Doctor Who was revived by Russell T Davies 20 years ago, ushering in the 'New Who' era. During this period, the show saw immense success, most notably during the runs of David Tennant's 10th Doctor and Matt Smith's 11th Doctor. However, in recent years, the series has become a little stagnant, and according to long-time writer Mark Gatiss, it's in need of another hiatus.
Mark Gatiss has been one of the most instrumental figures in the endurance of Doctor Who's modern era. He worked alongside all three showrunners: Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, and Chris Chibnall. His writing credits include episodes like "The Unquiet Dead," "Victory of the Daleks," "Night Terror," "Robots of Sherwood," "Empress of Mars," and many more.
Gatiss hasn't only written episodes, but starred in them as well. One of his most notable onscreen appearances is as Professor Lazarus in "The Lazarus Experiment," where he plays a mad scientist who believes he's discovered the secret to reverse aging.
All of this is to say, when Gatiss talks about Doctor Who, we listen. In a recent interview with Prospect Magazine, he gave his opinion on the current state of the show: "It’s been back for 20 years, which is an awfully long time. Almost as long as its original run. That’s pretty spectacular. So maybe it’s time for another rest. I really don’t know. I only know that I still love the show with all my heart."
Nostalgia is "the great enemy"
Gatiss also talked a bit about what he sees as the show's issues with Radio Times. “I think what the job of the show, constantly, is to regenerate itself, you know,” he said. “And sometimes when I meet, you know, grumpy old Doctor Who fans — and there you’ve just fallen into the same space-time trap; that it’s not as good as it used to be — because it’s not for you any more. If you still like it, that’s great. It’s great, but it’s not for you.”
"It’s a strange thing because I’ve revived so many things but I think nostalgia is a great enemy and we have to all be careful of it. It’s part of the reason we’re in the mess we are, I think. Weaponised nostalgia; ‘nothing’s as good as it used to be’. And yet, people can’t see that people have always thought that — even when it used to be better. It’s a dangerous thing."
While the future of the Wnoniverse is definitely in a state of limbo, the most recent finale, "The Reality War," introduced none other than Billie Piper — who played companion Rose Tyler at the start of the New Who era — as the new Doctor. Or at least that's what it looked like, but looks can be deceiving. The episode ended without any sort of context. Even showrunner Russell T Davies admits to having "no idea" about whether Piper is the new Doctor. We'll have to wait and see.
Doctor Who could return to our screens in a year, two years, or sometime in the distant future. I've got no doubts that it will find its way back to TV; it's just a matter of time.
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