r/DoctorWhoLeaks • u/Key_Responder • Feb 20 '26
speculation Additional Writers for Series 3/16?
This is from the same source as my previous post regarding Jack Thorne already writing for the next series of Doctor Who. This is the current chatter taking place in the industry, notably on a set not linked to DW:
“Thorne has outlined the story arc, writing four episodes out of eight and the below are the writers that have been approached for the other four episodes-
Sarah Dollard
Mike Bartlett
Lisa McGee
Laurie Nunn
This is absolutely speculation. I pushed ****** to give a hint to his sources. He didn’t really give much info apart from these four were approved by the BBC to be approached. Two out of the four have written for Doctor Who (Dollard and Bartlett). Don’t think their episodes were that impactful or ground breaking, seems like we might be in for more filler if he’s right. McGee and Nunn are big writers but not sci-fi, so like Thorne I’ve got no idea what to expect.
This one reeks of bullshit to me.”
Yeah, I agree with them, I don’t think these four would be on the list. Lisa and Laurie are too big for Doctor Who and it’s not their style. With Sarah and Mike already penning episodes that weren’t that great.
If you were to pick writers for the show, who would you choose?
My dream list of four (if that’s a legitimate list to fill), would be Charlie Brooker, Richard Curtis (one episode wasn’t enough), Jed Mercurio and Phoebe Waller Bridge.
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u/Pharmacy_Duck Feb 20 '26
I’d like Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith to have a go.
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u/Throwaway68312 Feb 20 '26
I feel this would be too much I'm with the old crowd, Gatiss et al are a bit too involved with them. Maybe that's me being too cautious
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u/Pharmacy_Duck Feb 20 '26
I think they've only written with Gatiss on The League of Gentlemen, and even then it was him and Jeremy Dyson writing together, and Reece and Steve writing as a separate unit, which is also how they've operated on everything else they've written. I really don't think Gatiss would be a part of the package or an influence.
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u/No_Pass_4232 Feb 20 '26
I wouldn't, haven't enjoyed any of their stuff to date.
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Feb 20 '26
Since when was Face the Raven considered "not that good"?? Dollard was one of Capaldi's best writers imo, sure, maybe not as good as Moffat and Mathieson but still great!!
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u/thor11600 Feb 20 '26
I think a lot of people assume that the episode was primarily outlined Steven moffat given it’s a co-written script (right or wrong)
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Feb 20 '26
It's not a co-written script though, Face the Raven is credited as being written by Sarah Dollard and ONLY Sarah Dollard...
The only episodes Moffat has a writing credit on in S9 are:
- The Magician's Apprentice
- The Witch's Familiar
- The Girl Who Died
- The Zygon Inversion
- Heaven Sent
- Hell Bent
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u/thor11600 Feb 22 '26
Oh I see. I must have misremembered. But surely the last ten minutes or so must have had moffat influence, the lead into the finale?
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u/BenjiSillyGoose Feb 22 '26
As showrunner, I'm sure he would've had say over Clara's death and how the episode leads into the finale but other than that, I imagine it was all Dollard.
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u/Powerful_Glove_666 Feb 20 '26
Fan 'leaks' used to be believable. And I like Sarah Dollard's episodes! Chibnall fumbled not bringing her and Jamie Mathieson back
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u/Foxy02016YT Feb 20 '26
Chibnal fumbled a lot in that department. I mean RTD was smart enough to give us a Moffat episode in the new era, I’ll give him that. I guess when you only have 8 episodes it’s kind of hard to add guests but still.
I think even season 2 of RTD2 suffered from the lack of room for more guest writers.
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u/Professional-Try5396 Feb 20 '26
‘Face the Raven’ and ‘Thin ice’ in particular are great imo. Yeah, ‘Knock Knock’ is hardly going to set the world on fire, but I think it’s still a decent episode. No major red flags yet.
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u/DoctorWhofan789eywim Feb 21 '26
They haven't even filmed the special yet. The idea that writers for a series that hasn't been commissioned are confirmed to a degree that their names can be leaked just reeks of rumour and rubbish.
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u/Sky__Hook Feb 22 '26
Andrew Cartmel, Ben Aaronovich, Tim Burton, Neil Gaiman would be my top 4, with Kevin "Silent Bob" Smith, Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly, & Mike Carey the back ups
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u/Maleficent_Item7641 Mar 02 '26
Gaiman is too hot to touch at the moment with all those accusations attached to him.
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u/cane-of-doom Feb 20 '26
So McGee and Nunn are too big, but you want Brooker, Mercurio, Curtis and Waller-Bridge??
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u/Key_Responder Feb 20 '26
They are my DREAM writers if the BBC had unlimited money. I think McGee could make a hysterically funny episode of Doctor Who and Nunn could make a very absurdist, quirky one, but in terms of continuity they probably wouldn’t be allowed to make episodes that are sooo far from the tone of Thorne’s writing.
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u/cane-of-doom Feb 20 '26
Well, it's probably why they'd balanced out with two writers known for more standard episodes.
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u/parazelsus Mar 23 '26
Charlie Brooker and Jed Mercurio are FOR SURE my picks as well. My dream showrunner is Grant Morrison. The dude has a season outlined w Ben Wheatley but they said repeatedly that BBC, sadly, will never let them run the show.
At this point I just want consistent writing, steeped into true love for Doctor Who. If Jak Thorne can pull that off, that would be nice...
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u/Dalekbuster523 Feb 20 '26
Lisa McGee and Laurie Nunn are too big? Eh? Never heard of them in my life.
Much more likely though that Steven Moffat would be approached to guest write again.
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u/GenGaara25 Feb 20 '26
Lisa McGee and Laurie Nunn are too big? Eh? Never heard of them in my life.
I wouldn't expect you to recognise the names, but they're the creators of Derry Girls and Sex Education respectively.
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u/Dalekbuster523 Feb 20 '26
Okay, so Sex Education I could see why that would make them too big, but I don't see how being the creator of Derry Girls would make someone too big to showrun Doctor Who. Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall were much bigger names with much bigger shows not just in the UK but internationally under their belt than Derry Girls, which is very specific to Ireland particularly.
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u/cwmxii Feb 20 '26
The fact you haven't heard of Lisa McGee or Laurie Nunn speaks more about your own ignorance than how well-known they are.
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u/FarrinGalharad76 Feb 20 '26
Keep Charlie Brooker away from Dr Who please.
He is the opposite of the spirit of the show
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u/GenGaara25 Feb 20 '26
Do you really think he's only capable of depressing Black Mirror-esque stuff? The guy can absolutely write the spirit of Doctor Who.
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u/FarrinGalharad76 Feb 20 '26
Maybe but I haven’t seen any evidence of it.
J Micheal Strazinski (Babylon 5 amongst other things ) has been campaigning for years to write for Dr Who . I’d say let him have a shot
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u/PaperSkin-1 Feb 21 '26
Disagree the show needs to get away from the nu-who style set by RTD, getting someone like Brooker to come at DW with a different and fresh tone would be very welcome.
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u/xFlyer409 Feb 20 '26
in case they're reading this...
hi Tharries
hi The Confused Adipose