View source for Russell T Davies

{{Short description|Welsh screenwriter and television producer (born 1963)}}
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{{Featured article}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Russell T Davies
| honorific_suffix   = {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE|FRSL}}
| image              = Russell T Davies (cropped).png
| alt                = Davies outside Cardiff Central railway station, sitting with his back towards a marble-effect wall.
| caption            = Davies in 2024
| birth_name         = Stephen Russell Davies
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1963|04|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Swansea]], Wales
| death_date         =
| death_place        =
| alma_mater         = [[Worcester College, Oxford]]
| occupation         = {{hlist | Screenwriter | television producer }}
| years_active       = 1986–present
| spouse             = {{marriage|Andrew Smith|2012|2018|end=died}}
}}
'''Stephen Russell Davies''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|eɪ|v|ᵻ|s}} {{respell|DAY|vis}}; born 27 April 1963), known professionally as '''Russell T Davies''', is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for being the original [[showrunner]] and [[head writer]] of the revival of the [[BBC]] sci-fi series ''[[Doctor Who]]'', from 2005 to 2010 and again since 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldbart |first=Max |date=27 November 2023 |title='Doctor Who' Shakes Up Writers' Payment Structure After Disney+ Boards BBC Sci-Fi Series |url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/doctor-who-bbc-disney-writers-structure-residuals-1235638037/ |access-date=6 December 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> His other notable works include creating the series ''[[Queer as Folk (British TV series)|Queer as Folk]]'' (1999–2000), ''[[Bob & Rose]]'' (2001), ''[[The Second Coming (TV serial)|The Second Coming]]'' (2003), ''[[Casanova (2005 TV serial)|Casanova]]'' (2005), ''Doctor Who'' spin-offs ''[[Torchwood]]'' (2006–2011), ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (2007–2011), and ''[[The War Between the Land and the Sea]]'' (2025), ''[[Cucumber (British TV series)|Cucumber]]'' (2015), ''[[A Very English Scandal (TV series)|A Very English Scandal]]'' (2018), ''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]'' (2019), ''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]'' (2021) and ''[[Nolly (TV series)|Nolly]]'' (2023).

Born in [[Swansea]], Davies had aspirations as a [[comic artist]] before focusing on being a playwright and screenwriter. After graduating from [[Oxford University]], he joined the BBC's children's department, [[CBBC]], in 1985 on a part-time basis and held various positions, which included creating two series, ''[[Dark Season]]'' and ''[[Century Falls]]''. He eventually left the BBC for [[Granada Television]], and in 1994 began writing adult television drama. His early scripts generally explored concepts of religion and sexuality among various backdrops: ''[[Revelations (1994 TV series)|Revelations]]'' was a soap opera about organised religion and featured a lesbian vicar; ''[[Springhill (TV series)|Springhill]]'' was a soap drama about a Catholic family in contemporary [[Liverpool]]; ''[[The Grand (TV series)|The Grand]]'' explored society's opinion of subjects such as prostitution, abortion and homosexuality during the [[interwar period]]; and ''Queer as Folk'' recreated his experiences in the [[Canal Street (Manchester)|Manchester gay scene]]. His work in the 2000s included ''Bob & Rose'', which portrayed a gay man who fell in love with a woman; ''The Second Coming'', which focused on the [[second coming]] and [[deicide]] of [[Jesus Christ]] from a mostly non-religious point of view; ''[[Mine All Mine]]'', a comedy about a family who discover they own the entire city of Swansea; and his return to the BBC with [[BBC Three]]'s ''Casanova'' (produced concurrently with the ''Doctor Who'' revival but broadcast first), an adaptation of [[Histoire de ma vie|the complete memoirs]] of Venetian adventurer [[Giacomo Casanova]].

Following the show's sixteen-year hiatus, Davies revived and ran ''Doctor Who'' for the period between 2005 and 2010, with [[Christopher Eccleston]] and later [[David Tennant]] starring as [[the Doctor]]. Davies's tenure as executive producer of the show saw a surge in popularity which led to the production of two spin-off series, ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', and the revival of Saturday prime-time dramas as a profitable venture for production companies. Davies was appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] in 2008 for services to drama, which coincided with the announcement he would step down from ''Doctor Who'' as the show's executive producer with his final script, "[[The End of Time (Doctor Who)|The End of Time]]" (2009–2010). Davies moved to Los Angeles in 2009, where he oversaw production of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'' and the fifth and final series of ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''. After his partner developed cancer in late 2011, Davies returned to the UK. In September 2021, shortly before the filming of [[Chris Chibnall]]'s era had wrapped, Davies was announced as returning ''Doctor Who'' showrunner; the first episodes of his second tenure are the show's [[Doctor Who (2023 specials)|sixtieth anniversary specials]] in 2023, with Tennant leading in the specials, and [[Ncuti Gatwa]] becoming the new Doctor from December 2023 to May 2025. Davies's second tenure included production of another spin-off show he created called ''The War Between the Land and the Sea''.

In the 2010s Davies co-created the CBBC science fantasy drama ''[[Wizards vs Aliens]]'', and created ''Cucumber'', a [[Channel 4]] series about middle-aged [[gay men]] in the Manchester gay scene; ''[[Banana (TV series)|Banana]]'', an [[E4 (TV channel)|E4]] series about young LGBT people in the ''Cucumber'' universe; and ''[[Tofu (web series)|Tofu]]'', an [[All 4]] documentary series which discussed LGBT issues. Davies's later work for BBC One in the 2010s include a television film adaptation of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''; ''A Very English Scandal'', a miniseries adaptation of the 2016 novel ''[[A Very English Scandal]]''; and ''Years and Years'', a drama series which follows a Manchester family affected by political, economic, and technological changes to Britain over 15 years. Davies returned to Channel 4 for a third time in 2021 as creator of ''It's a Sin'', a semi-autobiographical drama about the [[HIV/AIDS]] crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. Later in the 2020s he worked with former [[Red Production Company]] owner and longtime collaborator [[Nicola Shindler]] at Shindler's Quay Street Productions company on [[ITV (TV Network)|ITV]]'s ''Nolly'', a biographical miniseries about ''[[Crossroads (British TV series)|Crossroads]]'' soap opera star [[Noele Gordon]], and Channel 4's ''[[Tip Toe (TV series)|Tip Toe]]'', a miniseries about two Manchester gay men facing an [[Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric|anti-LGBTQ+]] [[culture war]] in the 2020s.

==Early life==
Stephen Russell Davies was born on 27 April 1963 at Mount Pleasant Hospital in [[Swansea]]. His father, Vivian Davies, and his mother, Barbara, were teachers. Davies was the youngest of three children and their only son. Because he was born by [[caesarean section]], his mother was placed on a morphine drip and was institutionalised after an overdose resulted in a [[psychotic episode]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 9–11}} He described his mother's experience as "literally ... like science fiction" and an early inspiration for his writing career.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 9–11}} As a child, Davies was almost always referred to by his middle name.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 9–11}} He grew up in a household that "never switched the TV off" until after [[sign-off#United Kingdom|closedown]], and he subsequently became immersed in dramas such as ''[[I, Claudius (TV series)|I, Claudius]]'' and ''[[Doctor Who]]''. One of his first memories, at the age of three, was the 1966 ''Doctor Who'' serial ''[[The Tenth Planet]]''. He was also an avid cartoonist and comics enthusiast, and purchased series such as ''[[Asterix]]'' and ''[[Peanuts]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 12}}

Davies attended Tycoch Primary School in [[Sketty]] and enrolled at [[Olchfa School]] aged 11. In his first year, the main school buildings were closed for rebuilding after inspectors discovered the high alumina cement used in construction had caused other public buildings to collapse. Lessons were instead held in portable buildings, which influenced Davies's imagination to create mystery, science-fiction, and conspiracy thriller stories about the main building. He also immersed himself in books such as ''[[Sons and Lovers]]'' by [[D. H. Lawrence]] and ''The Crystal Mouse'' by [[Babs Hodges Deal]]; the latter influenced him so much he could "see it echoing in anything" he wrote.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 13–15}} At age 14, he auditioned for and joined the newly formed [[West Glamorgan]] Youth Theatre Company (WGYTC). The group's founder and director, Godfrey Evans, considered him to be "a total all-rounder" who was talented and popular with the other students. Working with the group allowed him to define his sexual identity, and he embarked on a several-month relationship with fellow youth actor Rhian Morgan. He later [[came out]] as homosexual in his teenage years.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 16–17}}

In 1979, Davies completed his [[GCE Ordinary Level (United Kingdom)|O-Levels]] and stayed at Olchfa with the ambition to study English literature at the [[University of Oxford]]; he abandoned his aspirations of becoming a comic artist after a careers advisor convinced him that his [[colour-blindness]] would make that path unlikely.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 16–17}} During his studies, he participated in the WGYTC's assignments to create [[Welsh language]] drama to be performed at the [[National Eisteddfod of Wales]]; two such productions were ''Pair Dadeni'', a play based on the [[Mabinogion]] myth cycle, and ''Perthyn'', a drama about community belonging and identity in early-1980s West Glamorgan. In 1981, he was accepted by [[Worcester College, Oxford]] to study English literature. At Oxford, he realised he was enamoured with the narrative aspect of fiction, especially 19th-century literature such as [[Charles Dickens]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 19–21}}

Davies continued to submit scripts to the WGYT during his studies at Oxford, including ''Box'', a play about the influence of television which Evans noted contained Davies's penchants for misdirecting the audience and mixing comedy and drama; ''In Her Element'', which centred on the animation of still objects; and ''Hothouse'', an [[Alan Bennett]]-inspired piece about internal politics in an advertising office. In 1984, he made his final performance for the WGYT and signed up for a course in Theatre Studies at [[Cardiff University]] after he graduated from Oxford.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 22–24}} He worked sporadically for the [[Sherman Theatre]]'s publicity department and claimed [[Jobseeker's Allowance|unemployment benefit]] in the interim. In 1985, Davies began his professional television career after a friend suggested he should talk to a television producer who was seeking a temporary graphic artist for the children's show ''[[Why Don't You?]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 24–25}}

== Children's television career (1985–1993) ==
Davies was taken as a member of the [[BBC Wales]] children's department ([[CBBC]]) in 1985 and given one-day contracts and commissions, such as illustrating for ''Why Don't You?''. As he was only given three days of work per month by the BBC, he continued to freelance and volunteer for the Sherman Theatre. In 1986, he was approached by the ''[[Sunday Sport]]'' before its launch to provide a [[association football|football]]-themed daily strip; he declined because he was concerned about the pornographic content of the newspaper. He submitted a script for ''[[Crossroads (British TV series)|Crossroads]]'' in response to an appeal for new writers; it was not used because the show was cancelled in 1987. He ultimately abandoned his graphic art career entirely when he realised in his early twenties that he enjoyed writing the dialogue of a comic more than creating the art.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 27–31}}

On 1 June 1987, Davies made his first and only appearance as a television presenter on ''[[Play School (UK TV series)|Play School]]'' alongside regular presenter [[Chloe Ashcroft]]. ''Why Don't You?'' line producer Peter Charlton suggested that he would "be good on camera" and advised him to take his career public. Davies was granted the opportunity for sporadic appearances over a period of six months; he hosted only one episode as a storytelling illustrator before he walked off the set and commented he was "not doing that again". The appearance remains an in-joke in the industry, and the recordings were invariably requested for [[wrap (filmmaking)|wrap parties]] Davies attended.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 31–33}}

On ''Why Don't You?'', Davies held various jobs including: researcher, director, illustrator, assistant floor manager and unofficial publicist for fan-mail. He was offered his first professional scriptwriting job in 1986 by producer Dave Evans; he had entered Evans's office to collect his wages and was offered an extra £100 to write a replacement script. Davies's script was positively received by the CBBC and led to increasingly larger roles which culminated in a six-month contract to write for the show after it relocated to Manchester in 1988.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 33–35}} He worked for the show for two more years and became the show's producer. He oversaw an increase in drama which tripled its audience—despite the fact BBC Manchester was not permitted by the corporation to create children's dramas—which reached its climax with his last episode: a drama where the ''Why Don't You?'' protagonists, led by the show's longest running presenter [[Ben Slade]], were trapped in a café by a supercomputer which tried to kill them.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 38–41}}

While producing ''Why Don't You?'', Davies branched out within CBBC at [[BBC North West|BBC Manchester]]: he attended directors' courses; wrote for older audiences with his contributions to ''[[DEF II]]'' and ''[[On the Waterfront (TV series)|On the Waterfront]]''; and accompanied [[Keith Chegwin]] to Norway to assist in the production of a children's documentary about politics. The head of CBBC, Ed Pugh, offered him the chance to produce ''[[Breakfast Serials]]'', a new series scheduled for an 8:00&nbsp;am slot. ''Breakfast Serials'' incorporated elements of [[Non sequitur (literary device)|non-sequitur]] comedy and popular culture references aimed at older children, such as a parody of ''[[Land of the Giants]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 35–38}} He decided to leave CBBC during the production of ''Breakfast Serials'': a friend called him after the first episode was transmitted and observed he had "broadcast a joke about the juvenilia of [[Emily Brontë]] at eight o'clock in the morning"; the conversation caused him to reflect he was writing for the wrong audience.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 41–42}} Davies worked as a writer on three more children's series while he pursued an adult drama career, creating ''[[Dark Season]]'' and ''[[Century Falls]]'', and writing for ''[[Children's Ward]]''.

===''Dark Season'' and ''Century Falls''===
[[File:KateWinsletByAndreaRaffin2011.jpg|alt=Kate Winslet at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011.|thumb|upright|''Dark Season'' was a breakthrough role for actress [[Kate Winslet]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 45–47}}]]

During his tenure on ''Why Don't You?'', Davies oversaw the production of a story that took place in [[Loch Ness]]. The story was the precursor for his first freelance children's project: ''[[Dark Season]]''. The show, originally called ''The Adventuresome Three'', would feature the ''Why Don't You?'' characters in a purely dramatic setting influenced by his childhood. He submitted the script to the head of CBBC, [[Anna Home]], and [[Granada Television]]. Both companies were interested in producing the show with minor changes: Granada wished to produce it as one six-part serial, as opposed to Davies's plan of two three-part serials; and Home was interested in accepting the show on the condition it included a new cast of characters. He accepted Home's offer, and the show was allocated the budget and timeslot of ''[[Maid Marian and her Merry Men]]'', which had been put on hiatus the year before.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 43–45}}

The first three episodes of ''Dark Season'' feature three young teenagers in a contemporary secondary school, Reet ([[Kate Winslet]]), Marcie (Victoria Lambert), and Tom (Ben Chandler), who discover a plot by the villain Mr Eldritch (Grant Parsons) to take over the world using school computers. Eldritch is eventually defeated by Marcie and the computer expert Professor Polzinsky ([[Rosalie Crutchley]]). The next three episodes focus on a new villain: the archaeologist Miss Pendragon ([[Jacqueline Pearce]]), later described by Davies as a "[[devil worship]]ping [[Nazi]] lesbian",<ref name="brokentradition">{{cite journal |first=Alison |last=Pierse |title=A Broken Tradition: British Telefantasy and Children's Television in the 1980s and 1990s |volume=11 |issue=1 |year=2010 |journal=Visual Culture in Britain |pages=109–124 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |doi=10.1080/14714780903509888 |s2cid=191498539 |issn=1471-4787}}</ref> who becomes a part of the ancient supercomputer Behemoth. The two distinct plot elements converge at the end of the fifth episode, when Pendragon crashes through the school stage as Eldritch walks into the auditorium.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 45–47}}

''Dark Season'' uses concepts seen in his tenure as executive producer of ''Doctor Who'': "[[School Reunion (Doctor Who)|School Reunion]]", written by [[Toby Whithouse]], shares its concept of the antagonist using computers in a comprehensive school to take over the world; "[[Army of Ghosts]]" unexpectedly brings together the series' two major villains for the final episode; and the characters of Marcie and her friends are similar, albeit unintentionally, to the structure of [[the Doctor]] and their [[companion (Doctor Who)|companion]]s.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 45–47}} ''Dark Season'' was the first series he was credited as "Russell T Davies"—the initial arbitrarily chosen to distinguish himself from [[Russell Davies|the BBC Radio 4 presenter]]—and the first series he was commissioned to write a novelisation: it features a more ambiguous climax and foreshadows a sequel set in an arcade similar to the one featured in ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' serial, ''[[Warriors of Kudlak]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 51–52}}

Davies started planning a second series for ''Dark Season,'' which followed a similar structure. The first half of the series would take part in the arcade mentioned in the novelisation, and the second would feature the appearance of psychic twins and the re-emergence of the villain Eldritch. The concepts were transferred to its spiritual successor, ''[[Century Falls]]'', which was produced in 1993 at the request of ''Dark Season'' director [[Colin Cant]]. The series primarily used the "psychic twins" concept and was set in an isolated village based on those in the [[Yorkshire Dales]] and the [[North York Moors]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 52–54}}

The plot of ''Century Falls'' is driven by a legend that no children had been born in the eponymous village for more than forty years. The protagonist, Tess Hunter (Catherine Sanderson), is an overweight teenager who moves to the village with her mother at the beginning of the serial. She quickly befriends the psychic Ben Naismith ([[Simon Fenton]]) and his twin sister Carey (Emma Jane Lavin). The three teenagers examine the waterfall that gave Ben his powers and the disaster which caused the legendary infertility. The serial climaxes in a confrontation between Tess and the deity Century, who is attempting to fuse with Tess's unborn sister.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 52–54}}

''Century Falls'' is conceptually much darker than its predecessor ''Dark Season'' and his later work, which Davies attributed to a trend that inexperienced writers "get off on the dark stuff":{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 53}} In a [[BAFTA]] interview with Davies, Home recalled she "very nearly got into trouble because it did actually push at the boundaries which some of the powers-that-be would rather not have been pushed". The series offered a sense of realism in its protagonist, who is not heroic and aspirational, has poor social skills, and is bluntly described by Ben as a "fat girl".<ref name="brokentradition"/> ''Century Falls'' was the last script he wrote for CBBC for fourteen years. He had begun to formulate another successor: ''The Heat of the Sun'', a series set over Christmas 1999 and New Year's Day 2000 that would have included the concepts of psychic powers and world domination.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 56–57}}

===''Children's Ward''===
While he was writing ''Dark Season'' and ''Century Falls'', Davies sought freelance projects elsewhere; these included three scripts for the BBC children's comedy ''[[ChuckleVision]]''. One venture in 1991 led him to [[Granada Television]], where he edited scripts for the ITV children's medical drama ''[[Children's Ward]]'' under the supervision of eventual ''[[Coronation Street]]'' producer Tony Wood and his former boss Ed Pugh. By 1992, he had been promoted to producer and oversaw an increase in discussion of larger contemporary issues. In 1993, he wrote a script about a teenage boy who had been infected with HIV via a blood transfusion, which challenged the prevalent assumption only gay people contracted HIV:{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 59–64}}
{{blockquote|
;Jason Lloyd: You must be a [[wikt:poof|poof]] if you've got AIDS.
;Richard Higgs: I'm not gay, and I haven't got AIDS; I'm HIV positive. But just for the sake of an argument let's say I was homosexual. Would it matter? What difference would it make?
;Jason: [You'd] fancy me, wouldn't you?
;Richard: There's not a boy, girl, man, or woman alive who could possibly fancy you. Look around. Where's this queue of people dying to ask you out? They don't exist, Jason, because you're stupid, you're bigoted, and you don't matter one little bit.|''Children's Ward'', written by Russell T Davies, 1993{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 61–62}}}}
Davies left the role of producer in 1994, but continued to write occasionally for the series. Notably, he was requested to write the 100th episode of the series, by then called ''The Ward'', which aired in October 1996. Instead of celebrating the milestone, he wrote a script about a recently emerging threat: paedophiles in online chat-rooms. The episode was about an ''[[X-Files]]'' fan who was drawn in by a paedophile's offer of a rare magazine. In the ''dénouement'' of the episode, the child recounts the tale of his near abduction and describes his attacker as "just a man like any other man". The episode earned Davies his first Children's BAFTA award for Best Drama.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 59–64}}

==Adult television career (1994–2004) {{anchor|Adult television career (1994–2004)}}==
During his production tenure on ''Children's Ward'', Davies continued to seek other freelance writing jobs, particularly for soap operas; his intention was to eventually work on the popular and long-running Granada soap ''Coronation Street''. In pursuit of this career plan, he storylined soaps such as ''[[Families (TV series)|Families]]'' and wrote scripts for shows such as ''[[Cluedo (UK game show)|Cluedo]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3663738/Master-of-the-universe.html |title=Master of the universe |first=Richard |last=Johnson |date=11 March 2007 |access-date=16 March 2018 |work=The Daily Telegraph |archive-date=21 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421181735/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3663738/Master-of-the-universe.html |url-status=live}}</ref> a game show based on the board game ''[[Cluedo]]'', and ''Do the Right Thing'', a localised version of the Brazilian panel show ''Você Decide'' with [[Terry Wogan]] as presenter and [[Frank Skinner]] as a regular panellist. One writing job, for ''The House of Windsor'', a soap opera about footmen in [[Buckingham Palace]], was so poorly received his other scripts for the show would be written under the pseudonym Leo Vaughn.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 64–69}}

