Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has admitted he never imagined the sci-fi series would still be going strong 20 years after its revival in 2005.
The 61-year-old screenwriter, best known for creating It’s A Sin and Queer as Folk, led the show’s comeback 16 years after it was cancelled by the BBC.
Speaking to Radio Times, Davies reflected on the show’s uncertain future at the time, revealing that he felt like it was the “last chance at the saloon” when he first took charge.
“I’d loved Doctor Who all my life, and I think its return has now proved that it’s invulnerable. But it didn’t feel like that then. It felt very much last chance at the saloon.”
Billie Piper was the ‘Secret Weapon’
The 2005 revival introduced Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion, Rose Tyler. Piper’s casting was initially met with scepticism due to her background as a pop singer, but Davies described her as the show’s “secret weapon”.
“In that build-up to transmission, I felt like we had a secret weapon – and that was Billie Piper. Everyone knew Christopher Eccleston was a great actor, but knowing how good Billie was, was a terrific feeling.
He acknowledged that many viewers were ready to criticise the show’s return, expecting it to fail.
“People came to criticise, people came to mock, and people came to scorn.”
Piper, now 42, proved her doubters wrong, becoming one of the most beloved companions in the show’s history. She starred in the first two series before her emotional departure in 2006.
‘We were just hoping for a second year’
When Doctor Who returned to screens on 26 March 2005, no one could have predicted its phenomenal success. The show’s revival came 16 years after it was axed by the BBC, following a 26-year run from 1963 to 1989.
At the time, Davies and his team were simply hoping to secure a second season, let alone celebrate two decades of the reboot.
“Never, never, never, never would you have thought we’d be here 20 years later. No programme would ever think that. It’s astonishing. We were literally just hoping for a second year.”
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One of the show’s unique strengths is its regeneration concept, allowing different actors to take on the Doctor’s role. Over the years, this has helped keep the series fresh and innovative.
“There’s nothing quite like that anthology-show imagination of Doctor Who, where it takes these wild leaps from one episode to another.”
From Eccleston to Gatwa – 20 years of regeneration
Following Eccleston’s one-season tenure, David Tennant took over as the Tenth Doctor in 2005, becoming a fan favourite. His time in the role lasted until 2010, when Matt Smith took the reins.
In 2022, Davies returned as showrunner after Chris Chibnall stepped down, along with Jodie Whittaker, the Thirteenth Doctor.
Tennant made a sensational comeback in 2023, reprising his role as a new version of the Doctor (the 14th Doctor) for three 60th anniversary specials.
Now, the role belongs to Ncuti Gatwa, who officially became the Fifteenth Doctor. His second full series is set to launch on April 12, 2024, premiering at 8am on BBC iPlayer before airing on BBC One later that day.
A show stronger than ever
Two decades on, Doctor Who remains one of the BBC’s flagship programmes, with a loyal fanbase and international success.
Although Davies never imagined the show would last this long, his decision to revive it in 2005 has proven to be one of British television’s greatest success stories.
