Steven Moffat Returns to Write an Episode for Ncuti Gatwa's First Season of 'Doctor Who'

In the world of Doctor Who, almost everything old is new again...eventually. Showrunner Russell T. Davies left the show in 2009 before returning to the role last Fall. Former Doctor David Tennant officially regenerated at the end of Season 4, but came back to play the Fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor for the franchise's 60th anniversary episodes. And now former writer and showrunner Steven Moffat is back to write a brand new adventure for Ncuti Gatwa's first season in the TARDIS.

"Yes, okay, fair enough - apologies to everyone I’ve very slightly misled - I am in fact writing an episode of the series of Doctor Who. Exactly like I said I never would," Moffat said in a statement. "What can I tell you? There was begging, there was pleading but finally Russell agreed to let me have another go - so long as I got out of his garden. Working with old friends and a brand new Doctor I couldn’t be happier. Sorry, I was a bit reticent on the subject for so long. It was all part of an elaborate plan that would have delighted millions but at the last minute I forgot what it was.”

While your mileage can and almost certainly will vary when it comes to how you feel about Moffat's ability as a showrunner or his tenure in charge of the show, it's hard to argue about his output as a writer, particularly when paired with Davies as a showrunner. After all, this is a duo that's responsible for some of modern-era Who's best episodes, including the Ninth Doctor "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" two-parter, the Doctor-lite hour "Blink" that introduced the Weeping Angels, and Season 4's "The Silence in the Library"/"The Forest of the Dead," which kickstarted the timey wimey story of River Song. Could this Season 14 episode reach those same heights? There's every reason to hope!