Russell T Davies reveals why he sees Doctor Who as a "gay show" and addresses online negativity
He also opened up on online negativity about the show.
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has spoken out on the show's commitment to LGBTQ+ representation, saying he thinks of the BBC sci-fi as a "gay show".
The writer, who has also penned hit series including Queer as Folk, Years and Years and It's a Sin, and who will return with his Channel 4 drama Tip Toe this year, spoke about the beloved series at a masterclass during Series Mania.
He said: “In many ways, I kind of think of Doctor Who as a gay show.”
Elaborating on what he meant, the showrunner said: "It isn't, technically, but [the Doctor's] an outsider who doesn’t fit in with the world and lives his own life, and he's very othered from sex and from relationships and from politics and from the establishment."
Davies went on to talk about the difference between fans of Doctor Who, and those who post online negativity about the show, adding that we often "fall into the trap of talking about fans and assuming that means the online voice".
He continued: "I think they are different things. I know they’re different things, I absolutely know that."
Doctor Who has had a long history of LGBTQ+ representation, with queer-coded characters and storylines written into its classic era, most prominently 1988's The Happiness Patrol.
In Doctor Who's modern era, there have been clearer examples of LGBTQ+ representation, including (but certainly not limited to) Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor having a romantic storyline with Jonathan Groff's Rogue in season 14.
Davies previously opened up to Radio Times about LGBTQ+ people being represented in Doctor Who, saying that he didn't necessarily view anything he's added to the series as representation per se, explaining: "I think it's my life."
He said: "And I kind of [am] rather bemused when people say you're representing things now, because I think that's just people I live with, and know and love.
"And it's very normal to me, I don't know any other way to make things. And some people might come along and make a fuss about that. But I've moved on by then, so I don't care."
Davies added: "But I think it's a great thing to see. I think Doctor Who’s a great big open door for everyone to come and see. Even if you’re straight as a nail, come and watch because there’s lots in this for you."
Sadie Miller, who recently spoke to Radio Times to remember her mother Elisabeth Sladen, also spoke about how Doctor Who has spoken to LGBTQ+ fans over the years.
"I still feel that there's that sense of Doctor Who being about finding your chosen family, and I think that's something that a lot of people, for better or for worse, in the queer community, have to go through a lot more," she said.
"There is no Doctor Who without the queer community."
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