In 1994, Davies relinquished all of his producing jobs, and was offered a scriptwriting role on the late-night soap opera ''[[Revelations (1994 TV series)|Revelations]]'', created by him, [[Tony Wood (producer)|Tony Wood]], and [[Brian B. Thompson]]. The series was a tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of organised religion, and featured his first overtly homosexual character: a lesbian vicar portrayed by [[Sue Holderness]], who came out of the closet in a [[two-hander]] episode with Carole Nimmons.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 69–72}}

Davies attributes the revelation about Holderness's character as a consequence of both the "pressure cooker nature" of the show and the recent [[ordination of women in the Anglican Communion|ordination of female vicars in the Church of England]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 69–72}} He let his contract with Granada expire and pitched a new early-evening soap opera to [[Channel 4]], ''RU'', with its creator Bill Moffat, Sandra Hastie, a producer on Moffat's previous series ''[[Press Gang]]'', and co-writer [[Paul Cornell]]. Although the slot was eventually taken by ''[[Hollyoaks]]'', he and Cornell mutually benefited from the pitch: Davies introduced Cornell to the ''Children's Ward'' producers and established contact with Moffat's son [[Steven Moffat|Steven]], and Cornell introduced Davies to [[Virgin Publishing]]. Davies wrote one ''Doctor Who [[Virgin New Adventures]]'' novel, ''[[Damaged Goods (Davies novel)|Damaged Goods]]'', in which [[the Doctor]] tracks a [[Class A drug]] tainted by [[Time Lord]] technology across several galaxies. The book includes several themes which Davies would intersperse in his later works—including a family called "Tyler" and companion [[Chris Cwej]] participating in casual homosexual sex—<ref name="damagedgoods">{{cite news |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/jonn-elledge/2014/07/gayness-gak-and-gallifrey-russell-t-davies-1996-doctor-who-novel-being |title=Gayness, gak and Gallifrey: Russell T Davies' 1996 Doctor Who novel is being dramatised, and it's amazing |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=8 September 2014 |first=John |last=Elledge |archive-date=8 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908064615/http://www.newstatesman.com/jonn-elledge/2014/07/gayness-gak-and-gallifrey-russell-t-davies-1996-doctor-who-novel-being |url-status=live}}</ref> and a subplot formed the inspiration for ''The Mother War'', a proposed but never produced thriller for Granada about a woman, Eva Jericho, and a [[calcified]] foetus in her uterus.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 72–73}}

Davies continued to propose dramas to Channel 4. The next drama to be commissioned was ''[[Springhill (TV series)|Springhill]]'', an [[apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|apocalyptic]] soap-opera, co-created by [[Frank Cottrell Boyce]] and [[Paul Abbott]], which aired simultaneously on [[Sky One]] and Channel 4 in 1996–97. Set in suburban Liverpool, the series focuses on the devoutly [[Catholic]] Freeman family and their encounter and conflict with Eva Morrigan (Katharine Rogers).{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 75–76}} He storylined for the second series, but submitted fewer scripts; Granada had commissioned him to write for their soap ''The Grand'', temporarily storyline for ''Coronation Street'', and write the straight-to-video special, ''[[Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas!]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 86}} The second series of ''Springhill'' continued his penchant for symbolism; in particular, it depicted Marion Freeman ([[Judy Holt]]) and Eva as personifications of good and evil, and climaxed with a finale set in an ultra-liberal dystopian future where premarital sex and homosexuality are embraced by the Church.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 78–80}} Boyce later commented that without Davies's input, the show would have been a "dry run" for Abbott's hit show ''[[Shameless (UK TV series)|Shameless]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 81}}

===''The Grand''===
{{main|The Grand (TV series)}}
Davies's next project was ''The Grand'', a [[period drama|period soap drama]] set in a Manchester hotel during the [[interwar period]]. It was designed to be a valuable show in a ratings war with the BBC and was scheduled at 9&nbsp;pm on a Friday night. After the original writer abandoned the series, Granada approached him to write the entire show.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 87}} His scripts for the first series reflect the pessimism of the period; each episode added its own emotional trauma on the staff; these included a soldier's execution for desertion, a destitute maid who threatened to illegally abort her unborn child to survive, and a multi-episode about the chambermaid, Monica Jones ([[Jane Danson]]), who kills her rapist in self-defence, is arrested, and eventually hanged for murder.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 88–90}} The show was renewed for a second series despite the first's dark tone.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 90–91}}

The second series had a lighter tone and greater emphasis on character development, which Davies attributed to his friend Sally, who had previously warned him of the adult humour in ''Breakfast Serials''; she told him his show was too bleak to be compared to real life. He highlighted the sixth and eighth episodes of the second series as a time of maturity as a writer: for the sixth, he utilised then-unconventional narrative devices such as [[flashback (narrative)|flashback]]s to explore the hotel barman's closeted homosexuality and the societal attitudes towards sexuality in the 1920s;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 94–95}} and he highlighted the eighth as when he allowed the series to "take on its own life" by deliberately inserting plot devices such as [[MacGuffin|McGuffin]]s to enhance the comic relief of the series.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 91–94}}

Although well received, the series' ratings were not high enough to warrant a third series. After its cancellation in September 1997, Davies had an [[existential crisis]] after almost dying from an accidental overdose; the experience persuaded him to detoxify and make a name for himself by producing a series which celebrated his homosexuality.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 98}}

===''Queer as Folk''===
[[File:Canal Street, Europride 2003.jpg|thumb|Manchester's [[gay district]] on [[Canal Street (Manchester)|Canal Street]] was a major source of inspiration for ''Queer as Folk'' and, later, ''Bob & Rose''.|alt=Canal Street during Europride 2003: several rainbow flags adorn the exterior of bars along the road.]]
{{Main|Queer as Folk (British TV series)}}
After his near-death experience, Davies started to develop a series for Channel 4 which reflected the "hedonistic lifestyle" of the gay quarter of Manchester he was leaving behind. Encouraged by ex-Granada executives Catriona MacKenzie and Gub Neil to "go gay", the series focused on a group of friends in Manchester's gay scene, tentatively titled ''The Other End of the Ballroom'', and later, ''Queer as Fuck''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 97–99}}

By February 1998, when he completed the first draft for the series première, the series was known under its eventual title ''Queer as Folk''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 97–99}} The series emulates dramas such as ''[[Band of Gold (TV series)|Band of Gold]]'' in presenting realistic discussion on sexuality, as opposed to "one-sided" gay characters in soap operas such as ''[[EastEnders]]'', and eschews "heavy-handed discussion" of issues such as HIV; the show instead focuses on the party scene on [[Canal Street (Manchester)|Canal Street]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 97–100}}

After he wrote the pilot, he approached actors for the main characters.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 98–100}} [[Christopher Eccleston]] was Davies's first choice for the role of Stuart Jones; Eccleston declined because of his age and suggested his friend [[Aidan Gillen]] instead.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 100–101}} The roles of Vince Tyler and Nathan Maloney were given to [[Craig Kelly (actor)|Craig Kelly]] and [[Charlie Hunnam]], and the secondary character Alexander Perry, originally written for the television producer [[Phil Collinson]] during his brief acting career, was portrayed by [[Antony Cotton]], who later played the gay character [[Sean Tully]] in ''[[Coronation Street]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 100–101}} The series was allocated a £3&nbsp;million budget, and was produced by [[Red Productions]], then owned by his friend and former colleague [[Nicola Shindler]],{{efn|Shindler left Red Productions in 2020, but continued to collaborate with Davies at Shindler's next production company Quay Street Productions, launched the following year.<ref name="quay street">{{cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=14 September 2020 |title='Happy Valley' Producer Nicola Shindler Launching Scripted Banner for ITV Studios |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/happy-valley-producer-nicola-shindler-launching-scripted-banner-for-itv-studios-4059679/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref><ref name="tip toe company">{{cite web |last=Goldbart |first=Max |date=4 September 2025 |title=Russell T. Davies Casts Alan Cumming & David Morrissey To Lead Channel 4's 'Tip Toe' |url=https://deadline.com/2025/09/tip-toe-channel-4-russell-t-davies-alan-cumming-david-morrissey-1236507098/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref>}} and filmed by director [[Charles McDougall]] and Sarah Hardin on location in Manchester.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 102}} The eight 40-minute episodes emulated experiences from his social life and includes an episode where the minor character Phil Delaney ([[Jason Merrells]]) dies of a cocaine overdose, unnoticed by his social circle.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 103–105}}

The series was aired in early 1999, when [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] were discussing [[LGBT rights in the United Kingdom|LGBT equality]]; the series première aired on the day the House of Lords was discussing the [[Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000|Sexual Offences Bill 1999]], which eventually reduced the [[age of consent]] for homosexual couples to 16.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 109}} The première was controversial, in particular because it depicted the character Nathan, aged 15, in sexual intercourse with an older man; the broadcasting watchdog [[Ofcom]] received 136 complaints and the series received criticism from Hunnam's parents and from activist [[Mary Whitehouse]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 109–110}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583081/Doctor-Whos-Russell-T-Davies-saves-family-TV.html |title=Doctor Who's Russell T Davies saves family TV |journal=The Daily Telegraph |date=28 March 2008 |access-date=16 January 2018 |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=11 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511144941/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583081/Doctor-Whos-Russell-T-Davies-saves-family-TV.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The controversy was amplified when the sponsor [[Beck's]] withdrew after several episodes and homosexual activists complained the series was not representative of gay culture. Nevertheless, the show garnered 3.5&nbsp;million viewers per episode and a generally positive reaction from fans, and was renewed for a two-episode special due for the following year.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 110–112}}

''Queer as Folk 2'' was broadcast in 2000 and was driven by the plot element of Vince's half-sister's wedding. The specials place emphasis on Vince and Stuart's relationship, and ends with their departure for another gay scene in a pastiche of ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]'', as Nathan took the role as the leader of the Manchester scene's next generation.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 115–117}} The show ended on 22 February 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/sep/15/channel4.gayrights |title=Russell T Davies on Queer As Folk |last=Davies |first=Russell T. |date=15 September 2003 |website=The Guardian |access-date=16 January 2018 |archive-date=17 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117132103/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/sep/15/channel4.gayrights |url-status=live}}</ref> On the heels of the special, Davies pitched the spin-off ''Misfits'', a late-night soap opera set in a [[boarding house]] owned by Vince's mother, Hazel,{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 120}} and ''The Second Coming'', a series which depicted the [[Second Coming of Christ]] in contemporary Manchester.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 126–131}} ''Misfits'' was rejected in December 2000 and ''The Second Coming'' was initially approved by Channel 4 but later rejected after a change of executive personnel. Instead of contesting the cancellation of ''The Second Coming'', he left Channel 4 and vowed to not work with them again.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 129–131}}

===''Bob and Rose''===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Bob and Rose Section 28 protest.jpg
| width1 = 196
| alt1 = A drag queen (Wynnie La Freak) stands in front of a bus causing it to stop.
| caption1 =
| image2 = Section28-cropped.jpg
| width2 = 100
| alt2 = LGBT activists obstruct a bus in Albert Square a year before the transmission of Bob and Rose.
| caption2 =
| footer = [[LGBT rights]] protests in the 1990s and early 2000s, specifically those against [[Section 28]], were a large influence on ''Bob & Rose''; a climactic scene in the fourth episode (''left'') mirrors and was inspired by protests against the transport company [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] (''right'', in Manchester in 2000).
}}
{{Main|Bob & Rose}}
Shindler continued to pitch ''The Second Coming'' to other television networks while Davies sought other ventures. His next series was based on a gay friend who married a woman and fathered a child. He saw the relationship as a promising concept for an unconventional love story and asked the couple about their relationship to develop the show.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 131}} After he developed the series around the prejudice he and his gay friends had shown, he realised he was [[straw man|creating caricatures for the purpose of exposing them]], and instead focused on telling a traditional love story and gave the couple the traditionally British names of Bob Gossage and Rose Cooper.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 133–136}}

To simulate a classic love story, the plot required antagonists, in the form of Bob's best friend and fellow teacher Holly Vance and Rose's boyfriend Andy Lewis ([[Daniel Ryan (actor)|Daniel Ryan]]). While Andy, named after Davies's boyfriend Andrew Smith, was a minor character and departed in the third episode, Holly featured throughout the entirety of the series.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 133–136}} ''Bob & Rose'' thus followed a similar format to ''Queer as Folk'', in particular, the triumvirate of main characters composed of a couple and an outsider who lived in contemporary Manchester, and inverted the traditional "[[coming out]]" story by focusing on Bob's uncharacteristic attraction to Rose; Bob describes his sexual life by simply speaking the line "I fancy men. And her."{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 133–136}} The series was similar to the [[Kevin Smith]] film ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' (1997), as they both portrayed a romance between a straight character and gay character and the resulting ostracism from the couple's social circles, much like ''The Second Coming'' shared its concept with Smith's 1999 film ''[[Dogma (film)|Dogma]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 138}}

Like ''Queer as Folk'', ''Bob & Rose'' contributed to the contemporary political debate around LGBT rights: a subplot involves the fictional pressure group ''Parents Against Homophobia'' (PAH), led by Bob's mother Monica ([[Penelope Wilton]]), an ardent gay rights activist, and their campaign to repeal [[Section 28|Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988]], which prohibited local authorities from "intentionally promot[ing]" homosexuality.<ref name="s28bobandrose">{{cite journal |first=Alan |last=McKee |title=An Interview with Russell T Davies |volume=16 |issue=2 |year=2002 |pages=235–255 |journal=Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies |publisher=Taylor & Francis Group |issn=1469-3666 |doi=10.1080/10304310220138796 |s2cid=141438644 |url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/14881/1/14881.pdf |access-date=16 December 2019 |archive-date=5 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405211136/http://eprints.qut.edu.au/14881/1/14881.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The subplot climaxes in the fourth episode, when Monica and Bob lead a rally into direct action by handcuffing themselves to a bus run by a company whose management donated millions to keeping the law on the books;<ref name="s28bobandrose"/><ref name="bare4">{{Cite episode |title=Episode 4 |series=Bob & Rose |series-link=Bob & Rose |network=[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] ([[Granada Television|Granada]]) |station=ITV |location=Manchester |airdate=1 October 2001 |series-no=1 |number=4 |minutes=''c'' 40 |credits=Writer and producer: Davies, Russell T; Director: [[Wright, Joe]]; Starring: [[Davies, Alan]]; [[Lesley Sharp|Sharp, Lesley]]; [[Jessica Hynes|Stevenson, Jessica]]; et al. Commentary track: Davies, Russell T; Davies, Alan}}</ref> the scene directly parallels protests against the transport company [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] due to their founder [[Brian Souter]]'s financial and political support of Section 28—at one point, Davies intended to explicitly name Stagecoach in the script—<ref name="bare4"/> and is inspired by earlier protests undertaken by the LGBT rights pressure group [[OutRage!]].<ref name="s28bobandrose"/>

After successfully pitching the show to [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], Red Productions joined Davies in casting the show and initially approached ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' star [[Alan Davies]] to portray Bob.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 137–138}} Although he was not gay, Davies accepted the role and spent several weeks researching first-hand Manchester's gay scene with series director [[Joe Wright]]. His only objection to the role was Bob being a fan of [[Manchester United F.C.]], the team Shindler had named Red Productions for, because of his prolific support of [[Arsenal F.C.]] The part of Rose was given to [[Lesley Sharp]], her first leading role after her portrayal of secondary characters in past Red shows ''[[Playing the Field]]'' and ''[[Clocking Off]]'', and [[Jessica Stevenson]] was cast as Holly by ITV Head of Drama Nick Elliott on the basis of her performance in the Channel 4 comedy ''[[Spaced]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 137–138}}

The series was filmed in the southern suburbs of Manchester between March and June 2001 and often used Davies's own home as a [[green room]]. At the time, the series was the only Red–Davies collaboration not to be scored by future ''Doctor Who'' composer [[Murray Gold]];{{efn|Later followed by [[Ben Foster (composer)|Ben Foster]]'s score of ''[[Banana (TV series)|Banana]]'', 14 years later.}}{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 203}} the soundtrack was a [[Martin Phipps]] composition inspired by [[Hans Zimmer]]'s work on the 1993 film ''[[True Romance]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 137–139}} It aired on Monday nights in September and October 2001.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 137–139}} Critically acclaimed, the series won two [[British Comedy Awards]], and received a nomination at the [[British Academy Television Award]]s. However, the series had lower viewership than expected and was moved to a later timeslot for the final two episodes.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 139–141}} Although the series was not as successful as he hoped, the show helped Davies rekindle his relationship with his mother shortly before her death, just after the transmission of the fourth episode, which he sees as "possibly the best thing [he has] ever written".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 139–141}}

===''The Second Coming''===
{{Main|The Second Coming (TV serial)}}
Shortly after the transmission of ''Bob & Rose'', Davies was approached by Abbott to write for his new BBC show ''[[Linda Green]]''. He accepted the offer and wrote an episode where the titular character ([[Liza Tarbuck]]) and her friends attend a schoolmate's funeral and become psychologically haunted by the deceased woman's solitary life. His first work for the BBC in eight years prompted them to approach him with additional concepts for period dramas, which he invariably declined as his sole intent was to revive ''Doctor Who'', which had then been on hiatus for over a decade.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 143–145}}

In 2002, he met with the BBC to discuss the revival of the show and producing ''The Second Coming''; the BBC were unable to commit to either, and he again declined to work for them.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 143–145}} After the BBC rejected ''The Second Coming'', Shindler proposed the series should be pitched to ITV. Despite the story's controversial message, the critical success of ''Bob & Rose'' encouraged the channel to commission the series for broadcast.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 143–145}}

''The Second Coming'' had been several years in the making and endured many rewrites from the first draft presented to Channel 4 in 2000, but retained its key concept of a depiction of the [[Second Coming of Christ]] with a humanity-centred deity.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 129–131}}{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 145}} A major removal from the script, due to time constraints, was a long sequence titled "Night of the Demons": the main character, a shop assistant, Stephen Baxter, who discovers his divine lineage, takes over a hotel with his disciples and eventually encounters several of the hotel's employees which had been [[possessed by the Devil]]. Several similar sequences were removed to create a [[thriller (genre)|thriller]] set in the days before [[Judgement Day]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 149–150}}

An experienced actor was required to portray Stephen; Davies approached [[Christopher Eccleston]], who had previously been approached for the role of Stuart in ''Queer as Folk'', based on his performance as Nicky Hutchinson in the drama ''[[Our Friends in the North]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 150–151}} Eccleston accepted the role and helped Davies make the character more human after he observed "Baxter was getting lost amid his loftier pronouncements". The character of Judith, who would represent the fall of God, was given to Lesley Sharp after her performance in ''Bob & Rose'', and the role of the Devil was given to [[Mark Benton]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 150–151}}

''The Second Coming'' was controversial from its conception. When it was a Channel 4 project, it was the subject of a ''[[Sunday Express]]'' article a year before its original projected transmission date of late 2001.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 152}} The series would again receive criticism when it was rumoured it would be broadcast over the Easter weekend of 2003.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 145–153}} The series was eventually broadcast over consecutive nights on 9–10 February 2003 to 6.3&nbsp;million and 5.4&nbsp;million viewers, respectively, and received mixed reactions from the audience: Davies reportedly received death threats for its atheistic message and criticism for its anticlimactic ending, as well as two nominations for Television Awards and one for a [[Royal Television Society Programme Award]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 145–153}}

===''Mine All Mine''===
{{Main|Mine All Mine}}
In the time near his mother's death, Davies returned to Swansea several times and reflected on the role of family. During one visit, he realised he had not yet written a series set in Wales; hence, he created a series about a family who discovers they own the entire city of Swansea.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 157–159}} ''The Vivaldi Inheritance'', later renamed ''Mine All Mine'', was based on the tale of the Welsh pirate [[Robert Edwards (pirate)|Robert Edwards]] and his descendants' claim to {{convert|77|acres|m2}} of real estate in [[Lower Manhattan]], New York City. The series was a departure from his trend of experimental social commentary; it was instead designed to be a mainstream comedy which used Welsh actors: Davies and Red Productions even planned a cameo appearance by [[Academy Award]]-winning Swansea-born [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 157–159}}

