Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has shared his thoughts on Billie Piper’s surprise return to the series.
‘The Reality War’, the finale for the 15th season of BBC’s long-running sci-fi show, saw Ncuti Gatwa exit his role as the iconic Time Lord, with the character regenerating into Piper at the end of the episode.
Crucially, Piper, who had previously played Rose Tyler in the series, wasn’t credited as The Doctor, leaving fans to wonder if the actor would be playing the 16th iteration of the Time Lord.
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Moffat, who served as the showrunner between 2010 and 2017, spoke with RadioTimes.com about the surprising development, though he remained coy on the exact nature of Piper’s role.
“I genuinely don’t have any insider information, but they have hedged their bets,” said Moffat, who returned to the series as a writer last year. “They’ve not said [she’s the Doctor] so I don’t know. I don’t even know if they know!”
BBC
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Though he was unsure of Piper’s role, Moffat did provide some insight on what he would look for when casting The Doctor, saying: “There’s something utterly odd, a sort of benevolent, kindly, slightly incompetent impersonation of a human being.”
Piper, who last appeared in the series in 2013, previously spoke about her shock return, saying: “It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there.
BBC
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“So to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she’s done it again,” added current showrunner Russell T Davies. “It’s an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told.”
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.