Steven Moffat to Succeed Russell T. Davies as Executive Producer, Head Writer of Doctor Who

The British Broadcasting Company has announced that Steven Moffat will succeed Russell T. Davies as head writer and executive producer for the program's fifth season, which will air in the spring of 2010 on BBC One. As a member of the show's writing staff, Moffat has already been responsible for several of the relaunch series' most memorable episodes to date. This move will make him the driving creative force behind Doctor Who after Davies leaves the show.

Moffat has writing for the new series since the BBC relaunched Doctor Who in 2005. Following Season One, he won a Hugo Award for his two-part adventure "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances." "The Girl in the Fireplace," a stand-along story from Season Two, brought Moffat a second Hugo. He contributed to Season Three with "Blink," and his two-parter "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" will soon air as Season Four continues on BBC One in the U.K. and on SCI-FI in the United States.

Prior to writing for Doctor Who, Moffat created the hit comedy Coupling for BBC Two. The program was based on the beginnings of his relationship with his wife, television producer Sue Vertue, who became the show's producer (Vertue's mother, Beryl Vertue, was the executive producer). Coupling starred Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean's Commodore James Norrington) and ran for four seasons with Moffat doing all the writing himself. The program found a huge following in both the U.K. and the U.S. He also was an executive producer for a short-lived U.S. version of Coupling, which NBC cancelled after only four episodes.

A lifelong Doctor Who fan, Moffat told the Guardian, a Manchester, England-based newspaper, that being the show's executive producer is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. He jokingly said, "My entire career has been a secret plan to get this job. I applied before but I got knocked back because the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven. Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best--and the toughest--job in television."

Russell Davies expressed his delight with the choice of Moffat as his successor. "It's been a delight and an honour working with Steven," he told the Guardian, "and I can't wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes the Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!" Davies remains in charge of Doctor Who during production of this year's Christmas special (which is currently filming), which will air in the U.K. this December. He'll also oversee production of three DW specials next year before turning the reins over to Moffat.