This is, by no means, Steven Moffat’s first rodeo with time travel. As the Dr Who showrunner, he quickly garnered a fandom that loved, or hated, his twists and turns. The show’s central follows a Time Lord who travels through space and time in his Tardis. The phrase “time- wimey stuff”, coined on Dr Who, seems apt for Moffat’s career. He seems to be attracted to the concept, barring his work on the British drama series, Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Moffat has been pretty vocal with various media institutions, talking about the book on which the upcoming TV adaptation is based on, his experience, and nerves.
Speaking to Radio Times, Moffat gushed about the book, penned in 2003 by Audrey Niffenegger. He said he is absolutely thrilled to have the chance to relay the story to a new medium. It was adapted to a movie in 2009 starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana.
"I never thought I'd get a shot at doing the actual Time Traveler's Wife," Moffat said to Radio Times. "But as anyone who's watched Doctor Who knows, I love that book.
"I've referenced it in a number of ways throughout, including my favourite bit – that Peter Capaldi's Doctor keeps his spare Tardis key inside a copy of The Time Traveler's Wife.”
As with anything new and fresh, he has also shared some concerns in the same interview. "I hope we've found a way to make it work as a TV show. It's a hard one to do. Oh, God, I hope people like it. I mean, I love the book, so I hope my love translates onto the screen."
Speaking to Variety, he said he wrote the Dr Who episode, “The Girl In The Fireplace”, as a response to the book. But Niffenegger would not be outdone. She played along. “When, in her next novel, Audrey [Niffenegger] had a character watching that very episode, I realised she was probably on to me.
“All these years later, the chance to adapt the novel itself, is a dream come true. The brave new world of long form television is now ready for this kind of depth and complexity. It’s a story of happy ever after — but not necessarily in that order.”
The studio, HBO, is also pleased to have the talented showrunner. “Steven’s passion is evident in every project he’s written and we are certain that his love and respect for this mesmerising and textured novel will make it a quintessential HBO series,” said HBO programming president Casey Bloys in the same article on Variety.
All we can say, with that sort of passion, the beloved characters Henry (Theo James of Divergent) and Clare (Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie) are in very safe hands. And Niffenegger would hardly disagree.
Watch The Time Traveler’s Wife Express from the US on M-Net from Monday 16 May at 21:30.
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Sources: Radio Times and Variety
Image: Screenwriter Steven Moffat poses at Buckingham Palace in London, England on 4 February 2016 after being made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). Getty