31 Quotes & Sayings By Steven Moffat

Steven Moffat is a writer and producer, best known as the co-creator of Doctor Who and its subsequent spin-offs, including Torchwood and Sherlock. He has also worked on other shows such as Coupling and Jekyll. His work on the Sherlock series earned him BAFTA and Hugo Award nominations for Best Television Writer, while his work on Doctor Who has earned him two BAFTA wins. His first book, The Etymologicon: An Astonishingly Informative Guide to the Origins of Nearly Everything, was published in 2006 and became a number one bestseller in the UK and the US.

1
When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever for one moment, accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. (In the library, the Doctor walks back to the TARDIS. He stops, looking at the doors. Then he raises his hand, and stands there poised like that for a long moment. Finally he snaps his fingers. The doors open. He smiles slowly and walks in, joining Donna. Then he snaps his fingers again, and the doors close. River's voice continues over this.) Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call.. everybody lives. . Steven Moffat
2
The universe is big, its vast and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. And that's the theory. Nine hundred years, never seen one yet, but this would do me. Steven Moffat
The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous....
3
The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes–very rarely–impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. Steven Moffat
People assume that time is a strict progression of cause...
4
People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff. Steven Moffat
5
This was supposed to be yesterday. I was sitting on the Cardiff/London train, supposedly about to write this very column, and realising something quite terrible. My head was entirely empty. A vast echoing void. Bigger on the inside, but with nothing in it. You could drop a pebble in my brain and wait for an hour to hear it land. No actually, you couldn't - that would be aggressive and unhelpful, so keep your damn pebbles to yourself. . Steven Moffat
What's the point of being a grown-up if you don't...
6
What's the point of being a grown-up if you don't get to be immature? Steven Moffat
Have you met the French? My...GOD they know how to...
7
Have you met the French? My...GOD they know how to party! Steven Moffat
Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest...
8
Good is good in the final hour, in the deepest pit — without hope, without witness, without reward. Virtue is only virtue in extremis. Steven Moffat
You have to take your own bold approach, and if...
9
You have to take your own bold approach, and if you do you will be rewarded with success. Or calamitous failure. That can happen too. Steven Moffat
Hitler: Thank you, whoever you are. I think you just...
10
Hitler: Thank you, whoever you are. I think you just saved my life. The Doctor: Believe me... It was an accident. Steven Moffat
The Doctor: I've seen bigger. Clara: Really?The Doctor: Are you...
11
The Doctor: I've seen bigger. Clara: Really?The Doctor: Are you joking? It's massive! Steven Moffat
Come on, Rory! It isn't rocket science, it's just quantum...
12
Come on, Rory! It isn't rocket science, it's just quantum physics! - The Doctor (Matt Smith) Steven Moffat
13
The Doctor: Amazing. Nancy: What is? The Doctor: 1941. Right now, not very far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it, nothing. Until one tiny, damp little island says "No. No, not here." A mouse in front of a lion. You're amazing, the lot of you. I don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me. Steven Moffat
14
I'd forgotten not all victories are about saving the universe. Steven Moffat
15
Madge: I don't know why I keep shouting at them. The Doctor: Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they're going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later.~ The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe Steven Moffat
16
Well we've moved through the funfair a bit - we've done the rollercoaster, now we're on the ghost train. Steven Moffat
17
Clara Oswald: This is just a dream, but very clever people can hear dreams. So please, just listen. I know you're afraid, but being afraid is all right, because didn't anybody ever tell you fear is a superpower? Fear can make you faster and cleverer and stronger. And one day, you'll come back to this barn and on that day you're going to be very afraid indeed. But that's ok because if you're very wise and very strong, fear doesn't have to make you cruel or cowardly. Fear can make you kind. It doesn't matter if there's nothing under the bed or in the dark, so long as you know it's ok to be afraid of it. You're always going to be afraid, even if you learn to hide it. Fear is like a companion, a constant companion, always there. But that's ok, because fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home. I'm going to leave you with something just so you always remember: Fear makes companions of us all. -Listen, Doctor Who, episode 8.4. Steven Moffat
18
Madame Kovarian: The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules. The Doctor: Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many. Steven Moffat
19
We're all stories, in the end. Steven Moffat
20
Because every time you see them happy you remember how sad they're going to be. And it breaks your heart. Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later. The answer is, of course, because they a re going to be sad later. Steven Moffat
21
Maybe I'm in Hell. That's okay, I'm not scared of Hell - it's just Heaven for bad people. Steven Moffat
22
The Doctor: You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust, you betrayed our friendship, you betrayed everything I ever stood for. You let me down! Clara: Then why are you helping me? The Doctor: Why? Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference? Steven Moffat
23
Is there a word for 'total screaming genius' that sounds modest and a tiny bit sexy? Steven Moffat
24
Bow ties are cool. Steven Moffat
25
Reinette: One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel. Steven Moffat
26
Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun, When a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies, Night will fall and the dark will rise, When a good man goes to war. Demons run, but count the cost. The battle's won but the child is lost. Steven Moffat
27
Heroes are important. Heroes tell us who we want to be but when they made this particular hero they didn’t give him a gun, they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an X-Wing, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help and they didn’t give him a superpower or a heat-ray, they gave him an extra heart. And that’s extraordinary. There will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like the doctor. Steven Moffat
28
There are two events in everybody’s life that nobody remembers. Two moments experienced by every living thing. Yet no one remembers anything about them. Nobody remembers being born and nobody remembers dying. Is that why we always stare into the eye sockets of a skull? Because we’re asking, “What was it like?” “Does it hurt?” “Are you still scared?”. Steven Moffat
29
Brainy's the new sexy. Steven Moffat
30
I can't see what's wrong about assuming intelligence in your audience and what's bad news about being rewarded for assuming that. Steven Moffat