There’s a lot of elements that make Doctor Who great – spectacular acting, set, costume and creature design, direction, etc. – but it’s hard to argue that a good script isn’t key for a show that’s known for its big imagination. And for those interested in the writing of the long-running sci-fi series, the BBC has now released a selection of scripts from the modern version of the show on its Script Library service for your reading pleasure.
There are currently 14 scripts available to read online, plucked from across the past 14 years of the revived series and from the pens of various writers. Season 3 opener “Smith and Jones” from former showrunner Russell T. Davies is the earliest script up for grabs, while the most recent is the premiere of season 11, “The Woman Who Fell To Earth,” Jodie Whittaker’s first adventure as the Thirteenth Doctor which was written by current showrunner Chris Chibnall.
The site also includes a bunch of scripts from Davies’ successor and Chibnall’s predecessor, Steven Moffat. You can read fan favorite episodes “The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar,” “Heaven Sent,” “Hell Bent” and “The Pilot” from Peter Capaldi’s era of the show, while other available scripts come from writers Toby Whitehouse, Sarah Dollard and Jamie Mathieson.
Doctor Who‘s writer’s room for season 11 was praised for its diverse line-up, with the group of scribes consisting of the show’s first black writer in Malorie Blackman – who co-wrote “Rosa” – and its first writer of Asian descent, Vinay Patel – who wrote “Demons of the Punjab.” Chibnall brought a whole new team on board who’d never written for Who before, though stalwart writer Mark Gatiss says that he and other old timers have been offered their places back for future seasons.
If you’re interested in seeing how your favorite Doctor Who episodes started out on the page, you can follow the link below to the BBC’s Script Library.
