Doctor Who's first director: 'I wish I had Russell T Davies!'
Waris Hussein spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party 2024.
The first director to ever work on an episode of Doctor Who, Waris Hussein, has given his firm approval to the series's current showrunner Russell T Davies, saying he 'wishes' he had Davies's writing to work with when he was involved with the show.
Hussein, who directed the First Doctor stories An Unearthly Child and Marco Polo, spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party 2024, where he relayed his thoughts on Davies's new era.
He said: "It's bound to change. And it's fascinating to see how it's developed. I had no idea when I took it what I was involved with, and how long it would take to come to fruition. I’m fascinated by it.
"I love what Russell T is doing, I’m a great fan of his. It needs a good writer. I had no script to work with - I didn’t have Russell T Davies. I wish I did!”
Hussein previously told Radio Times magazine that Ncuti Gatwa's casting as the Fifteenth Doctor, as the first Black actor to be cast as the regular lead in Doctor Who, felt like a victory.
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He explained: "I was the first British Asian in my field to be doing what I was doing. What did worry me internally was working on set and all these people watching me.
"I'd think to myself, 'They're waiting to see whether I'll fall on my face. But I'm not going to fall on my face.'"
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Of course, Hussein isn't the only figure from the show's past to express his excitement and enthusiasm for Davies and Gatwa's new era.
Peter Capaldi recently reacted to last year's 60th anniversary specials, saying they were "great and a lot of fun".
He continued: "It was wonderful, exuberant, and full of life, drama and monsters. David [Tennant] was wonderful, and Catherine Tate, of course.
"It's Doctor Who, you know, it's a gas and a good thing in the world. It's a nice, fun, exciting thing, and I look forward to the rest of the specials and Ncuti Gatwa coming along. I've met him, and he's very inspiring and charming."
See more photos from the Radio Times Covers Party 2024 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 6th February.
Doctor Who will return in May 2024. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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