The showrunner is returning after leaving the programme in 2010
Doctor Who fans rejoiced when the BBC announced that Russell T Davies would be returning to the sci-fi franchise as showrunner following Chris Chibnall’s run with Jodie Whittaker.
The writer was the creative mind behind Doctor Who’s new era, bringing the classic series into the modern day with a bang and two memorable iterations of the Time Lord before passing on the reins to Steven Moffat, who in turn was succeeded by Chibnall.
David Tennant, who portrayed the tenth Doctor with Davies and is returning as the fourteenth Doctor this November, has teased to Empire magazine that the 60th anniversary specials see “Russell off the leash.”
But what is it about Davies’ interpretation of the character and his approach to the series that has viewers so excited? Here’s our take.
Russell T Davies’ approach to Doctor Who makes him stand out
Davies has a deep love and understanding of Doctor Who, first coming to love the series when he watched William Hartnell’s First Doctor regenerate into the Second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton).
He took this passion for the sci-fi hit and infused it into his version of the story, bringing back old foes and the Doctor’s iconic villains while also adding a sense of fun and cheeky charm to the whole endeavour.
Davies knew how to pay homage to what came before him while also infusing his own unique vision to the character, highlighted particularly with the Doctor’s first real romance between the character and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) after years of will they-won’t they feelings between the Time Lord and his companions.
The screenwriter brings out the heart of the characters and focused on the Doctor’s humanity as a way to make him a relatable figure for viewers — arguably more so than his successors.
His understanding of the series and love for it resulted in him becoming the creative mind behind the spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Janes Adventures, both of which were beloved by fans and breathed new life into the franchise as a whole.
How Russell T Davies differs from his successors
When Davies left Doctor Who in 2010 he left big shoes to fill, with Moffat taking over and ushering in Matt Smith’s era on the show as the Eleventh Doctor before ending with Peter Capaldi’s run as the Twelfth Doctor in 2017.
Moffat had a different vision of the series in mind, creating bigger and more complex stories to screen that he sowed seeds for when writing for the show during Davies’ time as showrunner.
Where Davies focused on humour and touching human stories, Moffat made grand narratives that played out over several episodes, if not seasons, that came together in explosive ways.
The most memorable of these was the story around the Doctor and River Song (Alex Kingston) who was first introduced in 2008 episode Silence in the Library during Tennant’s era and whose relationship with the Doctor was revealed little by little over the course of Smith and Capaldi’s time in the role.
Moffat later tried to do something similar with the Doctor’s companion Clara (Jenna Coleman), whose importance to the Doctor in a mystery known as The Impossible Girl. Though it arguably wasn’t as effective as River Song’s arc it showed Moffat’s intent to focus on grand storylines rather than focus in on the more intimate human story of the Doctor, like Davies.
Chibnall, meanwhile, took a very different approach to the Doctor when he took over in 2017 and brought in Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. During his era the series saw many firsts, it was the first to have a female Doctor of course, but it also featured the first LGBTQ+ relationship with the Doctor (though not the first queer character in the series).
The protectiveness and secretive nature that Chibnall employed during his time as showrunner did more harm than good, though, because rather than build interest in his series it created a sense of detachment to Whittaker’s era.
The storylines, too, did not feel as strong as Davies or Moffat’s time as showrunner, with plots spread thin and culminated in the show receiving some of the lowest ratings it has had since New Who began.
A showrunner who knows how to drum up interest
One thing Davies is particularly good at is drumming up interest in Doctor Who, and he has done this masterfully with not only the 60th anniversary but also Ncuti Gatwa’s upcoming era as the Fifteenth Doctor.
The screenwriter knows how to create a good tease, regularly giving fans on social media fun puzzles to play and guess what is coming in the new episodes, which he employed to reveal casting for Gatwa and Millie Gibson and Jinkx Monsoon as a new villain.
What Davies has also done well is ensure that the focus lands squarely on Gatwa’s incoming era, highlighting the actor and giving him the platform to speak and promote the show over a year in advance of his first episode, which they did at the BAFTAs in May 2022.
At the time of his casting, Davies said: “The future is here and it’s Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars.
“Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds. It’s an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started.”
Such spirited words no doubt caught the eye of Doctor Who fans, particularly those who may have lost interest in the show over the years.
Davies has consistently been teasing information both about the 60th anniversary, which has already drawn interest because of Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return to the show, and the forthcoming 14th season.
What being ‘let off the leash’ could mean for Doctor Who
Tennant has teased that the 60th anniversary episodes are going to be “unlike any Doctor Who episode ever”, with him emphasising how the specials have let Davies “off the leash” but what does this mean?
Well for one thing it suggests the show is being given a much needed boost, and also is focusing on the history of the show that longtime fans and new alike will enjoy.
But from what has been shared about the show so far (which on the face of it isn’t that much) we can assume the anniversary specials will not only breathe new life into the franchise it’ll also celebrate everything fans love about it too.
We already know that the Toymaker is coming back, a character that first appeared in 1966 opposite Hartnell’s First Doctor and has not appeared in the show in 57 years.
Not only that but Davies is also taking the opportunity to feature comic book characters like Meep, and what appears to be a Wrath Warrior (though the latter has not yet been confirmed).
Of course bringing back Tennant and Tate, one of the most beloved pairings of the New Who series, was a fun way to change things up, as it marks the first time an actor has returned to the role of the Doctor as a whole new iteration of the character and not just for a cameo appearance.
It suggests a giddy child-like wonder is being infused into the 60th anniversary specials, and is something that fans — quite rightly— can’t wait to see.
