Doctor Who Interview: Russell T. Davies on New Series and a LGBTQ+ Lead
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- Опубліковано 1 чер 2024
- Having first hit the airwaves in 1963, Doctor Who has gone through change innumerable times in the past 60 years. So much so that change is one of the very cornerstones of the franchise. That being said, as we learned in the 60th anniversary specials, sometimes things have a way of coming back around just when they’re needed. Writer, showrunner, and executive producer Russell T. Davies, responsible for having revived the franchise in 2005 and turning it into a global phenomenon, has returned along with this new era.
Much like he did in 2005, Davies has created a new entry point for Doctor Who fans with a thrilling new doctor/companion duo. Ahead of the new season, I sat down with Davies to dive into these first two episodes and get a taste of what’s to come across the rest of the season. During our conversation, Davies broke down that fun Star Trek Easter egg and leaning more into queer themes for this era of Doctor Who. He also admits that casting Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson was “astronomically lucky,” and says he’ll keep bringing back Yasmin Finney’s Rose Noble as often as she wants to return. He also teased Steven Moffat and Kate Herron’s highly anticipated episodes, “Boom” and “Rogue.”
While Gatwa’s Doctor and Gibson’s Ruby have clear similarities to past Doctor/Companion duos, they’re also breathing a bit of new life into the series as their own unique dynamic. When asked how writing for these two differed from past TARDIS teams, Davies admitted that, “In many ways, it doesn't. In many ways, I'm not here to reinvent the wheel.” He went on to praise his past stars, saying, “I loved working with Billie Piper and David Tennant and Freema [Agyeman] and Catherine Tate. I have been blessed with great actors, and it's happened again. I've got to say that's a casting director who does a brilliant job.” He continued, “His name is Andy Pryor, and he searches the land for the best talent, so this doesn't happen by chance. Hard work never happens by chance. It’s always diligence.”
Queer themes have always been part of Davies’ writing as a gay man himself - and as a queer person myself, seeing the series openly embrace the LGBTQ+ community has only made me love Doctor Who even more. From Yasmin Finney’s Rose Noble getting her hero moment as a trans woman in “The Star Beast” to little indicators of a more fluid sexuality for the Doctor, the latest era of Doctor Who celebrates queerness while other mainstream shows are pulling back on their representation. Davies said, “No one's ever asked me to step back from [writing queerness into the series]. It doesn't even feel particularly queer to me, it just feels natural.”
While we were on the subject of queerness, I had to ask Davies about casting drag legend and queer icon Jinkx Monsoon as part of a new pantheon of Doctor Who villains. “What a joy,” he said “I'd actually known Jinkx for a while, and I knew Jinkx's husband. I was actually talking to Jinkx's husband on the night they met. Michael [Abbott] said, “I'm off for a date,” and I didn't know with whom. Then I was a guest at their Zoom wedding! They got married in the lockdown, and I gave a speech on Zoom.” Davies went on to say that he’s “always admired Jinkx.” He attends Monsoon’s Christmas show every year in Britain, “I genuinely walk away from them dazzled by their invention” he said, praising her genius. “So when it came to writing Maestro, that just absolutely fitted everything I wanted to do. Casting Jinkx was almost common sense, and obviously, everyone else on the team agreed with that.”
The first two episodes of Doctor Who Season 1 are now streaming on Disney+ and you can catch the next episode, Moffat’s “Boom,” on Friday, May 17 at 7 PM ET.
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#doctorwho #sciencefiction #interview - Розваги
To all the people who said that RTD would "save" Dr Who from wokeness and from the garbage if Chibnell - how could you not see this coming? RTD is an activist writer - always has been, always will be. It's his religion.
Please tell me a Doctor Who story that doesn't have a political message or the Doctor giving a moral lesson to the villain.
@@mayotango1317Dimensions in Time.
@@mayotango1317what does that have to do with wokeness.
