Writing Blink (Doctor Who)

steven moffat on writing horror fiction doctor who.

the episode written steven moffat.

blink written steven moffat. part of story blink based on moffat s ninth doctor short story doctor annual 2006 called did on christmas holidays sally sparrow . short story presented homework essay sally, though 12 years old, encounters evidence of doctor s presence past in aunt s house while visiting. did includes several elements reused in blink , including messages under wallpaper , ontological paradox involving conversation between sally , doctor, prerecorded on video cassette, based on written transcript—the essay itself; however, instead of angels, did features doctor , tardis inadvertently separated twenty years in time fault in time machine, , doctor able instruct sally how bring him in past.

moffat had held idea of weeping angels since seeing angel statue in graveyard whilst on family holiday, , had planned use them next series in episodes became silence in library , forest of dead . however, after withdrawing writing of series 3 s first two-part story—helen raynor took on these episodes, writing daleks in manhattan , evolution of daleks —moffat volunteered write series doctor-lite episode , opted use weeping angels in become blink . moffat inspired write episode based on popular children s game statues, found frightening . murray gold, composer series, later compared creatures moving ghostly topiary animals in stephen king s 1977 horror novel shining.

blink third story of revived series adapted television same writer piece of spin-off writing. follows human nature , family of blood story arc, adapted paul cornell 1995 novel human nature; , dalek , used basic premise several scenes , lines of dialogue adapted robert shearman 2003 audio drama jubilee. blink referred doctor-lite episode because doctor , companion have little screen time. allowed 2 episodes filmed simultaneously, process known double banking . practice had begun 2006 entry love & monsters , , continue episodes such turn left , midnight , , girl waited . moffat stated felt relaxed when writing script blink , if proved unpopular, blame doctor-lite structure of episode. due show s tight schedule, blink had 1 script meeting.