A key former member of the Doctor Who team may return for the upcoming Christmas special. The most recent Doctor Who holiday special, titled “The Church on Ruby Road,” featured Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and introduced his companion, Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday. Doctor Who will soon continue for season 14 under the creative direction of showrunner Russell T. Davies.
As per RadioTimes, it appears that a key Doctor Who former showrunner might return: Steven Moffat. According to the source, Moffat is reportedly returning to write 2024’s Doctor Who Christmas special. BBC has not commented on Moffat’s return, so the news is not yet confirmed.
Moffat’s return to writing Doctor Who has been rumored for some time now. Original rumors were swelling back in September 2023, when Moffat was asked directly whether he would return to write for Doctor Who season 14. The former showrunner was fairly evasive in his answer, not confirming nor denying his involvement but assuring audiences that they were “in very safe hands with Russell [T Davies].” Moffat’s vagueness led to even more speculation that he could be involved in Doctor Who in some capacity.
It is thus conceivable that the Christmas special is the avenue by which Moffat will return to Doctor Who. This fact is slightly contradicted by the fact that Davies himself has previously referenced writing the special. Perhaps Moffat and Davies are set to collaborate on the special, or Davies may have intentionally avoided mention of Moffat’s work to surprise Doctor Who audiences.
If Moffat’s reported holiday special return is true, it should be something to look forward to for Doctor Who fans. Moffat’s previous tenure as showrunner, from 2010–2016, is considered to have produced some of the best seasons in Doctor Who’s revival era. Thus, the return of Moffat could also mean a return to the roots of what makes the 21st century Doctor Who great.
Source: RadioTimes
