Doctor Who Boss Russell T Davies Has A Message For Critics Who Think The Show Is Too 'Woke'

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and showrunner Russell T Davies at the TV Baftas in 2022Russell T Davies has dismissed claims that Doctor Who has become more “woke” under his second tenure in charge of the show.Speaking on the BBC Sounds documentary Doctor Who: 20 Secrets From 20 Years, Russell lamented that the long-running sci-fi show has long faced scrutiny about “matters of diversity” and issues of social justice that are tackled in its stories.“There are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues,” Davies said, noting that he has “no time for this”.“I don’t have a second to bear [it]. Because what you might call diversity, I just call an open door.”The Bafta winner said that it was not a “conscious” decision of his to incorporate themes that could be interpreted as “woke” into Doctor Who, explaining: “I don’t even know if it’s conscious. That’s life, and I think it’s the only way to write.”“Why limit yourself?” he questioned. “Why breathe in the exhaust fumes? Why be toxic? Come over here where the life and light and air and sound is.”Varada Sethu and Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor WhoThe current season of Doctor Who has introduced Varada Sethu as a new companion of the Time Lord’s, Belinda Chandra.Speaking to Radio Times ahead of her debut into the Who-niverse, Varada explained: “There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke [comments] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that.“Woke just means inclusive, progressive, and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”She also recalled her first days on set with the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, who apparently told her: “Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people.”Listen to Doctor Who: 20 Secrets From 20 Years here.MORE DOCTOR WHO:BBC Weighs In Amid Fresh Rumours About Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who FutureDoctor Who Boss Russell T Davies Has Surprising Words For Christopher Eccleston Amid Rumoured FeudDoctor Who Just Gave Fans The Reunion They've Been Waiting 20 Years For

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