Esteemed British showrunner Russell T Davies doesn’t think Doctor Who “will be on my gravestone.”
The BAFTA-winning scribe has had two stints showrunning the hit BBC sci-fi series but told The Big Issue his legacy will be defined by the queer shows he created like Queer as Folk, Cucumber, It’s a Sin and the upcoming Tip Toe.
“I love Doctor Who, but I don’t own it. It’s not mine. So in the end, my heart will always be with the things that I own,” he told the magazine.
Davies said Tip Toe, which follows two gay men in Manchester on the frontlines of the culture war, is “the strongest thing I’ve written,” describing it as a cross between cult Channel 4 drama Queer as Folk and his futuristic BBC series Years and Years.
Watch on Deadline
“It is the strongest thing I’ve written – I do believe Queer As Folk, Cucumber, It’s a Sin and Tip Toe are the ones that will be on my gravestone,” he added.
Doctor Who just aired its second season under the new Davies era but all is not well with the show. Its Disney-BBC co-pro deal appears to hang in the balance, ratings are down and ex-doctor Ncuti Gatwa has left under something of a cloud. Spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea is expected to launch later this year.
Davies simply replied “Behave!” when questioned by The Big Issue over the show’s uncertain future. He was in Manchester celebrating the 10th anniversary of Channel 4’s Cucumber, Tofu and Banana.