Doctor Who: Steven Moffat Looking to Bring in More Females
By David Hill
During his time as the showrunner on Doctor Who, Steven Moffat has met with quite a bit of criticism. There is that occasional feeling that “Moffat knows best” when it comes to what people want on the show, even if it flies in the face of the true desires of the majority of fans. He has certain peculiarities when it comes to handling relationships. Yet, Moffat is truly a fan of Doctor Who, and is trying to do what he feels best for the long term success of the show.
Even though Moffat has been able to get past most of his criticisms, one that he is seemingly unable to escape is his handling of females, particularly in roles off camera. Moffat has been accused of not employing enough female writers and directors on the show, as though he is making a conscious decision to keep them away from Doctor Who.
According to Moffat, nothing could be further from the truth. While he touted his current run on the show as having more female directors, editors, and writers than at any other point in the history of Doctor Who, he still feels that there is work to be done. In fact, if it were up to him, Moffat stated that he would have more females in those roles, and that it should be roughly 50-50 as to the makeup.
"“Given that the human race works out at about 50% male / female, it should be 50% male / female on the show,” Moffat said."
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As Moffat further pointed out, for the longest time, Doctor Who was essentially a program enjoyed by an overwhelmingly male fanbase. This has changed in recently, as there have been far more female fans over the past few years than ever before. Of course, having someone like David Tennant take over as the Tenth Doctor helped, but that more diverse fan base also speaks volumes to the success that Doctor Who has had.
Even if this change does not manifest itself towards a more diversified collection of editors, writers, and directors in the present, that could change down the road. With more female fans, those who decide to pursue careers in television or cinema may find themselves as a part of the Doctor Who family in the future. That demand for more female talent behind the scenes could easily become a reality.
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Steven Moffat certainly gets his share of criticism, and a good deal of it is deserved. In this case, however, Moffat has done what he can.