Russell T Davies hints at next TV drama as he reveals inspiration

Davies revealed that he splits his time between Swansea and Manchester, saying that most of his stuff has been made in Manchester. "Doctor Who's obviously in Wales but when we did Years & Years – everything else, that's up in Manchester," he said.

Reflecting on the years he's lived in Manchester and near to where Queer as Folk was made, Davies said of the city: "I just love the place, I think it's beautiful."

Also speaking about the 'Queer as Folk effect' on Manchester's Canal Street, Davies said: "There are always invasion myths with gay spaces, it's part of our thinking. It's part of... we're being invaded, we're being colonised, adopted into the mainstream, which we also want.

"It's very hard... do you want to be in an exclusive space or do you want to be part of the whole world? That battle is forever and that's still going on and life moves on, a lot of younger gay life or younger queer life in Manchester has moved to the Northern Quarter. But Canal Street's still there."

"I've actually been spending a lot of time there recently because I think it's about time that I wrote about it again," Davies said of Canal Street.

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When pressed about whether there are some TV ideas percolating, Davies admitted there are, saying: "Yeah, with the world getting madder and madder with trans rights, queer rights, gay rights, women's rights.

"It's like we're all arguing with each other when we should be arguing with the enemy. So, I've been spending a lot of time there just to... get the temperature of the place and I discover it's still the same old place."

The screenwriter and producer is, of course, known for Doctor Who but is also known for his work on Years & Years, It's a Sin, A Very English Scandal and Nolly.

As of now, though, Davies's attention is very much occupied by the long-running sci-fi series, which is gearing up for its Christmas special episode. Penned by former showrunner Steven Moffat, the new episode sees Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and Nicola Coughlan's Joy caught up in an epic new adventure centred around a time-travelling hotel.

The synopsis for Joy to the World reads: "The episode introduces Joy, starring Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), who checks into a London hotel in 2024, only to discover that her quiet stay is anything but ordinary.

"When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.

"Where has the Doctor been? What is going on in Joy's hotel room? An old enemy of the Doctor's is lurking in the wings and all of human history hangs in the balance. Can the Doctor save Christmas, everywhere, all at once?"

Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Christmas. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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