Russell T Davies, the showrunner and writer bringing Doctor Who back to screens, has revealed how the Time Lord shaped his life from the age of three. His first television memory is of watching William Hartnell regenerate into Patrick Troughton on 29 October 1966, a moment he describes as terrifying and deeply strange. That episode, The Tenth Planet, Episode Four, is now missing from the archives, but Davies says the images are 'carved in deep' in his memory.
Davies recalls shifting from viewer to fan during his childhood in Swansea, noting a connection with a student teacher who correctly predicted a cliffhanger solution. The turning point came at age 11 when Tom Baker took over the role. Seeing artwork of Baker in full hat and scarf, Davies says, 'Something clicked in my head. A simple thought which said: I love you.'
The writer draws a link between his homosexuality and his fandom, explaining that both became closeted during his teenage years. He describes watching TV fiercely while staying silent about his sexuality, saying Doctor Who became 'the other love that dares not speak its name.' Even in his late 20s, after moving to Manchester, he lied to a sexual partner about owning a Doctor Who book, denying his fandom out of shame.
Davies reflects on why he fell in love with the show so deeply, pointing to the Doctor's freedom from jobs, bosses, parents, taxes, or homework. He contrasts this with Star Trek, where he feels he would be excluded. 'Doctor Who's greatest idea is that the Tardis can land anywhere,' he says, adding that he still wishes he could turn a corner and see the blue box to escape everything.
