Doctor Who’s Scariest Episode Exposed: Insights from Russell T Davies | BAFTA

[@forcedalek]

Midnight is easily one of THE BEST scripts ever written for Tv

[@cindytartt4048]

Cheers to the brilliant editor for Midnight. I had NO idea editing was the biggest focus. Great episode. It’ll never date.

[@domlo66]

6:22 i feel like in 30 years time when no one remembers what Bridgerton was, people are gonna be so confused as to as to why the Doctor keeps saying Bridgerton in the Jane Austen-style episode

[@Willy_Fisher]

Thirty years? I don’t know what bridgerton is now!

[@jackayers4955]

I mean, there are a ton of pop culture references from New Who that would confuse new viewers. 'This is Davinadroid. You are live on Channel 44000. Please do not swear.'

[@heatherglover7789]

@@jackayers4955 I got it, I'm 23

[@Willy_Fisher]

@@jackayers4955 I watched that episode recently and had to be told what big brother and weakest link was by my mum. It still worked as social commentary. People are too concerned about things being “dated.” Everything is a product of its times, thinking you can escape it is arrogance. Use the materials you have to hand to this fullest, future generations will only find it interesting if it is dated.

[@Dragonfly-0010]

People will remember though.

[@BumbimT-800]

Where's everyone??? I'm just clicking here because I want to read the comment lol. Also, Midnight is my favorite episode. The acting, soundtrack, and other elements are perfect!

[@JoshPinder92]

Russell T Davies is one of my favourite creatives of all time... Midnight ....one hour of beautifully written television and art forms from a show that delivers SO SO MANY! but this was a sgowcase ....Saturday night of one hour of complete claustrophobic cosmic horror ....that does it better than most films these days! Like today it could be an A24 film ....beautifully done, written and acted.... RTD i adore your brain 💙💙🌈

[@peterratter6603]

This clip is worth it for that last observation alone: the character is cleverer than the writer.

[@WhosViews]

Absolutely! Ironic isn't it?

[@StevieHoudini]

Might want to change the spelling of RTD’s surname, the clue is the fact that it’s written in big letters behind him.

[@Benlovescheese]

They eventually did. It’s correct now.

[@StevieHoudini]

@@Benlovescheese There’s always one annoying pedant, and today, that guy was me.

[@stephenharber5694]

IT’S AN ANAGRAM!!!! 😮😮😮

[@bookonlegsbookonlegs8991]

Can't spell Sale Out without Dr Who and Russell T Davies.

[@Elwaves2925]

@@bookonlegsbookonlegs8991 To continue the OP's pendantism but Russell T Davies had nothing and still has nothing to do with Dr Who. 😁 Also, that's not a term.

[@TheValeyard92]

Is Russell's mic broken or am I going deaf?

[@springsbreak]

absolutely the scariest episode

[@markr5861]

This was RTD in his heyday. I think the "Midnight" episode was the best ever. It was atypical for the series. It didn't employ hokey special effects, and the Doctor was not in control. Tennant and Lesley Sharp's performances were pitch-perfect. Unfortunately, I find the Dr. Who of today with Gatwa unwatchable. Tennant was my favorite. Matt Smith was excellent. Capaldi was very good. Whittaker's run was dull with the worst companions ever. I hope the series can recover. RTD has lost his touch. Who can rebuild it as the next showrunner? It's on life support right now.

[@kylemccrory8509]

What don’t you like about the new series?

[@JB-ys8ct]

It's definitely not unwatchable. It's just made for a younger audience, as was RTD's original run and obviously GenZ/Gen Alpha are completely different compared to the kids that grew up in the 90s/early 00s. I agree that the new series had a little too much silly in it, with the babies and Maestro being quite over the top and the singing in the Christmas special, but it still had it's moments too with episodes like Boom & 73 Yards. The only thing that was really bad was the lame final episode which ruined the hype and suspense of the Sutekh reveal. It might not be perfect, but also remember that this is RTD's first time writing the show in almost 20 years and he hasn't done any sci-fi projects since he left the showrunner role - all of his other shows such as It's A Sin and Years & Years have been political dramas.

[@PaulRichards-vz4pl]

@@JB-ys8ctYes he’s making it for the kiddies. Which is even more disturbing when you see Gatwa sexually twerking away. The plots are also abysmal.

[@WhosViews]

Well said Mark.

[@sibionic]

I wish Doctor Who and RTD's 'vision' weren't quite so co-extensive - that he had less absolute power. And that it wasn't his personal political sandpit and that his understanding of audiences, including younger audiences, was sharper.

[@angeladawn805]

RTD, thank you for rebooting with Christopher Eccleston (should have stayed around longer, but nevermind) - and thanks for saving us from Chibnall's confusing carnage

[@fieryjack9243]

lol his reign has been worse than chibnalls

[@basedchungus]

RTD2 was worse than Chibnall's first series

[@stephenharber5694]

And thanks for making it all about you

[@joshuajoshua2732]

@angeladawn805 I'll have to respectfully disagree with you there because 1. It's not a reboot it's a revival and 2. RTD did not create the show I don't know why people worship him so much there are better writers than him 3. I would rather rewatch Chibnalls Dr. Who than the current crappy Disney version RTD is giving us like making the Doctor crying every bloody episode and farting spaceships and snot monsters and musical numbers I mean come on give me a break that is not Dr. Who.