Because the series was centred on an entire family, Red Productions was given the task of casting eleven principal characters:{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} the role of family patriarch Max Vivaldi was given to [[Griff Rhys Jones]], at the request of ITV for prolific actors;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} Rhian Morgan, Davies's ex-girlfriend from the WGYT, was cast as Max's wife Val;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} [[Sharon Morgan]] as Max's sister Stella;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} [[Joanna Page]] as Candy Vivaldi;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} Matthew Barry and [[Siwan Morris]] as the Vivaldi siblings Leo and Maria;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} ''[[Hi-de-Hi!]]'' actress [[Ruth Madoc]] as Val's sister Myrtle Jones;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} and [[Jason Hughes (actor)|Jason Hughes]] as Maria's boyfriend Gethin.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 160–161}} The series, specifically the family's composition of two daughters and a gay son, mirrored his own upbringing to the point where Davies and his boyfriend referred to the show as "The Private Joke".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 161}}

The series was originally written in six parts, but Davies excised a large portion of the fifth episode because the crew expressed concerns with its pacing. The series was filmed in late 2003 under the direction of [[Sheree Folkson]] and Tim Whitby, and used many areas of Swansea which Davies was familiar with since his childhood. It aired as four-hour-long episodes and a ninety-minute finale on Thursday nights preceding Christmas 2003.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 162–163}} Eventually, ''Mine All Mine'' would be his least successful series and ended its run with just over two million viewers, which he later blamed on the series' high eccentricity.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 162–163}}

===''Casanova''===
{{Main|Casanova (2005 TV serial)}}
Shortly after the transmission of ''Mine All Mine'', the BBC commissioned Davies to produce the revival of ''Doctor Who'', which completed his decade-long quest to return the series to the airwaves.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 164}} At the time, he was developing two scripts: the first, a cinematic adaptation of the [[Charles Ingram]] ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]'' scandal, was cancelled after he accepted the ''Doctor Who'' job;{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 166–168}} and the second, a dramatisation of the life of the Venetian adventurer and lover [[Giacomo Casanova]], was his next show with Red Productions.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 168–170}}

Davies's association with ''Casanova'' began when [[London Weekend Television]] producers [[Julie Gardner]], Michele Buck, and [[Damien Timmer]] approached him to write a 21st-century adaptation of [[Histoire de ma vie|Casanova's memoirs]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 168–170}} He accepted to script the series because it was "the best subject in the world" and, after reading the memoirs, sought to create a realistic depiction of Casanova instead of further perpetuating the stereotype of a hypersexual lover. The series was originally written for ITV, but was turned down after he could not agree on the length of the serial. Shortly after ITV declined to produce ''Casanova'', Gardner took up a position as Head of Drama at [[BBC Wales]] and brought the concept with her. The BBC agreed to fund the series, but could only release the money required if a regionally based independent company produced the series. Davies turned to Shindler, who agreed to become the serial's fifth executive producer.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 168–170}}

Davies's script takes place in two distinct time frames and required two different actors for the eponymous role: the older Casanova was portrayed by [[Peter O'Toole]], and the younger Casanova was portrayed by [[David Tennant]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 170–172}} The serial takes place primarily during Casanova's early adulthood and depicts his life among three women: his mother ([[Dervla Kirwan]]), his lover Henriette ([[Laura Fraser]]), and his consort Bellino ([[Nina Sosanya]]). The script takes a different approach to [[Casanova (1971 TV serial)|Dennis Potter's 1971 dramatisation]]; instead of Potter's focus on sex and misogyny, the 2005 serial focuses on Casanova's compassion and respect for women.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 170–172}}

''Casanova'' was filmed alongside the first few episodes of the new series of ''Doctor Who'', which meant producers common to both projects, including Davies and Gardner, made daily journeys between the former's production in [[Lancashire]] and [[Cheshire]] and the latter's production in Cardiff.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 174–175}} Red Productions also filmed on location overseas in a stately home in [[Dubrovnik]], and alongside production of [[Casanova (2005 film)|the identically titled 2005 Lasse Hallström film]] in Venice.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 170–172}} The two production teams shared resources and were given the unofficial names of "Little Casanova" and "Big Casanova" respectively.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 170–172}} When it premièred on [[BBC Three]] in March 2005, the first episode attracted 940,000 viewers, a record for a first-run drama on the channel, but was overshadowed on [[BBC One]] by the return of ''Doctor Who'' in the same month.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 174–175}}

==''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010) {{anchor|Doctor Who (2005–10) and beyond}}==
{{See also|History of Doctor Who#Back to the BBC|l1=History of Doctor Who: Back to the BBC}}
[[File:Russelltdavies.jpg|thumb|Davies in 2008]]
Since watching the [[First Doctor]]'s ([[William Hartnell]]) [[regeneration (Doctor Who)|regeneration]] into the [[Second Doctor]] ([[Patrick Troughton]]) at the end of the 1966 serial ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'', Davies had "fallen in love" with the show and, by the mid-1970s, he was regularly writing reviews of broadcast serials in his diary. His favourite writer and childhood hero was [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]]; during his career, he has complimented the creative use of BBC studios to create "terror and claustrophobia" for Holmes's 1975 script ''[[The Ark in Space]]''—his favourite serial from the original series—and has opined that the first episode of ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' (1977) featured "the best dialogue ever written; it's up there with [[Dennis Potter]]".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 179–181}} His screenwriting career also began with a ''Doctor Who'' submission, a [[spec script]] which he claimed was rejected by script editor [[Andrew Cartmel]] (1987–89), whom suggested that he should write a more prosaic story about "a man who is worried about his mortgage, his marriage, [and] his dog".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 179–181}} He initially claimed the script was similar to what was transmitted as "[[The Long Game]]" in 2005.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Production Notes #10 |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |location=[[Royal Tunbridge Wells]], Kent |page=50 |date=8 December 2004 |issue=350 |last=Davies |first=Russell T |publisher=[[Panini Comics]]}}</ref> In 2020 he tweeted that he was mistaken, sharing photographs of a spec script from 1986 called ''Mind of the Hodiac''.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=russelldavies63 |number=1340024260539142145 |title=HERE IT IS. In preparation for today's tweetalong, I went through some old papers to find the script and found... the VERY FIRST DOCTOR WHO SCRIPT I ever wrote!! On a manual typewriter! In 1985! 1986? Sixth Doctor and Mel! #SantasARobot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |user=russelldavies63 |number=1340024260539142145 |title=MIND OF THE HODIAC. I think I sent this to the Doctor Who production office. I've always said in interviews that I sent in a rough version of The Long Game... but think I misremembered, I think it was this. Must have been. I's not bad, I like it! #SantasARobot}}</ref>

During the late 1990s, Davies lobbied the BBC to revive the show from its hiatus and reached the discussion stages in late 1998 and early 2002.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 182–183}} His proposals would update the show to be better suited for a 21st-century audience: the series would be recorded on film instead of videotape; the length of each episode would double from twenty-five minutes to fifty; episodes would primarily take place on Earth, in the style of the [[Third Doctor]] ([[Jon Pertwee]]) [[UNIT]] episodes; and Davies would remove "excess baggage" from the mythology such as [[Gallifrey]] and the [[Time Lord]]s. Davies's pitch competed against [[Death Comes to Time|Dan Freedman]]'s proposed retool as a fantasy series, [[Matthew Graham]]'s [[gothic horror]]-styled reboot, and the [[Mark Gatiss]]—[[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]]—[[Clayton Hickman]] pitch which made the Doctor the [[audience surrogate]] character, instead of his [[companion (Doctor Who)|companion]]s.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 183–185}} Davies also took cues from American fantasy television series such as ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and ''[[Smallville]]'', most notably ''Buffy''{{'}}s concepts of series-long [[story arc]]s and the "[[Big Bad]]".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 208}} Ultimately, with the exception of select shots including a slow-motion martial arts sequence,{{sfn|Ainsworth|2015|pages=107–108}} ''Doctor Who'' was not filmed on 16mm or 35mm film, and initially Davies's revival was shot on Digital [[Betacam]].{{sfn|Ainsworth|2016|page=51}}

In August 2003, the BBC had resolved the legal confusion over production rights which had surfaced as a result of the jointly produced [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]]–BBC–[[20th Century Fox]] [[Doctor Who (film)|1996 ''Doctor Who'' film]], and the Controller of BBC One [[Lorraine Heggessey]] and Controller of Drama Commissioning [[Jane Tranter]] approached Gardner and Davies to create a revival of the series to air in a primetime slot on Saturday nights, as part of their plan to devolve production to its regional bases. By mid-September, they accepted the deal to produce the series alongside ''Casanova''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 185–186}}

Davies's [[pitch (filmmaking)|pitch]] for ''Doctor Who'' was the first one he wrote voluntarily; previously, he opted to outline concepts of shows to commissioning executives and offer to write the pilot episode because he felt a pitch made him "feel like [he's] killing the work".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 187–189}} The fifteen-page pitch outlined a [[The Doctor|Doctor]] who was "your best friend; someone you want to be with all the time", the 19-year-old [[Rose Tyler]] ([[Billie Piper]]) as a "perfect match" for the new Doctor, avoidance of the 40-year back story "except for the good bits", the retention of the [[TARDIS]], [[sonic screwdriver]], and [[Dalek]]s, removal of the Time Lords, and a greater focus on humanity. His pitch was submitted for the first production meeting in December 2003 and a series of thirteen episodes was obtained by pressure from [[BBC Worldwide]] and a workable budget from [[Julie Gardner]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 187–189}}

The first new series of ''Doctor Who'' featured eight scripts by Davies; the remainder were allocated to experienced dramatists and writers for the show's [[Doctor Who spin-offs|ancillary releases]]: [[Steven Moffat]] penned a two-episode story, and [[Mark Gatiss]], [[Robert Shearman]], and [[Paul Cornell]] each wrote one script.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 189}} Davies also approached his old friend Paul Abbott and ''[[Harry Potter]]'' author [[J. K. Rowling]] to write for the series; both declined due to existing commitments. Shortly after he secured writers for the show, Davies stated he had no intention of approaching writers from the old series; the only writer he would have wished to work with was Holmes, who died in May 1986.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 189}}

By early 2004, the show had settled into a regular production cycle. Davies, Gardner, and BBC Controller of Continuing Drama Series [[Mal Young]] took posts as executive producers, and Phil Collinson, his old colleague from Granada, took the role of producer.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 190}} Davies's official position as [[showrunner]] combined the roles of [[head writer]] and executive producer and consisted of laying a skeletal plot for the entire series, holding "tone meetings" to correctly identify the tone of an episode, often described in one word—for example, the "tone word" for Moffat's "[[The Empty Child]]" was "romantic"—and overseeing all aspects of production.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 190}}

The production team was also tasked with finding a suitable actor for the role of the Doctor. Most notably, they approached film actor [[Hugh Grant]] and comedian [[Rowan Atkinson]] for the role. By the time Young suggested ''The Second Coming'' and ''[[Our Friends in the North]]'' actor [[Christopher Eccleston]] to Davies, Eccleston was one of three left in the running for the role: the other candidates are rumoured to have been [[Alan Davies]] and [[Bill Nighy]].{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 190–192}} Eccleston created his own characteristics of his rendition of the Doctor based on Davies's life, most notably, his catchphrase "Fantastic!":

{{blockquote|[The central message of the show is] seize life, it's brief, enjoy it. The Doctor is always saying "isn't it fantastic?", which is one of Russell's favourite words. "Look at that blue alien, isn't it fantastic? Oh, it's trying to kill me. Never mind, let's solve it."|Christopher Eccleston{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 192}}}}

The show started filming in July 2004 on location in [[Cardiff]] for "[[Rose (Doctor Who episode)|Rose]]".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 192–193}} The start of filming created stress among the production team because of unseen circumstances: several scenes from the first block had to be re-shot because the original footage was unusable; the [[Slitheen]] prosthetics for "[[Aliens of London]]", "[[World War Three (Doctor Who)|World War Three]]", and "[[Boom Town (Doctor Who)|Boom Town]]" were noticeably different from their computer-generated counterparts; and the BBC came to a gridlock in negotiations with the [[Terry Nation]] estate to secure the [[Dalek]]s for the [[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|sixth episode of the series]]; Davies and episode writer [[Rob Shearman]] were forced to rework the script to feature another race, until Gardner was able to secure the rights a month later.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 192–193}} After the first production block, which he described as "hitting a brick wall", the show's production was markedly eased as the crew familiarised themselves.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 192–193}}

The first episode of the revived ''Doctor Who'', "Rose", aired on 26 March 2005 and received 10.8&nbsp;million viewers and favourable critical reception. Four days after the transmission of "Rose", Tranter approved a [[Christmas special]] and a [[Doctor Who series 2|second series]]. The press release was overshadowed by a leaked announcement that Christopher Eccleston would leave the role after one series; in response, David Tennant was announced as Eccleston's replacement.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 194–195}}

Tennant had been offered the role when he was watching a pre-transmission copy of ''Doctor Who'' with Davies and Gardner. Tennant initially believed the offer was a joke, but after he realised they were serious, he accepted the role and made his first appearance in the ''dénouement'' of "[[The Parting of the Ways]]", the final episode of the first series.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 196}}{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 197}} ''Doctor Who'' continued to be one of BBC's flagship programmes throughout Davies's tenure, and resulted in record sales of the show's [[Doctor Who Magazine|official magazine]], an increase in [[Doctor Who spin-offs|spin-off novels]], and the launch of the children's magazine ''[[Doctor Who Adventures]]'' and toy [[sonic screwdriver]]s and Daleks.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 213}} The show's popularity ultimately led to a resurgence in family-orientated Saturday night drama; the ITV science-fiction series ''[[Primeval (TV series)|Primeval]]'' and the BBC historical dramas ''[[Robin Hood (2006 TV series)|Robin Hood]]'' and ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' were specifically designed for an early Saturday evening timeslot.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 213}} Davies was also approached by the BBC to produce several spin-off series, eventually creating two: ''[[Torchwood]]'' and ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 213–215}}

===''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''===
{{Quote box
| quote = "With ''Doctor Who'' we often had to pretend that bits of Cardiff were London, or [[Utah]], or the planet Zog. Whereas [''Torchwood''] is going to be honest-to-God Cardiff. We will happily walk past the [[Wales Millennium Centre|Millennium Centre]] and say, 'Look, there's the Millennium Centre'."
| width = 25%
| source = Russell T Davies, April 2006<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/dr-who-spin-off-based-bay-2344115 |title=Dr Who spin-off based in Bay |work=[[South Wales Echo]] |date=17 April 2006 |access-date=31 July 2010 |last=James |first=David |archive-date=7 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407115617/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/dr-who-spin-off-based-bay-2344115 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
In October 2005, BBC Three Controller Stuart Murphy invited Davies to create a post-[[watershed (broadcasting)|watershed]] ''Doctor Who'' spin-off in the wake of the parent series' popularity. ''[[Torchwood]]''—named after an [[anagram]]matic [[title ruse]] used to prevent leaks of ''Doctor Who's'' first series—incorporated elements from an abandoned Davies project titled ''Excalibur'' and featured the [[pansexual]] 51st century time-traveler [[Jack Harkness]] ([[John Barrowman]]) and a team of alien hunters in Cardiff.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 213–215}} The show began production in April 2006 and was marketed through foreshadowing in the main story arc of ''Doctor Who's'' second series, which portrayed Torchwood as a covert quasi-governmental organisation that monitors, exploits, and suppresses the existence of extraterrestrial life and technology.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Welcome to Torchwood |series=[[Doctor Who Confidential]] |network=BBC |station=[[BBC Three]] |location=Cardiff |airdate=1 July 2006 |series-no=2 |number=12}}</ref> Upon its transmission, ''Torchwood'' was one of BBC Three's most popular shows; however, it received criticism for "adolescent" use of sexual and violent themes. This led the production team to alter the format to be subtler in its portrayal of adult themes.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 213–215}}

Concurrently, he was approached to produce a CBBC show which was described as ''Young Doctor Who''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 215–217}} Davies was reluctant to diminish the mystery of the Doctor's character and instead pitched a show with [[Elisabeth Sladen]] as the once-popular companion [[Sarah Jane Smith]]: ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', which follows Sarah Jane and local schoolchildren as they investigate extraterrestrial events in the [[London Borough of Ealing]]. The show was given a [[backdoor pilot]] as the ''Doctor Who'' episode "[[School Reunion (Doctor Who)|School Reunion]]" and premièred in its own right with "[[Invasion of the Bane]]" on 1 January 2007. The show was more successful than its 1981 predecessor ''[[K-9 and Company]]''; it received more favourable reviews than ''Torchwood'' and a significant periphery demographic which compared the show to 1970s ''Doctor Who'' episodes.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 215–217}}

The workload of managing three separate shows prompted Davies to delegate writing tasks for ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' to other writers so he could focus on writing ''Doctor Who''.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 217–219}} After [[Billie Piper]]'s departure as Rose Tyler in the second series finale "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]", he suggested a third spin-off, ''Rose Tyler: Earth Defence'', a compilation of annual [[bank holiday]] specials which followed Rose and a parallel universe version of Torchwood.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 219}} He later reneged on his idea, as he believed Rose should stay off screen, and abandoned the idea even though it had been budgeted.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 219}}

==={{Anchor|The Writer's Tale}}''The Writer's Tale'', and writing the fourth series===
[[File:Russell T Davies.jpg|thumb|right|Davies at a book signing for ''The Writers Tale'' in [[Waterstone's]], the [[Trafford Centre]], Greater Manchester, on 9 October 2008|alt=Davies in a navy-blue polo shirt, with one hand resting on a copy of his book.]]
In September 2008, [[BBC Books]] published ''The Writer's Tale'', a collection of emails between Davies and ''[[Radio Times]]'' and ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' journalist [[Benjamin Cook (journalist)|Benjamin Cook]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale : Russell T. Davies : 9781846075711 |url=https://www.bookdepository.com/Doctor-Who-Writers-Tale-Russell-T-Davies/9781846075711 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116193445/https://www.bookdepository.com/Doctor-Who-Writers-Tale-Russell-T-Davies/9781846075711 |archive-date=16 January 2018 |access-date=16 January 2018 |website=Book Depository}}</ref> Dubbed the "Great Correspondence" by Davies and Cook,{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 21}} ''The Writer's Tale'' covers a period between February 2007 and March 2008 and explores his writing processes and the development of his scripts for the [[Doctor Who series 4|fourth series]] of ''Doctor Who'': "[[Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)|Voyage of the Damned]]", "[[Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)|Partners in Crime]]", "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]", "[[Turn Left]]", "[[The Stolen Earth]]", and "[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]". The book's first chapter focuses on Cook's "big questions"{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 36}} on Davies's writing style,{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 21}} character development—he used the ''Doctor Who'' character [[Donna Noble]] ([[Catherine Tate]]) and the ''[[Skins (UK TV series)|Skins]]'' character [[Tony Stonem]] ([[Nicholas Hoult]]) as contrasting examples—,{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 28}} how he formulated ideas for stories,{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 32}} and the question "why do you write?".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 36}} After several weeks, Cook assumes an unofficial advisory role to the scriptwriting and the development of the series. The book's epilogue consists of a short exchange between Davies and Cook: Cook changes from his role as "Invisible Ben" to "Visible Ben" and strongly advises to vastly alter the ''denouement'' to "Journey's End" from a cliffhanger which led into "[[The Next Doctor]]"—which had occurred in the previous three series finales, "[[The Parting of the Ways]]", "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]", and "[[Last of the Time Lords]]"—to a melancholy ending that showed the Doctor alone in the TARDIS. After three days of deliberation, Davies accepts Cook's suggestion and thanks him for improving both episodes.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 505}}

After its release, the pair embarked on a five-stop signing tour to promote the book in October 2008 at [[Waterstone's]] branches in London, [[Birmingham]], Manchester, [[Bristol]], and Cardiff.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 457}} The book received positive reviews: Veronica Horwell of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote Davies was the "[[Scheherazade]] of [[Cardiff Bay]]" and opined the book should have been twice the published length;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/04/tvandradio |title=You. Would. Make. A. Good. Dalek. |date=4 October 2008 |access-date=3 February 2010 |last=Horwell |first=Veronica |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |archive-date=23 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023073405/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/04/tvandradio |url-status=live}}</ref> Ian Berriman of science fiction magazine ''[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]'' gave the book five stars and commented it was the only book about "new Who" a reader needed;<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/book_review_doctor_who_the_writer_s_tale-review/ |title=Book Review: Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale |magazine=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |date=18 September 2008 |access-date=18 June 2022 |last=Berriman |first=Ian |archive-date=19 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419075159/http://www.gamesradar.com/book_review_doctor_who_the_writer_s_tale-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref> television critic [[Charlie Brooker]] was inspired by the book to devote an entire episode of his [[BBC Four]] show ''[[Screenwipe]]'' to interviewing television writers;{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 15, Introduction by Benjamin Cook}} and chat show couple [[Richard and Judy]] selected the book as a recommended Christmas present in the "Serious Non-Fiction" category of [[Richard & Judy Book Club|their book club]].<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.thewriterstale.com/news/?p=292 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023060200/http://www.thewriterstale.com/news/?p=292 |archive-date=23 October 2013 |title=Richard and Judy pick The Writer's Tale |date=10 November 2008 |publisher=[[Random House]] |access-date=3 February 2010}}</ref> A second edition of the book, ''The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter'', was released in January 2010 by BBC Books. The second edition added 350 pages of correspondence—before excising draft scripts included in the first edition—and covered Davies's final months as executive producer of ''Doctor Who'' as he co-wrote the five-part [[BBC One]] ''[[Torchwood]]'' miniseries ''[[Children of Earth]]'', planned [[David Tennant]]'s departure and [[Matt Smith]]'s arrival as the Doctor, and moved to the United States.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 15, Introduction by Benjamin Cook}}

