Steven Moffat Reveals His Biggest Doctor Who Regret

With season 10 now behind us, we only have one episode left of Steven Moffat’s era as showrunner of Doctor Who. The Sherlock co-creator has helmed the series since 2010 and has overseen the entire tenures of both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. Over that time, he’s shepherded the show through arguably its most globally popular period and ensured that the modern series will continue on in rude health after he steps down. However, there is one niggling regret that annoys him to this day.

In a new interview with BBC America, Moffat was asked various questions about his experience as showrunner. For one, he said his greatest achievement was “not entirely screwing up” the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor.” For his biggest regret, however, he had this to say:

“There are loads of things I’d change. I’d change all my mistakes, but that would be exhausting. So let me just choose one mistake. It just rankles me to this day that I got this wrong. There’s a scene at the end of a season five episode called “Flesh and Stone” where Amy comes on to the Doctor. It’s a very good idea for a scene… There’s a brilliant scene to be written there and I entirely avoided writing it. I played it for laughs and it’s so wrong.”

It’s a curious choice for his biggest regret. At the time of its first broadcast back in 2010, the scene stirred up a few complaints from viewers who felt the slightly risque moment was inappropriate for a family show like Doctor Who. Since then, however, it’s largely been forgotten. Not only that, but we imagine that Moffat’s detractors would have many other moments they’d want changed above that one.

Further in the interview, Moffat was asked whether he thinks that Doctor Who has a bright future ahead of it, to which he replied:

“I absolutely know the show will continue forever. This show will continue on in whatever form the future holds for us for as long as people want stories. I believe that absolutely. Just as King Arthur keeps going, just as Robin Hood keeps going, Doctor Who will always be there… Doctor Who goes on forever. It is more than a TV programme, it is more than a story, it is actually a legend.”

Hear hear!

Doctor Who returns this Christmas when Peter Capaldi bows out of the show and Jodie Whittaker takes over as the titular hero.