Who goes on

Russell T Davies talks about the show's future.

"The greatest thing for me is that Doctor Who is no longer a phenomenon," explains Russell in the first part of an extensive interview for Doctor Who Magazine.

"The first year was brilliant, and exhilarating, but terrifying, because it felt so mad to have Doctor Who back, being the BBC's flagship drama. Everyone was talking about it. And it was awful to think that it might be a flash in the pan. We were all determined for the second year - especially with David Tennant on board, cos Chris Eccleston had been so brilliant - that we couldn't let it expire.

"Not that it would have been David's fault, but what if the show had dwindled naturally, with his face on it? To see the climax get one-and-a-half-million more viewers than last year makes you think, yeah, we've done it. The fear and the wonder of it being a one-off hit has gone now. I think we're guaranteed that Doctor Who will last, and last as a brand..."

Russell also lets slip details of the Doctor Who spin-off that never was in the new issue.

DWM 373 is published on Thursday 17 August.