== Post–''Doctor Who'' career (2010–2021) ==
Davies stepped down from the show's production in 2009 along with Gardner and Collinson, and finished his tenure with four special length episodes. His departure from the show was announced in May 2008, alongside a press release which named [[Steven Moffat]] as his successor.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 220–221}} His role in late 2008 was split between writing the 2009 specials and preparing for the transition between his and Moffat's production team; one chapter of ''The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter'' discusses plans between him, Gardner, and Tennant to announce Tennant's departure live during ITV's [[National Television Awards]] in October 2008.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=pp 482–504}} His final full script for ''Doctor Who'' was finished in the early morning of 4 March 2009, and filming of the episode closed on 20 May 2009.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 649}}{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 676}}

Davies moved with Gardner and [[Jane Tranter]] to the United States in June 2009 and resided in Los Angeles, California.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 406}}{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|loc=p 685}} He continued to oversee production of ''Torchwood'' and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''; he wrote one story for the 2010 series of ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', ''[[Death of the Doctor]]'', which included Matt Smith as the Doctor and [[Katy Manning]] as the Doctor's former companion [[Jo Grant]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Spilsbury |issue=423 |title=The Sarah Jane Adventures series four: titles revealed! |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |date=23 June 2010 |page=6}}</ref> and was the executive producer and author of the premiere ("The New World") and finale ("The Blood Line") of ''[[Torchwood: Miracle Day]]'', the fourth series of ''Torchwood''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |issue=423 |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |title=Torchwood returns for a fourth series! |date=23 June 2010 |page=5}}</ref> He additionally gave informal assistance to and later served as creative consultant of ex-''Doctor Who'' script editor [[Helen Raynor]]'s and playwright [[Gary Owen (playwright)|Gary Owen]]'s [[BBC Cymru Wales]] drama, ''[[Baker Boys (2011 TV series)|Baker Boys]]''.<ref name="bakerboys">{{cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/creating-the-bbcs-baker-boys-1859425 |title=Creating the BBC's Baker Boys |publisher=Wales Online |date=22 January 2011 |access-date=14 November 2011 |last=Price |first=Karen |archive-date=30 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230053041/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/creating-the-bbcs-baker-boys-1859425 |url-status=live}}</ref> Davies had planned to return to art by writing a graphic novel, and was approached by [[Lucasfilm]] to write for the proposed [[Star Wars live-action TV series|''Star Wars'' live-action television series]] but refused the commission.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 224}}

In August 2011, Davies's boyfriend Andrew Smith was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which prompted Davies to postpone current projects and move back to the UK so his partner could undergo treatment closer to their respective families.<ref name="moveback">{{cite news |url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/05/interview-russell-t-davies-on-shelving-us-projects-his-partners-cancer-diagnosis-and-coming-home/ |first=Laurence |last=Watts |title=Interview: Russell T Davies on shelving US projects, his partner's cancer diagnosis and coming home |date=5 December 2011 |access-date=5 December 2011 |newspaper=[[Pink News]] |archive-date=7 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207195251/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/05/interview-russell-t-davies-on-shelving-us-projects-his-partners-cancer-diagnosis-and-coming-home/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Davies's return enabled him to develop a replacement series for ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' with prolific series writer [[Phil Ford (writer)|Phil Ford]] after the former series ended due to [[Elisabeth Sladen]]'s death.<ref name="avw">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16677583 |title=Doctor Who's Russell T Davies creates new CBBC TV series Wizards vs Aliens |date=23 January 2012 |access-date=25 January 2012 |work=BBC News |archive-date=24 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124105218/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16677583 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Wizards vs Aliens]]'', a CBBC drama about a teenage wizard and his scientist friend and their conflict with the alien Nekross who wished to destroy Earth, was formed to create a "genre clash" between science fiction and [[supernatural fiction|supernatural]] fantasy, as opposed to "culture clashes" such as ''[[Cowboys & Aliens]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/russell-t-davies-talks-wizards-vs-aliens/ |title=Russell T Davies Talks Wizards Vs Aliens |magazine=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |first=Nick |last=Setchfield |date=28 October 2012 |access-date=29 January 2015 |archive-date=29 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129091225/http://www.gamesradar.com/russell-t-davies-talks-wizards-vs-aliens/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Davies additionally made his first contribution to [[CBeebies]], with two scripts for ''[[Old Jack's Boat]]'', which stars ''Doctor Who'' alumni [[Bernard Cribbins]] and [[Freema Agyeman]] as retired fisherman Jack and his neighbour Shelley.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/new-commissions-cbeebies.html |title=Bernard Cribbins, Russell T Davies and Freema Agyeman come on board with CBeebies |date=3 August 2012 |access-date=28 August 2012 |work=Media Centre |publisher=BBC |archive-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925071915/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/new-commissions-cbeebies.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===''Cucumber'', ''Banana'', and ''Tofu''===
Davies's next project after ''Doctor Who'', codenamed ''More Gay Men'', was a [[spiritual successor]] to ''Queer as Folk'' and would have focused on middle-aged gay men in the Manchester gay scene. The show's genesis dates back from 2001, when his friend Carl Austin asked him "why are gay men so glad when we split up?". The show was due to enter into production in 2006, but was indefinitely postponed due to the success of ''Doctor Who''. Davies continued to develop ideas for the show, and explained a pivotal scene in the premiere to Cook in 2007:{{blockquote|I can imagine a man who is so enraged by something tiny—the fact that his boyfriend won't learn to swim—that he goes into a rage so great that, in one night, his entire life falls apart. It's not about the learning to swim at all, of course, it's about the way that your mind can fix on something small and use it as a gateway to a whole world of anger and pain... If I write the Learn To Swim scene well—and it could be the spine of the whole drama—then I will be saying something about gay men, about couples, about communications, about anger."|Russell T Davies to Benjamin Cook, 6 March 2007|''The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter''{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2010|p=57}}}}

In 2011, the series had entered into pre-production, with American cable network [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] contracted for transmission and [[BBC Worldwide]] for distribution.<ref name="cucumber">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/torchwood-creator-developing-new-showtime-208464/ |title='Torchwood' Creator Developing New Showtime Drama Series |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=6 July 2011 |access-date=18 June 2022 |last=Nededog |first=Jethro |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810175613/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/torchwood-creator-developing-new-showtime-208464 |url-status=live}}</ref> Showtime had reached the point of casting before Davies moved back to Manchester, at which point the series was picked up by [[Channel 4]] to be produced with [[Nicola Shindler]] and the [[Red Production Company]]. The commission by Channel 4 marked Davies's first collaboration with the channel since ''Queer as Folk'' and Shindler and Red since ''Casanova''. Davies was convinced to return to the channel by Head of Drama and former ''Doctor Who'' executive producer [[Piers Wenger]], who described the show as a "political piece of writing" which creates a "radical approach" to sexuality.<ref name="grauncucumber" />

''[[Cucumber (British TV series)|Cucumber]]'' focuses on the life of the middle-aged Henry Best ([[Vincent Franklin]]) and the fallout from a disastrous date with his boyfriend of nine years, and is accompanied with ''[[Banana (TV series)|Banana]]'', an [[E4 (channel)|E4]] anthology series about younger characters across the LGBT spectrum on the periphery of the ''Cucumber'' narrative, and ''[[Tofu (web series)|Tofu]]'', an online documentary series available on [[All 4]] which discusses modern sex, sexuality and issues arisen during the show with the cast and public. The three names reference a urological scale which categorises the [[male erection]] by hardness from tofu to cucumber, and are used to symbolise differences in sexual attitudes and behaviour between the two generations.<ref name="grauncucumber">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/19/russell-t-davies-gay-life-channel-4 |title=Russell T Davies to explore 21st-century gay life in two Channel 4 dramas |first=Maggie |last=Brown |date=19 November 2013 |access-date=23 November 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=23 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123002652/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/19/russell-t-davies-gay-life-channel-4 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="equality">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/17/russell-t-davies-cucumber-banana-tofu |title=Russell T Davies: 'Equality doesn't mean happiness' |date=17 January 2015 |access-date=29 January 2015 |last=Martin |first=Dan |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-date=25 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125031941/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/17/russell-t-davies-cucumber-banana-tofu |url-status=live}}</ref> Although ''Cucumber'' was designed as a self-contained serial about the life of one man, Davies envisioned ''Banana'' as open-ended with the potential to continue after its sister series finished.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/interviews/a622966/russell-t-davies-cucumber-banana-tofu-and-15-years-since-queer-as-folk.html#~p2pNUXQdTelNhy |title=Russell T Davies: Cucumber, Banana, Tofu and 15 years since Queer as Folk |first=Morgan |last=Jeffrey |website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=22 January 2015 |access-date=29 January 2015 |archive-date=26 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126113211/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/interviews/a622966/russell-t-davies-cucumber-banana-tofu-and-15-years-since-queer-as-folk.html#~p2pNUXQdTelNhy |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Second return to the BBC===
After ''Cucumber'', Davies returned to the BBC in 2016 to produce ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', an adaptation of [[William Shakespeare]]'s {{circa|1595–96}} play ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''. Davies credits the play as "opening his eyes to drama" after he starred in a school version of the play as [[Nick Bottom|Bottom]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers/blog/a-midsummer-nights-dream-an-interview-with-russell-t-davies |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream: An Interview with Russell T Davies. |date=18 May 2016 |website=BBC Writersroom |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810115626/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/c6e3aec1-8094-4c2c-a9df-2d0123dffc6a |archive-date=10 August 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Davies produced and wrote the screenplay for ''[[A Very English Scandal (TV series)|A Very English Scandal]]'', an adaptation of the book ''[[A Very English Scandal]]'' about the [[Thorpe affair]]—a sex scandal which involved former [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] leader [[Jeremy Thorpe]]—which starred [[Hugh Grant]] as Thorpe and [[Ben Whishaw]] as Thorpe's former lover Norman Scott. Davies's screenplay is more compassionate to Thorpe and Scott than previous narratives of the scandal, which he described as "history written by straight men".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/russell-t-davies-english-scandal-didnt-want-attack-jeremy-thorpe/ |title=Russell T Davies on A Very English Scandal: 'I didn't want it to be an attack on Jeremy Thorpe' |last=Lawrence |first=Ben |date=16 May 2018 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=25 May 2018 |language=en-GB |archive-date=26 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526001740/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/russell-t-davies-english-scandal-didnt-want-attack-jeremy-thorpe/ |url-status=live}}</ref> For his writing on the series, Davies received a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special]] in 2019.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2019/outstanding-writing-in-a-miniseries-or-a-special |title=71st Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners: OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL – 2019 |date=16 July 2019 |publisher=Emmys |access-date=5 September 2019 |archive-date=16 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716185028/https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2019/outstanding-writing-in-a-miniseries-or-a-special |url-status=live}}</ref>

Davies followed that with the miniseries ''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]'', a Red Production Company series for BBC One which starred [[Emma Thompson]], [[Rory Kinnear]] and [[Russell Tovey]]. It focuses on an ordinary family in Manchester who experience massive political, economic, and technological changes over fifteen years as a fascist dictator, played by Thompson, takes over Britain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/years-and-years-russell-t-davies |title=Gripping new drama Years & Years, from Russell T Davies, set for BBC One |date=4 June 2018 |website=BBC Media Centre |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=6 June 2019 |archive-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526151531/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/years-and-years-russell-t-davies |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''It's a Sin'' ===
''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]'', began filming on 7 October 2019—under the working title of ''Boys''<ref>{{Cite Instagram |author=Russell T Davies |title=Here we go! . . . #boys @redproductionco @channel4 @pjuk @philcollinson @nicolanshindler @meccleston @ollyyears @callumhowells_c @marsdoug..." |postid=B3T8sDGnk6c |date=7 October 2019 |access-date=7 October 2019 |user=russelltdavies63}}</ref>—and completed filming on 31 January 2020.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite Instagram |author=Russell T Davies |title=That's a WRAP! BOYS, Channel 4 & HBO Max, autumn 2020. . . . @redproductionco @channel4 @hbomax @nicolanshindler @philcollinson @pjuk |postid=B7_wL0CnhmV |access-date=31 January 2020 |user=russelltdavies63 |date=1 February 2020}}</ref> The series, produced by Red Productions for [[Channel 4]], is a dramatised retrospective of the [[HIV/AIDS]] crisis during the 1980s, focusing on the men "living in the bedsits", as opposed to films such as ''[[Pride (2014 film)|Pride]],'' which focused on gay activists. Davies notes the stories about the politics of the crisis and the virus itself has been told, but not those about the early victims of the virus itself.<ref name=":02">{{cite magazine |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=15 January 2015 |title='Queer as Folk', 'Doctor Who' Writer Russell T. Davies to Pen '80s-Set AIDS Drama 'The Boys' |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/queer-as-folk-doctor-who-writer-russell-t-davies-to-pen-80s-set-aids-drama-the-boys-1201406432 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129082558/http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/queer-as-folk-doctor-who-writer-russell-t-davies-to-pen-80s-set-aids-drama-the-boys-1201406432/ |archive-date=29 January 2015 |access-date=29 January 2015}}</ref>

In 2015, Davies described ''Boys'' as a way of "coming to terms" with his own actions during the 1980s, when the shock of the crisis prevented him from properly mourning the deaths of his close friends.<ref name=":02" /> Elements of ''It's a Sin'' mirror Davies's own experiences during the 1980s: a scene in the second episode where protagonist Richie Tozer—played by [[Years & Years]] frontman [[Olly Alexander]]—mocks AIDS reflects [[HIV/AIDS denialism|denialist]] attitudes in the gay community during the early years of the crisis; the show's characters live in a fictionalised version of the "Pink Palace" flatshare-cum-party house owned by Davies's friends; and [[Lydia West]] plays a fictionalised version of Davies's childhood friend—and later actress—[[Jill Nalder]], who appears in the show as the fictional Jill's mother.<ref>{{Cite web |title=It's A Sin star Lydia West says her character is based on "inspiring" real-life person |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/2021-01-12/its-a-sin-lydia-west-jill-real-life/ |access-date=24 January 2021 |website=Radio Times}}</ref><ref name="BBC News">{{Cite news |date=18 January 2021 |title=Russell T Davies on It's A Sin: 'We were all Aids deniers – then it got real' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55632032 |access-date=24 January 2021}}</ref>

''It's a Sin'' is Davies's first script to primarily focus on AIDS since ''Children's Ward'', although the pandemic's legacy is present in his other shows: ''Queer as Folk'' relegates AIDS to fleeting mentions as Davies "refused to let [gay peoples'] lives be defined by the disease"; and in ''Cucumber'', middle-aged protagonist Henry blames "[[AIDS: Don't Die of Ignorance|those fucking icebergs]]" for his fear of intimacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Russell T. |date=3 January 2021 |title=Russell T Davies: 'I looked away for years. Finally, I have put Aids at the centre of a drama' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/03/russell-t-davies-i-looked-away-for-years-finally-i-have-put-aids-at-the-centre-of-a-drama |access-date=24 January 2021 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Although the series was filmed prior to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the show's transmission in early 2021 invited comparisons between the two pandemics; Davies himself cited the "overreaction and lack of reaction" to the pandemics, as well as the focus on [[social distancing]] and [[personal protective equipment]], as "history [repeating] itself",<ref name="BBC News"/> and Alexander likened his character's AIDS denialism in the opening episode to [[Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 conspiracy theorists]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2021 |title=Olly Alexander compares character's AIDS-denial in Russell T Davies' It's a Sin to COVID conspiracies |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/09/olly-alexander-russell-t-davies-its-a-sin-aids-hiv-covid-denial-graham-norton/ |access-date=24 January 2021 |website=PinkNews |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Return to ''Doctor Who'' (2021–present) ==
After his departure from ''Doctor Who'', Davies kept in contact with the show's crew and made several contributions to its expanded universe: in 2013, Davies made a cameo appearance in [[Peter Davison]]'s spoof special ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]'';<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Matthew |date=6 January 2015 |title=Russell T. Davies on why he won't return to write for Doctor Who |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/russell-t-davies-on-why-he-wont-return-to-write-for-doctor-who |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=[[Syfy Wire]] |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191359/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/russell-t-davies-on-why-he-wont-return-to-write-for-doctor-who |url-status=dead}}</ref> in 2015, his ''[[Virgin New Adventures]]'' novel ''Damaged Goods'' was adapted into an audio play by [[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]];<ref>{{Cite news |last=Caron |first=Nathalie |date=5 May 2015 |title=Russell T Davies' first Doctor Who story brought to life by Sylvester McCoy |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/russell-t-davies-first-doctor-who-story-brought-life-sylvester-mccoy |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=[[Syfy Wire]] |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191350/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/russell-t-davies-first-doctor-who-story-brought-life-sylvester-mccoy |url-status=dead}}</ref> in 2017 he illustrated a book of ''Doctor Who'' poetry titled ''Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse;''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frances |first=Taylor |title=Russell T Davies is returning to the world of Doctor Who – but not in the way you'd expect |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-18/russell-t-davies-is-returning-to-the-world-of-doctor-who-but-not-in-the-way-youd-expect/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316015836/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-18/russell-t-davies-is-returning-to-the-world-of-doctor-who-but-not-in-the-way-youd-expect/ |archive-date=16 March 2020 |access-date=28 April 2019 |website=[[Radio Times]] |language=en |publication-date=18 May 2017}}</ref> and in 2018, he wrote a novelisation of "Rose" for [[Target Books]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russell T Davies has created new incarnations of the Doctor beyond Jodie Whittaker |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/russell-t-davies-has-created-new-incarnations-of-the-doctor-beyond-jodie-whittaker/ |first=Huw |last=Fullerton |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Radio Times}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 lockdowns]] in 2020, Davies engaged with ''Doctor Who'' fans on social media by writing short stories and drawing sketches.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Fullerton |first=Huw |date=24 September 2021 |title=Russell T Davies to return as Doctor Who showrunner |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-russell-t-davies-showrunner-return-newsupdate/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Radio Times}}</ref> For the "Rose" [[watch party]], Davies released a short story originally written in 2013 for the show's fiftieth anniversary—the story was written for ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' and stylised as the final pages of a Target novelisation, but was not included in the magazine due to continuity conflicts with the anniversary special "[[The Day of the Doctor]]";<ref>{{Cite web |title=Read 'Doctor Who and the Time War' by Russell T Davies |url=https://www.doctorwho.tv/news/?article=russell-t-davies-prequel-doctor-who-rose |work=[[BBC Studios]] |language=en-gb |publication-date=26 March 2020}}</ref> for the "[[New Earth (Doctor Who)|New Earth]]" and "[[Gridlock (Doctor Who)|Gridlock]]" watch party, he wrote the script for an animated sequel, "The Secret of Novice Hame", with Tennant and [[Anna Hope]] reprising their roles as the Doctor and Hame respectively;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fullerton |first=Huw |date=1 June 2020 |title=Doctor Who: Russell T Davies hints at new regeneration twist in David Tennant mini-scene |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-animal-regeneration/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Radio Times}}</ref> and for "[[The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)|The Runaway Bride]]" watch party, Davies shared excerpts of his 1986 spec script, ''Mind of the Hodiac,'' which was later optioned by Big Finish for its ''[[Doctor Who: The Lost Stories|The Lost Stories]]'' audio play range and was released on 30 March 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fullerton |first=Huw |date=4 March 2021 |title=New details revealed for Russell T Davies' "lost" upcoming Doctor Who story |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-russell-t-davies-lost-story/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Radio Times}}</ref>

