Former ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner Russell T. Davies Is Returning To The Series

Just as you “never forget your first doctor” –a saying popularized by the Doctor Who fandom — you never forget the showrunner who helped make all that on-screen magic happen. For many millennials, the man behind it all was Russell T. Davies, a Welsh screenwriter credited with reviving the series back in 2005 and who helmed it for its first four seasons. For all those longing for the same sci-fi spectacles we saw in the days of Davies, Christopher Eccleston, and David Tennant, do we have good news for you. After 16 years away from the hit BBC series, Davies is coming back.

According to Variety, the former showrunner is returning to the world of Doctor Who for its next season in 2023, which coincidentally is also the series’ 60th anniversary. Davies is taking up the mantle left by current showrunner Chris Chibnall, who revealed he would be leaving alongside the show’s current star Jodi Whittaker earlier this year. The screenwriter has also announced the next season will be a co-production between BBC Studios and the Welsh-based studio Bad Wolf, the company behind recent series such as The Night Of, Beddgelert, A Discovery of Witches, and His Dark Materials. This could indicate that Doctor Who‘s production might return to Wales for the first time since Davies left the project.

Unsurprisingly, the decision for Davies to come back has been met with universal praise by the BBC and fans alike. Chibnall especially had only glowing words for the big return:

“It’s monumentally exciting and fitting that Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary will see one of Britain’s screenwriting diamonds return home. Russell built the baton that is about to be handed back to him — Doctor Who, the BBC, the screen industry in Wales, and let’s be honest everyone in the whole world, have so many reasons to be Very Excited Indeed about what lies ahead.”

Over on Twitter, Doctor Who fans have spent the morning talking about the big announcement and how it will be a great boost following a decline in viewership. While we might be waiting a while to see this reunion come to fruition, there’s certainly no lack of fanfare in the meantime.