With Doctor Who’s Future Still Uncertain, Showrunner Russell T Davies Says ‘I Don’t Own It, It’s Not Mine’

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has reflected on his work running the BBC’s flagship sci-fi show, and said that ultimately his “heart” was fondest for the series he had personally created.

Speaking while promoting his new TV drama Tip Toe, Davies mentioned his time in charge of Doctor Who — by far his most-watched work, and the longest he has dedicated to any single project — but suggested that his career would instead be remembered for his own creations.

“I love Doctor Who, but I don’t own it,” Davies told The Big Issue, via Deadline. “It’s not mine. So in the end, my heart will always be with the things that I own.”

“It is the strongest thing I’ve written,” Davies continued, discussing Tip Toe, which he has described as a mix of his series Queer as Folk, and Years and Years. “I do believe Queer As Folk, Cucumber, It’s a Sin and Tip Toe are the ones that will be on my gravestone.”

Davies has remained tight-lipped over the future of Doctor Who and his own role as showrunner over the past few months, after previously signing off from his regular column within Doctor Who Magazine on a distinctly gloomy note.

“We don’t know what’s happening yet,” Davies admitted back in June, “and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page… Hopefully, we’ll have news soon.”

The production hiatus follows a tumultuous couple of years for Doctor Who with Russell T Davies back at the helm, following his original tenure during the show’s David Tennant-led heyday.

Davies’ most recent season reportedly delivered the worst viewing figures of the show’s modern era, down year-on-year from Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa’s initial run of episodes in 2024, which itself was lower than the series’ previous era featuring Jodie Whittaker.

Criticism of the series’ writing and story arcs has persisted, with even Doctor Who actor and writer Mark Gatiss recently suggesting the show was in need of a rest.

And as for the Doctor themselves, the series was seemingly left without a new permanent inhabitant of the TARDIS, after Gatwa departed in a reshot ending to the season, and Billie Piper was drafted in as an unexplained stand-in.

Addressing the future of the show with fellow fans, former Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury recently said viewers should “adjust their expectations” for the series’ immediate future, as the wait for official news on the series’ Disney co-funding deal renewal drags on. With a potentially lengthy search for a new production partner on the cards should Disney indeed no longer be on board, Doctor Who could remain off-air for the rest of the decade, Spilsbury wrote.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social