Russell T. Davies is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He gained recognition as the original showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, a position he held from 2005 to 2010 and again in 2023.
Russell T. Davies Bio Details
Full name: Stephen Russell Davies
Date of birth: 27 April 1963
Age: 61 years (2024)
Gender: Male
Zodiac: Taurus
Place of birth: Swansea, Wales
Alma mater: Worcester College, Oxford
Marital status: Widower
Spouse: Andrew Smith
Profession: TV producer and screenwriter
Early Life & Education
Stephen Russell Davies, the only son of Vivian (1925–2015) and Barbara (1929–2001) Davies, was born on 27 April 1963 at Mount Pleasant Hospital in Swansea.
He was the youngest of three children and his birth was via cesarean section, which led to his mother being given a morphine drip. Unfortunately, she suffered a psychotic episode after overdosing and had to be institutionalized.
Russell T. Davies was a student at Tycoch Primary School in Sketty before moving on to Olchfa School at the age of 11. During his first year, the main school buildings were undergoing reconstruction due to the discovery of high alumina cement, which had caused other public buildings to collapse.
As a result, temporary buildings were used for classes, sparking Davies’ creativity and leading him to craft tales of mystery, science fiction, and conspiracy surrounding the main building.
After finishing his O-Levels in 1979, Russell T. Davies remained at Olchfa and set his sights on pursuing English literature at the University of Oxford. However, he gave up his dream of becoming a comic artist when a careers counselor pointed out that his color blindness would make it difficult to achieve success in that field.
While pursuing his education, he took part in the WGYTC’s projects to produce Welsh-language plays for the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Among these were Pair Dadeni, a play inspired by the Mabinogion legends, and Perthyn, a drama exploring themes of community and identity in 1980s West Glamorgan. In 1981, he was admitted to Worcester College, Oxford to pursue studies in English literature.
Career
In 1985, Russell T. Davies joined the BBC Wales children’s department (CBBC) and was offered one-day contracts and assignments, including the opportunity to illustrate for Why Don’t You? Despite being limited to only three days of work per month at the BBC, he still pursued freelance work and volunteered at the Sherman Theatre.
Davies debuted as a TV host on Play School in June 1987, joining Chloë Ashcroft as a guest presenter. The idea came from Why Don’t You?’s line producer Peter Charlton, who believed Davies had potential on-screen and encouraged him to pursue a public career.
He was given the chance to make occasional appearances for six months, but ultimately only hosted one episode as a storytelling illustrator. His experience on set led him to declare that he would not be repeating the experience.
In 1986, producer Dave Evans offered Russell T. Davies his initial opportunity to write a script professionally. This unexpected job offer came while Davies was visiting Evans’s office to receive his salary, and he was given an additional £100 to write a replacement script.
The script that Davies wrote was well-received by CBBC and opened the door to bigger opportunities, eventually resulting in a six-month contract to write for the show when it moved to Manchester in 1988. He continued working for the show for two additional years and eventually became its producer.
In 1994, Davies stepped down from all of his producing responsibilities and instead took on a position as a scriptwriter for the late-night soap opera Revelations. He had co-created the show with Tony Wood and Brian B. Thompson.
The series was a comedic examination of organized religion and marked his first portrayal of an openly gay character, played by Sue Holderness as a lesbian vicar who came out in a two-person episode with Carole Nimmons.
Russell T. Davies penned a novel for the Doctor Who Virgin New Adventures series titled “Damaged Goods.” The story follows the Doctor as he pursues a powerful drug contaminated with Time Lord technology through multiple galaxies.
This book incorporates various themes that Davies would later incorporate into his future works, such as a family named “Tyler” and a companion named Chris Cwej engaging in casual homosexual encounters.
Additionally, a subplot in the novel served as the basis for a proposed but ultimately abandoned thriller titled “The Mother War.” This potential project for Granada would have centered around a woman named Eva Jericho and a petrified embryo found in her womb.
Davies wrote eight scripts for the initial season of Doctor Who, while the remaining episodes were entrusted to seasoned playwrights and authors for the show’s additional releases. Steven Moffat contributed a two-part tale, while Mark Gatiss, Robert Shearman, and Paul Cornell each penned a single episode.
In addition, Russell T. Davies reached out to his former acquaintance Paul Abbott and the renowned author of Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, to contribute to the series. However, both were unable to commit due to prior obligations.
Once he had assembled his team of writers, Davies made it clear that he had no plans to approach any writers from the previous series. The only writer he would have liked to collaborate with was Holmes, who passed away in May 1986.
The BBC revealed on 24 September 2021 that Davies will take over as the showrunner for Doctor Who, replacing Chris Chibnall for the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond.
Russell T. Davies will be working with the Bad Wolf production company, which was founded by Gardner and Tranter. Additionally, in May 2022, it was announced that Davies had chosen Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa to play the role of the Doctor, making him the first black actor to take on the series’ lead role.
Personal Life
From 1999 until his passing in 2018, Russell T. Davies was romantically involved with Andrew Smith, a customs officer. As Smith’s battle with a brain tumor, which had a 3% survival rate, worsened, they decided to enter into a civil partnership on 1 December 2012. The series Years and Years concludes with a title card honoring Smith and dedicating the show to him.
Net Worth
Russell T. Davies is a successful Welsh screenwriter known for the Doctor Who series. He has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of 2024.
