Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has said that his projects Queer As Folk and Cucumber will define his legacy – not the popular science-fiction BBC show he is most associated with.
Davies, 62, revived the teatime favourite in 2005 and worked on the series until 2010, before rejoining in 2023. It became a global phenomenon under his leadership, drawing millions of viewers worldwide and contributing millions to the UK economy.
But the screenwriter and producer, who is passionate about sharing queer stories, has distanced himself from the show after ratings plummeted and lead star Ncuti Gatwa suddenly left the series.
“I love Doctor Who, but I don’t own it,” he told Big Issue. “It’s not mine. So in the end, my heart will always be with the things that I own.”
He explained: “Tip Toe is Queer as Folk crossed with Years and Years. That’s exactly what it is. I’m very proud of it. It’s radical. It’s savage. And it’s hilarious.”
Tip Toe is a suburban thriller set on Manchester’s Canal Street, at the heart of the city’s Gay Village, and follows two neighbours as they navigate rising homophobic prejudice in their local community.
“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.”
Asked if he considered the titles his life’s work, he joked: “What – am I dying? No, I do. There’s my Doctor Who world and my gay world. Because that’s everything else, really. Including A Very English Scandal and Years and Years.”
Davies said that he believes his best work is yet to come, adding that his forthcoming series, Tip Toe, is “the strongest thing I’ve ever written”.
Ratings for Doctor Who plunged to a 2.1 million low earlier this year, and fans were left stunned when Gatwa quit the show. In the show’s finale, Gatwa’s Time Lord transforms into Billie Piper.
Piper first appeared in the series in 2005 as Rose Tyler, the “companion” to Christopher Eccleston’s ninth Doctor.
Speaking about the high level of secrecy around her return, Piper said: “I just found it quite moving, and it was really fun to film because it had such a sort of cloak-and-dagger feeling about getting it made. So, yeah, I have to lie a lot about anything to do with Doctor Who, it seems.”
