“Doctor Who” showrunner and writer Russell T Davies is warning audiences about the dark side of social media when it comes to fandom, saying that opinions can easily be misconstrued on platforms like X, which he called a “hate site.”
During a masterclass at Series Mania in France on Wednesday, Davies — who considers himself a “Doctor Who” fan first and foremost — said that we often “fall into the trap of talking about fans and assuming that means the online voice.”
“I think they are different things. I know they’re different things, I absolutely know that,” he continued. “And that online voice, which is hostile, exists on X, which is a hate site. We shouldn’t be surprised to find hatred on it, because it’s a hate site … It’s very dangerously assumed that that is the fan voice.”
Davies is no stranger to dealing with hate. The most recent iteration of “Doctor Who” saw Ncuti Gatwa take the reins as the first openly queer Black actor in the iconic role, which sadly resulted in racist and homophobic discourse online. Davies said that social media — along with what he called “the collapse of journalism” — has helped these voices find their way into the mainstream.
“That’s where the danger point happens of the minority voices slipping more into the mainstream, because suddenly they’re in newspaper articles, suddenly you find critics quoting those voices,” he said.
While Davies accepted that fans don’t “have to like a show,” they can still “have a great time disagreeing” with it in a respectful way. “Fandom is creative and brilliant and fun, but it’s all getting soured,” he said, adding: “Turn those phones off for anyone under 16, chuck them in the bin. I literally am evangelical about it.”
Last year, Disney+ exited its partnership with the BBC following two co-produced seasons of “Doctor Who.” Though it’s been confirmed that there will be a Christmas special this year, Davies stayed mum on the topic of the show’s return — and who will be in its title role.
The finale of the most recent season saw the departure of Gatwa as the Doctor and the reintroduction of Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler during David Tennant’s run in the early 2000s. Though Gatwa’s Doctor did regenerate into Piper, it was not explicitly stated that she will be next to wield the sonic screwdriver. During the masterclass, moderator Renan Cros attempted to get Davies to reveal more about Piper’s role in the future of the series, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Really, good luck,” Davies said. “I just love Billie, that’s all!”