Russell T. Davies

Russell T. Davies, a native of Wales, had initially dreamt of becoming a full-time comic book artist before studying English literature at Oxford University. Upon graduating from the prestigious university, Davies began working with the BBC's children's department in the late 1980s; he wrote episodes for the family series "Dark Season," "Century Falls," and the children's variety program "On the Waterfront." He switched to more adult-themed television shows in the mid-1990s, creating the series "Revelations," and contributed to the BAFTA Award-winning "Children's Ward" before writing and producing his breakthrough work, "Queer as Folk" in 1999, based on his own experiences as a homosexual living in contemporary Manchester, England.

At the time, "Queer as Folk" became his most prolific work and allowed him to pursue more challenging work in television in the 2000s. Davies continued to write and produce series like "Bob & Rose" and the TV mini-series "Casanova" before serving as both executive producer and head writer on the revival of "Doctor Who" in 2005. Davies was able to turn "Doctor Who" into one of England's most popular television programs; it also earned him a Writers Guild Award in 2007 and the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006. The show's success helped create two spin-offs: "Torchwood" and "The Sarah Jane Adventures" in the late-2000s and early 2010s with Davies serving as writer and producer on both works.