Steven Moffat is the British Joss Whedon

[Jonathan Callan]

I'm so down for anything he does.

[NickT]

Not really seeing it. He's the British Steven Moffat.

[The Hodag]

That seems potentially apt.

I still need to see Jeckyll...

[leafinsectman]

Is he gonna direct Captain Britain and the MI:13?

[Michael-Deery]

He's not a director.

I should point out that, because he is getting overlooked, that Mark Gatiss is the co creator and head writer on Sherlock.

[HoldFastNow]

Like Whedon, I'll check out anything Moffat does. Even though they have their differences they both write great genre television. I'd like to see them collaborate on a series or film someday.

Does the BBC ever have American writers and/or directors work on Doctor Who? I wouldn't want the series to leave Moffat's hand anytime soon but I think a one-off episode written and directed by Joss Whedon would have a lot of potential for being awesome. Conversely, I would be really excited if Whedon could convince Moffat to write an issue or arc for Buffy season 9.

[HoldFastNow]

Also, I still really want to watch Joking Apart, Press gang, and Chalk.

[PhilipClark]

I think he's a better screenwriter.

Joss can write the fuck out of a comic, though.

[NickT]

Like Whedon, I'll check out anything Moffat does. Even though they have their differences they both write great genre television. I'd like to see them collaborate on a series or film someday.

Does the BBC ever have American writers and/or directors work on Doctor Who? I wouldn't want the series to leave Moffat's hand anytime soon but I think a one-off episode written and directed by Joss Whedon would have a lot of potential for being awesome. Conversely, I would be really excited if Whedon could convince Moffat to write an issue or arc for Buffy season 9.
But in the case of Moffat, isn't it less genre television and more....television?

[HoldFastNow]

But in the case of Moffat, isn't it less genre television and more....television?

I just mean that as in they both have that aspect in common. I'm a big fan of the non-genre Moffat stuff I've seen.

[Jonathan Callan]

Like Whedon, I'll check out anything Moffat does. Even though they have their differences they both write great genre television. I'd like to see them collaborate on a series or film someday.

Does the BBC ever have American writers and/or directors work on Doctor Who?

Can't do it, sadly. BBC and Canadian television both receive public funding and as a result can only employ writers and directors with citizenship.

[Ben Weldon]

Can't do it, sadly. BBC and Canadian television both receive public funding and as a result can only employ writers and directors with citizenship.

Are you sure about that? If they can employ american actors why not writers and directors?

[Dark Sasha]

Steven Moffat has far surpassed Joss Whedon.

[Michael-Deery]

Joss Whedon was going to write Ripper for the BBC so I don't see what the problem would be.

[Jonathan Callan]

Joss Whedon was going to write Ripper for the BBC so I don't see what the problem would be.

I'd imagine that's a different deal done with American co-production or co-financing. I'm sure they can find a way around it if they really, really want to. But I'd be interested to hear counter-examples if anyone has them?

I know at least that being a Canadian writer offers a huge cache to agents and managers out here as it opens up a whole secondary market American screenwriters can't get at.


Are you sure about that? If they can employ american actors why not writers and directors?

It's just a different situation. With directors and writers, there's quite a bit of home grown talent in both countries. With actors, you'd never want to close yourself off because you'll never know what kind of character you'll need to cast for.

Even a name as big as Kevin Smith ran into this. He wanted to write and direct a Degrassi two parter and they flatly refused. They told him they'd love to have him as an actor, but not as a creative for just this reason.

[Sy-Klone]

Steven Moffat has far surpassed Joss Whedon.

I tend to agree with this.

[SteveFlack]

Fuck, does this mean that all his shit is going to get canceled?

[SteveFlack]

I think he's a better screenwriter.

Joss can write the fuck out of a comic, though.

Judging by that one issue of Buffy, Joss can write the fuck into a comic.

[Mister Mets]

Whedon and Moffat may just be the two best genre TV writers.

Whedon's a competent director, but Moffat's been more prolific lately. And he hasn't had as many cancellations.

[NickT]

Whedon and Moffat may just be the two best genre TV writers.

Whedon's a competent director, but Moffat's been more prolific lately. And he hasn't had as many cancellations.
Again, what exactly does "genre TV writers" mean?

[Dark Sasha]

I love Whedon, but Moffat has just been hit after hit after hit. Sans that Teacher show, his resume is really stellar.

[Mister Mets]

Again, what exactly does "genre TV writers" mean?

Science fiction. Fantasy. Horror. Less realistic action-adventure.

[FedEx Fanboy]

Moffat is balls to the walls brilliant.

[tom daylight]

Moffat hasn't had as many cancellations, he's not had as many commissions either. He inherited Doctor Who and Jekyll from other people, Sherlock's the only recent one that really has his name on (and he only wrote one episode, and only three have been made, so it hardly compares with Firefly's 15, Dollhouse's 27, Angel's 110 or Buffy's 144)

[Roger]

i'd agree with that
i love the shit out of both of them!!!!
and i will watch anything either man does!!

[Doug]

Why compare them at all?

[Doug]

He's not a director.

I should point out that, because he is getting overlooked, that Mark Gatiss is the co creator and head writer on Sherlock.

