Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Rich Watson]

Here's a crazy thing to ponder. We're heading towards two years since Russell's return was announced and still have several months to go before we see the first fruits of that return.

I was also thinking that Doctor Who could end up being an unwitting beneficiary of the writers/actors strikes. Even if they're both resolved in the next few months, Disney+ will still have a slim set of things to promote until production catches back up. So they could go all out for Series 14.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Here's a crazy thing to ponder. We're heading towards two years since Russell's return was announced and still have several months to go before we see the first fruits of that return.

I was actually thinking exactly this earlier. It’s been ages, but we are only a few months away now.

Exciting times.

 

[Mr Awe]

Wow, those two years actually went by very quickly!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Lucky break indeed. Hopefully that'll lead to welcoming a lot of new fans.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

During an Elle profile on her, Yasmin Finney talked about her experiences with the 60th anniversary specials:

I want to shift a little bit to Doctor Who. You get to star with David Tennant and Catherine Tate, two icons in this series. What it was like to film with them?
I didn’t go to drama school, I’m kind of learning on the job. I went on the set, and I sort of sat back. I just wanted to see how they all do it. It was just amazing to watch TV gold on set. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are two amazing, amazing actors. I grew up watching Doctor Who, watching David Tennant and Catherine Tate. That was my era in 2003. It’s crazy to be on a show that deeply has a lot f history with me. It’s just really, really fab.

With Heartstopper, you’ve got this amazing friendship group and you’re a young trans woman trying navigate the world around you, and then in Doctor Who, you’ve got this amazing family, which I’m not going to talk too much about, but you’re fighting aliens and it’s just a complete shift. With Rose [Finney’s character], she is very sure of herself and very confident. Both characters had a bone in me. One goes into family and one goes into friendship, and I guess they both go hand in hand. It’s just that one of the shows is sci-fi, Doctor Who, and one of them is Heartstopper.

The name Rose is a very important name in the Whoniverse. Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, was the first companion when the series returned with the Ninth Doctor. What does it mean to carry that name with you this season, even if you're not playing the same character?
I mean it’s obviously got a lot of history, hasn’t it? To play a character with such history, even just the name, you’ve got that pressure instantly that I didn’t have with Elle. It was a complete mind-blowing experience when I got cast. I can’t really relive it because I was so in the moment. At first, [the show] had a code name, and then I found out what the show was and I was like, “Oh my God, I’ve just been cast in Doctor Who.” It’s a trans character as well, and it’s such a blessing as well to be able to play such a monumental character like Rose.

What can fans look forward to in this upcoming season of Doctor Who?
You can look forward to a lot of scary things. I think when you think of Doctor Who, you think of the scariest episode, the weeping angels. It’s the scariest episode in history and the most popular. I think in this series, I was scared when I saw some of the things. It’s shivers down your spine. But, I can’t tell you too much. What I can say is it is going to be full of scares, full of laughs, full of all of it. To act with Ncuti Gatwa is just amazing because we are both very young as well, and it’s just really nice to have that. He’s making history literally, and I’m just really happy to be a part of his world.​

 

[The Wormhole]

Interesting, does her comment about acting with Ncuti Gatwa mean we'll be seeing her in more than just the Tennant specials, or is she just referring to being a part of the regeneration scene?

 

[Starkers]

I don't know, I don't find the 2003 season with Tennant and Tate very memorable

 

[Rich Watson]

I have a feeling that Ncuti's involvement in the Specials is going to turn out to be more than just popping up in the last few seconds of the third one.

I can't remember where I read it, probably DWM, but he was shooting on the series in June, which would have been when they were making the Top Secret "Wild Blue Yonder."

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I have a feeling that Ncuti's involvement in the Specials is going to turn out to be more than just popping up in the last few seconds of the third one.

I can't remember where I read it, probably DWM, but he was shooting on the series in June, which would have been when they were making the Top Secret "Wild Blue Yonder."

I have a feeling the whole 10th Doctor reborn/clothes changing during regeneration/everything looking slightly off is a red herring. I think it's all an illusion created by the Toymaker, explaining why we have Ncuti saying "will somebody please tell me what's going on?" in the trailer...

I know Russell has said that Tennant is a genuine new Doctor.

I also know Russell has no problem at all telling lies in order to keep secrets intact.

I don't know, I don't find the 2003 season with Tennant and Tate very memorable

Really? Surprising.

