Russell T Davies
Writer of It's A Sin, Doctor Who, Queer As Folk, Years and Years, and much more...
Russell T Davies was kind enough to take time out of his schedule at the New Writing North Screenwriting Weekender in 2026 to talk to BBC Writers about his writing career and give us some of his best writing tips.
Russell also discusses some of his favourite scenes he has written, why sci-fi is such an important genre, and why it is important to bring 'you' into your script!
00:00 - What is your favourite thing about being a writer?
00:28 - What do you think is a hallmark of a Russell T Davies script?
01:32 - Do you have a favourite moment of TV that you have written
02:31 - Why is sci-fi such a useful vehicle for interrogating contemporary issues?
03:23 - How do you approach planning an episode of TV Drama?
04:54 - What is the most important thing when writing a compelling script?
07:00 - Has your approach to writing changed over time?
08:03 - What would be your top three writing tips?
09:53 - What is the best writing advice you have received?
11:20 - Is there anything that you still find hard about writing?
13:29 - Do you have any advice for people writing scripts based on real events?
15:55 - Do you have a favourite time and place to write?
BBC Writers interviews Russell T Davies (2019)
Below, you can also watch our previous interview with RTD from our writers festival back in 2019.
Russell explains how he now realises he is writing all the time (even though he may not be physically sitting at a desk) and how he gets into the right headspace. He also gives his top tips for other writers, how he deals with people's expectations, some of the common misconceptions he has to deal with, and the hardest things about writing.
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