Russel T Davies Returns as Doctor Who Showrunner
Doctor Who doesn't get to break the internet or fandom often and much like the titular character himself, the news that comes from the show is often subtle and suave. However, the latest Doctor Who news is spectacularly huge, to put it modestly. With the series approaching its thirteenth season and the news that both the show's star Jodie Whittaker and the current showrunner Chis Chibnall would be leaving after that season, fans have been waiting for information on who would be taking their place. it has now been announced that series veteran and super fan Russell T. Davies will be returning as the showrunner for the series, and it would appear he already has some ideas in place for the future of the series.
Davies coming back to Doctor Who is incredible for several reasons. First of all, Davies was responsible for bringing the show back from its lengthy hiatus back in 2005. He also crafted some of the greatest stories and series staples. Not to mention that he gave us two of the greatest Doctors in the series, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. The idea of Davies returning as showrunner to the series that he helped cultivate back to life should be enough to get any fan excited. It would appear that Davies is equally excited to return, judging from his statement released around the announcement of his return. He said;
"I'm beyond excited to be back on my favorite show. but we're time-traveling 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."
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It does seem like his return to the TARDIS is still a long way away. However, that doesn't mean he has no ideas for the show's future. In another interview made earlier this year with Radio Times, prior to the announcement of his return, Davies spoke about a Doctor Who shared universe saying;
"I was in the middle of running an empire, and my god I did that 10 years too soon, didn't I?"
The empire Davies refers to is the Doctor Who spin-off series released during his time as showrunner, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Chronicles. He went on to say;
"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 the Eleventh Doctors together in a 10-part series. Genuinely. . . The whole science fictions world is so creative and so money making right now, I think your wildest dreams can come true."
This interview was recorded much earlier this year, so it is unknown if Davies had even been asked to return at that point, and it is also unknown if a larger scale Doctor Who shared universe is something we will ever see play out on screen. However, Doctor Who, in large part by Davies, did create a shared universe before Marvel did, and it would make sense to try it once more with the success of the MCU. Either way, we will have to wait a little bit longer to see what Davies brings back to the TARDIS. As of right now, Chris Chibnall is set to do one more 6-episode season of Doctor Who followed by 3 specials in 2022. Jodie Whittaker is also expected to leave after the next season but Davies appears to be a fan of her Doctor. it is entirely possible she may hang around a bit longer. No one has been officially announced to take her place. Fans will have to wait to see what the Ood-Father has in store.
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Source(s): CBR
Written by Alex Lenzini