Doctor Who's Russell T Davies asked the BBC if he could return as showrunner

"It wasn't my choice anymore. It was my duty."

By Stefania Sarrubba

14 Nov 2022

Russell T Davies has revealed how his Doctor Who return came about, and the key role he played in getting back at the helm of the series.

The returning showrunner asked the BBC whether he could come back after a lockdown watchalong with cast from the previous seasons, including David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

After the two actors expressed their interest in returning to the show, Davies felt he needed to let the BBC know and let them take it from there.

"Well, I simply had to be professional. As a former producer of Doctor Who, I had a job to do; if David and Catherine had expressed a wish to return, it was literally my job to let the BBC know. It wasn't my choice anymore. It was my duty," he wrote in his 'Letter from the Showrunner' column for Doctor Who Magazine.

executive producer russell t davies speaks during the 'torchwood the new world' panel at the starz portion of the 2011 winter tca press tour held at the langham hotel on january 7, 2011 in pasadena, california

Frederick M BrownGetty Images

"So I just thought, well I'll throw it out there, and since Chris [Chibnall, showrunner for the Whittaker era] is doing the busiest job in TV, I won't add to his workload. I'll email Piers Wenger, the Director of Drama.

"Simply reporting in to ask: 'I have no idea about your future plans, but might this fit in somewhere? A Special? The anniversary? An extra? A one-off, maybe? What d'you think?'"

catherine tate, david tennant, doctor who

BBC

And the rest is history. Davies will return next year, with Tennant and Tate reprising their roles for the 60th anniversary special, while Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will be introduced as the Fifteenth Doctor.

Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.