It looks like the age old bugbear of writers stretching themselves too thin has raised its head again. Den of Geek reports the shocking news that the BBC is pushing back Series 2 of Sherlock until 2012, reviving fears that budget cuts may even restrict them to a half-length series of one and a half episodes.
What is it with Steven Moffat? For years he lost no opportunity to tell the world how he was a childhood Sherlock Holmes fan and how he’d like nothing more than to write for the nation’s favourite sleuth. Then when the BBC finally gives him the chance, he seems more interested in moonlighting, writing for some kids’ sci-fi show. He’s even had that famous photo of him as a child reading The Hound of the Baskervilles on the beach photoshopped to make it appear that he was reading Doctor Who and the Daleks. How can he betray the trust of so many Holmesians who put their faith in him?
I confess that I was one of those who thought that, towards the end, ACD was stretching himself too thin in combining writing Sherlock Holmes with his popular spin-off books about fairies at the bottom of the garden and keeping goal for his local football team. I was calling for him to be replaced by Moffat. Are we now going to suffer again from an overambitious showrunner having his fingers in too many pies?
Mr Claypole Hickman, former editor of The Strand Magazine, commented: “Holmesians everywhere will be wild with excitement at this fantastic news that they won’t see any of their favourite show this year. Depriving us of our annual Sherlock series is quite simply a masterstroke by Moffat. This can only be good news for the build-up to the 125th anniversary special in 2012 which we hope will be a multi-Holmes story.”
Miss Dolores Hormowen, president of the We Hate Benedict Cumberbatch Society commented: “We at the WHBCS all saw this coming. Benedict Cumberbatch will be the death of Sherlock Holmes. He’s nowhere near as pretty as Basil Rathbone who had much nicer hair. I curled up in my bed and cried when I heard that Basil was being replaced by this Emo Holmes and shan’t ever watch the show again.”
Tom Baker, the longest running actor in the role of Doctor Who, asked for his comments on the news, replied: “I’m afraid I don’t remember but perhaps I could have a parrot on my shoulder in this scene. I could play The Master, you know.”
DOCTOR WHOM 
When the news concerning the postponement of the seventh season of DW to start some time in the autumn of 2012, followed by the additional news that it was only to be a part or incomplete season was first announced, one of, if not the main, argument put forward by the BBC was, indeed, Moffat’s hectic working schedule. The great man immediately responded with a firm rebuttal on Twitter (undoubtedly the place for firm butts). This was completely untrue. Following the news during the closing credits of Wednesday night’s repeat of Sherlock, that it would return next year, the firm butts were back in force on Twitter, ever eager for an explanation. And, yes, they received one. Along the lines of: we’re still actually making it….
Couple this with a further comment made by Moffat a week or so ago that he was off to watch rehearsals for Sherlock, at which he intended to continue writing this year’s DW Xmas special, and the general feeling is that the BBC’s original comment was correct, albeit one which Moffat might feel reluctant admitting to. The strange thing is, I, personally, don’t have a problem if the end result is worthy of the wait. Moffat’s track record suggests that it will be. Strange thing is, given that three episodes – with confirmed titles – have been committed to Sherlock, and fourteen for DW, if Moffat’s production values aren’t causing delay then it would be interesting to know what is. When Private Eye started the ball rolling on this a couple of months ago, they talked about disagreements in the BBC between Cardiff and London. London wanting more, i.e. the same DW, Cardiff protesting that it couldn’t meet the targets, followed by… the resignation/removal/taking-up of opportunities to work elsewhere, etc. by various Cardiff-based producers. So we have Moffat’s production values -v- Cardiff seriously dropping the ball. Not much else to chose from.
It seems likely from the circumstantial evidence and who is speaking versus who is remaining silent that the production team did not gel, and Moffat has ended up with a clean house. Question is who replaces the RTD team. One lot of 1990s Who book authors and their producers out, new authors and new producers in, including presumably at least one BBC appointee to kick heads and shrink budgets, whilst expecting the same or similar ratings and DVD / merchandise sales.