On 24 September 2021, three weeks before filming had wrapped on [[Chris Chibnall]]'s [[Doctor Who specials (2022)|BBC Centenary special]] "[[The Power of the Doctor]]", the BBC announced Davies would return as ''Doctor Who'' showrunner, succeeding Chibnall for the show's [[Doctor Who (2023 specials)|60th anniversary]] in 2023 and beyond.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Jeffery |first=Morgan |date=13 October 2021 |title=Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill wrap filming on Doctor Who |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/jodie-whittaker-mandip-gill-doctor-who-filming-wrap-newsupdate/ |website=[[Radio Times]] |location=London |publisher=[[Immediate Media Company]] |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=Winter 2021 |title=Gallifrey Guardian: That's a Wrap! |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |issue=571 |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=6}}</ref> Davies is joined by the [[Bad Wolf (production company)|Bad Wolf]] production company, which was founded by Gardner and Tranter.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 September 2021 |title=Doctor Who: Russell T Davies returns as programme showrunner |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58682472 |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref> In May 2022, the BBC announced that Davies had cast Rwandan–Scottish actor [[Ncuti Gatwa]] in the role of the Doctor; Gatwa is the first black actor to portray the series' lead role.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 May 2022 |title=Ncuti Gatwa: BBC names actor as next Doctor Who star |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61371123 |access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref> A week later, the BBC further announced that David Tennant and Catherine Tate would reprise their roles of the Doctor and [[Donna Noble]] in the show's 2023 specials, which had already started filming.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 May 2022 |title=Doctor Who: David Tennant and Catherine Tate to return |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61455936 |access-date=5 November 2022}}</ref> On 23 October 2022, during the broadcast of "The Power of the Doctor", Tennant's character was revealed to be the [[Fourteenth Doctor]], which followed [[Jodie Whittaker]]'s [[Thirteenth Doctor]] and would precede Ncuti Gatwa's [[Fifteenth Doctor]], whom took over in the last of the specials with Tennant, "[[The Giggle]]".<ref>{{cite web |date=23 October 2022 |title=Doctor Who: Here they come... |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/doctor-who-david-tennant-14th-doctor/ |website=[[BBC Media Centre]] |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref> Tennant's scene at the end of "The Power of the Doctor" was also filmed in May 2022.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=23 October 2023 |title=David Tennant Films the Regeneration {{!}} The Power of the Doctor {{!}} Doctor Who |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHPIpmwwQqw |via=YouTube |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref> In November 2022, it was announced that [[Millie Gibson]] would join the cast as [[Ruby Sunday]], the companion of the Fifteenth Doctor.<ref name="doctorwho">{{Cite web |title=Millie Gibson is the new Doctor Who companion, Ruby Sunday {{!}} Doctor Who |url=https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/millie-gibson-is-the-new-doctor-who-companion-ruby-sunday |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=www.doctorwho.tv |language=en}}</ref>

Shooting on Gatwa and Gibson's first recording block began in December 2022, initially overlapping with Gatwa's schedule on the fourth season of ''[[Sex Education (TV series)|Sex Education]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Handcock |first=Scott |date=February 2023 |title=Production Diary |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=12 |issue=586}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cormack |first=Morgan |date=28 June 2024 |title=Doctor Who boss admits Ncuti Gatwa's Sex Education schedule impacted season 14 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-season-14-ncuti-gatwa-sex-education-schedule-newsupdate/ |website=[[Radio Times]] |location=London |publisher=[[Immediate Media Company]] |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref> Gibson remained a cast member in the [[Doctor Who series 15|next series]], and appeared alongside [[Varada Sethu]] as the new companion Belinda Chandra.<ref name="varada centre">{{cite web |date=12 April 2024 |title=Doctor Who - First Look at Ncuti Gatwa with Varada Sethu and Millie Gibson ahead of season two |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/doctor-who-ncuti-gatwa-varada-sethu-millie-gibson |website=[[BBC Media Centre]] |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref><ref name="belinda">{{cite magazine |last=Atkinson |first=Richard |date=March 2025 |title=Meet Belinda |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |issue=614 |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |pages=12–14}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |credits=[[Ncuti Gatwa]] |date=12 April 2025 |series=Doctor Who: Unleashed |series-link=Doctor Who: Unleashed |series-no=15 |number=1 |time=2:08 |network=[[BBC Three]]}}</ref> Shooting for the 2025 series began in October 2023, before the first full episode with the Fourteenth or the Fifteenth Doctor, or Sethu's appearance in "[[Boom (Doctor Who)|Boom]]" as Belinda's distant descendant Mundy Flynn, had aired.<ref name="belinda"/><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Handcock |first=Scott |date=January 2024 |title=Production Diary |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=12 |issue=598}}</ref> Gatwa portrayed the Doctor for two series and left the series at the end of "[[The Reality War]]", broadcast in May 2025; his successor in the show's lead role was [[Billie Piper]], whose specific role in the show was left ambiguous.<ref>{{cite web |date=31 May 2025 |title=Ncuti Gatwa says final farewell to the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor regenerates... |url=https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/ncuti-gatwa-says-final-farewell-to-the-tardis-as-the-fifteenth-doctor-regenerates |work=[[BBC Studios]] |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref>

On 26 July 2024, during [[San Diego Comic-Con]], the BBC and [[Disney Branded Television]] announced Davies would write a new ''Doctor Who'' spin-off, ''[[The War Between the Land and the Sea]],'' and [[Jemma Redgrave]] would reprise her role as [[UNIT]] commander [[Kate Lethbridge-Stewart]] in the series. It was filmed between August and December 2024 and is expected to air on BBC One and [[Disney+]] in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |date=26 July 2024 |title=New Whoniverse Spin-Off 'The War Between The Land And The Sea' announced at San Diego Comic-Con |url=https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/new-whoniverse-spin-off-the-war-between-the-land-and-the-sea-announced-at-san |access-date=13 April 2025 |work=[[BBC Studios]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 2024 |title=Gallifrey Guardian: Battle of the planet! |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |issue=607 |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 2025 |title=Gallifrey Guardian: War is Over! |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |page=6 |issue=612}}</ref><ref name="new warbetween">{{cite web |date=28 October 2025 |title=BBC confirms future of Doctor Who and a new Christmas Special in 2026 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/doctor-who-future-confirmed-new-christmas-special-2026/ |website=[[BBC Media Centre]] |access-date=28 October 2025 }}</ref>

==Adult television career after ''It's a Sin'' (2023–present) ==
{{Main|Nolly (TV series)|Three Little Birds (TV series)|Tip Toe (TV series)}}
In 2021, ''Nolly'', a miniseries written by Davies about the ''[[Crossroads (British TV series)|Crossroads]]'' star [[Noele Gordon]], was the first drama commission for Nicola Shindler's newly-created production company, the [[ITV Studios]] division Quay Street Productions, after Shindler left Red Production Company at the end of 2020.<ref name="quay street"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=23 November 2021 |title=Helena Bonham Carter to Lead New Russell T. Davies Drama 'fNolly' About U.K. TV Star Noele Gordon |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/helena-bonham-carter-to-lead-new-russell-t-davies-drama-nolly-about-u-k-tv-star-noele-gordon-1235052166/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=6 September 2025 }}</ref> The series aired in 2023,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nicholson |first=Rebecca |date=2 February 2023 |title=Nolly review – Helena Bonham Carter is brilliantly camp in Russell T Davies's impeccable drama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/feb/02/nolly-review-helena-bonham-carter-is-brilliantly-camp-in-russell-t-daviess-impeccable-drama |access-date=10 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 February 2023 |title=Helena Bonham Carter is on sensational form in Nolly, a love letter to a soap queen |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/nolly-review-helena-bonham-carter-itvx-b2273664.html |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> and won Davies Best Writer at the 2023 [[BAFTA Cymru Awards]].<ref name="CymruWriter2023">{{Cite web |date=15 October 2023 |title=2023 BAFTA Cymru Awards: The Winners |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/cymru/winners-2023 |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |language=en}}</ref>

He executive produced and was a script consultant for 2023's ''[[Three Little Birds (TV series)|Three Little Birds]]'', a fictionalisation of [[Lenny Henry]]'s mother's experiences arriving in Britain as part of the [[Windrush generation]].<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/lenny-henry-itv-three-little-birds-darling-buds-of-may-1234653648/ |title=Lenny Henry Teams With Russell T Davies For ITV Drama On Caribbean Immigrants Forging New Lives In Britain |journal=Deadline |first=Jake |last=Kanter |date=10 December 2020 |access-date=8 March 2022}}</ref>

In February 2025, ''[[Tip Toe (TV series)|Tip Toe]]'', a miniseries surrounding two gay Manchester men facing the [[Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric|anti-LGBTQ+]] [[culture war]] of 2020s Britain, was commissioned by [[Channel 4]] to be written by Davies.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=13 February 2025 |title=Russell T Davies returns to Channel 4 with brand new drama Tip Toe |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/russell-t-davies-returns-channel-4-brand-new-drama-tip-toe |website=[[Channel 4]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=21 August 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Goldbart |first=Max |date=13 February 2025 |title=Channel 4 Greenlights Latest Russell T. Davies Drama & Reveals Long-Awaited Return of David Mitchell & Robert Webb Sketch Comedy Series |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/channel-4-mitchell-webb-sketch-return-russell-t-davies-drama-1236287853/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=6 September 2025 }}</ref> It is another collaboration between Shindler's Quay Street and Davies, with Shindler and Davies both executive producing.<ref name="tip toe company"/>

== Unmade projects ==
In the 2010s Davies announced plans to write a series about [[sextortion]], drawing inspiration from real-life incidents of blackmail which resulted in suicide,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/russell-t-davies-to-follow-cucumber-with-dramas-about-aids-and-sextortion-gangs-10005378.html |title=Russell T Davies to follow Cucumber with dramas about Aids and 'sextortion' gangs |first=Jess |last=Denham |date=27 January 2015 |access-date=29 January 2015 |newspaper=The Independent |archive-date=29 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129061422/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/russell-t-davies-to-follow-cucumber-with-dramas-about-aids-and-sextortion-gangs-10005378.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and to adapt [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[The Old Curiosity Shop]]'' for television.<ref name=":0" /> 

==Writing style==
Davies is a self-admitted [[procrastinator]] and often waits hours or days for concepts to form before he commits them to the script. In ''The Writer's Tale'', he describes his procrastination by discussing his early career: at the time, his method of dealing with the pressures of delivering a script was to "go out drinking" instead. On one occasion in the mid-1990s, he was at the Manchester gay club [[Cruz 101]] when he thought of the climax to the first series of ''The Grand''. As his career progressed, he instead spent entire nights "just thinking of plot, character, pace, etc" and waited until 2:00&nbsp;am, "when the clubs used to shut", to overcome the urge of procrastination.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 30}} Davies described the sense of anxiety he experiences in an email to Cook in April 2007, in response to Cook's question of "how do you know when to start writing?":
{{blockquote|I leave it till the last minute. And then I leave it some more. Eventually, I leave it till I'm desperate. ... I always think, I'm not ready to write it, I don't know what I'm doing, it's just a jumble of thoughts in a state of flux, there's no story, I don't know how A connects to B, I don't know anything! I get myself into a genuine state of panic. ... Normally, I'll leave it till the deadline, and I haven't even started writing. This has become, over the years, a week beyond the deadline, or even more. It can be a week—or weeks—past the delivery date, and ''I haven't started writing''. In fact, I don't have delivery dates any more. I go by the start-of-preproduction date. I consider that to be my real deadline. And then I miss that. It's a cycle that I cannot break. I simply can't help it. It makes my life miserable.|Russell T Davies to Benjamin Cook, 3&nbsp;April&nbsp;2007{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 54–55}}}}
He expanded on his email two weeks later in response to Cook's query about the supposed link between [[major depressive disorder]] and creativity. He explained his anxiety and melancholy during the scriptwriting period still allowed him to keep on top of his work; on the other hand, he thought "Depression with a capital D [didn't provide] any such luxury".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 60}}

Davies explained in length his writing process to Cook in ''The Writer's Tale''. When he creates characters, he initially assigns a character a name and fits attributes around it. In the case of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in his inaugural series of ''Doctor Who'', he chose the name because he considered it a "good luck charm" after he used it for Lesley Sharp's character in ''Bob & Rose''. He presented his desire to make the show "essentially British" as another justification: he considered [[Rose (given name)|Rose]] to be "the most British name in the world" and feminine enough to subvert the then-current trend of female companions and their "boyish" names, such as [[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]], [[Charley Pollard|Charley]], and [[Ace (Doctor Who)|Ace]]. While he was writing for ''The Grand'', the executive producer requested that he change the female lead character's name, a decision that led to the "character never [feeling] right from that moment on".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 24}} The surname "[[Harkness (surname)|Harkness]]", most notably given to ''Torchwood'' lead [[Captain Jack Harkness]], is a similar charm, first used in 1993 for the Harkness family in ''Century Falls'', and ultimately derived from the [[Marvel Universe]] supporting character [[Agatha Harkness]],{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 87}} and the surname "[[Tyler (name)|Tyler]]" is similarly used because of his affection for how the surname is spelled and pronounced.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 69}}

Davies also attempts to channel his writing by using music that fits the theme of the series as a source of inspiration: ''Doctor Who'' was typically written while he listened to action-[[adventure film]] [[film score|score]]s; ''Queer as Folk'' was written to [[Hi-NRG]] music "to catch [the] sheer clubland drive"; ''Bob & Rose'' was written to the [[Moby]] album ''[[Play (Moby album)|Play]]'', because the two works shared an "urban, sexy, full of lonely hearts at night" image; and ''The Second Coming'' shared the concepts of "experimental[ity], anguish, dark[ness], [and] pain" of [[Radiohead]] albums.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 24}} More specifically, he wrote the early drafts of the fourth series ''Doctor Who'' episode "[[Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)|Partners in Crime]]" while he was listening to [[Mika (singer)|Mika]]'s ''[[Life in Cartoon Motion]]'', and singled out the song "Any Other World" as a "''Doctor Who'' companion song" with lyrics that matched Penny, the planned companion for the fourth series.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 22}}

When he creates new scripts, Davies considers the ''dénouement'' of a story to be representative of the work. He often formulates both the scene and its emotional impact early in the process, but writes the scenes last due to his belief that "[later scenes] can't exist if they aren't informed by where they've come from".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 52}} Davies is a strong advocate for the continued use of the [[cliffhanger]] ending and opposes advertising that sacrifices the impact of storytelling. In pursuit of his quest, he instructs editors to remove scenes from press copies of episodes he writes; cliffhangers were removed from the review copies of the ''Doctor Who'' episodes "[[Army of Ghosts]]",<ref name="aogff">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2006/fear/f-armyofghosts.shtml |title=Fear Forecast: Army of Ghosts |work=Doctor Who microsite |publisher=BBC |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114173857/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2006/fear/f-armyofghosts.shtml |archive-date=14 January 2013}}</ref> "[[The Stolen Earth]]",<ref name="digitalspy">{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/review/a105038/s04e12-the-stolen-earth.html |title=S04E12: 'The Stolen Earth' |first=Ben |last=Rawson-Jones |work=[[Digital Spy]] |date=28 June 2008 |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-date=11 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611143645/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/review/a105038/s04e12-the-stolen-earth.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the first part of "[[The End of Time (Doctor Who)|The End of Time]]",<ref>{{cite episode |title=The End of Time Part One |series=[[Doctor Who: The Commentaries]] |network=BBC |station=[[BBC 7]] |airdate=27 December 2009 |season=1 |number=17 |credits=Davies, Russell T; [[Julie Gardner|Gardner, Julie]]}}</ref> and Rose Tyler's unadvertised appearance in "[[Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)|Partners in Crime]]" was excised.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Partners in Crime |series=Doctor Who: The Commentaries |network=BBC |station=BBC 7 |airdate=6 April 2008 |season=1 |number=1 |credits=Davies, Russell T; Gardner, Julie}}</ref> In an interview with BBC News shortly after the transmission of episode "The Stolen Earth", he argued that the success of a popular television series is linked to how well producers can keep secrets and create a "live experience":<ref name="struggle">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7490639.stm |title=Struggle to keep Who secret |last1=Davies |first1=Russell T |last2=Mzimba |first2=Lizo |author-link2=Lizo Mzimba |date=5 April 2009 |work=BBC News |access-date=28 July 2010 |archive-date=19 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919181044/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7490639.stm |url-status=live}}</ref>{{blockquote|It's exciting when you get kids in playground talking about your story, about who's going to live or die, then I consider that a job well done, because that's interactive television, that's what it's all about: it's debate and fun and chat. It's playing a game with the country and I think that's wonderful.|Russell T Davies, "Struggle to keep ''Who'' secret", [[BBC News Online]]<ref name="struggle"/>}}

Davies attempts to both create imagery and to provide a social commentary in his scripts; for example, he uses camera directions in his scripts more frequently than newer screenwriters to ensure that anyone who reads the script, especially the director, is able to "feel... the pace, the speed, the atmosphere, the mood, the gags, [and] the dread". His stage directions also create an atmosphere by their formatting and avoidance of the first person.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 85–87}} Although the basis of several of his scripts derive from previous concepts, he claims most concepts for storytelling have been already used, and instead tries to tell a relatively new and entertaining plot; for example, the ''Doctor Who'' episode "[[Turn Left]]" shares its concept most notably with the 1998 film ''[[Sliding Doors]]''. Like how ''Sliding Doors'' examines two timelines based on whether Helen Quilley ([[Gwyneth Paltrow]]) catches a [[London Underground]] train, Davies uses the choice of the Doctor's companion to turn left or right at a road intersection to depict either a world with the Doctor, as seen throughout the rest of the fourth series, or an [[alternate world]] without the Doctor, examined in its entirety within the episode.{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=p 33}} The world without the Doctor creates a dystopia which he uses to provide a commentary on Nazi-esque fascism.<ref name="TLcompanion">{{cite magazine |last=Pixley |first=Andrew |date=14 August 2008 |title=Turn Left |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |volume=The Doctor Who Companion: Series 4 |issue=Special Edition 20 |pages=116–125}}</ref><ref name="tlscript">{{cite book |url=http://www.thewriterstale.com/pdfs/Doctor%20Who%204%20Ep.11-%20Shooting%20Script%20-%20Turn%20Left%20-%2030.01.08.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508100443/http://www.thewriterstale.com/pdfs/Doctor%20Who%204%20Ep.11-%20Shooting%20Script%20-%20Turn%20Left%20-%2030.01.08.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2013 |title=Shooting Script for "Turn Left": Green script |last=Davies |first=Russell T |date=20 November 2007 |publication-date=1 October 2008 |publisher=[[BBC Books]] |at=pp 33–34 |access-date=2 December 2007}}</ref> Davies generally tries to make his scripts "quite detailed, but very succinct", and eschews the long character and set descriptions; instead, he limits himself to only three adjectives to describe a character and two lines to describe a set to allow the dialogue to describe the story instead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/russell_t_davies_7.shtml |title=Russell T Davies |last=Davies |first=Russell T |date=October 2008 |work=Writersroom |publisher=BBC |at=p 7 |access-date=13 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214054757/http://bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/russell_t_davies_7.shtml |archive-date=14 February 2009}}</ref>

Davies also uses his scripts to examine and debate on large issues such as sexuality and religion, especially from a homosexual or [[atheist]] perspective. He refrains from a dependence on "cheap, easy lines" which provide little deeper insight;{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 35–36}} his mantra during his early adult drama career was "no boring issues".{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=pp 61–62}} ''Queer as Folk'' is the primary vehicle for his social commentary of homosexuality and advocation of greater acceptance. He used the series to challenge the "primal ... gut instinct" of homophobia by introducing homosexual imagery in contrast to the heterosexual "fundamental image of life, of family, of childhood, [and] of survival".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 35–36}}{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 123–124}} His next series, ''Bob & Rose'', examined the issue of a gay man who falls in love with a woman, and the reaction of the couple's respective social circles.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 138}} ''Torchwood'', in Davies's own words, is "a very bisexual programme", and demonstrates a fluid approach to both gender and sexuality "almost from its opening moments": for example, the lead character [[Captain Jack Harkness]] nonchalantly mentions he was once pregnant; and later, the other lead characters discuss Jack's sexuality. The culture website [[AfterElton]] opined that ''Torchwood''{{'}}s biggest breakthrough could be "[[queer]] representation" by showing Captain Jack as a character whose bisexuality is explored but not his only character trait.<ref name="verybisexual">{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Locksley |date=24 October 2006 |access-date=19 September 2011 |title=Torchwood: Captain Jack Gets His Own Show |url=http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2006/10/torchwood.html |publisher=[[AfterElton]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012025844/http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2006/10/torchwood.html |archive-date=12 October 2013}}</ref>

