DOCTOR WHO Showrunner Russell T. Davies Teases Spinoff Shows Are Coming
It looks like Doctor Who is going to be getting some new spinoff shows at some point in the future. This bit of information was teased by showrunner Russell T. Davies during an interview with GQ about the upcoming season and his big return to the franchise.
Davies says that introducing spinoff shows is something that he’s been wanting to do for a long time and now that Disney is backing the franchise, he is going to actually have the opportunity to expand the universe, much like Star Trek and Star Wars have been doing.
There wasn’t the budget to do these things before, but with Disney, they’ve actually got money to play with. He explained:
"So I thought — with no criticism whatsoever towards the people who were running it at the time, because they were running it within the BBC's measures — it was time for the next stage for Doctor Who. I thought the streaming platforms are ready, the spin-offs are ready; I always believed in spin-offs when I was there. I did Torchwood as a spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures as a spin-off. Those spin-offs declined when I left, and I can see why. And I very much left after 2008, when the money became scarce, I think that's fair enough for the public service broadcaster that the money is spent on other things."
I’m curious to see what kind of spinoffs that Davis is looking to develop. He’s obviously got lots of ideas! When he first jumped back on board the franchise, he said: “I'm beyond excited to be back on my favourite show. But we're time-travelling too fast, there's a whole series of Jodie Whittaker's brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm – I'm still a viewer for now."
Davies returned to work on the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who which is coming this year. He is “responsible for Doctor Who's revival in 2005, he is credited with propelling the show into a global phenomenon and making it one of TV's biggest hits. His tenure on the show oversaw a surge in popularity enjoying huge acclaim and success. The Doctor won the nation's hearts through his masterful relaunch, which led him to create two spinoff series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures during that time."
I can’t wait to see what he brings to the franchise next!