The latest season ofDoctor Whohas been packed with mysteries and unexpected turns drawn from the series' long history. One particular episode that stood out was Rogue (episode 6), where it featured a surprise cameo byRichard E. Grant as the Shalka Doctor, a role he first voiced in a 2003 animated series. ShowrunnerRussell T Daviesexplained the creative process of how the Shalka Doctor ended up in the current storyline.
Speaking with SFX Magazine (viaGamesRadar), Davies revealed that the idea was conceived during a brainstorming session in his office with co-writers Kate Herron and Briony Redman. The trio decided to inject a bit of light-hearted fun into the storyline by reviving an “unknown Doctor.”
We talked about that many times with [co-writers] Kate [Herron] and Briony [Redman]. Just fun, a joke. It’s funny. It’s that simple. I sat here in this office with them and they just thought ‘an unknown Doctor’ – that’s what the script said because we had to work out who to get and how we could get him.
The decision, described by Davies as a spontaneous and enjoyable one, led to a hurried arrangement to include Grant, despite the logistical challenges and the absence of a typical fee for his iconic portrayal.
“He wasn’t paid the fee he would’ve been paid to be a Doctor, obviously. He was so up for it and went and did that, especially for us. Very last minute! Because we weren’t sure whether to do it or not, partly because we’re busy, and there was a lot of extra paperwork just to do that. But as we watched that parade of Doctors, we just sat and went, ‘We’ve got to put an extra one in, we’ve got to.’ That’s the fun of it.”
Davies also touched on a personal note, revealing a correspondence with Paul Cornell, the original creator of theNinth Doctorin the Shalka series.
“I wrote to [writer] Paul Cornell the night before, saying, ‘Please watch tomorrow because there’s such a treat in store,’ and he was so delighted,” Davies revealed. “But it’s really nice when you can do things like that. That was a really nice moment between me and Paul, we’re old friends going back decades. It was lovely. A little bit of payment there because he created the Ninth Doctor with the Shalka and we completely replaced him with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. So, how nice all these years later, to take a little lean back and sort of say, the door’s open now, thanks to ‘The Timeless Child’, and you can come in and own your Doctor again. Really, it’s not just fun, it’s a nice thing to do.”
Russell Davies Optimistic About the Growing Viewership of Doctor Who Season 14
Recently, Davies discussed the viewership for the latest season ofDoctor Who. Despite not achieving the high ratings initially hoped for, Davies remains optimistic about the growth in audience numbers over time. He emphasized that the show’s ratings have been on an upward trend, perRadio Times.
“I mean, no, to be honest - I’m very proud of it! You know, they might not be the ratings we’d love. We always want higher. But they are building over the 28-day period. Episode one, ‘Space Babies’, is already up to 5.6 million and counting. So it is getting there.”
Russell T. Davies Explains Why He Will Not Hesitate to Break Canon Again in Doctor Who
Russell T.Davies has always made some changes to the world of Doctor Who that may not reflect the series' past, but he doesn’t really care.
This season’s performance has seen an average of 3.8 million viewers per episode in the UK, a drop from the previous season’s average of 5 million by the same point. Several factors might be influencing these numbers, including the timing of the season’s release. Unlike Season 13, which premiered in late October, Season 14 launched in May—a time when potential viewers might be less inclined to stay indoors.
