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Stephen Russell Davies OBE FRSL ( / ˈdeɪvɪs / DAY-vis; born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for being the original showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2023. [1]
Learn about the life and career of Russell T. Davies, a prominent and polarising British television writer who specializes in emotional dramas, frequently with gay and sex-related themes. He is best known for creating Queer as Folk, Doctor Who, Torchwood and It's a Sin.
Jun 14, 2024 · Russell T Davies is exhausted. The story he's had on his mind for decades is finally arriving on television, in the form of visceral, angry, funny, transgressive five-part drama It’s A Sin,...
- Overview
- Biography
- Other information
- Television credits
- Prose fiction
- Audio
- External links
Russell T Davies OBE (born Stephen Russell Davies on 27 April 1963) took over as head writer and executive producer on Doctor Who beginning with the 2023 specials, having previously held this role from series 1 in 2005 to series 4 in 2007-10. He was creator and executive producer of spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, having written or co-written six episodes of Torchwood and three episodes (two stories) of The Sarah Jane Adventures. He also executive produced the Tales of the TARDIS series for BBC iPlayer, and The Daleks in Colour for BBC Four. Prior to this, in 1996, he had written the Virgin New Adventures novel Damaged Goods.
He is the single most prolific producer of televised entertainment in DWU history. His position is virtually unassailable because he was producing Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who simultaneously.
A Welshman himself, his commitment to producing Doctor Who in Wales has led to a massive expansion of the television production capacity in that nation. His deliberate inclusion of recognisable Welsh landmarks in Doctor Who has increased tourism in the country. As such, his net impact on the economy of Wales is profound.
For his Doctor Who stories, Davies invested more time in the emotional bonds with his characters. Thus resulting in the Tenth Doctor and Rose's love for each other, Martha's one-sided affection for the Doctor and Donna's strong friendship with the Doctor. All of which led at the end of his original tenure as head writer to the Doctor deciding to not take on companions for a while to save himself heartbreak.
Early life
Stephen Russell Davies was born in Swansea on 27 April 1963. As a child, Davies was almost always referred to by his middle name, leading him to become professionally known by that name.
Previous work
Russell's first major success was the CBBC fantasy adventure serial Dark Season, which contained strong similarities to Doctor Who. Davies would create another children's supernatural drama series, Century Falls. He created the award-winning original Queer as Folk (which includes several references to Doctor Who) and a supernatural drama for adults, The Second Coming, which starred the future Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, as a reborn Christ.
Doctor Who and related work
Davies' first professional involvement in Doctor Who was in 1996, when he wrote the Virgin New Adventures novel Damaged Goods. The novel connected to Davies' previous work by featuring a cameo by Marcie Hatter from Dark Season.
•In 2008, Davies was awarded an OBE, the second Doctor Who producer to receive one (Verity Lambert received an OBE in 2002).
•In an interview he stated the Christmas episode slot was his favourite of the year.
•Davies is a skilled cartoonist and many Doctor Who-related examples of his work can be found in Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale.
•In 2009, Davies became one of the only Doctor Who-related personnel to be depicted in a fictional and non-parody context when Robert Degas portrayed him in the comedy Hudson and Pepperdine Save the Planet, an instalment of Afternoon Play which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 19 August 2009.
•The premiere episode of the 2008 BBC Wales series Merlin carries a "Special Thanks" credit for Davies, acknowledging his impact on reshaping Saturday evening television through Doctor Who.
•His favourite classic series story is The Ark in Space, while his favourite Doctor is Tom Baker; he has also expressed admiration for Robert Holmes, the writer of The Ark in Space and many classic stories.
Virgin New Adventures NovelsTarget novelisationsShort storiesDoctor Who: Lockdown Other
•He had a regular column in Doctor Who Magazine during both of his eras as the showrunner. •Davies has also written short pieces for the various Doctor Who annual and Doctor Who Storybook published from 2005 onwards, most notably several instalments of A Letter from the Doctor. •He wrote the introduction for the 2011 republication of Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion.
Stephen Russell Davies, better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for being the original showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2023.
Russell T Davies, OBE (born Stephen Russell Davies, [1] 27 April 1963), is a critically acclaimed British television producer and writer from Swansea, Wales. He is known for television programmes such as Queer as Folk and The Second Coming, and for bringing back the popular science-fiction television series Doctor Who, and creating its spin-off ...
Jul 2, 2019 · The creator of Queer as Folk and Doctor Who talks to The Verge about his HBO series that explores the impact of politics, technology, and climate change on a British family. He reveals his sources of inspiration, his vision of the future, and his views on diversity and representation.
