Russell T Davies reveals why he returned to Doctor Who
The writer tells RadioTimes.com he never stopped thinking about the show.
Russell T Davies has opened up about his shock decision to return as Doctor Who showrunner.
The acclaimed screenwriter recently topped 2021's RadioTimes.com TV 100, recognising his incredible year that included the launch of powerful AIDS drama It's A Sin on Channel 4.
For many years after leaving Doctor Who, Davies insisted that he would not return for a second stint on the long-running sci-fi drama, but it now appears the show was never far from his mind.
He said: "The truth of it is, everyone lies when they leave Doctor Who and says 'Oh, I've moved on! – I've been thinking about it since I was three, so there's no way you stop thinking about it."
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Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor will be regenerating later this year, ushering in a new era for Davies, who will work alongside another lead actor whose identity is yet to be revealed.
"There are things coming up that are brand new ways of telling stories that have never been done before, so it just feels new – I wouldn't have gone back if it wasn't feeling new," Davies teased.
He went on to elaborate on why Doctor Who has a unique appeal to writers that few other shows can claim to have, as each week brings its own distinct premise and cast of characters.
"I'm sitting here now, 10 pages away from a climax thinking, 'God, I've never been in this territory before – this is strange and new and hopefully I'll learn something out of it," added Davies.
"The reason why I've worked on 34 programmes in my life is that I don't normally like continuing series. That's why It's A Sin came to an end and I just moved on."
He concluded: "I just like looking at a new set of challenges every time and another blank page, but Doctor Who is always a blank page."
Read more:
- Russell T Davies: "If I'd got It's A Sin wrong, that would have been an awful thing"
- Omari Douglas addresses Doctor Who rumours
- Doctor Who's Billie Piper returns for two more seasons of audio spin-off
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
