Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, who's returning to the series after over a decade, has a grand vision for the franchise he compares to Star Trek's media empire.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Davies was asked why he decided to come back to Doctor Who after such a long absence. According to him, it comes down to a mix of passion and ambition for where can take the franchise. "Partly, it's simply that I love it and always have loved it," Davies said. "But the world has changed. And we're now in the age of the streamer. I watch the Star Trek empire with vast envy: the way that's turned itself from an old archive show into something fantastic. The cast is so progressive, so good, so beautiful."

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Can Doctor Who Become a New Star Trek?

Star Trek, another big science fiction franchise that's been running intermittently since the 1960s, has heavily expanded its output during the streaming era. Before the 2010s, franchise owner Paramount was content with just one to two shows at a time and the occasional movie. Now, there are currently five Star Trek shows in active production on Paramount+: Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks and Prodigy. ​​​​​​While the BBC still owns Doctor Who, the streaming service Disney+ is investing in the show for international distribution outside the UK and Ireland. Davies said that, with these extra resources from streaming platforms, he hopes Doctor Who might eventually approach Star Trek's modern pace.

Davies was originally Doctor Who's showrunner at the beginning of its revival in 2005, and he handled the show's Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras. He also created multiple spinoffs such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures during this time. Davies stepped down in 2009 at the same time as Tennant, when Steven Moffat became the new showrunner and Matt Smith became the new Doctor. However, both Davies and Tennant will be returning to their old roles later this year, with three special episodes starring Tennant as the Doctor and Catherine Tate as his old companion Donna Noble.

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After the 2023 specials, Davies will handle the fourteenth season of the modern Doctor Who series, with Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education) portraying the next Doctor. Several images of Gatwa in character have been released, alongside promotional photos of Millie Gibson as the Doctor's newest companion, Ruby Sunday. Season 14 started filming back in December.

Three Doctor Who specials will come to Disney+ in Nov. 2023, while Season 14 premieres in 2024.

Source: GQ