Doctor Who fans rejoiced when it was announced that Russell T. Davies would be returning as showrunner for the next season. Ever since, there has been speculation about what he plans to do with the show moving forward.
While announcements about the new Doctor, companion, and cameos have provided fans with some idea of what they can expect, the best place to look for his quality of writing and themes of choice is in his prior work. While he has an extensive resume, his ten best-rated productions can give fans an idea of what to look forward to in the coming era.
Old Jack's Boat — 7.7
This series follows Old Jack, played by Doctor Who veteran Bernard Cribbins, as he tells stories about his life. The show is written for a pre-school audience but is the kind of show parents could have on for hours without going out of their minds.
This is clearly a departure from what Davies is familiar with, but he explained that he was excited to work on the children's show because "this is the age when your imagination first starts!" The show is simple but enjoyable and shows that Davies can write for just about any age range.
A Very English Scandal — 7.7
A Very English Scandal is a three-part historical miniseries documenting the sex scandal that ended Jeremy Thorpe's career. As Thorpe's political career thrives, he is repeatedly threatened and blackmailed by his former lover Norman Josiffe, which leads him to consider taking drastic measures.
Reviewers praise the series for being captivating and well cast, with every character feeling very true to their real-world counterparts. Though some fans (and the best LGBTQ+ TV shows in 2019.
Torchwood — 7.7
Torchwood was the first Doctor Who spin-off after the series was revived, and, along with Davies's other spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, it provided some of the spin-off stories. The show follows Jack Harkness and the other of Torchwood Three as they protect the world from alien threats that don't attract the Doctor's attention.
The show is a much more adult take on the Whoniverse, which meant that it ended up disappointing fans who were looking for more of the same. However, it has a lot to offer those willing to take it on its own , with realistic characters struggling with everyday problems along with extraterrestrial threats.
Cucumber — 7.8
Cucumber focuses on middle-aged men in the Manchester gay scene, with a specific focus on how gay relationships start and finish differently than straight relationships. The series is followed by Banana, an anthology series set in the same universe, and Tofu, a documentary series looking into modern sex and sexuality.
Fans of the show describe its bravery in honestly portraying every side of the gay experience, including those which are problematic or harmful to those living it. While some viewers found the series leaned into stereotypes, others felt it was more candid than most LGBTQ+ media is capable of being.
Casanova — 7.8
While Christopher Eccleston was busy bringing back Doctor Who, future Doctor David Tennant was already working with Russell T. Davies on Casanova, a three-episode mini-series that follows Giacomo Casanova as he found his way through life and love.
The series is incredibly entertaining, drawing on the natural humor of Casanova's exploits, brought into a modern vernacular. The characters and dialogue flourish in the fast-paced series, and while several reviewers found it wildly inaccurate, most enjoy it for the wild romp it was always intended to be.
Queer As Folk — 8.2
While Queer As Folk was not Davies's first show, it was the one that put him on the map. The series follows two gay men and a gay teenager as they navigate life in Manchester in the 90s with a mix of fantasy and real-world struggles. Like Steven Moffatt's Coupling, this early Davies show also features a number of references to Doctor Who, showing how much Davies loved the show long before he was tasked to reboot it.
The show highlights the best of British humor and did a lot for gay representation. Though it is certainly dated by now, the show is still an enjoyable ride, with wild characters for audiences to latch onto. Even over two decades later, the show is considered one of the best LGBTQ+ TV shows on Amazon Prime.
Mine All Mine — 8.3
Mine All Mine follows Max Vivaldi, a man who believes that the city of Swansea, Wales belongs to his family by ancestral rights. When an appraiser verifies the document claiming his family's ownership of the land, Vivaldi attempts to seize power over the city.
This is one of Davies's more obscure series, but those who have found their way to it swear there's a lot to love. The show is entertaining, and though it lacks some of the detailed story arcs of Davies's more recent work, it has a quick pace and enough surprises to keep audiences guessing.
Years and Years — 8.3
This series follows the Lyons family in Manchester from 2019 on, fifteen years into the future. The series looks at how politics, the economy, and romance rock the lives of one family. According to Davies, however, the series is not all gloom and doom: "I am a big believer in happy endings. I do worry about the world these days, but I don’t think we’re sliding into hell yet. I think it’s possible, and I think those decisions are made by [those] whose power is far beyond mine, but equally, I have great hope for the future as well."
Those who have watched the show find it scarily plausible, understanding the dystopian future as a realistic extension of the problems of today. Multiple reviewers on IMDb claimed to have made s simply for the purpose of praising this show, so that should tell fans a lot. The show is a distinctly liberal take on where the world might go, which some reviewers hated, but many others felt it was a reasonable perspective on a scary world.
Doctor Who — 8.6
Of course, Davies's most well-known work was re-starting Doctor Who after it was canceled in 1989. Davies brought back the Doctor and his TARDIS after the end of the Time War, with all other Timelords killed off. This starting point allowed Davies to make the series more of an action-packed show than it had previously been, with rousing monologues about the Doctor being the last of his kind.
Many fans find the Doctor Who stories from Davies' era to be the best in the show's history. He was at the helm for the first four seasons of the show, bringing back classic villains like the Daleks, Cybermen, and the Master to a new viewership. The scripts were exciting, funny, and ambitious, and aside from a few skippable episodes, they were all worth watching over and over again.
It's a Sin — 8.7
It takes a lot for a show to beat out Doctor Who in viewer ratings, but It's A Sin absolutely deserves its place on the list. The show follows the lives of a group of gay men living in London from 1981 to 1991. Over the decade shown, the group fights for their freedom and their lives during the height of the AIDS crisis. Like all Davies' work, it does a brilliant job showing the lives of each character, making it that much more devastating as AIDS threatens their future.
In a time when many people don't feel personally impacted by AIDS in the same way anymore, It's A Sin brings back all the horrors of the 80s, from the disease itself to the way its victims were politicized and denigrated. The show manages a perfect balance of joy, mourning, and fury, begging its viewers to not forget the generation of gay men that have been lost.