Russell T Davies has “no plans” for new Doctor Who spin-off for kids
Davies said he's "sad" that there's no plan for a children's spin-off at the moment, but said "affording it would be hard".
While rumours of new Doctor Who spin-offs abound, including reports of a series focussed on Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT, Russell T Davies has now revealed that a new younger-skewing series is not in the offing.
Speaking in the new issue of SFX in a feature looking at Doctor Who's previous children's focussed spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, Davies said that while he would love to do another series in the same vein, there are currently "no plans" for one due to financing issues.
Davies said of creating a new children focussed spin-off: "It’s an ideal, but we’re coming back to a world in which money in children’s [TV] is in even shorter supply. Even with all the good will in the world, we’d find it very hard to do now, unfortunately. There are fantasy shows – they do do stuff. But our stuff is expensive."
He continued: "You also have to keep the spin-offs looking as good as the main show, in order to maintain the entire brand – that’s part of the problem as well. So it’s genuinely tricky. There is no plan at the moment for children’s, and I’m sad about that, but just affording it would be hard."
Despite this new, Davies did add: "Hopefully! We’ll get there, give us time."
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Davies confirmed his plans to create Doctor Who spin-offs back in January after months of speculation, saying that it was "time for the next stage for Doctor Who".
He said: "I thought the streaming platforms are ready, the spin-offs are ready; I always believed in spin-offs when I was there. I did Torchwood as a spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures as a spin-off.
"Those spin-offs declined when I left, and I can see why. And I very much left after 2008, when the money became scarce. I think that's fair enough for the public service broadcaster that the money is spent on other things."
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He also said that his "imagination feels more free" writing new episodes in comparison with his previous era (2005-2010), due to the bigger budget afforded by financial partnerships, such as the show's new deal with Disney Plus.
He continued: "It's just a joy to write anyway. I'm really proud of it. Oh my god, there are some strong episodes coming up."
The new issue of SFX will be on sale from Wednesday 22nd March, with subscriber copies becoming available from Saturday 18th March.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
