Doctor Who showrunner says a season 1 episode features a 15-years-in-the-making idea that was too expensive at the time

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has spoken about bringing an idea to life that would have been prohibitively expensive for the sci-fi show 15 years ago.

"Episode 5… I remember talking to Steven Moffat about that in around about 2010. We couldn’t have afforded it. It was just a vague idea, ‘Oh, you can do this and that’ and it just didn’t go any further. We needed the money," Davies said at a recent Q&A event attended by sister outlet SFX magazine. "Once you see episode 5 you’ll go, ‘I get what you mean.’"

Davies added, "Visually, it’s more effects than any other episode… screens and stuff." The showrunner also noted that the upcoming finale – one he has already teased as the show’s most devastating yet – features an idea he’s kept with him for decades.

Doctor Who’s new partnership with Disney Plus comes bundled with a new (unknown) budget that, presumably, means for bigger, fancier adventures across time and space for Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor.

The recent Doctor Who trailer has even teased some of those timey-wimey hijinks alongside companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). 

Among them are space babies – one of the Doctor Who season 1 episode titles is literally called ‘Space Babies’ – dinosaurs, and The Beatles. Not bad for a first spin in the TARDIS for Gatwa, though he’s already returning for a second season alongside a new companion, played by Varada Sethu.

Doctor Who hits Disney Plus on May 10 in the US and May 11 in the UK, as well as a BBC One premiere later that night. For more, check out the new TV shows coming your way very soon.