Russell T Davies Says Unresolved Doctor Who Cliffhanger Is Easy for Next Team to Fix
Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has addressed his departure from the BBC franchise, saying the unresolved Billie Piper cliffhanger is a simple problem for a new production team to solve, while acknowledging the show's future remains uncertain as the BBC seeks a new production company.
Russell T Davies, the former showrunner of Doctor Who, has spoken publicly for the first time about his exit from the long-running BBC science fiction series, describing the unresolved cliffhanger he left behind as a minor problem that the next production team can easily resolve. His departure was confirmed this summer when the BBC acknowledged that no final Christmas special would be produced to wrap up the current era of the show.
In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television, published by The Guardian, Davies explained that the future of the Disney co-production deal was uncertain while he was writing the second season. He said the matter was not in the hands of his production company, Bad Wolf, but depended on conversations between Disney and the BBC. Davies wrote that he had no idea what was happening and that, deep down, he suspected the deal would not continue. He noted that he was already developing new projects for other broadcasters, suggesting he was preparing for a life after Doctor Who.
The showrunner also revealed that the second season finale was originally intended to end with an open-ended regeneration. The scene was shot with series star Ncuti Gatwa, who smiled, delivered his final line, and watched as the screen melted into a golden glow. However, when the footage was edited together, Davies felt it looked like the death of the show. He recalled thinking of children watching and deciding they could not do that to them. The ending was subsequently reworked, and Gatwa's exit required reshoots and a rewrite of the episode's conclusion.
Davies did not address on-set reports and leaked images suggesting the season was initially set to end on a positive note, with a party scene featuring the main cast and an appearance by original Doctor Who actress Carol Ford, who played the Doctor's granddaughter Susan. He also did not suggest that he or Bad Wolf bore any responsibility for the collapse of the Disney deal, instead framing it as a business decision between Disney and the BBC.
Regarding the cliffhanger involving Billie Piper's appearance, Davies dismissed it as a simple puzzle. He wrote that a new production team can either seize on that appearance or explain it away with exactly seven words. He compared it to the 1996 revelation that the Doctor is half-human, a plot point that was later fixed by everyone discreetly never mentioning it again. Davies called the unresolved thread «a piece of piss» to solve.
He also discussed the planned Christmas special for 2026, which the BBC was keen to announce alongside the end of the Disney deal to confirm its dedication to the show. Davies admitted he had doubts from the start, questioning what the special would be about, who it was for, and where the money would come from. He said he allowed his name to go on a press release he felt queasy about, adding, «That'll teach me!»
Davies acknowledged that the show's current status of being put out to tender had been discussed internally, though it was expected to happen later, perhaps in 2028 or 2029. This aligns with fan expectations that he was due to deliver four years of Doctor Who before stepping down.
The excerpt concludes with Davies airing frustrations about a prolific leaker who revealed key plot beats from the Gatwa era up to a year ahead of transmission. He said the leaks introduced cynicism among fans, who became weary and assumed the worst version of whatever was leaked. He believes the leaks did a lot to destroy the profile of the show. How the leaker obtained the information remains a mystery, but their accuracy suggests they were part of a small circle of team members working on the series.
Doctor Who now sits in limbo as the BBC searches for a fresh production company to take the series forward. Davies' memoir, The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television, is expected to be published soon.
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