Doctor Who: Russell T Davies likes posts complaining about BBC release plan

Russell T Davies has liked posts from angry Doctor Who fans concerning a shake-up to the forthcoming series.

It was revealed on Friday (15 March) that the sci-fi adventure will return for a new outing in May, which will be the first full run of episodes led by new Time Lord star Ncuti Gatwa.

However, the announcement was a bittersweet moment for fans as it was confirmed that new episodes of the series will debut at midnight on BBC iPlayer before airing in its usual time slot on a Saturday night.

This move comes after the series struck a deal with Disney+, where new episodes will become available globally at the same time as the UK. While this is very good news for fans of the show outside of the UK, long-time fans of the show have been left saddened by the move as they’re concerned social media will be filled with spoilers.

Also, it’s been highlighted that the communal viewing of Doctor Who in a teatime slot on Saturday evenings is what has established the series as a classic – and premiering the episode 18 hours beforehand, due to a licencing agreement, might harm the viewing experience.

Social media has been filled with complaints, and even American fans have argued the move is “disrespectful” to UK viewers. Interestingly, one person who might concur with the outrage is the show’s lead writer, Davies.

While the showrunner has been sharing posts announcing the shake-up on his social media page, he has also been liking comments expressing disdain with the release schedule.

Among the posts he liked was one from a follower, who wrote underneath his Instagram post sharing the release (via BleedingCool): “I am a bit upset about this. I imagine it wasn’t down to you because I know how much you believe in terrestrial television viewing. I just really hope that this is changed for season two.“

Another post that Davies liked said: “The episodes are airing at midnight? But Doctor Who is a family show – what about kids watching at/just after dinner, hiding behind the settee? Am I misunderstanding something here?”

Russell T Davies likes posts criticising ‘Doctor Who’ episode rollout (Instagram)

Elsewhere, he also liked a post that read: “Not a fan of the midnight release.”

The Independent has contacted Davies for comment.