Gatiss also just did a History of Horror documentary series for the BBC that I really want to watch. I hope it comes out on DVD.

Gatiss is also a pretty good actor as well.

[No Pants Jimmy Jamma]

Moffat hasn't had as many cancellations, he's not had as many commissions either. He inherited Doctor Who and Jekyll from other people, Sherlock's the only recent one that really has his name on (and he only wrote one episode, and only three have been made, so it hardly compares with Firefly's 15, Dollhouse's 27, Angel's 110 or Buffy's 144)

Not to belittle your point, because i happen to agree. But i dont think Moffat inherited Jekyll from anyone. He wrote and produced it himself, all of it.

[tom daylight]

he wrote all of it but he didn't produce it (that was his mother in law), someone else approached him with the concept, it wasn't his idea. as you would learn if you watch the special features on the DVD.

I worked out a while ago that Russell T Davies is credited for writing more episodes of Doctor Who than Joss Whedon was of Buffy (even though Buffy ran more than twice as long).

[THWIP!]

Like Whedon, I'll check out anything Moffat does. Even though they have their differences they both write great genre television. I'd like to see them collaborate on a series or film someday.

Does the BBC ever have American writers and/or directors work on Doctor Who? I wouldn't want the series to leave Moffat's hand anytime soon but I think a one-off episode written and directed by Joss Whedon would have a lot of potential for being awesome. Conversely, I would be really excited if Whedon could convince Moffat to write an issue or arc for Buffy season 9.

No thanks. I don't want anyone working on the next season of the Buffy comic except for Whedon. Season 8 has been a failed experiment.

[HoldFastNow]

No thanks. I don't want anyone working on the next season of the Buffy comic except for Whedon. Season 8 has been a failed experiment.

The best arcs of season 8 were by people other than Whedon though (Drew Goddard's and BKV's). At least, in my opinion.

[Jonathan Callan]

He inherited Doctor Who and Jekyll from other people, Sherlock's the only recent one that really has his name on (and he only wrote one episode, and only three have been made, so it hardly compares with Firefly's 15, Dollhouse's 27, Angel's 110 or Buffy's 144)

Weird. You're saying it's not his because Stagestreet came to him with the idea for a modern update and he just developed and wrote it?

[Jonathan Callan]

I worked out a while ago that Russell T Davies is credited for writing more episodes of Doctor Who than Joss Whedon was of Buffy (even though Buffy ran more than twice as long).

I was curious. My count --

Buffy/Whedon: 27

Doctor Who/Davies: 23

U.S. and British shows are also run differently, with you getting smaller episode runs and more prep time on the British side. Whedon was also running multiple shows after season 3. Davies was supervising (?) Torchwood, but again, half season orders leave a lot more breathing room, I'm sure. (One of the Doctor Who runs wasn't even a season!)

[Jonathan Callan]

Double post. Sorry.

[tom daylight]

I was curious. My count --

Buffy/Whedon: 27

Doctor Who/Davies: 23

U.S. and British shows are also run differently, with you getting smaller episode runs and more prep time on the British side. Whedon was also running multiple shows after season 3. Davies was supervising (?) Torchwood, but again, half season orders leave a lot more breathing room, I'm sure. (One of the Doctor Who runs wasn't even a season!)

RTD wrote 29 Doctor Whos solo (I presume you didn't count the specials or something, even though they're LONGER than regular episodes!). Joss Whedon wrote 23 Buffys on his own. Not saying he did less work or anything like that... just thought it was an interesting quirk of the stats.

[dougmac]

Joss Whedon was going to write Ripper for the BBC so I don't see what the problem would be.

maybe thats part of why it never actually happened


I'd imagine that's a different deal done with American co-production or co-financing. I'm sure they can find a way around it if they really, really want to. But I'd be interested to hear counter-examples if anyone has them?

I know at least that being a Canadian writer offers a huge cache to agents and managers out here as it opens up a whole secondary market American screenwriters can't get at.



It's just a different situation. With directors and writers, there's quite a bit of home grown talent in both countries. With actors, you'd never want to close yourself off because you'll never know what kind of character you'll need to cast for.

Even a name as big as Kevin Smith ran into this. He wanted to write and direct a Degrassi two parter and they flatly refused. They told him they'd love to have him as an actor, but not as a creative for just this reason.

Smith supposedly did write on the Degrassi episodes he appeared in, but that may be interent myth. I thought I saw him talking about it before though.

[Jonathan Callan]

Smith supposedly did write on the Degrassi episodes he appeared in, but that may be interent myth. I thought I saw him talking about it before though.

In one of the EVENING series, he talks about it, if I remember correctly. Pretty sure that's where I heard the story.

[Jonathan Callan]

RTD wrote 29 Doctor Whos solo (I presume you didn't count the specials or something, even though they're LONGER than regular episodes!). Joss Whedon wrote 23 Buffys on his own. Not saying he did less work or anything like that... just thought it was an interesting quirk of the stats.

Nah, I just miscounted obviously. It's all a bit problematic, anyway though. Show-runners do TONS of rewriting and frequently don't take credits for scripts that are substantially, or even entirely, theirs. In many, many writer's room the name on the episode has more to do with who's turn it is than who wrote it.