Upcoming episodes of Doctor Who are not for children, says producer | Doctor Who

Russell T Davies has said some upcoming episodes of Doctor Who are not for children, before the long-running sci-fi TV series return to screens.

Doctor Who returns this month with three special episodes featuring David Tennant as the 14th Doctor, to coincide with its 60th anniversary.

In comments reported by the Daily Telegraph, the writer and television producer said: “We do very scary stuff. Some stuff is quite violent. It’s not for children, it’s about children.”

Russell T Davies: ‘It’s not for children, it’s about children.’ Photograph: Eamonn M McCormack/Getty Images

Davies, who has returned to the show after stepping down in 2009, said he had his eight-year-old self in mind when making the episodes, explaining: “It’s not a children’s show but at the heart of it is an eight-year-old watching.”

Davies said the first of the three specials, which airs on 25 November, is family-friendly, with Miriam Margolyes as the voice behind the Meep, a furry and seemingly adorable alien adapted from the Star Beast comic strip in a special for the series.

But he had words of caution for the subsequent two specials.

“It [first special] is like a great big Pixar family film, like a bank holiday film – all the family watching, lots of laughs, a funny monster. The second one, Wild Blue Yonder, is darker. Not scary – it’s genuinely weird,” he said.

The third, The Giggle, features Neil Patrick Harris as a toymaker and is “nuts, completely mad, frightening”, Davies said. “That one will scare you.”

Davies, who revived the franchise in 2005, reportedly brought Tennant and Catherine Tate onboard for the anniversary specials. Tennant will then make way for the 15th Doctor, played by the Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa.

skip past newsletter promotion

Get the best TV reviews, news and exclusive features in your inbox every Monday

“,”newsletterId”:”whats-on”,”successDescription”:”Get the best TV reviews, news and exclusive features in your inbox every Monday”}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false}”>Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

after newsletter promotion

Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa as Ruby Sunday and the Doctor. Photograph: BBC/Bad Wolf/Disney/PA

Gatwa’s first episode as the Doctor will air over the festive period, with the Coronation Street actor Millie Gibson, 18, becoming the youngest companion in the show’s history.

Doctor Who will air on the BBC in the UK and Ireland, and the streaming platform Disney+ will show episodes to audiences elsewhere.

No Byline Policy

Editorial Guidelines

Corrections Policy

Source