Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Allyn Gibson]

Russell T. Davies will be Chris Chibnall's successor as Showrunner.

https://www.doctorwho.tv/news/?article=russell-t-davies-to-return-as-doctor-who-showrunner

 

[captainkirk]

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainm... T Davies is,Chris Chibnall departs next year.

All I can say is that this is the last person I expected to get the job. I'm not sure yet how I feel about it.

Thoughts?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Is it April 1st?

 

[Samurai8472]

I was thinking. Is this a joke? Is this really a joke? but nope it looks like it's actually real.

The BBC must be getting real desperate to get him back

 

[captainkirk]

The Rose/Ten fanatics are going to be insufferable leading up to the 60th special, aren't they?

 

[kirk55555]

If this is true, its crazy (in a good way). I think that Moffat had higher highs as showrunner, but RTD was much more consistently good. Being good in the past is far from a guarantee, but at this point I'll take a proven veteran of the series whose work I generally enjoyed in DW (Toirchwood was crap, but he was making good DW while making Torchwood so I don't hold TW's badness against his skills making Doctor Who).

Also, he managed to make Doctor Who on a yearly basis (I don't count the gap between specials and series 5, because the specials were obviously trying to just make time until Moffat could start), so hopefully we're done with having a gap year between every new series. I also trust him to patch up the show from the state Chibnall has left it in.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The thing is, anyone expecting 2008-era RTD in 2023 is setting themselves up for disappointment. RTD has changed, the audience has changed, the television landscape has changed.

Honestly, the best thing for RTD is to look forward just as he did in 2004 when developing his first series. Look forward and make something that can carry Doctor Who forward another decade.

 

[marillion]

My mind is exploding right now... Not sure what to think, but I think I'm excited by this?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The BBC must be getting real desperate to get him back

For the BBC, it was probably RTD, Moffat, or cancellation.

A friend pointed out on Facebook that the mention of Bad Wolf (RTD's production company) in the BBC PR means he may be taking more of a "creative head honcho" role, like Kurtzman on the Star Trek shows. Or, like himself on the first two seasons of Torchwood, where Chibnall handled the writing and day-to-day.

 

[captainkirk]

I was thinking. Is this a joke? Is this really a joke? but nope it looks like it's actually real.

The BBC must be getting real desperate to get him back

I believe he said once that he'd only return if no one else wanted the job. I find that so strange, though. Are there really no skilled British writer/producers willing to take it on?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I believe he said once that he'd only return if no one else wanted the job. I find that so strange, though. Are there really no skilled British writer/producers willing to take it on?

I'm sure there are. But are there writer/producers willing to do it for the money the BBC is willing to offer, with the BBC's strings attached? That's a smaller pool.

 

[marillion]

I wonder if this will just be a one-off season with him, to serve as a transition as they really knuckle down to find the next long-term show runner.

 

[captainkirk]

I'm sure there are. But are there writer/producers willing to do it for the money the BBC is willing to offer, with the BBC's strings attached? That's a smaller pool.

Personally, I don't even see any reason the showrunner has to be British. But the BBC apparently has a policy that each of its shows has to reach a certain standard of "Britishness" and people like JMS won't reach that.

 

[StCoop]

On the one hand I'm delighted, on the other hand it is kind of an admission on the BBC's part that they need the man who made it one of the biggest things on TV back to save the show.

And if I'm reading the story correctly there won't be another series until after November 2023...

 

[matthunter]

Wonder if Eccleston knew this when he stated unequivocally that he won't be back for the 60th?

 

[StCoop]

And it's not just RTD back, it's Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter as well. Now that's time travel for you.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Oh my god, I didn’t see this ever happening. This is brilliant.

 

[Relayer1]

Terrible news as far as I'm concerned.

RTD was a horrible SciFi writer, and the return of the toxic three probably scuppers any remote chance of a rapprochement with Chris Eccleston.

Not that there's anything I can do about it, and I'm certainly not going to chuck my toys out of the pram, but not happy. Not happy at all.

 

[Photoman15]

This is great. Even if some of RTD's stories were sappy or corny or whatever people want to complain about, he also was a good writer and more importantly HIRED good writers. Maybe Moffatt will come in with an episode or two. But who will be the next Doctor? Oooo, I know Russell Tovey (not my choice, but one of RTD's "favorites").

 

[StCoop]

Here's a thought.

Given that it's been established that the Doctor can have the same face more than once, what if the Beeb's desperation to recapture the show's glory days extends to backing the money truck up outside Tennant's house...