@@HOTD108_ Regardless of whether Dimensions in Time is in continuity or not, it was a throwaway story that at best, kept the public conscious of the Doctor Who brand. Other than that, it's because of its lack of a political dimension (I promise, that was not a pun), that the story, such as it was, was so unfocused, unbalanced and unengaging.
HIs religion? I may not agree with all of Davies' creative decisions, but for the most part, he has thought and reasoned them out, by means of facts. Religion implies faith: "The magic word that keeps you never having to think for yourself." - The 14th Doctor, as written by Russell T. Davies, for series 14, episode 3: Boom and approved by Russell T. Davies.
"As a queer person myself..." yeah I'm out
RIP Doctor who.
They've turned Dr Who into a singing and dancing fool.
Like the Fourth Doctor?
You would have hated the 3rd doctor being in complete drag and parading around as a cleaning lady 😆
Too woke for us
@@BiancaZombieSkill issue.
@@mayotango1317when did 4 ever dance.
Russell, you could’ve just opened an only fans account and had no1 watch that but…….. no you had to make Doctor Who about your personal life and the quest for the message that unholy Grail! now RIP Doctor Who well done Russell I have a feeling you’re going to be remembered for that baby fart 💨 for all time, weirdo😂
You made a show for almost nobody, and the number reflect that.
Oh yeah despite it being watched by well over 2 million, being the fourth most watched show of the week, not to mention more people watching on streaming services, doctor who is definitely dying
you are not a fan of the show, i've been a fan for a long time, listened to so much big finish and all of new who and most of classic. Its still doctor who and feels like it lol you are just mad cause more people are getting representation, the last 2 episodes were especially good
colliders interviews gets exclusive disney stuff but cant get 1000 viewers.... this is a dead yt channel
Everything is woke cancer
The Doctor character said many time gender doesn't matter to him or his race in relationships, and there was no backlash or drop in ratings. A cartoonish stereotypical flaming gay Doctor, is what many people don't like. It's like having an Arab man playing the Doctor as a radical Muslim terrorist, or a Russian playing the Doctor as a Lenin quoting Communist. It comes off a lazy, unimaginative writing. The last writer used the show for his idea of social activision, losing many longtime viewers. Now Davies wants to take it further his with brand of social activision, by making the show his Doctor Who themed autobiography. The worst part is that Davies, the lead actor and many of their supporters seem ready to blame further dropping ratings on homophobic people, instead of admitting that the show is completely different, and nothing like the show that was a rating success. Adding elements of the real world to a fictional show can be interesting, but focusing the show around a single subject is boring.
This is slowly making me sicker as this interview goes on
RIP Doctor Who 😔
I have to give you credit. You did not delete negative comments. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I agree with the comment on turning Dr Who into a dancing fool. Where is Tom Baker when you need him
Dr who is failing...I really cant be arsed watching it any more.
And we care why?
@@quietdemon8138 you should care, look at the ratings lmao this era of dr who is a joke
@@quietdemon8138 because RTD ruined a favorite show. He completely changed doctor who and I’m all giddy. The show is dead! They are struggling to reach over 3million. It’s so bad. The new doctor is nothing… I mean nothing like previous doctors. And the constant preaching We get it… RTD has turned doctor who into a flamboyant over emotional whine bag. With trans kids being on toxic medication just to play pretend, young women are losing their hair and looks. Plus, men are horning into women’s sports because they can’t compete with other men.… The world has had enough. Thankful many have stopped supporting such doctoring. I’m glad RTD has failed. His views are dangerous! BOYCOTT EVERYTHING DISNEY
Dr Who science fiction not political bs LGBT platform
Never watched a single episode of the show before, have you?
