The Russell T. Davies years of Doctor Who were a true golden era of the series. The acclaimed showrunner oversaw Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s runs as the Doctor and is responsible for bringing the much-loved program back to our screens in 2005 and earning it a whole new generation of fans. Needless to say, Whovians everywhere would love to see him write an episode for Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord, but it sounds like it’s not something we should hold our breath for.
While speaking about potentially returning to Who at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, Davies ruled out the possibility. As much as he remains a fan of the series and enjoyed his time running it, the writer/producer likened the idea of coming back as returning to an old job you did a decade ago.
“It’ll be like coming back to a job I did 10 years ago, wouldn’t it? Who would do that?”
When you put it like that, you can see why Davies would be keen to put the past behind him and move forward with new projects. And that mentality definitely seems to be working out for him, as his 2018 drama A Very English Scandal cleaned up at the Golden Globes this year.
Besides, he hasn’t left the Whoniverse completely. Last year also saw the release of his novelization of “Rose,” the first 21st century episode of the show. He even found space to subtly predict the future of Doctor Who in it during a passage that hints at subsequent incarnations of the Doctor.
Davies vacated the showrunner’s position back in 2010 and was replaced by Steven Moffat, who then oversaw Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi’s eras before bowing out himself in 2017. Starting with 2018’s season 11, Chris Chibnall is in charge of the show and is responsible for the bold move of casting Whittaker as the first female Doctor. His Doctor Who will return in early 2020.
