Reigning Time Lord Peter Capaldi has leapt to the defence of ‘Doctor Who’ showrunner Steven Moffat, amid the suggestion from certain quarters of the fan community that he’s a “misogynist”.
Throughout his tenure as executive producer, Steven has been a divisive figure among fans of the BBC sci-fi drama, particularly as a study in 2014 found that since he took over, female characters had fewer speaking roles.
Addressing these claims, Peter told SFX he “didn’t understand” the furore, explaining: “I think we’ve done great stuff. I think Steven’s fabulous.
“I don’t know why people have a go at him, why they call him a misogynist. I don’t understand that at all. I think he’s a brilliant writer.”
Steven himself dismissed the suggestion in a 2015 interview with Radio Times, insisting he was “certain” he was “to the left of a lot of his detractors”.
The 10th series of ‘Doctor Who’ kicks off on BBC One later in the month, which will be Peter’s last in the role of the Doctor, as well as Steven’s final outing as executive producer.
It will also introduce the Time Lord’s latest companion, Bill, who it was revealed last week would be the first openly gay assistant in the show’s history.
However, it seems viewers shouldn’t get too used to her, following reports earlier this week that she too would be written out at the end of the current series.
Speaking out about these rumours, a BBC spokesperson told The Huffington Post UK: “We never reveal the fate of individual characters on the show; viewers will have to tune in to find out.
“We are still filming Series 10 and no casting decisions have yet been made on Series 11.”
‘Doctor Who’ returns to BBC One on Saturday 15 June.