Yeah The show with Space Nazis has never been political before
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 Drawing from real history and satirising a universally despised political party is not the same thing as randomly bringing up pronouns. Even the villains now care about what they want to be identified as
@@SGK1206
The show has been full of overtly LGBT people for well over 20 years. Captain Jack is very openly pansexual (he even has a sex scene with a man in Torchwood miracle day), lady Cassandra mentions she used to be a boy, Bill Potts is a lesbian, Ianto Jones is bisexual, Clara says that Jane Austin is a great kisser, Madame Vastra and Jenny are a married lesbian couple, Yaz falls in love with the doctor, I could go on and on. If you're too squeamish to see a gay character on TV then you're missing out on a lot of the shows best content, Torchwood Children of Earth is some of the best and darkest sci fi ever made.
The cringe is strong with this one....
RIPDOCTORWHO
RTD took a big 8-inch L on this one and popped a double dose of copium for the chafing
The ratings came out for the new Dr Who L O f'n L. Cancel it already
i agree on the unapologetic part
Nevermind she deleted comments. Btw this got over 300 dislikes. Go to chrome Google and dislikes show
It's so laid on thick though. Its clunky and cringe
These homosexuals are all SO brave! Always fighting some battle to expand beyond the 3-4% of the population they represent, all to show the wars they have to fight every day of every week!
The crucifixion of Doctor Who is now complete, and will no doubt, be yet another iconic series to vanish into the woke hole that is overt (and totally crap) rubbish entertainment!
they killed dr who the show, just so they could make a show about their tiny bubble
People complaining about RTD and his gay agenda? Is it 2005 again?
Lmao all these right wingers crying soooo hard lmao cope 😂😂😂
Is it right wing to hate on bad writing? 🤔
@@manuel_g7618 no but it is right wing to hate people just for being who they are
love to see all the dr who actors and behind the scenes cope so hard everywhere, even blaming the weather for the low views
@@manuel_g7618 I sense a lot of deflection.
i sense a lot of ducking and weaving on his question, you the type that thinks every critique of a show must be done because they racist or something and never actually address the critiques, because you cant. you can only spin the critique with something blatently misrespresenting which i spose is much easier than addressing the points made, just call em one of the things from the list and ignore em
RIP Doctor who
I take this current season over any of The Moffat era
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 mental. This isn’t doctor who.
@@wardjunior1450I take it over any of the crap during The Matt Smith or Crapaldi era. Just be glad the show isn’t giving us crap episodes like Heaven Sent anymore.
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 heaven sent is one of the best of the modern era obviously.
@@wardjunior1450 it’s crap. Just like the majority of Moffat episodes
Fair enough if its not for everyone but I LOVE this new fun, light-hearted all singing, all dancing, charismatic era of the show
One day every knee will bow
To what?
unsubscribed
Why?
Russell T Davies 🤡🤡🤡🤡
Yeah the best show runner of the modern series and the one who brought the show back is a clown
@@justsomerandomguyonline1144 2005 Russell T Davies 👏👏 2024 Russell 🤡🤡
Dr Poo
Cool that rose is gonna refer to her mum and uncle being around but not seeing them
Doctor Whoke
lol, he's delusional.
This is disgusting
Yes your opinion really is
Homophobia at its finest
What is, the only disgusting thing here is your comment.
@@quietdemon8138 how delusional do you need to be? This is sick and warped, an insult to British culture and the show we all loved.
Yes you are.
RIP the "fans" in the chat who aren't capable of enjoying the show anymore.
It must be so fucking boring being a conservative. Empathy goes hand in hand with art. Putting yourself in a character's shoes. If you can't do that, because they arent exactly like you, it really doesnt reflect well on you. I simply cannot understand the criticism for having more minority representation because they're just people. Sci-fi of all genres should be inclusive to difference and it blows my mind how anyone can watch this show for years and completely miss the point of it.
Hate to break it to you bub, but the silent majority of "liberal" fans are also tried of this as well... stop subscribing to the binary Conservative = evil, Liberal = good. its a spectrum just like gender. Oh wait.
Well you got what you asked for. Appeasing the minority has effectively made the majority lose interest.
why dont you create a new characters and make them black and gay and whatever TF you want but dont touch the classics pls. Superman is coming out soon, also black dude. Romeo and Juliette with black girl What is this shit??