Russell T Davies returns to Doctor Who

Russell T Davies (It's A Sin) is back aboard the TARDIS for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2023 and the series beyond!

Davies successfully shepherded a rebooted Doctor Who, beginning with the iconic Rose, in 2005. During his acclaimed tenure as series showrunner (2005-2009), the beloved BBC sci-fi series attained new heights of mainstream popularity, spawning fan-favourite spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

It was an unprecedented global golden age for the long-running series. I never imagined seeing the toy aisles of Argos and Woolworths filled with Doctor Who merchandise again. Character Options captured the magic of Denys Fisher action figures (made in collaboration with Mego) and continue to do so with highly sought-after collector exclusives for B&M.



Russell T Davies says “I’m beyond excited to be back on my favourite show. But we’re time-travelling too fast, there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm – I’m still a viewer for now.”

Outgoing series showrunner Chris Chibnall says “It’s monumentally exciting and fitting that Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary will see one of Britain’s screenwriting diamonds return home. Russell built the baton that is about to be handed back to him - Doctor Who, the BBC, the screen industry in Wales, and let’s be honest everyone in the whole world, have so many reasons to be Very Excited Indeed about what lies ahead.”

Piers Wenger, BBC Director of Drama says “As the 13th Doctor prepares to embark on new and extraordinary adventures, the winds of change are blowing… bringing with them news to delight Doctor Who fans across the globe. We are thrilled that Russell is returning to Doctor Who to build on the huge achievements of Chris and Jodie. Thank you to the two of them and the team in Cardiff for all they continue to do for the show and hello Russell, it’s wonderful to have you back.”

What a coup!

Speaking to the Radio Times in January, Davies fondly recalled working on Doctor Who. "I was in the middle of running an empire," he said, "And my god I did that 10 years too soon, didn’t I?" Doctor Who had two successful spin-offs in an era before cinematic universes dominated. "There should be a Doctor Who channel now. You look at those Disney announcements, of all those new Star Wars and Marvel shows, you think, we should be sitting here announcing The Nyssa Adventures or The Return of Donna Noble, and you should have the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors together in a 10-part series. Genuinely."

Was Davies hinting at an expanded Whoniverse months before this announcement?

And this time the former series showrunner is bringing Bad Wolf productions along for a fantastic journey through space and time.

For the past couple of years, I've championed the fine folks behind the BBC/HBO co-production of His Dark Materials. Now it's happening, well, once Jodie Whittaker bows out of the series in 2022.

HBO Max is exclusively streaming every series of Doctor Who since 2005. UK fans can watch series 1-12 on BBC iPlayer and all available classic serials on BritBox.

Are you excited about the surprise return of Russell T Davies to Doctor Who? Let me know in the comments below.