His most notable commentaries of religion and atheism are ''The Second Coming'' and his 2007 ''Doctor Who'' episode "[[Gridlock (Doctor Who)|Gridlock]]". ''The Second Coming''{{'}}s depiction of a contemporary and realistic [[Second Coming]] of [[Jesus Christ]] eschews the use of religious iconography in favour of a love story underlined by the male lead's "awakening as the Son of God".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 85–87}} In contrast, "Gridlock" takes a more pro-active role in debating religion: the episode depicts the unity of the supporting cast in singing the Christian hymns "[[Abide with Me]]" and "[[The Old Rugged Cross]]" as a positive aspect of faith, but depicts the Doctor as an atheistic hero which shows the faith as misguided because "there is no higher authority".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 35–36}} He also includes his commentary as an undertone in other stories; he described the sub-plot of the differing belief systems of the Doctor and [[Queen Victoria]] in "[[Tooth and Claw (Doctor Who)|Tooth and Claw]]" as a conflict between "Rational Man versus Head of the Church".{{sfn|Davies|Cook|2008|loc=pp 35–36}}

Like other script writers during ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s original tenure, several of Davies's scripts are influenced by his personal politics. Marc Edward DiPaolo of [[Oklahoma City University]] observes that Davies usually espouses a "left-leaning" view through his scripts.<ref name="whopolitics" /> Beyond religion and sexuality, Davies most notably satirises the United States under [[George W. Bush]] on ''Doctor Who'': the [[Slitheen]] in "[[Aliens of London]]" and "[[World War Three (Doctor Who)|World War Three]]" and Henry van Statten in "[[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|Dalek]]" were portrayed as sociopathic capitalists; the [[Dalek]]s under his tenure echoed contemporary American conservatives in their appearances, from religious fundamentalists in "[[The Parting of the Ways]]" to imperialists in "[[Daleks in Manhattan]]" and "[[Evolution of the Daleks]]"; and in "[[The Sound of Drums]]", a parody of Bush is murdered by the [[Master (Doctor Who)|Master]] ([[John Simm]]), who was presented in the story as a [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] reminiscent of [[Tony Blair]].<ref name="whopolitics" /> Other targets of satire in his ''Doctor Who'' scripts include [[Fox News]], [[News Corporation]], and the [[24-hour news cycle]] in "[[The Long Game]]", plastic surgery and consumer culture in "[[The End of the World (Doctor Who)|The End of the World]]", obesity and [[alternative medicine]] in "[[Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)|Partners in Crime]]", and racism and paranoia in "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]".<ref name="whopolitics">{{cite journal |title=Political Satire and British-American Relations in Five Decades of Doctor Who |first=Marc Edward |last=DiPaolo |journal=The Journal of Popular Culture |publisher=[[Wiley Periodicals]] |volume=43 |issue=5 |date=October 2010 |pages=964–987 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00782.x}}</ref>

==Recognition==
{{blockquote|Saving it from extinction.|[[Frank Cottrell-Boyce]], when asked his opinion on Davies's greatest contribution to British television drama.{{sfn|Aldridge|Murray|2008|loc=p 235}}}}
Davies has received recognition for his work since his career as a children's television writer. Davies's first [[BAFTA]] award nominations came in 1993 when he was nominated for the "Children's Programme (Fiction or Entertainment)" [[British Academy Television Award]] for his work on ''Children's Ward''.<ref name="ward1993">{{cite web |at=p 3 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1993/television/childrens-programme-fiction |title=Television: Children's Programme—Fiction or Entertainment in 1993 |work=Award Database |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204102741/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1993/television/childrens-programme-fiction |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Children's Ward'' was nominated for the "Drama" [[British Academy Children's Award]] in 1996 and won the same award in 1997.<ref name="ward1996">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1996/childrens/childrens-drama |title=Children's: Drama in 1996 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204102950/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1996/childrens/childrens-drama |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ward1997">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1996/childrens/childrens-drama |title=Children's: Drama in 1997 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204102950/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1996/childrens/childrens-drama |url-status=dead}}</ref> His next critically successful series was ''Bob & Rose''; it was nominated for a Television Award for Best Drama Serial and won two [[British Comedy Awards]] for Best Comedy Drama and Writer of the Year.<ref name="bafta-bobrose">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2002/television/drama-serial |title=Television: Drama Serial in 2002 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204100423/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2002/television/drama-serial |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="comedy">{{cite web |work=The Past Winners |publisher=[[British Comedy Awards]] |access-date=5 July 2011 |title=British Comedy Awards 2001 |url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/pastwinners01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820093615/http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/pastwinners01.html |archive-date=20 August 2008}}</ref> ''The Second Coming'' was nominated for the same Television Award in 2004.<ref name="SecondBafta">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/television/drama-serial |title=Television: Drama Serial in 2004 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204100952/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/television/drama-serial |url-status=dead}}</ref> His work on ''The Second Coming'' earned him a nomination for a [[Royal Television Society Programme Award]].<ref name="SecondRTS">{{cite web |publisher=[[Royal Television Society]] |title=RTS Programme Awards 2003 |access-date=5 July 2011 |url=http://www.rts.org.uk/Info_page_two_pic_2_det.asp?art_id=6053&sec_id=3480 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322021246/http://www.rts.org.uk/Info_page_two_pic_2_det.asp?art_id=6053&sec_id=3480 |archive-date=22 March 2009 |quote=The RTS Programme Awards for 2003, celebrating all that is best about British Television, were presented at an Awards Dinner on 16 March 2004 hosted by Jimmy Carr.}}</ref>

Much of Davies's recognition came as a result of his work on ''Doctor Who''. In 2006, ''Doctor Who'' won two Television Awards—Best Drama Series and the Pioneer Audience Award—and he was awarded the honorary Dennis Potter Award for writing.<ref name="DramaSeries2006">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/television/drama-series |title=Television: Drama Series in 2006 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113205/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/television/drama-series |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="potter">{{cite web |title=Television {{!}} Dennis Potter Award in 2006 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/television/dennis-potter-award |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110102354/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/television/dennis-potter-award |archive-date=10 November 2023 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> He also received that year's [[BAFTA Cymru]] [[Siân Phillips Award for Outstanding Contribution to Network Television]].<ref name="phillips">{{cite news |title=Doctor leads Bafta Cymru winners |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4934216.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=5 July 2011 |date=22 April 2006 |archive-date=5 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105164822/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4934216.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> At the [[Edinburgh International Television Festival]], he was awarded the accolade of "Industry Player of the Year" in 2006.<ref name="edinburgh1">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5290014.stm |title=Channel 4 Crowned Top TV Network |date=28 August 2006 |work=BBC News |access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111123310/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5290014.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, Davies won the "Best Soap/Series" [[Writers' Guild of Great Britain]] Award—along with [[Chris Chibnall]], [[Paul Cornell]], [[Stephen Greenhorn]], [[Steven Moffat]], [[Helen Raynor]], and [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]]—for their work on the [[Doctor Who series 3|third series of ''Doctor Who'']].<ref name="wggbaward2007">{{cite web |publisher=[[Writers' Guild of Great Britain]] |title=Guild Award winners 2007 |work=Writers' Guild of Great Britain &#124; WGGB |access-date=5 July 2011 |date=19 November 2007 |url=http://www.writersguild.org.uk/public/003_WritersGuil/173_WGGBNewsGui.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206121743/http://www.writersguild.org.uk/public/003_WritersGuil/173_WGGBNewsGui.html |archive-date=6 February 2009}}</ref> He was again nominated for two BAFTA Awards in 2009: a Television Award for his work on ''Doctor Who'',<ref name="drama2009">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/television/drama-series |title=Television: Drama Series in 2009 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182056/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/television/drama-series |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Television Craft Award for Best Writer, for the episode "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]".<ref name="midnightcraft">{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/tvcraft/writer |title=Television Craft: Writer in 2009 |work=Award Database |publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051208/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2009/tvcraft/writer |url-status=dead}}</ref> Davies was nominated four times for competitive [[BAFTA Cymru]] awards due to his work on ''Doctor Who'': in 2006, he was nominated for Best Screenwriter for the whole series;<ref name="CymruWriter2006">{{Cite web |title=2006 Cymru Screenwriter {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/cymru/screenwriter |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405233551/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2006/cymru/screenwriter |archive-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> in 2007, he won the same award for "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]";<ref name="CymruWriter2007">{{Cite web |title=2007 Cymru Screenwriter {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2007/cymru/screenwriter |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019172913/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2007/cymru/screenwriter |archive-date=19 October 2023}}</ref> in 2009, he won the award again for "Midnight";<ref name="CymruWriter2009">{{Cite web |title=Cymru Awards |year=2009 |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/cymru?award-year=2009 |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=BAFTA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209065800/https://www.bafta.org/awards/cymru?award-year=2009 |archive-date=9 December 2024}}</ref> and he was nominated again for Best Writer in 2024.<ref name="CymruWriter2024">{{cite web |year=2024 |title=BAFTA Cymru Awards |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/cymru?award-year=2024 |website=BAFTA |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>

Under his tenure, ''Doctor Who'' won five consecutive [[National Television Awards]] between 2005 and 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4376854.stm |title=National TV Awards 2005 winners |work=BBC News |date=25 October 2005 |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011184013/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4376854.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6104066.stm |title=National TV Awards 2006 winners |work=BBC News |date=31 October 2010 |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=4 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204142653/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6104066.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/nov/01/television |title=National Television Awards 2007 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 November 2007 |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=11 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811220436/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/nov/01/television |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567981/National-Television-Awards-Winners-in-full.html |title=National Television Awards: Winners in full |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=12 April 2008 |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=23 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123210416/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567981/National-Television-Awards-Winners-in-full.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7038857/National-Television-Awards-2010-the-winners.html |title=National Television Awards: the winners |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 January 2010 |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629150010/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7038857/National-Television-Awards-2010-the-winners.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Davies has also been nominated for five [[Hugo Awards]] for his ''Doctor Who'' scripts in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2024, and 2025, all in the category of "[[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]]": in 2007, the story comprising "[[Army of Ghosts]]" and "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]" was defeated by Steven Moffat's "[[The Girl in the Fireplace]]";<ref name="Hugo2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Hugo2007.html |title=2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form&nbsp;– 2007 Hugo Awards |work=The Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards |access-date=24 July 2010 |first=Mark |last=Kelly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730020841/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Hugo2007.html |archive-date=30 July 2010}}</ref> in 2009, the episode "[[Turn Left]]" was defeated by [[Joss Whedon]]'s ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]'';<ref name="Hugo2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Hugo2009.html |title=2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form&nbsp;– 2009 Hugo Awards |work=The Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards |access-date=24 July 2010 |first=Mark |last=Kelly |publisher=Locus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326074410/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Hugo2009.html |archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> and in 2010, all three of his scripts which were eligible for the award, "[[The Next Doctor]]", the Davies–[[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Roberts]] collaboration "[[Planet of the Dead]]", and the Davies–[[Phil Ford (writer)|Ford]] collaboration "[[The Waters of Mars]]", were nominated: the award was won by "The Waters of Mars" and the other episodes took second and third place.<ref name="Hugo2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2010-hugo-awards/ |title=2010 Hugo Awards |access-date=19 February 2011 |publisher=[[World Science Fiction Society]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507164821/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2010-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=7 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/content/pdf/2010HugoVotingReport.pdf |title=2010 Hugo Awards: Awards and Nominations |access-date=19 February 2011 |publisher=Hugo Awards |at=p 9 |archive-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728095206/http://www.thehugoawards.org/content/pdf/2010HugoVotingReport.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, his episodes "[[The Giggle]]" and "[[Wild Blue Yonder (Doctor Who)|Wild Blue Yonder]]" lost to ''[[The Last of Us (TV series)|The Last of Us]]'' episode "[[Long, Long Time (The Last of Us)|Long, Long Time]]", directed by [[Peter Hoar]],<ref name="Hugo2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2024-hugo-awards/ |title=2024 Hugo Awards |date=4 February 2024 |access-date=7 April 2025 |publisher=The Hugo Award}}</ref> a director of ''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]'', ''[[Nolly (TV series)|Nolly]]'', and [[Doctor Who series 15|''Doctor Who'' series 15]] for Davies, and a prior nominee for the same award for [[Doctor Who series 6|series 6]]'s "[[A Good Man Goes to War]]". Davies's episodes "[[73 Yards]]" and "[[Dot and Bubble]]" were nominated for the award in 2025.<ref name="Hugo2025">{{cite web |url=https://seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-awards/2025-hugo-award-finalists/ |title=2025 Hugo Award Finalists |access-date=7 April 2025 |publisher=Seattle Worldcon 2025}}</ref>

The first episode of ''[[Torchwood: Children of Earth]]'' was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter in 2010,<ref name="CymruWriter2010">{{Cite web |title=2010 Cymru Screenwriter {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2010/cymru/screenwriter |access-date=27 January 2021 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019172812/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2010/cymru/screenwriter |archive-date=19 October 2023}}</ref> and in 2011 ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' was nominated by BAFTA for the Best Children's Drama award.<ref name="sja award">{{Cite web |title=2011 Children's Drama {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2011/childrens/drama |access-date=27 January 2021 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007123107/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2011/childrens/drama |archive-date=7 October 2024}}</ref>

During Davies's first tenure as executive producer (2005–2010), only Steven Moffat's "[[Silence in the Library]]", which was scheduled against the final of [[Britain's Got Talent series 2|the second series]] of ''[[Britain's Got Talent]]'', failed to win in its time slot. The show's viewing figures were consistently high enough that the only broadcasts to have consistently rivalled ''Doctor Who'' for viewers in the [[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board]]'s weekly charts were ''[[EastEnders]]'', ''[[Coronation Street]]'', ''[[Britain's Got Talent]]'', and international [[association football|football]] matches.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |date=21 July 2010 |title=Public Image |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=Panini Comics |issue=424 |page=9}}</ref> His first episode "[[Rose (Doctor Who episode)|Rose]]" was seen by 10.81&nbsp;million viewers within seven days, and was the seventh most watched programme of the week.{{sfn|Ainsworth|2016|page=70}} Two of his scripts, "[[Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)|Voyage of the Damned]]" and "[[The Stolen Earth]]", broke audience records for the show by being declared the second most viewed broadcasts of their respective weeks, and "[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]" became the first episode to be the most viewed broadcast of the week.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2008/07/journey-end-officially-number-one_16.html |title=Journey's End Officially Number One |first=Matt |last=Hilton |date=16 July 2008 |access-date=5 July 2011 |work=[[Doctor Who News Page]] |publisher=[[Gallifrey Base]] |archive-date=1 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401022850/http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2008/07/journey-end-officially-number-one_16.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Within seven days of the transmission of Davies's returning episode "[[The Star Beast (Doctor Who episode)|The Star Beast]]" (2023), the episode was the most watched ''Doctor Who'' broadcast in the UK since 2018's "[[The Tsuranga Conundrum]]", and the ninth most watched drama programme in the whole of 2023, beaten only by episodes of ''[[Happy Valley (TV series)|Happy Valley]]'' (2014–2023) and ''[[Death in Paradise]]'' (2011–). All three of the [[Doctor Who specials (2023)|60th anniversary specials]] ranked as the top ten most watched broadcast of their respective weeks, although these episodes were behind multiple episodes of just two shows: ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]'' and ''[[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!]]''<ref name="public image 2023">{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |date=March 2024 |title=Public Image |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |page=12 |issue=600}}</ref> His second era also had enough viewers for the 2023 and 2024 Christmas specials—his own script for "[[The Church on Ruby Road]]" and Moffat's "[[Joy to the World (Doctor Who)|Joy to the World]]"—to surpass ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''{{'}}s episodes on Christmas Day and have comparative ratings with ''[[Call the Midwife]]'' (2012–).<ref name="public image 2023"/><ref name="ai-2025">{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |date=February 2025 |title=Public Image |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |issue=613 |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=10}}</ref> Every episode of [[Doctor Who series 14|series 14]] except for "[[Dot and Bubble]]" was in the top 20 most watched broadcasts of the week in the UK, with the first five episodes averaging a position of 16th place, comparable with [[Doctor Who series 1|series 1]] in 2005.<ref name="public image 2024a">{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |date=August 2024 |title=Public Image |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |page=7 |issue=606}}</ref><ref name="public image 2024b">{{cite magazine |last=Spilsbury |first=Tom |date=September 2024 |title=Public Image update |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |issue=607 |location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent |publisher=[[Panini Comics]] |page=7}}</ref> The season premiere "[[Space Babies]]" placed 10th after seven days and 9th after 28 days. The episode immediately following it and released the same day, "[[The Devil's Chord]]",{{efn|name=chord|Both "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" debuted on [[BBC iPlayer]] at midnight on 11 May, and on [[Disney+]] in timezones west of [[British Summer Time]] on 10 May.}} placed 12th after seven days and 6th after 28 days.<ref name="public image 2024a"/> The season's main competition was against the [[Netflix]] UK broadcast of ''[[Bridgerton]]'' (2020–), coverage of the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], soap operas, and football.<ref name="public image 2024b"/> The show enjoyed consistent [[Appreciation Index]] ratings during both eras Davies worked as executive producer: "[[Love & Monsters (Doctor Who)|Love & Monsters]]", regarded by ''Doctor Who'' fans as the worst of Davies's scripts during his first era,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Griffiths |first1=Peter |date=16 September 2009 |title=The Mighty 200 |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |issue=413 |pages=18–42 |last2=Darlington |first2=David |last3=Arnopp |first3=Jason}}</ref> gained a rating of 76,<ref>{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Hilton |work=The Doctor Who News Page |publisher=Gallifrey Base |access-date=19 September 2011 |title=Blink—AI Figure and Sunday Ratings |url=http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2007/06/blink-ai-figure-and-sunday-ratings_5247.html |date=11 June 2007 |archive-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612021521/http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2007/06/blink-ai-figure-and-sunday-ratings_5247.html |url-status=live}}</ref> just short of the 2006 average rating of 77;<ref>{{cite news |last=Hilton |first=Matt |title="Runaway Bride" AI Figure |url=http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2006/12/bride-ai-figure_28.html |access-date=5 July 2011 |date=28 December 2006 |work=The Doctor Who News Page |publisher=Gallifrey Base |archive-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612021559/http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2006/12/bride-ai-figure_28.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the episodes "[[The Stolen Earth]]" and "[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]" share the highest rating ''Doctor Who'' has received, at 91.<ref name="TSEcompanion">{{cite magazine |last=Pixley |first=Andrew |date=14 August 2008 |title=The Stolen Earth/Journey's End |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |volume=The Doctor Who Companion: Series 4 |issue=Special Edition 20 |pages=126–145}}</ref> During the second Davies era, ratings ranged from "Space Babies" having 75.4 to "The Giggle" having 84.9.<ref name="ai-2025"/>

Among ''Doctor Who'' fans, his contribution to the show ranks as high as the show's first producer [[Verity Lambert]]: in a 2009 poll of 6,700 ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' readers, he won the "Greatest Contribution" award with 22.62% of the votes against Lambert's 22.49% share,<ref name="DWM414">{{cite magazine |last1=Griffiths |first1=Peter |date=14 October 2009 |title=The Mighty 200, Part Two |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |issue=413 |pages=20–24 |last2=Farrington |first2=Ian}}</ref> in addition to winning the magazine's 2005, 2006, and 2008 awards for the best writer of each series.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Griffiths |first=Peter |date=10 December 2008 |title=The Mighty 200 |magazine=Doctor Who Magazine |publisher=Panini Comics |location=Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent |issue=403 |pages=34–37 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> Ian Farrington, who commented on the 2009 "Greatest Contribution" poll, attributed Davies's popularity to his range of writing styles, from the epic "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]" to the minimalistic "Midnight", and his ability to market the show to appeal to a wide audience.<ref name="DWM414"/>

