Exclusive: Russell T. Davies brings Daleks back and reveals who should be the next Doctor Who

Russell T. Davies has said that his new leading man would make a good choice for the lead role in Doctor Who.

Speaking to GamesRadar+’s sister publication SFX Magazine while promoting his new Channel 4 series, It’s A Sin, Davies said pop star and actor Olly Alexander would be “marvellous” as the Time Lord.

While discussing rumours of Jodie Whittaker’s departure (“Is it true? I know nothing!”) Davies played up to leading questions from SFX with a tongue-in-cheek reply to suggestions about her successor. Would Olly Alexander make a good Doctor?

“Oh stop it! This’ll just be all the headlines. You just want SFX headlines everywhere,” Davies replied while rolling his eyes and giving a withering look to the SFX editor. “Yes, Olly would make a marvellous Doctor Who. You tart! You enormous tart! The trouble this causes! They’ll be banging his door, his agent will be saying, ‘What have you done now…’ On your own head be it.”

Alexander plays a jobbing actor in It’s A Sin, with one of his roles being in an ‘80s episode of Doctor Who. While the scene pays homage to “Resurrection Of The Daleks”, Davies tells SFX it’s from an alternative universe story called “Regression Of The Daleks”. In the new issue of SFX, out 27 January, he talks about how working with the Daleks again hasn’t made him want to return to sci-fi. “Not particularly love, to be honest,” he laughs. “I don't understand it all these days. Literally.”

The Daleks in It's A Sin — (Image credit: Channel 4)

Speaking at a recent press launch for the new ‘80s-set HIV/AIDS drama, Alexander said about future acting roles: “I do want to play someone with magic powers. So I definitely am open to being, like, a sexy gay witch.”

When asked if this might lure Davies back to genre television, Davies told SFX: “Well, that might change my mind actually. If I could think of an ‘Olly with magical powers’ show that’d be good.”

To pay homage to the alternative universe Doctor Who story, SFX has made an ‘80s cover for “Regression Of The Daleks” to accompany the interview with Davies, and more behind-the-scenes images from the filming of It’s A Sin, in the issue available from 27 January.

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The SFX cover that never was — (Image credit: Future)

It’s A Sin is on Channel 4, Fridays and streaming on All 4.

I'm the Editor of SFX, the world's number one sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine – available digitally and in print every four weeks since 1995. I've been editing magazines, and writing for numerous publications since before the Time War. Obviously SFX is the best one. I knew being a geek would work out fine.