26 September 2003. My 16th birthday. That niche camp little old sci fi series which I had been watching on UK Gold, VHS and DVD for 4 years was coming back for a new series. Already I was involved in conventions and online fandom. Russell T Davies was going to showrun.
When it aired in 2005, it was the biggest and boldest thing British TV had done for years. The nearest comparison at the time was WB’s Harry Potter movies. These were big exciting sci fi adventures but with heart and character arcs. Blockbuster season finales. I was so inspired by the way it was run (behind the scenes articles and TV series were always always out) with it’s two spin offs. It’s partially why I wanted to work in TV, which hasn’t happened YET (why let the dream die?!) Russell left in 2010.
24 September 2021. Days before my 34th birthday (
#JesusChrist) It is announced that Russell T Davies will showrun the 60th Anniversary and a series beyond. This is amazing. Moffat kept inviting him back for an episode be he declined. This is the man who has since written Years & Years and the so-important It’s A Sin. A genius with his finger on the pulse. Am I expecting things to be the same? No, there have been 13 years and 9 series in the interim.
CONTROVERSIAL BIT Some may say this is the BBC trying to save the brand after a backlash to Chibnall’s run, which I don’t think is far from the truth. I love Jodie as the Thirteenth Doctor and Series 12 was better than 11 but I’ve never been a fan of Chibnall as a writer. Interestingly this will be produced by Bad Wolf, not BBC Studios – an indie company run by Jane Tranter (former BBC exec who commissioned RTD to make nuWho) and Julie Gardner (RTD’s former co-exec) The dream team are reunited (I was half exepcting a Netflix co-production that would take it back to America).
If anything they need to make Doctor Who more visible again, better press coverage, more merch, an MCU worth of spin offs (RTD said at the start of this year he wanted that for Doctor Who… )
I’m trying to think of characteristics of Russell’s run which could continue – definitely the character arcs, the optimistic look at humanity (the opposite to Years & Years?), celebrity historicals, mocking pop culture, as well as world-building through the contemprary stories. Interestingly back in the day RTD was holding back (wisely) on throwbacks to Classic Who which Moffat loosened on (obviously by then the general audience was more familiar with the show) Also of course his first series/special is said to be the 60th Anniversary – multi Doctor story? Are we getting the Fourteenth Doctor or the Meta-Crisis Doctor and Rose?
Also we know Russell is a big cuddly fierce old tart. He’s not afraid to put in things that may offend, commentary on the current climate, and like I said epic finales. Hopefully he’ll take the ‘event television’ approach once more.
I’m more optimistic about Doctor Who’s future than I was