Davies's work on ''Doctor Who'' has led to accolades out of the television industry. He features in the Pinc List of leading Welsh LGBT figures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pinc List 2017 |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/pinc-list-2017-40-most-13462359 |website=Wales Online |date=19 August 2017 |access-date=20 August 2017 |archive-date=20 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820161255/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/pinc-list-2017-40-most-13462359 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Between 2005 and 2008, he was included in ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'s}} "Media 100": in 2005, he was ranked the 14th most influential man in the media;<ref>{{cite news |title=14. Russell T Davies |newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 July 2005 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/18/mediatop100200511 |access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204004424/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/18/mediatop100200511 |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2006, the 28th;<ref>{{cite news |title=28. Russell T Davies |newspaper=The Guardian |date=17 July 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/17/mediaguardiantop100200614 |access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-date=24 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924234511/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/17/mediaguardiantop100200614 |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2007, the 15th;<ref>{{cite news |title=15. Russell T Davies |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 July 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/09/mediatop1002007.mondaymediasection14 |access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204161627/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/09/mediatop1002007.mondaymediasection14 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2008, the 31st.<ref>{{cite news |title=31. Russell T Davies |newspaper=The Guardian |date=14 July 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jul/14/mediatop100200827 |access-date=24 July 2010 |archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204094255/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jul/14/mediatop100200827 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008 he was ranked the 42nd most influential person in [[British culture]] by ''The Telegraph''.<ref>{{cite news |title=The 100 most powerful people in British culture: 41–60 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3672614/The-100-most-powerful-people-in-British-culture-41-60.html |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=18 March 2017 |access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-date=22 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522131503/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3672614/The-100-most-powerful-people-in-British-culture-41-60.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Independent on Sunday]]'' recognised his contributions to the public by including him on seven consecutive [[Pink List]]s, which chronicle the achievements of gay and lesbian personalities: in 2005, he was ranked the 73rd most influential gay person;<ref name="pinklist06">{{cite news |title=Gay Power: The pink list |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gay-power-the-pink-list-406297.html |newspaper=[[The Independent on Sunday]] |date=2 July 2006 |access-date=24 July 2010 |first=Andrew |last=Tuck |archive-date=11 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411065156/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gay-power-the-pink-list-406297.html |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2006, the 18th;<ref name="pinklist06"/> in 2007, the most influential gay person;<ref>{{cite news |title=The pink list 2007: The IoS annual celebration of the great and the gay. |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-pink-list-2007-the-iiosi-annual-celebration-of-the-great-and-the-gay-447627.html |access-date=24 July 2010 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |date=6 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006184222/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-pink-list-2007-the-iiosi-annual-celebration-of-the-great-and-the-gay-447627.html |archive-date=6 October 2011}}</ref> in 2008, the 2nd;<ref>{{cite news |title=The ''IoS'' pink list 2008 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2008-852032.html |access-date=24 July 2010 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |date=22 June 2008 |archive-date=30 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530002431/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2008-852032.html |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2009, the 14th;<ref>{{cite news |title=14 (2) Russell T Davies |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2009-1721869.html?action=Gallery&ino=14 |access-date=24 July 2010 |date=28 June 2009 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |archive-date=19 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219011203/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2009-1721869.html?action=Gallery&ino=14 |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2010, the 64th;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2010-2040472.html |title=The IoS Pink List 2010 |date=1 August 2010 |access-date=2 April 2012 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |archive-date=19 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519053508/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2010-2040472.html |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2011, the 47th;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2011-2374595.html |title=The IoS Pink List 2011 |first=Ian |last=Herbert |access-date=2 April 2012 |date=23 October 2011 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |archive-date=28 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528202122/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2011-2374595.html |url-status=live}}</ref> in 2012, the 56th;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2012-8216187.html |title=The IoS Pink List 2012 |date=4 November 2012 |access-date=25 April 2013 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |archive-date=4 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504074724/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2012-8216187.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2013, was listed as a permanent member of the List's "national treasures".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/pink-list-2013-national-treasures-8876339.html |title=Pink List 2013: National Treasures |access-date=25 November 2013 |date=13 October 2013 |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |archive-date=24 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131124005203/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/pink-list-2013-national-treasures-8876339.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Davies was appointed Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] in the [[2008 Birthday Honours]] for services to drama,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |page=10 |supp=y}}</ref> and an honorary fellowship by [[Cardiff University]] in July 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=Previous Recipients |work=Honorary Fellows |url=http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/about/honorary-fellows/previous-recipients |publisher=[[Cardiff University]] |access-date=5 July 2011 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008020935/http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/about/honorary-fellows/previous-recipients |url-status=live}}</ref>

Since his initial departure from ''Doctor Who,'' Davies has continued to receive recognition for his work: in 2016, Davies won a British Academy Craft Award in the category of "Best Writer: Drama" for ''[[Cucumber (British TV series)|Cucumber]]'';<ref name="craft-not-who">{{Cite web |title=Through the Years – TV Craft / Writer Drama |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/tvcraft/writer-drama |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=BAFTA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214101254/https://www.bafta.org/awards/tvcraft/writer-drama |archive-date=14 December 2024}}</ref> in 2017, ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' was nominated for BAFTA Cymru's "Best Feature/Television Film Award";<ref>{{Cite web |title=2017 Cymru Feature/Television Film {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2017/cymru/feature-television-film |access-date=27 January 2021 |website=BAFTA}}</ref> in 2019, Davies was nominated for seven awards for ''[[A Very English Scandal (TV series)|A Very English Scandal]]''—a British Academy Television Award for "Best Mini-Series", a British Academy Craft Award and a Royal Television Society Award for "Best Writer: Drama", a British Academy Cymru Award for "Best Writer", a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special|Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special]], a [[USC Scripter Award]] for Television, and a Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Short Form TV Drama—and won the Cymru Award, USC Scripter Award, and the Writers' Guild Award;<ref name=":1" /><ref name="craft-not-who"/><ref name="english-mini">{{Cite web |title=2019 Television Mini-Series {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2019/television/mini-series |access-date=27 January 2021 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806065753/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2019/television/mini-series |archive-date=6 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="rts 2019">{{cite web |title=RTS Programme Awards 2019 in Partnership with Audio Network |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2019-partnership-audio-network |website=Royal Television Society |date=2 October 2018 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106091327/https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2019-partnership-audio-network |archive-date=6 November 2024 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref><ref name="CymruWriter2019">{{Cite web |title=2019 Cymru Writer {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2019/cymru/writer |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019172416/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2019/cymru/writer |archive-date=19 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="english-scripter">{{cite web |last=Gaskill |first=Tyson |title=USC Libraries Scripter Honors 'Leave No Trace' and "A Very English Scandal" |url=https://libraries.usc.edu/article/usc-libraries-scripter-honors-leave-no-trace-and-very-english-scandal |website=USC Libraries |location=Los Angeles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726140744/https://libraries.usc.edu/article/usc-libraries-scripter-honors-leave-no-trace-and-very-english-scandal |archive-date=26 July 2024 |access-date=10 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="wggaward2019">{{cite web |title=Writers' Guild Awards 2019 |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2019/ |website=The Writers' Guild of Great Britain |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241107072840/https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2019/ |archive-date=7 November 2024 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> in 2020, ''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]'' was nominated for the British Academy Cymru Award for "Best Writer";<ref name="CymruWriter2020">{{cite web |title=Cymru {{!}} Writer in 2020 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2020/cymru/writer |website=BAFTA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520153036/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2020/cymru/writer |archive-date=20 May 2024 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> in 2021, ''It's a Sin'' was nominated for three BAFTA Cymru Awards, with Davies winning the award for writing;<ref name="sinema">{{cite web |date=26 October 2021 |title=Winners of the 2021 British Academy Cymru Awards announced |url=https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/winners-of-the-2021-british-academy-cymru-awards-announced/ |website=British Cinematographer |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref> and in 2022, ''It's a Sin'' received six British Academy Television Award nominations and five British Academy Craft Award nominations, with Davies being nominated for the British Academy Craft Award for Best Writing: Drama.<ref name="nominasin">{{cite web |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=29 March 2022 |title=BAFTA TV Awards: Russell T. Davies' 'It's a Sin' Dominates Nominations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bafta-tv-awards-2022-its-a-sin-dominates-1235122248/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |location=Los Angeles |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref> The same year, Davies also won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Long Form TV Drama.<ref name="wggbaward2022">{{cite web |title=Writers' Guild Awards 2022 |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2022/ |website=The Writers' Guild of Great Britain |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119154210/https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2022/ |archive-date=19 January 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> In July 2022, Davies was elected as a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Literature]] for his contributions to television.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Shaffi |first1=Sarah |last2=Knight |first2=Lucy |date=12 July 2022 |title=Adjoa Andoh, Russell T Davies and Michaela Coel elected to Royal Society of Literature |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/12/adjoa-andoh-russell-t-davies-and-michaela-coel-elected-to-royal-society-of-literature |access-date=5 November 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In 2016 he won the award for Outstanding Contribution to Writing at the Writers' Guild Awards,<ref name="wggbaward2016">{{cite web |title=Writers' Guild Awards 2016 |url=https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2016/ |website=Writers' Guild of Great Britain |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114154938/https://writersguild.org.uk/writers-guild-awards-2016/ |archive-date=14 January 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref> and in 2017 and 2021 he was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Edinburgh International Television Festival and Royal Television Society Programme Awards, respectively.<ref name="edinburgh2">{{cite web |date=25 July 2017 |title=Outstanding Achievement Award Interview: Russell T Davies |publisher=[[Edinburgh International Television Festival]] |url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/85310/watch-russell-davies-outstanding-achievement-award-interview-here/ |access-date=25 July 2017 |archive-date=24 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224024647/https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/85310/watch-russell-davies-outstanding-achievement-award-interview-here/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="edinburgh3">{{cite magazine |last=Chu |first=Henry |date=25 July 2017 |title='Queer as Folk,' 'Doctor Who' Showrunner to Receive Edinburgh Achievement Award |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/russell-t-davies-doctor-who-queer-as-folk-edinburgh-tv-festival-achievement-award-1202505718/ |access-date=25 July 2017 |archive-date=20 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120070228/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/russell-t-davies-doctor-who-queer-as-folk-edinburgh-tv-festival-achievement-award-1202505718/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="rts achievement">{{cite web |title=RTS Programme Awards 2021 |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2021 |website=Royal Television Society |date=23 October 2020 |access-date=9 April 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115055208/https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2021 |archive-date=15 January 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Davies was in a relationship with Andrew Smith, a customs officer, between 1999 and Smith's death in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jeffries |first1=Stuart |title=I can be very bolshie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/oct/20/bbc.television |website=The Guardian |date=20 October 2007 |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-date=14 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914143157/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/oct/20/bbc.television |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Doctor Who's Russell T Davies saves family TV |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583081/Doctor-Whos-Russell-T-Davies-saves-family-TV.html |website=The Telegraph |date=28 March 2008 |access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-date=11 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511144941/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1583081/Doctor-Whos-Russell-T-Davies-saves-family-TV.html |url-status=live}}</ref> They entered into a [[civil partnership]] on 1 December 2012, after Smith was diagnosed with a brain tumour from which he was given only a 3% chance of recovering.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aitkenhead |first=Decca |date=27 May 2016 |title=Russell T Davies: 'It sounds like a sex version of Midsummer Night's Dream. And it's not' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/may/27/russell-t-davies-it-sounds-like-a-sex-version-of-midsummer-nights-dream-and-its-not |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=27 May 2016 |archive-date=28 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528130541/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/may/27/russell-t-davies-it-sounds-like-a-sex-version-of-midsummer-nights-dream-and-its-not |url-status=live}}</ref> Smith died on 29 September 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BrcPk0yHvlI/ |title=Russell T Davies on Instagram |access-date=17 December 2018 |archive-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011184018/https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=%2Fp%2FBrcPk0yHvlI%2F |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]'' ends with a title card which dedicates the series to Smith.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spencer |first1=Samuel |title=Years and Years on BBC title card: Who is Andrew Smith? Why is it dedicated to him? |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1141960/Years-and-years-bbc-title-card-who-is-andrew-smith-in-memory-of-tribute-russell-t-davies |website=Daily Express |access-date=23 June 2019 |archive-date=23 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623014006/https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1141960/Years-and-years-bbc-title-card-who-is-andrew-smith-in-memory-of-tribute-russell-t-davies |url-status=live}}</ref>

In an interview with the [[Royal Television Society]] in 2019, Davies described himself as "absolutely happily left wing".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dowell |first=Ben |date=23 May 2019 |title=Why Trump's win inspired Russell T Davies to write Years and Years |url=https://rts.org.uk/article/why-trumps-win-inspired-russell-t-davies-write-years-and-years |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=Royal Television Society}}</ref> While being interviewed about ''It's a Sin'' on [[ITV Wales]] in 2021, Davies was asked if he was "indy-curious" about [[Welsh independence]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19039551.sin-creator-russell-t-davies-reveals-curious-welsh-independence/ |title='Let's start the movement': Russell T Davies reveals views on Welsh independence |website=The National |date=26 January 2021}}</ref> He replied that he was not sure the current [[Senedd]] was worthy, but that the government at Whitehall did not care about Welsh issues and that Wales should start looking into fending for itself.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 January 2021 |title='It's A Sin' screenwriter Russell T Davies speaks out on Welsh independence |url=https://nation.cymru/news/its-a-sin-screenwriter-russell-t-davies-speaks-out-on-welsh-independence/ |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 January 2021 |title=It's A Sin: Russell T Davies compares 'silence' of AIDS crisis to Covid |url=https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-01-25/it-led-to-more-deaths-its-a-sin-writer-russell-t-davies-compares-silence-of-aids-crisis-with-covid |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=[[ITV News]]}}</ref>

==Production credits==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:19%;" |Series
! rowspan=2 scope="col" |Channels
! rowspan=2 scope="col" |Years
! colspan=4 |Credited as
! rowspan=2 scope="col" |Note(s)
|-
! scope="col"|Writer
! scope="col"|Producer
! scope="col"|Executive producer
! Other roles
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Why Don't You?]]''
| rowspan="3" | [[BBC1]]
| 1985–90
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| Director, assistant floor manager, and publicist
| Various episodes
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Play School (British TV series)|Play School]]''
| 1987
|
|
|
| Presenter
| One episode
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[On the Waterfront (TV series)|On the Waterfront]]''
| 1988–89
|
|
|
| Sketch writer and script editor
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[DEF II]]''
| BBC2
| 1989
|
|
|
| Sketch writer
| Various episodes, uncredited
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Breakfast Serials]]''
| rowspan="2" | BBC1
| 1990
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Dark Season]]''
| 1991
| {{yes}}
|
|
| Creator
| Also wrote the novelisation
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Children's Ward]]''
| rowspan="2" | [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| 1992–96
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Families (TV series)|Families]]''
| 1992–93
|
|
|
| Storyliner
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[ChuckleVision]]''
| rowspan="2" | BBC1
| 1992
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| Three episodes
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Century Falls]]''
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| {{yes}}
|
|
| Creator
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Cluedo (UK game show)|Cluedo]]''
| ITV
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| One episode
|-
! scope="row" | ''Do the Right Thing''
| BBC1
| 1994–95
|
|
|
| Scriptwriter
| Uncredited
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The House of Windsor (TV series)|The House of Windsor]]''
| rowspan="3" | ITV
| 1994
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| Various episodes, several uncredited
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Revelations (1994 TV series)|Revelations]]''
| 1994–95
| {{yes}}
|
|
| Co-creator
| Various episodes. Created with [[Brian B. Thompson]] and [[Tony Wood (producer)|Tony Wood]].
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Coronation Street]]''
| 1996
|
|
|
| Storyliner
| Two weeks; cover for permanent storyliner.
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Springhill (TV series)|Springhill]]''
| [[Channel 4]]/[[Sky One]]
| 1996–97
| {{yes}}
|
|
| Co-creator and storyliner
| Seven episodes. Created with [[Paul Abbott]] and [[Frank Cottrell Boyce]].
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas!]]''
| Straight-to-video
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Touching Evil]]''
| BBC1
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| One episode
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Grand (TV series)|The Grand]]''
| ITV
| 1997–98
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| 18 episodes, several uncredited
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Queer as Folk (UK TV series)|Queer as Folk]]''
| Channel 4
| {{nowrap|1999–2000}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| rowspan="2" | Creator
| Scripts published as ''Queen as Folk: The Scripts'' (1999)
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Bob & Rose]]''
| ITV
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Linda Green]]''
| BBC One
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| One episode
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Second Coming (TV serial)|The Second Coming]]''
| rowspan="2" | ITV
| 2003
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| rowspan="3" | Creator
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Mine All Mine]]''
| 2004
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Casanova (2005 TV serial)|Casanova]]''
| [[BBC Three]]
| 2005
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Doctor Who]]''
| {{nowrap|BBC One (2005–10, 2023–present)<br />[[Disney+]] (2023–2025)}}
| {{Hlist|2005–10|2023–onwards}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| {{Hlist|Showrunner|head writer}}
| {{bulleted list |46 episodes{{efn|"[[The End of Time (Doctor Who)|The End of Time]]" makes up two episodes. Davies also performed uncredited work on "[[The Power of the Doctor]]".}} and six mini-episodes{{efn|five shown on BBC One, one shown on [[CBeebies]]}} (writer)|Unproduced spec script written in the 1980s|71 episodes (executive producer and showrunner)}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]''
| BBC Three
| 2005–10
|
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |[[Tardisode]]s
| [[BBC.co.uk]]
| 2006
|
|
| {{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Torchwood]]''
| {{nowrap|BBC Three (2006–07)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[BBC Two]] (2007)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[BBC One]] (2009)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[BBC HD]] (2006–09)}}<br />{{nowrap|BBC One (HD)/[[Starz]] (2011)}}
| rowspan="2" | 2006–11
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Creator
| {{bulletedlist|Six episodes (written by)|41 episodes (creator and executive producer)}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Torchwood Declassified]]''
| BBC Three
|
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''
| [[CBBC]]/BBC One
| 2007–11
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Creator
| {{bulletedlist|Three episodes (written by){{efn|''[[Death of the Doctor]]'' makes up two episodes}}|53 episodes (creator and executive producer)|Webcast written for ''Doctor Who: Lockdown'' in 2020}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Baker Boys (2011 TV series)|Baker Boys]]''
| [[BBC One Wales]]
| 2011
|
|
|
| [[Creative consultant]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Wizards vs Aliens]]''
| CBBC
| 2012–13
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Co-creator
| Created with [[Phil Ford (writer)|Phil Ford]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Old Jack's Boat]]''
| [[CBeebies]]
| rowspan="2" | 2013
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| Two episodes
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]''
| [[BBC Red Button]]
|
|
|
| Actor
| Played a caricature of himself
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Cucumber (British TV series)|Cucumber]]''
| [[Channel 4]]
| rowspan="3" | 2015
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| rowspan="3" |Creator
| rowspan=3| ''Cucumber'', ''Banana'', and ''Tofu'' share a [[fictional universe]]<ref name="grauncucumber" />
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Banana (TV series)|Banana]]''
| [[E4 (channel)|E4]]
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Tofu (web series)|Tofu]]''
| [[All 4]]
|
|
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''
| rowspan="3" | BBC One
| 2016
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[A Very English Scandal (TV series)|A Very English Scandal]]''
|2018
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|Adaptation of the 2016 book ''[[A Very English Scandal]]''
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]''
|2019
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| rowspan="3" | Creator
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]''
|Channel 4
|2021
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Nolly (TV series)|Nolly]]''
| rowspan="2" | ITV
| rowspan="2" |2023
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Three Little Birds (TV series)|Three Little Birds]]''
|
|
|{{yes}}
|Script consultant
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Tales of the TARDIS]]''
|BBC iPlayer
|2023–2024
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
| rowspan="3" | Creator
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The War Between the Land and the Sea]]''
| BBC One/Disney+
|2025<ref name="new warbetween"/>
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|{{bulleted list|Three episodes (written by)<ref name="warbetween">{{cite web |last=Hibbs |first=James |date=12 October 2024 |title=Doctor Who showrunner confirms when filming will wrap on spin-off |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-spin-off-filming-newsupdate/ |website=[[Radio Times]] |location=London |publisher=[[Immediate Media Company]] |access-date=6 September 2025 }}</ref>|Five episodes (creator and executive producer)}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Tip Toe (TV series)|Tip Toe]]''
|Channel 4
|Upcoming
|{{yes}}
|
|{{yes}}
|
|-
|}

