Russell T Davies has officially returned to Doctor Who after an extended absence, and his involvement in the new series (alongside the 60th Anniversary specials) is already proving to be a positive step for the beloved sci-fi show. The showrunner has made plenty of changes to Doctor Who since returning to his old job, not just within the context of the story but also in terms of the show’s marketing and promotional strategies. All of this has come together to transform Doctor Who into an exciting show once again after a period of what many audiences will agree was somewhat of a disappointment.
RTD is best known for being the showrunner of Doctor Who during its initial revival in 2005. He was the man responsible for bringing actors such as Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Billie Piper to the show, providing audiences with some of the most exciting and well-written stories that Doctor Who has ever shown. But he wasn’t just an excellent writer – Davies also worked heavily on the more technical side of the show, leading in a golden era of behind-the-scenes entertainment, exceptional marketing, and special treats that made Doctor Who one of television’s most talked-about properties.
10 Doctor Who Is Bringing Back More Obscure Villains
There’s no denying that RTD has been guilty of this from time to time, but one of the biggest problems that has plagued Doctor Who recently is the tendency to use the same villains over and over again. Almost every season has used the Daleks, Cybermen, or the Time Lords themselves as the overarching villains, and it’s becoming extremely predictable at this point. Thankfully, Davies has already taken advantage of the endless possibilities that come with such a creative TV show, using much more obscure villains like The Celestial Toymaker and Beep The Meep.
9 Doctor Who Excitement Is High Once Again
New details are constantly being released about Doctor Who season 14, and there’s no denying that audiences are getting more excited than they’ve been for a long time about the show’s return. It’s not just the 60th Anniversary that’s causing talk about the show (though it certainly helps), but rather Davies’ constantly impressive chain of decisions to shake up Doctor Who’s formula. First, he cast two incredibly exciting actors as The Doctor and Ruby Sunday, then he brought back Tennant and Tate for the specials – he just knows exactly how to get audiences talking about the show.
8 The Fifteenth Doctor Only Has 1 Companion
Throughout RTD’s original tenure as showrunner, he introduced an unwritten rule that The Doctor only has one official companion. The first and second seasons had Rose, the third had Martha, and the fourth had Donna. There were other appearances, but this was the special formula. Steven Moffat decided to change this by introducing Amy and Rory at the same time, and Chris Chibnall went even further by writing three separate companions into his stories. Particularly with Chibnall’s era, this prevented any of the companions from really developing enough, which is why Davies’ decision to return to a single companion is so exciting.
7 Doctor Who Has A Bigger Budget & Improved Distribution
Ever since it was announced that Doctor Who’s budget would be increasing for the 60th Anniversary specials, it’s felt like the show’s production is on a whole new level. It’s reminiscent of the huge jump in quality between the show’s fourth and fifth seasons, but this feels much more noticeable. Audiences only needed one trailer to see how dramatically Doctor Who’s visuals have improved since Jodie Whittaker’s final season, and that’s due to an enormous budget increase on Disney’s end. In exchange for their financial contributions, Disney was also given the right to stream Doctor Who’s new episodes on Disney Plus, making it available to many more people.
6 Doctor Who Christmas Specials Are Coming Back
The Doctor Who Christmas Specials were arguably the best new detail that RTD introduced during his original tenure as showrunner. It gave audiences something exciting to look forward to between seasons, with many British families actually making Doctor Who a part of their traditional holiday routine. These continued throughout Steven Moffat’s tenure, but Jodie Whittaker’s seasons forgot about the Christmas Specials which resulted in huge gaps between episodes. Thankfully, bringing back these specials was among the first things that Davies declared upon returning to the show.
5 Doctor Who: Unleashed Continues On From Doctor Who: Confidential
Another aspect of Davies’ time on Doctor Who that frankly isn’t talked about enough is the writer’s decision to document the filming of the show and turn the footage into a docu-series titled Doctor Who: Confidential. This allowed audiences to get behind the scenes of their favorite episodes, learning about how they were made and hearing brand-new information from the crew that was involved. It was beloved by the more dedicated Doctor Who fans, and Moffat’s decision to scrap the show was a huge defeat. Although Confidential isn’t coming back, a similar concept exists in the new behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who: Unleashed.
4 Doctor Who Is Returning To Its Classic Roots
As the 60th Anniversary Specials have already proven, Doctor Who is a show with an incredibly rich history – which is why it’s always been so disappointing to see writers ignore all these possibilities and focus solely on new ideas instead. While fresh characters and stories are necessary to keep the show moving into the future, it’s such a waste to ignore all the great villains and planets that Doctor Who has already established. Davies famously brought back characters such as Sarah Jane and The Master during his first time as showrunner, and he’s already doing the same with The Celestial Toymaker.
3 Ncuti Gatwa’s Casting Fixed A Major Diversity Problem
Casting Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa as The Fifteenth Doctor was the most exciting Doctor Who announcement in a long time. Not only is Gatwa an incredibly inspired choice that proves Davies knows what he’s doing, but it also overcomes a massive diversity hurdle that Doctor Who has always struggled with. Since the beginning of the show, The Doctor has always (except for Jodie Whittaker’s incarnation) been a white male. By including Gatwa in the show, Doctor Who has immediately made itself more inclusive and accessible. The Fifteenth Doctor’s casting came at the perfect time, as Gatwa is cruising off the success of Sex Education.
2 Doctor Who Marketing Isn’t Revealing Too Much Too Early
Doctor Who is a show filled with twists and turns, but it hasn’t always been great at keeping these surprises under wraps. Major details such as casting announcements will always be necessary because of filming restrictions, but in recent years, Doctor Who has given away some of its biggest twists for seemingly no reason. Fans will remember John Simm’s long-awaited return at the end of Doctor Who’s tenth season, which was revealed on social media long before the episode actually aired. These kinds of surprises would’ve been so much better without unnecessary announcements, and so far, Davies seems to be doing well at that.
1 UNIT Has A Major Role In Doctor Who’s Future
Since the introduction of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who’s seventh season, the importance of UNIT has been growing steadily. The character (or at least the organization) has appeared regularly in almost every season since then, coming to offer their assistance whenever The Doctor needs help. RTD also liked to include UNIT in his stories, so it’s no surprise that he’s already bringing them back in the 60th Anniversary Specials. Rumors are even circulating about a potential UNIT Doctor Who spin-off, which would effectively propel the show into its new home on Disney Plus.
