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Russell T. Davies, a showrunner for Doctor Who discussed the new season and more about the time-traveling adventure.
Deadline had an interview with Davies as the exciting new series is being significantly reintroduced. Ncuti Gatwa plays the title character. He's an openly queer Black actor, which is different from previous actors cast to play the part.
As for what the new season airing now on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer is all about, it's got a lot going on — and never a dull moment.
About Doctor Who and its new season
“I wanted the show to be fun and a bit nuts,” Davies said. “I think there's an awful lot of television now, and I watch an awful lot of television, but I think there's so much television that [sticks too rigidly] to the three-act structure. You know when there are 10 minutes left to go, when there's going to be a major event, or when the murderer is going to be caught. So, I think it's time for a show just to break those rules. Writing is about the heart and the pulse and sparks in the brain. Writing is about psychology. It's about understanding people and why they do what they do. It's not about hitting a particular beat 17 minutes in. So, I wanted to show this kind of laughing in the face of those rules.”
“Doctor Who has its own charm and property; it's always been mad,” he added. “The whole fundamental principle is here's a wooden box that's bigger on the inside than on the outside, and it just goes anywhere for no reason. It's not his job, it's not his mission, it's not his task, it's not a quest, he just pops off to the next place at random, and that is joyously freewheeling. You have goblins who sing, a God of Music, and you pop back in time to meet the Beatles. And I can promise there is lots more of that to come.”
Davies continued, “But, at the same time, it's worth saying to new viewers that there's always a very strong story. There's always good and bad at work. There's always a crisis for the Doctor. There's always the human companion to experience things through. So, the bones of a proper story are still there, but I think the chance to have fun and go wild is irresistible.”
Davies has spent 13 years away from the hit show, but now he's back in full swing. When the official website of Doctor Who asked what made him eager to come back, it was all about his love for it.
“I just love the show,” he said. “I have loved it all my life. I think about it all the time. It's not like I ever stopped thinking about it really. I have every single issue of Doctor Who Magazine in a special cabinet with a glass front. I used to smoke, so that would protect the magazines from my cigarette smoke. That's how much I love the show.”
Watch new episodes of Doctor Who, which are streaming now on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.
