The world of Doctor Who is poised to change yet again, with showrunner Chris Chibnall and current Doctor Jodie Whittaker leaving the series in 2022 after Season 13. As the 60th anniversary of the series is on its way, there’s already cause for celebration, as the Whovian legacy continues to make history. And the future of Doctor Who is definitely in the past, as former showrunner Russell T. Davies is officially coming on board to help celebrate the 60th, as well as to shepherd the next era of the series into existence.
Per an announcement by the BBC, Davies has been announced as the next showrunner for Doctor Who, starting in 2023. Returning to the post over a decade after initially exiting alongside the 10th Doctor David Tennant, Davies is a familiar face to the series’ fans, as he was the first showrunner in the modern age of “Nu Who.” In a statement commemorating this occasion, Russell T. Davies offered this reaction:
I’m beyond excited to be back on my favourite show. But we’re time-travelling too fast, there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm – I’m still a viewer for now.
As if to tell Doctor Who fans to not put the TARDIS before the Time War, Russell T. Davies was keen to remind everyone that there’s still some time before he’ll be returning to the series he helped restart. It’s an important step in a franchise that traditionally lives up to its own non-linear nature by announcing successors a while before they step in full time. With Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker still set to return for a shorter-than-usual run at some point this year, it’s a helpful reminder in a more hectic than usual period of Who history.
In his post-Who career, Russell T. Davies has been keeping busy, scoring two large hits in his television career as of late. Through his work on Years and Years and It’s A Sin, Davies has delivered dramatic series that tackle real world issues through heartbreaking prose. Those skills were also on full display during his time on Doctor Who, as plenty of hearts broke over some of the larger developments the 9th and 10th Doctors encountered under his tenure. David Tennant probably wouldn't be the majority of fans' favorite if the storytelling was pure shite.
With Russell T. Davies officially announced as returning to Doctor Who, all sorts of questions are now about to dominate the conversation. For starters, the fact that one of his It’s A Sin stars, Olly Alexander, has been hotly tipped as a candidate for the 14th Doctor will definitely be raising some eyebrows. Not to mention, there’s now an even faster ticking clock on whether or not that big meeting between River Song and 13 will ever happen.
As of this moment, Doctor Who’s date of return is not set just yet, but an “unprecedented” story has been teased for Season 13. Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker will be back for a six-episode run in 2021, with three specials and “an epic blockbuster special” in 2022. So if you’re into the speculation game, you have all the time in the world to play.