===''Doctor Who'' franchise writing credits===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ ''Doctor Who'' credits
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Episode
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' credits (2005–2010)
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="7"| 2005
| "[[Rose (Doctor Who episode)|Rose]]"
| rowspan="6"| [[Doctor Who series 1|Series 1]]
|-
| "[[The End of the World (Doctor Who)|The End of the World]]"
|-
| "[[Aliens of London]]" / "[[World War Three (Doctor Who)|World War Three]]"
|-
| "[[The Long Game]]"
|-
| "[[Boom Town (Doctor Who)|Boom Town]]"
|-
| "[[Bad Wolf]]" / "[[The Parting of the Ways]]"
|-
| "[[The Christmas Invasion]]"
| [[List of Doctor Who Christmas and New Year's specials|Christmas special]]
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="5" | 2006
| "[[New Earth (Doctor Who)|New Earth]]"
| rowspan="4" | [[Doctor Who series 2|Series 2]]
|-
| "[[Tooth and Claw (Doctor Who)|Tooth and Claw]]"
|-
| "[[Love & Monsters (Doctor Who)|Love & Monsters]]"
|-
| "[[Army of Ghosts]]" / "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]"
|-
| "[[The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)|The Runaway Bride]]"
| Christmas special
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2007
| "[[Smith and Jones (Doctor Who)|Smith and Jones]]"
| rowspan="3" | [[Doctor Who series 3|Series 3]]
|-
| "[[Gridlock (Doctor Who)|Gridlock]]"
|-
| "[[Utopia (Doctor Who)|Utopia]]" / "[[The Sound of Drums]]" / "[[Last of the Time Lords]]"
|-
| "[[Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)|Voyage of the Damned]]"
| Christmas special
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="5" | 2008
| "[[Partners in Crime (Doctor Who)|Partners in Crime]]"
| rowspan="4" | [[Doctor Who series 4|Series 4]]
|-
| "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]"
|-
| "[[Turn Left]]"
|-
| "[[The Stolen Earth]]" / "[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]"
|-
| "[[The Next Doctor]]"
| rowspan="4" | [[Doctor Who specials (2008–2010)|2008–2010 specials]]
* "Planet of the Dead" co-written with Gareth Roberts
* "The Waters of Mars" co-written with [[Phil Ford (writer)|Phil Ford]]
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2009
| "[[Planet of the Dead]]"
|-
| "[[The Waters of Mars]]"
|-
! scope="row" | 2009–2010
| "[[The End of Time (Doctor Who)|The End of Time]]"
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' credits (2022–present)
|-
! scope="row" | 2022
| "[[The Power of the Doctor]]"
| [[Doctor Who specials (2022)|BBC Centenary special]], uncredited, 1 scene<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whitbrook |first1=James |title=David Tennant Added a Line to His Latest Doctor Who Regeneration |url=https://gizmodo.com/doctor-who-david-tennant-14th-doctor-teeth-line-bbc-1849790770 |access-date=17 November 2022 |agency=Gizmodo |archive-date=17 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117004217/https://gizmodo.com/doctor-who-david-tennant-14th-doctor-teeth-line-bbc-1849790770 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2023
| "[[The Star Beast (Doctor Who episode)|The Star Beast]]"
| rowspan="3" | [[Doctor Who specials (2023)|2023 specials]]
|-
| "[[Wild Blue Yonder (Doctor Who)|Wild Blue Yonder]]"
|-
| "[[The Giggle]]"
|-
| "[[The Church on Ruby Road]]"
| Christmas special
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="5" | 2024
| "[[Space Babies]]"
| rowspan="5" | [[Doctor Who series 14|Series 14]]{{efn|Also known as Season 1}}
|-
| "[[The Devil's Chord]]"
|-
| "[[73 Yards]]"
|-
| "[[Dot and Bubble]]"
|-
| "[[The Legend of Ruby Sunday]]" / "[[Empire of Death (Doctor Who episode)|Empire of Death]]"
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2025
| "[[The Robot Revolution]]"
| rowspan="4" | [[Doctor Who series 15|Series 15]]{{efn|Also known as Season 2}}
* "The Well" co-written with Sharma Angel-Walfall
|-
| "[[Lux (Doctor Who)|Lux]]"
|-
| "[[The Well (Doctor Who)|The Well]]"
|-
| "[[Wish World]]" / "[[The Reality War]]"
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Torchwood'' credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2006
| "[[Everything Changes (Torchwood)|Everything Changes]]"
| Series 1
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| 2009
| "Day One"
| rowspan="3" | ''[[Children of Earth]]''
* "Day Three" co-written with James Moran
|-
| "Day Three"
|-
| "Day Five"
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| 2011
| "[[The New World (Torchwood)|The New World]]"
| rowspan="2"| ''[[Miracle Day]]''
* "The Blood Line" co-written with [[Jane Espenson]]
|-
| "[[The Blood Line (Torchwood)|The Blood Line]]"
|-
! colspan="3" | ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2007
| "[[Invasion of the Bane]]"
| New Year's Day special. Co-written with [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]]
|-
! scope="row" | 2010
| ''[[Death of the Doctor]]''
| Series 4
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Tales of the TARDIS'' credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2023
| "[[Earthshock]]"
| Additional material only; original story by [[Eric Saward]]
|-
! scope="row" | 2024
| "[[Pyramids of Mars]]"
| Additional material only; original story by Stephen Harris
|-
! colspan="3" | ''The War Between the Land and the Sea'' credits
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 2025<ref name="new warbetween"/>
| Episode 1<ref name="warbetween"/>
| rowspan="3" | Miniseries
* Episode 4 co-written with [[Pete McTighe]]<ref name="warbetween"/>
|-
| Episode 4<ref name="warbetween"/>
|-
| Episode 5<ref name="warbetween"/>
|-
! colspan="3" | Minisodes credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2005
| "[[Doctor Who: Children in Need]]"
| Mini-episode and part of ''[[Children in Need 2005]]''. Also known as "Born Again".
|-
! scope="row" | 2008
| "[[Music of the Spheres (Doctor Who)|Music of the Spheres]]"
| Mini-episode and part of the [[Doctor Who Prom (2008)|2008 ''Doctor Who'' Prom]]
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| 2009
| [[Doctor Who: Tonight's the Night|Untitled ''Tonight's the Night'' sketch]]
| Mini-episode and part of ''[[Tonight's the Night (TV series)|Tonight's the Night]]''
|-
| "The Doctor and the Reindeer"
| A [[BBC One "Circle" idents#Christmas|BBC One "Circle" ident]]; [[David Tennant]] portrays the Doctor in a set of scenes aired to promote [[Christmas]] on [[BBC One]] in 2009.
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2023
| "[[Destination: Skaro]]"
| Mini-episode and part of ''Children in Need'' 2023
|-
| "Doctor Who: The Bedtime Story"
| Mini-episode. Broadcast on [[CBeebies]].
|-
! scope="row" | 2024
| "Bad Music" 
| Mini-episode and part of the 2024 ''Doctor Who Prom''
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' novel credits
|-
! scope="row" | 1996
| ''[[Damaged Goods (Davies novel)|Damaged Goods]]''
| Adapted into audio in 2015 by [[Jonathan Morris (author)|Jonathan Morris]]<ref name="BFDG">{{cite web |url=http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-announce-production-of-doctor-who-damaged-goods |title=Big Finish announce production of Doctor Who: Damaged Goods |publisher=[[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]] |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=8 September 2014 |archive-date=8 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908042041/http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/big-finish-announce-production-of-doctor-who-damaged-goods |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2018
| ''[[Rose (Doctor Who episode)|Rose]]''
| Novelisation of the 2005 episode
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' short fiction credits
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | 2020
| "Revenge of the Nestene"
| rowspan="3" | ''Doctor Who: Adventures in Lockdown''
|-
| "Doctor Who and the Time War"
|-
| "The Secret of Novice Hame"
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' non-fiction book credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2008
| ''The Writer's Tale''
| With [[Benjamin Cook (journalist)|Benjamin Cook]]
|-
! scope="row" | 2010
| ''The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter''
| With Benjamin Cook. Expanded edition of ''The Writer's Tale''.
|-
! colspan="3" | ''Doctor Who'' illustrator credits
|-
! scope="row" | 2017
| ''Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse''
| Written by [[James Goss (producer)|James Goss]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Unbroadcast credits
|-
! scope="row" | 1986
| ''Mind of the Hodiac''
| Unbroadcast spec script, later written as an audio drama by Davies and [[Scott Handcock]] for [[Big Finish Productions]] in 2022
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! |Year
! |Award
! |Work
! |Category
! |Result
! |Note(s)
! |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
|1993
|[[British Academy Television Awards]]
|rowspan="3"|''[[Children's Ward]]''
|Children's Programme – Fiction or Entertainment
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="ward1993"/>
|-
|1996
|rowspan="2"| [[British Academy Children's Awards]]
|rowspan="2"| Drama
| {{Nom}}
|rowspan="2"| With Kieran Roberts and Beryl Richards
|<ref name="ward1996"/>
|-
|1997
|{{Won}}
|<ref name="ward1997"/>
|-
|2001
||[[British Comedy Awards]]
|rowspan="2"|''[[Bob & Rose]]''
|Writer of the Year
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="comedy"/>
|-
|2002
|rowspan="2"|British Academy Television Awards
|rowspan="2"|Drama Serial
|{{Nom}}
|With Ann Harrison-Baxter, Julian Farino, and [[Joe Wright]]
|<ref name="bafta-bobrose"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|2004
|rowspan="2"|''[[The Second Coming (TV serial)|The Second Coming]]''
|{{Nom}}
|With Ann Harrison-Baxter and [[Adrian Shergold]]
|<ref name="SecondBafta"/>
|-
|[[Royal Television Society Programme Awards]]
|Writing
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="SecondRTS"/>
|-
|rowspan="6"|2006
|[[Edinburgh International Television Festival]]
|{{N/A}}
|Industry Player of the Year
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="edinburgh1"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|British Academy Television Awards
|{{N/A}}
|Dennis Potter Award
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="potter"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|''[[Doctor Who]]''
|Drama Series
|{{Won}}
|With [[Phil Collinson]] and [[Julie Gardner]]
|<ref name="DramaSeries2006"/>
|-
|[[British Academy Television Craft Awards]]
|Writer
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="craft-who">{{cite web |title=Through the Years – TV Craft/Writer |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/tvcraft/writer-tvcraft |website=BAFTA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212065451/https://www.bafta.org/awards/tvcraft/writer-tvcraft |archive-date=12 December 2024 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[BAFTA Cymru]]
|Screenwriter
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2006"/>
|-
|{{N/A}}
|Siân Phillips Award
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="phillips"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|2007
|''Doctor Who'': "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]"
|Screenwriter
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2007"/>
|-
|[[Writers' Guild of Great Britain]] Awards
|[[Doctor Who series 3|''Doctor Who'' series 3]]
|Best Soap/Series (TV)
|{{Won}}
|With [[Chris Chibnall]], [[Paul Cornell]], [[Stephen Greenhorn]], [[Steven Moffat]], [[Helen Raynor]], and [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]]
|<ref name="wggbaward2007"/>
|-
|[[Hugo Award]]
|''Doctor Who'': "[[Army of Ghosts]]"/"Doomsday"
|[[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]]
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Graeme Harper]]
|<ref name="Hugo2007"/>
|-
|rowspan="6" | 2008
|rowspan="6" |''[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]'' Awards
|-
|{{N/A}}
|Hall of Fame
|{{Nom}}
|
|{{sfn|Bradley|2008|page=99}}
|-
|''Doctor Who''
|Best TV Series
|{{Won}}
|
|{{sfn|Bradley|2008|page=97}}
|-
|''Doctor Who'': "[[The Stolen Earth]]"/"[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]"
|rowspan="3"| Best TV Episode
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |work=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |date=11 December 2008 |title=SFX Awards 2008 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/sfx_awards_2008/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203054035/https://www.gamesradar.com/sfx_awards_2008/ |archive-date=3 December 2024 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Bradley|2008|page=97}}
|-
|''Doctor Who'': "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]"
|{{Nom}}
|
|{{sfn|Bradley|2008|page=97}}
|-
|rowspan="2"| ''Doctor Who'': "[[Turn Left]]"
|{{Nom}}
|
|{{sfn|Bradley|2008|page=97}}
|-
|rowspan="5"|2009
|Hugo Award
|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
|{{Nom}}
|With Graeme Harper
|<ref name="Hugo2009"/>
|-
|British Academy Television Craft Awards
|rowspan="2"|''Doctor Who'': "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]"
|Writer
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="midnightcraft"/><ref name="craft-who"/>
|-
|BAFTA Cymru
|Screenwriter
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2009"/>
|-
|British Academy Television Awards
|rowspan="3"|''Doctor Who''
|Drama Series
|{{Nom}}
|With Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Susie Liggat
|<ref name="drama2009"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Fantasy Awards]]
|rowspan="2"|Television
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="bfa">{{cite web |title=BFA Winners |url=https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/the-british-fantasy-awards/bfa-winners/ |website=The British Fantasy Society |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318022716/https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/the-british-fantasy-awards/bfa-winners/ |archive-date=18 March 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="8"|2010
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="bfa"/>
|-
|BAFTA Cymru
|''[[Torchwood: Children of Earth]]'': "Day One"
|Screenwriter
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2010"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|''SFX'' Awards
|''Torchwood: Children of Earth'': "Day Five"
|rowspan="2"|Best TV Episode
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |work=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |date=8 February 2010 |title=Russell T Davies's SFX Awards Acceptance Speeches |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/russell_t_davies_s_sfx_awards_acceptance_speeches/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816093418/https://www.gamesradar.com/russell_t_davies_s_sfx_awards_acceptance_speeches/ |archive-date=16 August 2024 |access-date=11 April 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Bradley|2010|page=97}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|''Doctor Who'': "The Next Doctor"
|{{Nom}}
|
|{{sfn|Bradley|2010|page=97}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|Hugo Award
|rowspan="2"|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Andy Goddard]]
|<ref name="Hugo2010"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|''Doctor Who'': "[[Planet of the Dead]]"
|{{Nom}}
|With Gareth Roberts and [[James Strong (director)|James Strong]]
|<ref name="Hugo2010"/>
|-
|''SFX'' Awards
|Best TV Episode
|{{Nom}}
|With Gareth Roberts
|{{sfn|Bradley|2010|page=97}}
|-
|Hugo Award
|''Doctor Who'': "[[The Waters of Mars]]"
|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
|{{Won}}
|With [[Phil Ford (writer)|Phil Ford]] and Graeme Harper
|<ref name="Hugo2010"/>
|-
|2011
|British Academy Children's Awards
|''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''
|Drama
|{{Nom}}
|With Brian Minchin and Ashley Way
|<ref name="sja award"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|2016
|British Academy Television Craft Awards
|rowspan="2"|''[[Cucumber (British TV series)|Cucumber]]''
|rowspan="2"|Writer: Drama
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="craft-not-who"/>
|-
|Royal Television Society Programme Awards
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |title=RTS Programme Awards 2016 |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2016 |website=Royal Television Society |date=19 October 2015 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406110440/https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2016 |archive-date=6 April 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards
|{{N/A}}
|Outstanding Contribution to Writing
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="wggbaward2016"/>
|-
|2017
|Edinburgh International Television Festival
|{{N/A}}
|Outstanding Achievement Award
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="edinburgh2"/><ref name="edinburgh3"/>
|-
|rowspan="7"|2019
|British Academy Television Craft Awards
|rowspan="7"|''[[A Very English Scandal (TV series)|A Very English Scandal]]''
|rowspan="2"|Writer: Drama
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="craft-not-who"/>
|-
|Royal Television Society Programme Awards
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="rts 2019"/>
|-
|British Academy Television Awards
|Mini-Series
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Stephen Frears]], [[Dominic Treadwell-Collins]], and Dan Winch
|<ref name="english-mini"/>
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]]
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name=":1"/>
|-
|[[USC Scripter Awards]]
|Television
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="english-scripter"/>
|-
|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards
|Best Short Form TV Drama
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="wggaward2019"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|BAFTA Cymru
|rowspan="4"|Writer
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2019"/>
|-
|2020
|''[[Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years]]''
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2020"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|2021
|rowspan=2"|''[[It's a Sin (TV series)|It's a Sin]]''
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="sinema"/>
|-
|[[Seoul International Drama Awards]]
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="osen.mt.co.kr">{{cite web |last=Yeon |first=Hwi-seon |title='서울드라마어워즈', '아이를 찾습니다' 대상 3관왕...송중기·수지→영탁까지 수상 [종합] |url=http://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1111677240 |website=OSEN |date=21 October 2021 |access-date=9 April 2025 |language=ko |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021134501/http://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1111677240 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="2"|Royal Television Society Programme Awards
|{{N/A}}
|Outstanding Achievement Award
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="rts achievement"/>
|-
|rowspan="5"|2022
|rowspan="5"|''It's a Sin''
|rowspan="2"|Writer: Drama
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |title=RTS Programme Awards 2022 |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/programme2022 |website=Royal Television Society |date=21 October 2021 |access-date=9 April 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125224524/https://rts.org.uk/award/programme2022 |archive-date=25 January 2025}}</ref>
|-
|British Academy Television Craft Awards
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="nominasin"/>
|-
|[[Broadcasting Press Guild Awards]]
|Best Writer
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 |url=http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/2022-2/ |website=[[Broadcasting Press Guild]] |date=2 April 2022 |access-date=9 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|British Academy Television Awards
|Mini-Series
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Nicola Shindler]], [[Peter Hoar]], and Phil Collinson
|<ref name="nominasin"/>
|-
|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards
|Best Long Form TV Drama
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="wggbaward2022"/>
|-
|2023
|rowspan="2"|BAFTA Cymru
|''[[Nolly (TV series)|Nolly]]''
|rowspan="2"|Writer
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2023"/>
|-
|rowspan="3"|2024
|''Doctor Who''
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="CymruWriter2024"/>
|-
|rowspan="4"|Hugo Award
|''Doctor Who'': "[[Wild Blue Yonder (Doctor Who)|Wild Blue Yonder]]"
|rowspan="4"|Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Tom Kingsley]]
|<ref name="Hugo2024"/>
|-
|''Doctor Who'': "[[The Giggle]]"
|{{Nom}}
|With [[Chanya Button]]
|<ref name="Hugo2024"/>
|-
|rowspan="4"|2025
|''Doctor Who'': "[[73 Yards]]"
|{{Nom}}
|rowspan="2"|With [[Dylan Holmes Williams]]
|<ref name="Hugo2025"/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|''Doctor Who'': "[[Dot and Bubble]]"
|{{Nom}}
|<ref name="Hugo2025"/>
|-
|[[Nebula Award]]
|[[Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation]]
|{{Nom}}
|
|<ref name="bubble brad">{{cite web |date=12 March 2025 |title=SFWA Announces the 60th Annual Nebula Awards® Finalists! |url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/8528-2/ |website=[[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association]] |access-date=14 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401151208/https://nebulas.sfwa.org/8528-2/ |archive-date=1 April 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|BAFTA Cymru
|{{N/A}}
|Outstanding Contribution to Television
|{{Won}}
|
|<ref>{{cite web |year=2025 |title=BAFTA Cymru Awards |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/cymru?award-year=2025 |website=BAFTA |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=5 October 2025 |title=Outstanding Contribution to Television: Russell T Davies OBE |url=https://www.bafta.org/stories/outstanding-contribution-to-television-russell-t-davies-obe/ |website=BAFTA |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last1=Ainsworth |editor-first1=John |title=Doctor Who: The Complete History |volume=51 |date=2015 |publisher=[[Panini Comics]]/[[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]]}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last1=Ainsworth |editor-first1=John |title=Doctor Who: The Complete History |volume=48 |date=2016 |publisher=[[Panini Comics]]/[[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]]}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Aldridge |first1=Mark |last2=Murray |first2=Andy |title=T is for Television: The Small Screen Adventures of Russell T Davies |date=30 November 2008 |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd |isbn=978-1-905287-84-0}}
* {{cite magazine |editor-last=Bradley |editor-first=Dave |publication-date=17 December 2008 |title=''SFX'' Reader Awards 2008 |magazine=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |issue=178 |location=Bath, Somerset |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |pages=93–100}}
* {{cite magazine |editor-last=Bradley |editor-first=Dave |publication-date=February 2010 |title=''SFX'' Sci-Fi Awards 2010 in association with Play.com |magazine=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |issue=193 |location=Bath, Somerset |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |pages=95–101}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Russell T |last2=Cook |first2=Benjamin |author-link2=Benjamin Cook (journalist) |title=Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale |edition=1st |date=25 September 2008 |publisher=[[BBC Books]] |isbn=978-1-84607-571-1}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Russell T |last2=Cook |first2=Benjamin |title=Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter |edition=2nd |date=14 January 2010 |publisher=[[BBC Books]] |isbn=978-1-84607-861-3}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=1256045|name=Russell T Davies}}
* {{IMDb name|0203961}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Philip Segal]]
| title = ''[[Doctor Who]]'' showrunner
| years = 2005–2010
| after = [[Steven Moffat]]
}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Chris Chibnall]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=''Doctor Who'' showrunner |years=2023–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Russell T Davies|key=*}}
{{Doctor Who episodes by Russell T Davies}}
{{RTS Programme Award for Best Writing in a Drama}}
{{USC Scripter Awards — Television}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Russell T}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Welsh male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Welsh screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century Welsh writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Welsh male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Welsh screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century Welsh writers]]
[[Category:Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford]]
[[Category:BAFTA winners (people)]]
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[[Category:Channel 4 people]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature]]
[[Category:Gay screenwriters]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Manchester]]
[[Category:LGBTQ television producers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Swansea]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Olchfa School]]
[[Category:Welsh atheists]]
[[Category:Welsh gay writers]]
[[Category:Welsh humanists]]
[[Category:Welsh LGBTQ screenwriters]]
[[Category:Welsh male television writers]]
[[Category:Welsh science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Welsh television producers]]
[[Category:Welsh television writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Swansea]]
[[Category:Writers of Doctor Who novels]]