Russell T Davies talks Queer as Folk and the gay appeal of Doctor Who in new episode of ‘Attitude Heroes’
By Will Stroude
One of the most talented screenwriters to emerge in decades, Russell T Davies has been responsible for groundbreaking shows such as Queer as Folk and Torchwood.
In the latest episode of Attitude’s landmark podcast series ‘Attitude Heroes’, Russell opens up about whether he believes LGBT+ representation in TV and film has changed enough.
In episode three – available to listen to and download now – Attitude editor-in-chief Matt Cain chats to Russell in a world-exclusive interview at his home in Manchester.
Sharing intimate details about his life in one of his most honest interviews ever, Russell opens up about experiencing an accidental drug overdose, and discusses how his upbringing helped shape his career, which has seen him work on hit shows Banana and Cucumber, as well as breathing new life into Doctor Who 12 years ago.
Discussing the continued cultural legacy of his iconic 1999 series Queer as Folk, Russell says: “Yesterday, I met a producer who’s 28 years old and who happily sat there in broad daylight in an office and told me to my face that he’d masturbated to my work.
“That’s quite an accolade, I love it.”
One of Queer as Folk’s main characters, Vince (Craig Kelly) was notably a Doctor Who fan, and self-professed fanatic Russell would later go on to successfully revive the series for the BBC in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking on the iconic role of The Doctor.
Asked why he believes the iconic sci-fi show has attracted such a passionate gay fanbase, Russell says: “It takes a lot of nerve and a lot of work to love Doctor Who. I think, I’m gonna be really bold now and say you’ve got to be cleverer than the normal viewer.
“You’ve got to take more of a risk, you’ve gotta invest in it. Because you’ve got to fill those gaps where it’s looking cheap or it’s looking poor. It’s a very imaginative act to watch Doctor Who. And I think gay people are better and cleverer and more imaginative than anyone else!”
The 53-year-old continues: “I think The Doctor lives a life you can imagine yourself leading. And the marvellous thing about Doctor Who is that when the Tardis door opens it’s like a door opening into your street.
“It’s like I could leave this podcast now and the podcast could take me off on an adventure. It could happen.”
Listen to the full interview with Paul O’Grady in episode two of ‘Attitude Heroes’ – available to download free from iTunes or other podcast platforms now.
Attitude Heroes is produced by Wisebuddah and sponsored by the GREAT Britain campaign, which welcomes the world to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK.
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