Thursday, December 07, 2023

New Doctor Who episodes will upset diehard fans, says Russell T Davies

India McTaggart
Wed, 6 December 2023

New Doctor Who. Ncuti Gatwa, with the BBC classic's showrunner, Russell T Davies
 - Scott Garfitt/SHUTTERSTOCK FOR BAFTA

Russell T Davies has said that new Doctor Who episodes will upset die-hard fans of the science fiction franchise.

The Welsh screenwriter and television producer, 60, discussed the new release, which will be the centrepiece of the BBC’s Christmas Day line-up.

Speaking to Radio Times about the special episode, he said: “The show is taking a sly step towards fantasy, which will annoy people to whom it’s a hard science-fiction show.

“Episode two next year is wildly fantasy. Completely making up scenarios on screen that we’ve never been able to show before.”

The episode will air at teatime on BBC One on Christmas Day, and has been called a “blockbusting adventure”.

Quipping about how he got the broadcaster to agree to a show, he said he “kicked in the door”.

“I was just a bit jealous that all those other shows were getting a bigger taste of the pie, so this Christmas, the enemy is goblins,” he said.

The Doctor Who Christmas Special marks the first since 2017, although there have been 60th anniversary specials this year starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

Davies said the episode will be “properly Christmassy from beginning to end”.

Ncuti Gatwa, the 31-year-old star of Netflix’s Sex Education, will feature as the new Doctor.

Davies said his casting was obvious after the audition “blasted him off the face of the earth”, adding that he had auditioned women and non-binary people for the role too.

“Every new Doctor should be a chance for brand-new viewers to step on board. And I think Ncuti will bring in a new audience,” Davies said.

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