How far ahead do you think they plan on Dr. Who?

TheIrishGrover

**SPOILERS UP TO A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR AND EPISODES OF BUFFY**


I was just thinking about "A Good Man Goes To War" and River's revelation and I was thinking how long they had planned it? Was River ALWAYS going to be a companion's child? Was that her intended story all along? Obviously each season has it's own story arc that's pretty well mapped out from the start and there have been strands that have spread over more than one season (References to The Silence) but I'm just wondering if they go all out and do a whole Joss Whedon on it? Dawn, Buffy's sister was alluded to over two seasons before she appeared as was Buffy's (second) death.
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...... Or do they make it up as they go along?

Jessibelle

I stand to be corrected on this, but I'd say she was planned, given she's a Stephen Moffat creation, and if he had plans then to become head writer, he'd have a very defined arc in his head from the get go.

The Mad Hatter

I'd say that River Song was planned well in advance, along with the broad shape of the current story arc, though I think that's very much a Steven Moffat thing, and wouldn't expect the same to be true of other writers.

A while back, someone linked to a messageboard post by Moffat from about sixteen years ago where he seems to have been already thinking about the sort of themes he's started dealing with in his current run.

Stark

You know what's really freaky? Seeing how polite internet users were in 1995. If it was a modern day unmoderated forum, you'd see at least 2 or 3 "that's retarded" replies.