You couldn't move for Doctor Who content on the TV in 2003. It seemed like every month there were new episodes. It was all 'Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Doctor Who'. The BBC was mad for new Doctor Who content in 2003.

 

[Starkers]

You couldn't move for Doctor Who content on the TV in 2003. It seemed like every month there were new episodes. It was all 'Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Doctor Who'. The BBC was mad for new Doctor Who content in 2003.

Maybe there was too much stuff, I was probably overloaded.

 

[DigificWriter]

@Richard S. Ta A Showrunner or writer might lie or obfuscate in interviews; they're far less likely to lie in officially printed marketing and supplementary materials, all of which are treating Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor.

You can believe what you want, though.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

You can believe what you want, though.

Thanks for your kind permission.

 

[Rich Watson]

I have a feeling the whole 10th Doctor reborn/clothes changing during regeneration/everything looking slightly off is a red herring. I think it's all an illusion created by the Toymaker, explaining why we have Ncuti saying "will somebody please tell me what's going on?" in the trailer...

While I'm sure there's more going on than meets the eye, I don't think they're do anything to damage the Tennant/Tate reunion by saying it doesn't count.

Plus on a purely financial level, they're selling plenty of 14th Doctor specific merchandise.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

While I'm sure there's more going on than meets the eye, I don't think they're do anything to damage the Tennant/Tate reunion by saying it doesn't count.

Plus on a purely financial level, they're selling plenty of 14th Doctor specific merchandise.

Most likely you’re right.

Still, I sense shenanigans.

 

[The Wormhole]

You couldn't move for Doctor Who content on the TV in 2003. It seemed like every month there were new episodes. It was all 'Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Doctor Who'. The BBC was mad for new Doctor Who content in 2003.

The 40th anniversary sure was a wild time.

@Richard S. Ta A Showrunner or writer might lie or obfuscate in interviews; they're far less likely to lie in officially printed marketing and supplementary materials, all of which are treating Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor.

You can believe what you want, though.

Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. And yet, whenever one of us reminds you of all the times you've been wrong in the past with your predictions, you get all "I'm only stating an opinion. GET OFF MY BACK!!!" Yet when someone else states their speculative opinion, you have to be the first to tell them "YOU'RE WRONG! YOU'RE WRONG!! WRONG!!! Holy Producer said as much." And you wonder why we take so much joy in pointing out when you've been proven wrong.

And we're all well aware of what RTD has said on this matter. In fact, I seem to recall we were the ones trying to convince you Tennant would be the Fourteenth Doctor back when you were stubbornly refusing to believe he'd be back as a new Doctor.

 

[Turtletrekker]

The David Tennant / Catherine Tate season was my favorite season of the modern era.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The David Tennant / Catherine Tate season was my favorite season of the modern era.

Same! Although the first two seasons of Matt Smith's run are close runner-ups.

 

[The Wormhole]

Season 3 for me. And even that slumped in the middle, but Human Nature all the way to the finale is probably the best of Doctor Who.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I would argue "Human Nature" to "God Complex" was the show at peak form, with a few exceptions such as the circa 2009 specials and Moffat getting a little carried away with his complex arc.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I think the show has peaks and troughs. I really go up and down with it.

Series 1: I enjoyed it at the time, but in retrospect I find it quite tame.

Series 2: It's all over the place. Great highs and equally great lows.

Series 3: I love it. The Lazarus Experiment is quite bland, but the series overall is peak Who for me.

Series 4: As with Series 2. All over the shop.

Series 5: Stunning.

Series 6: Rises in my estimations on every rewatch.

Series 7: See Series 2 and 4.

Series 8: Another blinder. I love it from start to finish.

Series 9: See Series 2, 4 and 7.

Series 10: Another stunner. I love it.

Series 11: I know many don't, but I like it. It's the best of Jodie for me. It lacks a truly great finale and intro I think, but there's some good stuff in there.

Series 12; See Series 2, 4, 7 and 9.

Series 13: See Series 2, 4, 7, 9 and 12.

I do love Doctor Who for the fact it never stays still though. It's always changing and trying new things.

Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm. And yet, whenever one of us reminds you of all the times you've been wrong in the past with your predictions, you get all "I'm only stating an opinion. GET OFF MY BACK!!!" Yet when someone else states their speculative opinion, you have to be the first to tell them "YOU'RE WRONG! YOU'RE WRONG!! WRONG!!! Holy Producer said as much." And you wonder why we take so much joy in pointing out when you've been proven wrong.

I'm glad you said that so that I didn't have to. You read my mind though.