've got enough. That's like asking would you like to be more happy, of course I'm going to say yes I want more money.

"They don't starve us, Doctor Who is incredibly well looked after by the BBC. I truly believe it could be a show that outlives everybody in this room, it doesn't just make money now it could make money forever," Moffat told the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival on Saturday morning.

He said the new series would be a "blockbuster every single week, let's not have a cheap episode, let's make them all huge".

"Last year we did an arc [storyline] next year we will do something else, every year we have to go in a particular direction. It shouldn't feel like good old cosy Doctor Who."

On the long-mooted possibility of a film version of Doctor Who, Moffat said: "There's often been talk about a movie, I'm sure we should do one. What I keep saying is it can't ever be allowed to interfere with the television show, that's the mothership, that's the thing that will go on forever.

Moffat said changing viewing habits meant "about half or just under" watch Doctor Who when it first screens on BBC1. "We no longer watch TV when schedulers tell us we should and that's right," he said. "Your bookcase doesn't tell you when to read a book."

Asked about his choice of writers on the show, Moffat said: "If it's your first television show you have written you are going to screw up royally, I tend to favour highly experienced television writers for the sake of my sanity. We do go outside of the circle … it's a tough old job. No brand new TV writer should be tackling this one. It's hard."

Moffat said he wanted to make the Daleks scary again in the new run. "Kids are supposedly frightened of Daleks but they take them to bed. Is there a way we can make them scarier, get them back to being more monstery?

"I hope they will leave them outside their bedroom doors, was my response to that. There is a tremendous temptation to go kitch and sweet with the daleks. You shouldn't. They are insane tanks."

Moffat asked the audience for a show of hands whether they would continue watching the show with a female Doctor, but appeared unconvinced by the prospect.

"It is a part of Time Lord lore, it can happen. I don't know, who knows? The more often it's talked about, the more likely it's going to happen."

One audience member said he could "take it for a couple of episodes". Moffat joked: "That wouldn't be very nice on the young lady involved."

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