Steven Moffat On The 50th Anniversary: How Do The Tenth And Eleventh Doctors Get On?



Steven Moffat has been talking to SFX magazine about how he envisaged the relationship between the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors when he was writing the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day Of The Doctor. David Tennant will be returning to the TARDIS alongside the current Doctor Matt Smith for the celebratory edition.

Steven says that he saw friction between the two incarnations of the Time Lord.
“When you’re talking to yourself there are no limitations, there’s no holding back," he explained. "You wouldn’t be kind or courteous. At the same time, because they are two lovable, madcap, caffeinated Doctors, they’re also quite fanboyish about each other. They think it’s quite cool. They’re not broody, upset Doctors – it’s more ‘There’s two of us! Brilliant!’”

However, he also adds that a lot has come from David Tennant and Matt Smith's own relationship and how they played the scenes.
“…they were having such a good time together that they brought that out. They get giggly with each other. It is, by lovely accident, a tremendous double-act. They’re naturally funny together. Enough alike and enough dissimilar. Matt said it was like Laurel and Laurel, as if Hardy didn’t show up – except he does in the form of John Hurt!”

On the similarities and differences between the Doctors he says, "Where they are similar is funny, because they're practically in unison, and where they are different is David is a cheeky, sexy, genuinely cool Doctor, up against a Doctor who thinks he's sexy and cool but is woefully wrong on that subject!"

Steven reveals that Matt and David were both quite nervous of the readthrough and though they had barely encountered one another previously they became great friends while filming the special.  

He also addressed the challenge of meeting fans' wishes while accepting that it would not be possible to bring back all of the previous Doctors to the special. 

"They're all brilliant, they're all terrific, but that time has passed," he explains. "I think it would be beyond the dignity of all those very fine actors to want to force themselves back into a costume for 20 or 30 years ago."


The full interview is published in the new edition of SFX, in shops now

The Day Of The Doctor, starring Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt, Billie Piper and Jenna Coleman, will be simulcast by TV broadcasters around the world on Saturday 23rd November. The 75 minute special will also have a worldwide 3D cinematic release.



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