Russell T Davies Killed Doctor Who With Woke; Pretends It Won’t Define His Legacy

Russell T Davies recently claimed that Doctor Who will not shape his legacy, even though he ran the hit sci-fi show during two separate eras. He now says that his “heart will always be with the things that I own,” referring instead to his other work, especially a list of gay-themed dramas. He lists Queer as Folk, Cucumber, It’s a Sin, and his upcoming Tiptoe as the projects he believes are most important to how he’ll be remembered.

Davies’ remarks have come at a moment when Doctor Who is facing some of its harshest criticism yet. The show’s ratings have dropped sharply under his watch, and the future of the Disney and BBC partnership looks unsteady. Actor Shooty Gatwa has just left, and the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, is in production but there’s not much excitement about it. The second season of the show with Davies back as showrunner has only managed a 56% approval rating, according to recent reviews, with many viewers making clear that they’re unhappy with the new direction. Critics widely argue that Davies has run Doctor Who into the ground by using the show as a vehicle for “woke” ideology, and the most common complaint is that he has diluted what made the show great.

Ncuti and Russell T Davies in happier times

In recent interviews, Davies says his new series Tiptoe is his strongest writing yet. The plot follows two gay men in Manchester living through what Davies describes as the cultural war affecting the LGBTQ+ community today. Can anyone say “one trick pony”? Sounds like another attempt to preach social justice to the choir that follows his work, more focus on identity and culture conflicts for those who want to watch that kind of stuff.

Davies insists that shows centered on LGBTQ+ subjects will define his career, not Doctor Who, which is laughable since his version of Doctor Who was the most gay version ever and featured an on screen gay romance and same-sex kiss for the Doctor. Despite his efforts to dissociate from the long-running sci-fi series, it’s clear from both the dwindling audience’s reactions and the cratering viewership numbers that he cannot shake the perception that he is responsible for Doctor Who’s decline. Even though Davies may want his other projects to shape his legacy, Whovian fans and critics argue that he has left Doctor Who at its lowest point ever, and that this will overshadow his other contributions. The current state of the show, plagued by poor ratings and audience backlash, is a direct result of Davies’ choices as showrunner.

And Disney knew what Davies’ work always focused on when they picked up the show.

Nate of Mr H. Reviews summed it up really well in this recent video:

It’s difficult to see how Davies will ever escape being linked to Doctor Who’s downfall, no matter how many times he tries to shift the focus elsewhere. His time in charge has, in the eyes of many, utterly destroyed Doctor Who for the sake of progressive politics, and that outcome is now cemented as the most significant part of his professional legacy.

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