RTD Wanted Doctor Who to Move Away from “Very Straight, Masculine, and Testosterone-y” Sci-Fi

Reflecting on his recent work with Doctor Who, showrunner Russell T Davies revealed that one of his driving goals since taking the reins again was to steer the show away from what he called “very straight, very masculine, very testosterone-y” science fiction.

Speaking in an interview with Your Manchester, Davies responded to a comment suggesting that the show had properly tapped into the “LGBT side” this time around.

“I think it was just like nudging by 1% in that direction” he said. “But it’s 2025, and you also have to look at what the others are doing. Science fiction franchises are very straight, very masculine, very testosterone-y. And so that’s where Doctor Who can fill a space.”

Davies also stated that he doesn’t consider Doctor Who a children’s show. “It’s perfectly safe for children to watch… but it’s like a family show. Like a Pixar film.”

He added that he sets clear internal boundaries for tone, saying, “I have rules on it that are quite strict, like no blood. You can have laser beams, you can have deaths, but not blood bursting out of people.”

Toward the end of the interview, Davies was also asked about Billie Piper’s role, and dodged the question.