|
|
 |
Steven Moffat interview - Radio Times, May 2006 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Writer Steven Moffat mixes shocks and romance in Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace. Nick Griffiths finds out more.
"Are you my mummy?"
For a while, the nation's
playgrounds resounded
to it. Counterfeit T-shirts
bearing the phrase were even made.
The catchphrase came from
"the ones with the gas mask", Steven
Moffat's two-parter from series one,
The Empty Child and The Doctor
Dances. Even Moffat's kids were
affected. "My own two children drive
their mother mad by saying, 'Are you
my Mummy?', says Moffat. So, how
do you follow up such notoriety?
"You don't worry about that kind
of thing or you'd go mad," he says.
"This episode [The Girl in the
Fireplace] is so different." The
writer this time tackles Madame de
Pompadour, who was the mistress of
18th-century French King Louis XV.
"It's the second time I've been given
research to do for Doctor Who and
I'm damned if I'm doing it again."
On the subject of the Time Lord's
perceived asexuality, Moffat has this
to say: "I think that his asexual nature
was perhaps read into the series by its
more asexual fans. If you look at the
old show, it's not true. At some stage
the Doctor had a wife and a family,
because he's got a grand- daughter.
He likes everything: he drinks, he
eats, why wouldn't he date?"
As for scares, Moffat says,
"I wouldn't say this episode is as
sinister [as his previous two-parter],
but there's an opening sequence
that might frighten children."
Trailers show Clockwork Robots
terrorising royal liggers. Russell T
Davies has already hinted that this
story's "Tick tock!" may replace "Are
you my Mummy?" as the catchphrase
of doom.
How does Moffat balance
fear with the family audience? "We sit
and think about acceptable levels of
fear and responsible television, then
decide to scare the little devils. Look,
'scary' is a recommendation to a child.
If you tell a child a book is scary,
they will read it. Children love it.
"If you think of Doctor Who as
daffy and camp and funny, that's
because you're an adult. To a child,
it's none of those things; it's deadly
serious and it's frightening. If Doctor
Who doesn't supply a couple of
decent scares and shocks, it's not
doing its job."
**
Read our 2007 interview with Steven Moffat - or take a look at our full Doctor Who guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| EMAIL A FRIEND |
|
| Want to share this page with a friend? It's quick and easy! |
| Email a friend |
|
|
|
|
|
