Doctor Who boss talks future-proofing show in case of BBC's demise
Russell T Davies believes the sci-fi deserves to be alongside the "big hitters" in the streaming world.
When it was announced back in 2022 that Disney Plus would become the new home for Doctor Who internationally, fans were reassured that the show would remain on its traditional BBC home in the UK, while allowing for a new audience to enjoy the adventures of the Doctor and their companions worldwide.
Since then, the series has seen its 60th anniversary specials released on the streaming platform, along with the most recent Christmas special, and this co-production is something showrunner Russell T Davies has always thought was necessary for the sci-fi series.
Speaking on the Firecrotch & Normcore: They Like To Watch podcast, Davies opened up about the partnership between the BBC and Disney for Doctor Who.
"We now live in a science fiction age, we live in a world of streaming," he explained.
"We live in a world where every 11-year-old is watching Stranger Things because there are 11-year-olds kids in it and that's their language, that's their culture, that's their references, that's their muse."
Davies added that when watching shows like Stranger Things and The Mandalorian that have such exposure on streaming platforms, he thought it would be a "real shame" for Doctor Who not to be up there amongst "the big hitters".
He continued: "Even before they approached me, I had already said in various interviews, 'I think Doctor Who would have to become a co-production, there's no way the BBC is going to fund that'."
In terms of its future on the BBC, Davies explained: "You've also got to look in the long term at the end of the BBC, which is somehow surely undoubtedly on its way in some shape or form.
"What, is Doctor Who going to die then? No, you've got to prepare for that kind of stuff – but all of that is kind of the flim flam on top of the fact that I love it and it's the only chance you have in television, for me, to really write in pictures."
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He went on to say: "If Disney collapsed tomorrow and we had to go back to making Doctor Who on a normal BBC budget, we'd all rally round and make it and suddenly stories would become claustrophobic ghost stories, and a lot of people would like that very much.
"So I'm not saying you have to have this happen, but while it's happening elsewhere I think it's unfair that it doesn't happen to Doctor Who and it does open up stories that are now sometimes on a vast scale."
Read more:
- Russell T Davies gives 3-word Doctor Who teaser for Steven Moffat return
- Doctor Who's Chris Chibnall was the first call Russell T Davies made after return
Doctor Who will return on 11th May 2024. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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