The financial climate has caused a budget cut for the new series of “Doctor Who” – but the classic sci-fi show’s new head writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat, is unconcerned.
“You’ve seen that trailer,” Moffat notes of the new “coming soon” trailer that has had fans the world over salivating for the start of the new season, “does it look like we’ve had a budget cut?” Moffat says that, in truth, “There will never be enough money to make “Doctor Who”. We could spend “Avatar”s budget and still ask for more, because it’s a show that’s set in every point in history and every place in the universe… What we think in is what we need to achieve, and how we’re to achieve it, given whatever financial circumstance we’re in.”
Warming the cockle of old school “Who” fans, Moffat goes on to point out that “A lot of the most iconic things about “Doctor Who” are a direct consequence of financial shortcomings”, citing the TARDIS as a prime example. “They said “We’ve got a police box from “Dixon of Dock Green” – let’s make a box that’s bigger on the inside”, and thus was born the greatest single best idea in all of fiction.” He concedes that while, “Budget cuts are tough, I don’t like them”, they do have an upside – “They force you to be creative.” Now there’s a sentiment any old school “Who” fan couldn’t fail to agree with.
“Doctor Who” returns to BBC One on April 3.
