Writer Russell T Davies has been announced as the new head writer and show runner for the long standing sci-fi series Doctor Who. 

Davies, who created the TV series Queer as Folk, was behind the relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005. He brought the series back to life after it has spent 16 years off air, and stayed with the show for it’s first five years of renewed production.

Now after 12 years he’s heading back to pick up the reins and guide the story through it’s next journey, which will include the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023.

In a statement, Davies said he was “beyond excited to be back on my favourite show”, but added that he was “still a viewer for now … 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”.

Current show runner Chris Chibnall has guided the show for the last few years, a period which has seen the program’s lead character portrayed by a woman for the first time. Jodie Whittaker’s portrayal of the time travelling alien has been highly praised, but some of the radical story lines developed by Chibnall and his team have left some fans disappointed.

Whittaker has already announced she’ll be leaving the series after three years in the role, so one of Davies first tasks will be to cast an actor into the iconic part. During his previous tenure on the show Christopher Eccleston and David Tennent played The Doctor.

He also expanded the Doctor Who universe launching spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. 

Since leaving the show Davies has had ongoing success in television making the twin series Cucumber and Banana, A Very English Scandal, Years and Years and the highly acclaimed It’s a Sin.

Davies has previously comments that Olly Alexander, who started in It’s a Sin would make an excellent Doctor. After it was announced that Davies would be returning to the show bookies slashed the odds of Alexander getting the part from 7/2 to 2/1.  

Alan Davies who collaborated with Davies on the TV series Bob and Rose has also often been mooted as being suitable for the part. Michael Sheen, David Harewood, Kris Marshall, and Kelly MacDonald are just a few of the names fans have speculated could take over the role in 2022.

OIP Staff

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