Doctor Who: Russell T(ea) Davies to brew up for show’s 50th

Russell T Davies, one of UK television’s most influential television writer/producers, has confirmed that he won’t be returning to Doctor Who next year.

He has, however, in an interview with What’s on TV, jokingly suggested that he could brew up the tea for the current production team. Asked by the listings magazine whether he was involved in any way with the show’s 50th anniversary, Davies replied, “I think I’d be like the ghost at the feast, what would I do – turn up and make the tea? I have asked current boss Steven Moffat not to tell me what they are planning.” Davies, 49, is the person responsible for turning the BBC’s long-running science-fiction drama series Doctor Who into the global success it is today. The series, which began in 1963, returned to TV screens in 2005 with Davies at the helm. During his time running the show, the Welshman cast first Christopher Eccleston then David Tennant as the Doctor. Russell T Davies was also responsible for reintroducing some of Doctor Who’s most memorable characters, including the Doctor’s former companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and his greatest foes the Daleks and their creator Davros. He also reinvented the Cybermen and the Doctor’s Time Lord nemesis the Master. While with the show, Davies also created two very successful spin-off science-fiction series: Torchwood – starring Doctor Who’s Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) – and The Sarah Jane Adventures, which starred the late Elisabeth Sladen. Since leaving Doctor Who, in 2009, to concentrate on other projects, Davies has not written for the series, despite being approached by his successor, Steven Moffat (Sherlock). However, in 2010, he did write for the current Doctor, Matt Smith, by providing a script – Death of the Doctor – for The Sarah Jane Adventures. Whether or not Davies is telling the truth about his involvement (or lack of) next year is still open to speculation. As Kasterborus points out, “Whilst [fans] may be disappointed by [his] comments remember that Davies has sometimes downright fibbed about his plans and what he’s up to.” In the meantime, fans of Davies’s take on Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures can look forward to his brand-new TV science-fiction/fantasy series Wizards vs Aliens, which stars Scott Haran and Percelle Ascott.