In celebration of Doctor Who’s sixtieth anniversary, the landmark British sci-fi series is bringing back an old favorite. The BBC has announced that Russell T. Davies, the veteran screenwriter responsible for reviving the show back in 2005, will be returning to the role of showrunner in 2023, taking over from current showrunner Chris Chibnall, who has headed the series since the arrival of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2017.
Davies served as showrunner from the show’s revival in 2005 until 2009, bringing the science-fiction giant back from the murky depths of cancellation it had been living in since the ill-fated and much-maligned Doctor Who movie in 1996. During his original tenure, Davies moved production on the series to Wales, where it remains to this day, spawning a Welsh-based spinoff of its own, Torchwood, along with another short-lived spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Davies is set to return to the series after both Chibnall — who took over from veteran Sherlock creator Steven Moffat — and Whittaker depart from the TARDIS, taking with them the Thirteenth Doctor. What the future holds for the Doctor now that they’re back in Davies hands, no one knows, but with his return to the post of showrunner, production on the show will once again be a co-production between BBC Studios and his production company, Bad Wolf.
“I’m beyond excited to be back on my favourite show,” said Davies. “But we’re time-travelling too fast, there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm – I’m still a viewer for now.”
With Davies being hailed as the savior of Doctor Who for bringing it back into popular culture with such a bang, his return to the show is one that will certainly be lauded by fans worldwide, who remember him fondly for introducing us to the Ninth Doctor and bringing the magic of Gallifrey back to our screens.
But as he says, fans will have to wait a while longer before they see any more episodes created under his leadership. A new six-episode series starring Whittaker, along with three special-length episodes, are currently in production, the last remnants of Chibnall’s contributions to the show that will be aired in 2022 as part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations. In the meantime, fans can catch up on all of Doctor Who’s run from 2005 to now on HBO Max.