Russell T. Davies

"Saving it from extinction." —Frank Cottrill Boyce, when asked what Davies' greatest contribution to British television was.

British producer and screenwriter, born in Swansea in 1963. He added the T to his name because there was already a Russell Davies in UK media.

Known as RTD (or sometimes "Rusty") by Whovians, he has a penchant for naming characters "Tyler" and/or "Smith". He also tends to inject Camp and Techno Babble in very large doses.

Originally from a background in children's TV, he wrote and produced a number of adult dramas between the mid 90s and the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, most notably Queer as Folk, and soon became one of the most influential and popular TV writers in the UK.

He was one of the executive producers on Doctor Who, along with Mal Young, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson. RTD, however, was in charge of the creative aspect and is the "showrunner" as a US person would think of it. He is responsible for the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, and he also created its spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Davies has written several Doctor Who episodes and specials over his tenure as producer, and been responsible for rewrites on many more. He has now stepped down from the position following the conclusion of production on the David Tennant era, handing the reins to Steven Moffat.

Master of the Wham! Line and the Wham! Episode: in his five years on Doctor Who, he was infamous for leaving the penultimate episode on a massive cliffhanger to whet appetite for the finale. He's also critical of TV executives using "Tonight Someone Dies" and similar catchlines in commercials and claims that it impacts ratings -- and admittedly, he has a point.

Liberally uses Author Appeal, and as a result, placed Wales firmly in the centre of the Whoniverse alongside London. Also became famous for finally upgrading all the Ho Yay subtext in Doctor Who to proper TV canon, for abolishing No Hugging, No Kissing in the series forever, and for dialing all of the above -- Wales, Ho Yay and tons of sex -- Up to Eleven and beyond in Torchwood.

Was awarded an OBE in 2008.

Writer on:

• Breakfast Serials
• Century Falls
• Dark Season
• Chucklevision

Writer/Producer on:

• Children's Ward
• Bob and Rose
• Casanova
• The Second Coming
• Queer as Folk
• The 2005 revival of Doctor Who (31 episodes, plus one 2005 Children in Need special, written or co-written, 2005-2010)
• Torchwood, spinoff of Doctor Who (Six episodes written or co-written)
• The Sarah Jane Adventures, another Doctor Who spinoff (Three episodes written or co-written)