Showrunner Russell T. Davies On Ushering An Inclusive Era Of ‘Doctor Who’
12.05.2024 - 20:35
/ deadline.com
After 13 years away from the smash-hit British sci-fi series Doctor Who, showrunner and executive producer Russell T. Davies is back and ready to (slightly) reintroduce the Doctor in a way that’s a bit more nuanced and bolder than ever before.
This time around, in the series’ 14th season, the Doctor is played by Ncuti Gatwa, the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role. “When you become a senior figure in television, it’s your job to open doors and let the next people through and to let trans and queer stories through,” Davies told Deadline. Davies was the linchpin of the new iteration of the six-decade franchise from 2005 until 2010, making it one of the most successful TV reboots in modern history.
Deadline spoke to Davies about the importance of his work as a queer filmmaker and the unabashedly fun choices in the latest season of Doctor Who.
DEADLINE: You ushered in Doctor Who’s iconic revival in 2005, and now you’re back almost a decade later. I’m curious about the throughline of your work on things like Queer as Folk to Years and Years to now cultivating this new queer Doctor Who. As a queer person yourself, what does all of this mean to you?
RUSSELL T. DAVIES: That’s like asking me, “What’s the meaning of life?” [laughs]. It’s something I’m immensely proud of. I often get asked, “Do you mind being identified as a gay writer?” And I say, “I’m absolutely delighted to be.” I’m identified by that. What a fine label to have. I consider myself to be very lucky, genuinely, throughout my life. When I came to write Queer as Folk—which was the game-changer for me— I just think I was lucky that I was the person that got [those types of stories] onscreen. Because I know I was part of a rising tide of gay, lesbian,
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