Davies was the showrunner of Doctor Who for almost seven years, beginning work on the show in 2003 when BBC Drama commissioner Janet Tranter ordered its return, and his last episode aired on New Year's Day 2010. He was succeeded first by Steven Moffat, who ran the show from 2010 to the Christmas Special in 2017, and then Chris Chibnall, who has been charge since. Davis is credited with making Doctor Who one of the most popular drama shows on British television, enjoying ratings of over 12 million at its peak, figures not seen since the original show's heyday in the late 1970s. Doctor Who also became an international phenomenon under Davies's leadership, although its US profile did not peak until a couple of years into Moffat's run.
Davies has resisted returning to the main show, preferring to let his successors get on with their jobs, but did contribute scripts to spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, which both ended in 2011. Since then he has worked in original drama, particularly A Very English Scandal (2016), Years and Years (2019) and It's a Sin (2021), all of which been highly critically acclaimed. Davies got an Emmy nomination for A Very English Scandal and a Welsh BAFTA win for It's a Sin.
It was announced in September that Davies would return to Doctor Who after Chibnall and current star Jodie Whittaker both announced they would be leaving the show after a series of specials to air in 2022 (these recently wrapped filming). It was unclear if Davies would return with a full season first and then address the 60th anniversary event in November 2023, or handle the anniversary first and then a full season. It now sounds like the latter will be the case.
Work is starting on Davies' new era of the series, with auditioning for the role of the Fourteenth Doctor underway and the first production meetings having taken place. It is as yet unclear if Mandip Gill and John Bishop will be continuing their role as Yaz and Dan into the new era, although I suspect it's most likely there will be a soft reboot of the series with a whole new production team coming on board.
Davies's return is not the only huge shift for the series. For the first time ever, production of Doctor Who has been outsourced to an independent production company. Bad Wolf Productions, recently acquired by Sony Television (which is not expected to have an impact on production), will helm the show starting with the fourteenth season. Bad Wolf's deal over production and merchandising sounds like it could result in a steep budget hike for the notoriously cash-strapped show, which in recent years has dropped from 14 to 13 and then 10 episodes a season to save money, to the dismay of fans. The most recent season, produced amidst the COVID pandemic, was only able to produce six episodes.
Doctor Who's ratings have seen a marked decline since the Davies era, with recent seasons lucky to break 5 million viewers on initial broadcast. To some extent this is a natural progression for all British live-broadcast shows, with the BBC iPlayer and time-shifting adding a lot more views after they are counted. The show's profile has also declined, particularly abroad, with the days when the 50th anniversary special aired in cinemas all over the world feeling very long ago indeed. The BBC is banking big on Davies being able to restore the show to its former glories.
Doctor Who's next episode is Eve of the Daleks, which will air on New Year's Day. It will be followed by another special, possibly to air at Easter, and then a grand finale episode to air as part of the 100th birthday celebrations of the BBC, which falls on 18 October 2022, although the episode may air later, at Christmas or New Year.
It sounds like Davies' Doctor Who comeback will air the week of 23 November 2023, to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary, although the 23rd is a Thursday, so it's unclear if the episode will air then or on the following Saturday or Sunday. More news as we get it.
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