25/02/2023
Gay scriptwriter and television producer, Russell T Davies has said that he hopes that the classic era of science fiction favourite “Doctor Who” will be made available on the BBC I-Player function. At the moment, the classic series, which ran from 1963 until the original cancellation of 1989, is available only on BritBox and of course, on DVD releases. Mr Davies said that he hoped that the original run of “Who”, which has a significant queer following, would be made available for new generations to explore. Davies has recently taken over the running of the latest series of “Doctor Who”, having been instrumental in the return of the programme to prime time BBC-1 television in 2005 after a sixteen year hiatus. Popular “Doctor Who” podcast, ‘Radio Free Skaro”, said that Davies had made his remarks in a magazine interview. “Doctor Who” is expected on BBC-1 in the Autumn, when the show will be marking its sixtieth anniversary. Although not in continuous television production, the franchise was kept alive in the nineties and early noughties by books, audio adventures and fan fiction and can boast a rich fictional universe. Last year, the first female incarnation of the Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, bowed out with the help of classic characters from the show’s long history. Ncuti Gatwa is to become the first black incarnation of the Time Lord in the new season, not counting Jo Martin’s portrayal of the “Fugitive Doctor” and Lenny Henry’s much loved sketch where he played a cool, Isaac Hayes inspired Doctor for his 1985 comedy series. Before Mr Gatwa takes over however, an intermediate version of the Doctor played by David Tennant will be piloting the TARDIS, to the delight of the show’s fans.
