 Russell T Davies is one of the first major television dramatists to have been
raised in an age culturally dominated by the medium. His embracing of television
as both a means of entertainment and a vital form of dramatic expression has
guided his work, along with his signature energy and underlying confidence in
television's adaptability and significance.
Born simply Russell Davies (the 'T' was added to avoid confusion with another
writer and broadcaster of the same name) in Swansea in 1963, he spent much of
his early childhood watching television and creating his own stories, often in
the form of cartoon strips. He continued to draw while studying English
Literature at Oxford University, now for student magazines. Leaving university
in 1984, he gravitated to television, initially as a cartoonist for Children's
BBC. His time on the magazine programme Why Don't You? (BBC, 1973-94) saw him
graduating to the role of production assistant. By 1990 he was producer of the
show, steering it further toward drama and away from its traditional mix of
recipes and 'makes'.
Subsequently, he wrote the well-received children's fantasy serial Dark
Season (BBC, 1991), followed by Century Falls (BBC, 1993), a more serious, even
sinister affair for a slightly older audience. He later admitted that this
second serial was "too dark", an indication that his writing was edging him
towards an adult audience.
By now he had moved to Granada, where he spent several years as producer and
sometime writer of youth hospital drama Children's Ward (ITV, 1989-2000). In
1996 he won a Children's BAFTA for the 100th episode, an early exploration of
the potential dangers of the internet, in which a young boy arranges to meet an
online friend who he believes to be another child, but who is revealed to be a
predatory middle-aged man. It was a startling and effective piece, ending with
the villain not only remaining at large but ensnaring a second boy while the
credits roll.
Other work at Granada included a period as story editor on Coronation Street
(ITV, 1960-) and work on two short-lived soaps: Revelations (ITV, 1994), which
he co-devised, introducing his first explicitly gay character, and the off-beat
Springhill (Channel Four/Sky, 1996-97), which he helped to storyline and write.
While Springhill never found an audience, its underlying paranormal elements
marked it out from more conventional soaps. The juxtaposition of the mundane
with the fantastic was becoming a Davies characteristic. Here, an impending and
potentially apocalyptic conflict between the forces of good and evil on a
Liverpool council estate was dramatically counterpointed by (for example) one
character's discussion of her possibly lifelong attachment to an Argos shoe
rack.
While Hotel-based drama The Grand (ITV, 1997-98) was uncharacteristically
unadventurous and largely humourless, one episode dealt with a barman's
attempt to confront his homosexuality. Davies, who came out as gay at
university, realised that this was an area that he would like to explore
further. It was a decision that would bring his critical breakthrough.
The Manchester-based Queer as Folk (Channel Four, 1999-2000) was his most
high-profile work to date, and inevitably drew outrage in some quarters, notably
over the seduction of a 15-year-old boy by an older man in the first episode.
Some gay critics, too, complained that the series reinforced narrow stereotypes
about gay male hedonism. Others, however, were rapturous in their praise,
hailing its freshness, energy and its joyous, fearless frankness. Davies had
been determined to avoid 'boring issues' and, unburdened by any semblance of
worthiness, the series was embraced by audiences gay and straight. Following
an abandoned spin-off project, Misfits, he brought his next drama to ITV. Bob
and Rose (2001) again riled some sections of the gay press, this time for its
depiction of a gay man falling in love with a woman. It failed to perform as
well as ITV had hoped, but nevertheless demonstrated a more subtle, restrained
side to his work.
Although both Channel Four and the BBC had both passed on The Second Coming
(2003), ITV eagerly snapped up this tale of Jesus's reappearance on Earth in the
form of Mancunian Steve Baxter, possibly the most extreme of the writer's
juxtapositions of the mundane and fantastic. An atheist, Davies created a drama
that studied the concept of faith, and the result is a powerful and provocative
piece of television. For many years it seemed that mention of Davies would
forever be prefaced with the words 'Queer as Folk writer', but this, perhaps, is
his real dramatic legacy - confrontational but not aggressive, it is a
consummately considered piece of intelligent television.
After the slightly disappointing comedy-drama Mine All Mine (ITV, 2004),
which saw him returning to his Welsh roots, a cinema adaptation of the Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire? cheating scandal was abandoned when his dream project
became available. This was the return of Doctor Who (1963-89), with Davies as
'show runner', which persuaded him to transfer his then-current project Casanova
(2005) from ITV. Casanova's lively and quirky approach to historical drama was
certainly distinctive, and met with a warm critical reception, although
audiences were relatively modest.
Doctor Who's re-launch in March 2005 followed months of press interest, but
the degree of critical and audience excitement it generated upon its arrival was
nevertheless unexpected. The BBC had offered a healthy budget, which saved the
series from mirroring the sometimes feeble production values that had dogged its
earlier incarnation, but more important was Davies' reimagining of the show in a
way that pleased long-term fans while engaging a whole new generation. Davies
and his fellow writers put more emphasis on the domestic, introduced
well-rounded characters and greater emotional depth, but still ensured pacy,
exciting and intelligent storytelling. In reward, he was credited with rescuing
Saturday night family viewing (thought gone forever in an age of m edia
proliferation), while the series won the Best Drama BAFTA, a feat considered
unimaginable during its first run. At the same ceremony, Davies was presented
with the Dennis Potter award for 'outstanding writing for television', honouring
his entire career to that point.
More than anything, Davies has shown that dynamism is still possible in
television. Along with his contemporary and occasional collaborator, Paul
Abbott, he has succeeded in both updating established forms of television drama
and creating a 'voice' for his own distinctive productions. He has shown a skill
in writing at an emotive level alongside a rare ability to bring epic themes to
the small screen, with or without special effects. With such a varied background
in the field, it will be instructive to learn whether he will continue to
develop writing for the mainstream or revert back to a small, but dedicated,
niche audience.
Mark Aldridge
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FILM & TV CREDITS