[@mustuploadtoo7543]

​@@joshuajoshua2732 "farting spaceships" 🤣

[@steveader]

MIDNIGHT is easily one of, if not the best episode of "new who" Scary, gripping and brilliantly acted. That was RTDs peak. He has never been better and sadly is now considerably worse.

[@JoshPinder92]

Doctor Who the first 5 years that first RTD era not only was RTD at such a peak but creatively push things not seen on tv before ... I dare say that -Rose/Parting of the way/Christmas Invasion/Doomsday/Smith and Jones/Gridlock/Utopia/Partners in Crime/Midnight/Turn Left/Stolen Earth/ Journeys End +Years and Years + It's a Sin are among the greatest ever written scripts ever.....Whilst the 60th specials trilogy has a few issues....WILD BLUE YONDER was a taster he can atill do it.... 73 yards too!

[@WhosViews]

Absolutely. He has lost the ability to write preferring his alleged activism.

[@htershane]

Genius is there but it’s not necessarily consistent. Absolutely right for Doctor Who but the balance between stepping back and being “full-on” needs reined in sometimes. Meh. What are you going to do? It’s been that way since Verity.

[@htershane]

PS Midnight is one of the best episodes of “Who” and just a piece of television ever.

[@joanguimaraescastro]

I think that when you turn into the showrunner of such an important show you have to have in mind that the history of the show matters. If you're not a responsible and competent writer then don't write for the show, because any tiny thing you write can have big implications for the rest of the show, and of course, big things can, and in the case we have here, will end with the show. I'm sorry to say this, but Russel IS NOT the showrunner we need. If it wasn't enough us having to deal with Chibnall, now with him we are having to deal with worse things. These politics are ruining the show so much nobody wants to watch anymore. The only way out of this is retconning everything the fans don't like. That's a very important point in any show: LISTEN TO YOUR FANS. If you don't there will be big consequences.

[@jonylawson73]

To continue his agenda... and ultimately get it cancelled ? ( Clearly disney dont want this show for a 3rd season) Job done ...he has been awful for this show ..awful

[@PaulRichards-vz4pl]

The scariest thing about RTD’s version of Doctor Who is the sexualisation of the Doctor. Seeing Gatwa as a hero for all including children twerking and grinding his groin in a sexual way really is disturbing.

[@sethmay8116]

I'm sorry man, I respect you but feel it's a bit disingenuous to say Ncuti's doctor is twerking, he never does that in the show. I personally love his doctor and think his emotional openness, joy and compassion are great things to model to children. He's great and so is Doctor Who imo

[@PaulRichards-vz4pl]

@@sethmay8116 In Rogue he does. This is Doctor Who not Torchwood. RTD clearly can’t write the Doctor properly and needs to humanise him. Gatwa is so superficial that it’s laughably bad. What happened to the Doctor being the alien outsider, the unusual looking eccentric? Now it’s all about sex appeal! Well this is the modern day body fascism and age discrimination and Russell is very good at that. Taking away the alien aspects of the Doctor’s characterisation as Russell said he was doing is deliberate vandalism.

[@Ellerz03]

1. That doesn’t happen at all in Ncutis season. 2. Ncuti himself is a very flamboyant and extra character. 3. Doctor Who is not a kids show.

[@PaulRichards-vz4pl]

@@Ellerz03 A lot of children watch it. It’s still inappropriate. It was never necessary to sexualise the Doctor in Classic Who. Russell is more of a soap opera writer than a science fiction writer. The discrimination against older more unusual looking actors is coming from RTD and his Bad Wolf team.

[@WhosViews]

Well said Paul!

[@sanctuaryoftelevision642]

Russell love's going to bed with...

[@liamdugan1089]

..a mug of Horlicks?

[@spiralx6249]

...a good script. Even better, a brilliant idea for one!

[@WhosViews]

'Midnight' is an example of when RTD 'Doctor Who' could be good. But a lot has happend since he left DW in 2009 and he is no longer the same man. The 2023/24 parody of DW proved that. Weak, shallow, ridiculous, self aware and of course littered with RTD political ideological messaging, all contributed to once again making DW a laughing stock in Britain and as ratings prove, a massive failure. It's about time RTD was interviewed about this as this was a huge flop. Why is the industry not questioning him about why the series has failed? Enforcing his alleged 'activist' ideological nonsense on behalf of a cult certainly has not helped the rebooted reboot and he now needs to understand he has minimal support from a hugely diminished fanbase. This show will not last much longer.

[@spiralx6249]

Not really, no. For you, though, clearly. Better luck next year...!

[@WhosViews]

@@spiralx6249 What are you on about? Series 2 was filmed shortly after series 1 and so is in the can. It will be a flop due this. I'll await your apology after the ratings next time around.

[@adrianbruce2963]

Please compare the trend of average ratings for Dr Who with the trend of average ratings for terrestrial television in general. The numbers I've seen quoted make the DW changes typical. In other words, the change is due to the platforms... Not the writers

[@spiralx6249]

@@WhosViews 2024 went OK. BBC and Disney are content. Onto 2025...!

[@WhosViews]

@@adrianbruce2963 Well, that's utter nonsense - as proved on several of my shows!