It’s an uncertain time for Doctor Who fans now that the long-awaited Christmas special has been cancelled and showrunner Russell T Davies is on his way out. Although the show’s future hangs in the balance and its biggest champion is exiting stage left, I can’t help but feel relieved that the British TV legend has bowed out.
Not because he’s bad at his job – he’s an amazing showrunner – but because his talents are better used elsewhere. And it’s all because of one show: Tip Toe.
For those with their finger on the TV pulse, you won’t have missed Russell’s groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Channel 4 show that aired at the end of May this year. It has received widespread praise, with many hailing it as a timely and urgent reckoning on the rapidly declining state of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK today. Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, the series follows polar opposite neighbours – Leo, an older gay man, and Clive, an aggressively heterosexual handyman – whose differences breed homophobia, bigotry, and hostility. Although his socio-political commentary, especially regarding the trans community, is still a work in progress, it remains a startling wake-up call that we are sleepwalking into a dark world when it comes to achieving unity in our rights.
After ending his first round as Doctor Who showrunner in 2010, RTD had a run of stellar limited series over the next decade. His 2015 trilogy – Cucumber, Tofu and Banana – were edgy shows that have become cult classics, especially among LGBTQ+ viewers. Then came his more mainstream work, still with gay and queer characters at their heart, such as A Very English Scandal starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, which secured an Emmy, Golden Globe and Bafta. Not to mention his harrowing drama Years and Years – a post-Brexit reckoning with the UK’s descent into fascism, which still rings out as an eerie prophecy for the state the world is in today, with the rise of Reform and the reign of Trump. Rounding off this brilliant line-up was It’s A Sin, a beloved LGBTQ+ show that breaks your heart while putting it back together. It reflected on the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s – an era Davies remembers well as a gay man growing up in Thatcher’s UK.
As brilliant as his time on Doctor Who was, his return to the show in 2023 did not reach the heights many hoped. He faced criticism, ending in Ncuti Gatwa’s abrupt departure and the show’s scattered future. Where his storylines, dialogue and character-building sometimes fell flat in the past two seasons, he does not face the same trouble with his limited series – which I now consider his superior format. This was proven when he released the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, a standout that tackled everything from climate change to forbidden love. I personally loved it, and it marked a return to his brilliant writing after finding himself in a difficult place.
Then, of course, we have Tip Toe. It is veritable proof that Russell’s time is best spent working on bespoke ideas that speak to the era we are in, rather than tying himself up with a show and a fandom impossible to please. Not only that, but he embodies the perfect example of how the TV industry can work at its best. Russell was a bright young writer in 1999 when he made his name on Queer as Folk and was given the springboard to mainstream notoriety with Doctor Who. He has gone on to use the status he gained all those years ago to pen politically urgent pieces, and for that I am grateful. Now, he can hand over the Doctor Who mantle to an up-and-coming writer, who could possibly be the next Russell T. Davies for this generation.
I will always have love and respect for Russell and all he has done for Doctor Who, but I cannot help but feel his exit is for the best – not just for the show, but for him as well. I am sad to see him go, but excited not just for what he will do next, but for what will happen to Doctor Who.
