As much as I loved Russell T Davies' first spell as the Doctor Who showrunner, I must say I'm somewhat relieved for his comeback era to be over. It got off to a strong start with the 60th anniversary trilogy, but Ncuti Gatwa's adventures lacked the airtight narrative direction that I've come to expect from Davies. There were some highlights, but it was largely something of a disjointed mess.
With Davies now confirmed to be stepping down, and the 2026 Christmas special announced as never going ahead in the first place, Doctor Who is looking for someone to shepherd the franchise toward a new period of prosperity. In theory, the next showrunner could come from a bottomless pool of talented individuals. However, there's only one person I want to see in charge of Doctor Who. And no, it's no Steven Moffat. If bringing back RTD proved anything, it's that moving forward is the best choice.
Mark Gatiss should replace Russell T Davies as the next Doctor Who showrunner
When Davies stepped aside as showrunner the first time around in 2010, his replacement came in the form of Steven Moffat. The era that followed was one of the best in Doctor Who's history. Moffat had already proven to have a keen understanding of the Doctor and the world in which the Time Lord exists, as he had already written some of the show's best episodes before being handed the keys to the franchise.
A similar line of succession was followed when it was time for Moffat to leave. Chris Chibnall was appointed showrunner after also writing for Doctor Who for years beforehand. Although Chibnall hadn't written any episodes that particularly stood out to me, I liked that the BBC was keeping things in-house. After all, it had worked very well for the transition between Davies and Moffat.
Every Doctor Who episode written by Mark Gatiss
Episode | Doctor | IMDb Score |
|---|---|---|
"The Unquiet Dead" | Christopher Eccelston | 7.4/10 |
"The Idiot's Lantern" | David Tennant | 6.6/10 |
"Victory of the Daleks" | Matt Smith | 6.6/10 |
"Night Terrors" | Matt Smith | 7.0/10 |
"Cold War" | Matt Smith | 7.1/10 |
"The Crimson Horror" | Matt Smith | 7.1/10 |
"Robot of Sherwood" | Peter Capaldi | 6.9/10 |
"Sleep No More" | Peter Capaldi | 5.7/10 |
"Empress of Mars" | Peter Capaldi | 6.9/10 |
Sadly, Chibnall seemed more concerned with taking big swings that shattered key parts of the Doctor Who canon to smithereens. It was a strangely bland era that was occasionally punctuated by controversial writing choices that still haunt the show. You'd think this would put me off the idea of the BBC looking to its list of past writers when searching for a new showrunner, but I think Moffat's time in charge was better than Chibnall's was bad. It's worth another try.
The only Doctor Who writer who jumps out at me for being suitable is Mark Gatiss. But what a hire he would be. Sherlock fans might know Gatiss best for playing Mycroft Holmes in Moffat's BBC show. However, he wrote under both Davies and Moffat between 2005 and 2017. Gatiss penned scripts not only for Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, but also David Tennant's Tenth, Matt Smith's Eleventh, and Peter Capaldi's Twelfth. He's also played a handful of minor Doctor Who characters. He's a picture perfect candidate to lead the show.
Gatiss' mixed feelings about the state of Doctor Who make it unclear if he'd even consider being the new showrunner
Speaking last year in the wake of the divisive finale that saw Gatwa regenerate into Billie Piper, Gatiss spoke cautiously about Doctor Who's longevity. While he seemed to agree with the widespread opinion that the show was in need of a hiatus, the fan in him also got a word in. "Maybe it’s time for another rest," he said. "I really don’t know. I only know that I still love the show with all my heart."
If anything, I think this objectivity about the show's future from someone who is a self-proclaimed fan is just what Doctor Who needs right now. He's hyperaware that the revival has been on the air for over 20 years, and the level of fatigue that this can cause among the fan base. At the same time, the fact that he knows this can tastefully combine with his passion for (and history with) the show to bring it back from the brink of being unsalvageable.
Then again, maybe Gatiss' head should win out over his heart. I'm also aware that a break might be the best thing for one of my favorite shows of all time. While I wasn't alive when the BBC pulled the plug back in 1989, I've been able to witness Doctor Who come back in the 21st century, bigger and better than ever. That being said, if a multi-year absence from our screens is in the cards, I don't want it to happen before Mark Gatiss gets a shot at keeping the ball rolling for Doctor Who's more immediate future.
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