Russell T. Davies has opened up about his relationship with Doctor Who in the wake of a few tumultuous years for the BBC’s long-running science-fiction series. Back in 2005, Russell T. Davies revived Doctor Who for modern audiences after a 16-year hiatus, and he returned as showrunner in 2023 with the promise to revitalize the show amid increasing criticism and concern. Unfortunately, this didn’t really pan out in the way anyone expected, least of all Davies, who has now suggested that Doctor Who won’t be “on [his] gravestone.”
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“I love Doctor Who, but I don’t own it,” Davies revealed in The Big Issue (via Deadline) this August. “It’s not mine. So in the end, my heart will always be with the things that I own.” Instead, Davies suggests that his wide variety of queer shows, including Queer as Folk, Cucumber, It’s a Sin, and the upcoming Tip Toe, which he describes as “the strongest thing [he’s] written,” are what he’ll be remembered for. This claim may, of course, be disputed, as Davies has been celebrated as Doctor Who’s best showrunner, but these comments aren’t surprising after recent events.
Russell T. Davies returned to Doctor Who to bring the 60th anniversary specials to life in 2023, and then delivered two seasons with Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth incarnation of the time-traveling Doctor. Unfortunately, the reception to Gatwa’s two-season-run wasn’t as positive as first hoped, spurring speculation that the partnership between the BBC and Disney – allowing Doctor Who a much larger budget – has broken down, and prompting Gatwa to depart the show under something of a black cloud. This could have easily left a bad taste in Davies’ mouth.
After the season 15 finale, “The Reality War,” which ended with the Doctor’s regeneration replacing Gatwa with returning Doctor Who actor Billie Piper, the future for the longest-running sci-fi show in TV history is uncertain. No future seasons have yet been confirmed, it’s unclear what will come of Piper’s apparent Sixteenth Doctor, and Davies himself hasn’t confirmed whether he will be staying onboard as showrunner. His new comments seem to imply his willingness to distance himself from Doctor Who, which might spell bad news for the series going forward.
A new five-episode-long Doctor Who spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, is expected to release later this year, but the fate of the parent show hangs in the balance. Russell T. Davies’ comments cast even more doubt on when or if the series will return to our screens, though some believe a brief hiatus might do the show good. It’s a shame that even Davis’ experience on Doctor Who seems to have been soured, but there is still hope that good things will be ahead for the iconic series’ future.
Do you want to see Doctor Who return to our screens soon? Let us know in the comments!
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Image courtesy of HBO
