Russell T Davies Mocks BBC Chief's AI 'Doctor Who' Praise: 'You'll Start Production Next Summer'

Russell T Davies, a key figure behind the cult show Doctor Who, has criticized Matt Brittin, the BBC's Director General, over his recent remarks about an episode of the series made entirely by artificial intelligence. Speaking at last month's Royal Television Society conference, Brittin said a fully AI-generated episode of “Doctor Who” had been sent to him, which he described as “very good.” Although […]

Doctor Who host Russell T Davies has hit out at BBC director-general Matt Brittain over his recent comments about an episode of the cult show that was produced by artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference last month, Brittain said he had been sent an entirely AI-based episode of "Doctor Who," which he described as "very good." Although he was quick to add that he "will not replace humans", his phrasing drew immediate criticism, with Brittain later admitting that he was "in trouble" for what he had said. Now one of the biggest names in Doctor Who has spoken out. RELATED STORIES Richard Linklater says Merrily We Roll Along will resume filming in "a few months" and gives a "progress report" on the 20-year-old production: "See you in 2040."

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Davies said: "It's a clumsy thing to say in an industry where you have writers and artists and it affects people in particular, they're the first to take the hit. "My inbox went ping ping ping ping ping, so god knows what he was like." Popular in Variety

Davies - who revived Doctor Who in 2005 and then returns in 2023 - also said that Brittain, who recently joined the BBC after a career at Google, "hasn't worked in TV for a long time and may not be very optimistic about the future."

The future of 'Doctor Who' - a BBC icon for more than 60 years - is now on the air following Disney+'s exit as an investor. This summer, Davies announced he would be stepping down and the BBC canceled the Christmas special. Last month, the BBC launched a competitive bidding process, inviting producers to reboot the series. Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio is among those who have expressed interest.

But while fans wait to see what happens, Davis, despite no longer appearing on the show, assured that a new series is definitely happening and it won't be long to wait.

"Next summer you'll see a production with a brand new Doctor, a brand new companion," he said.