Steven Moffat Feels the Haters

Jonathan Appleton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Steven Moffat has written about how criticism aimed at him by online critics hits home at times… but he’s reassured that people care enough about Doctor Who to get so hot and bothered about it. In his latest Q&A for readers of Doctor Who Magazine, the showrunner is asked for his thoughts on 1980s producer John Nathan-Turner (someone who knew a fair bit about vocal criticism from the show’s fans).

“JN-T was the first boss of Doctor Who to have a tiny little number of (sort of) fans who were waging entirely ineffectual campaigns against him, in their twos and threes. Russell had a bit of that, and so do I. So what? Pick an online newspaper, go to the comments section below, read the ranting horrors there. It will turn your hair white. Dear God, who are those people? I don’t know. I don’t care.”

“The fact is, you don’t judge the newspaper, or people in general, by the standards of those comments sections, so why would you judge Doctor Who fandom by the occasional attention-seeking ranter? I have always found [fans] to be clever, funny, articulate and more than usually friendly. And perfectly and humorously aware that knowing every detail about an early Saturday evening adventure serial is a pleasant but extremely daft thing to do. May it be daft forever. It is now, and always has been, a game for the civilised and kind. Lone exceptions don’t change that.”

Revealingly, Moffat goes on to admit that, on occasion, it’s impossible not to feel hurt by the criticism:

“I suppose, being honest – because we’re all human and fragile – some of the blows do land. You know, when you’re tired, in the dark watches of the night, when that hand is grasping for your ankle from under the bed. I guess it must have been hard for JN-T, sometimes, back in the day. I remember, not long ago, feeling a bit grim myself, about some vicious remarks. Stupidly and childishly, I’d let them get to me (ranters rejoice, your aim was true). Neil Gaiman dropped me a gentle note. He said (something like), “They love your shows so much, they think they own them.” I think the point – and the kindly admonishment – was that it’s a privilege to be making shows about which people care so much, and that honour should take care of everything else.”

Doctor Who has always been a programme that prompts an unusual level of passion among its dedicated followers, but that kind of devotion can surely be its greatest weakness as well as its most important strength. Is Neil Gaiman correct with his words of comfort – that it’s because people feel a sense of ownership? Or is it more to do with the anonymity the internet affords people to write whatever they like and not have to answer for it? What do you think? Share your thoughts below!

Doctor Who Magazine 488 is available now.

The post Steven Moffat Feels the Haters appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.