Doctor Who fans claim boss has ‘lost it’ after Instagram post
Doctor Who fans have been left disappointed after showrunner Russell T Davies shared an artificially generated clip of William Hartnell.
The video was created by an Instagram user who exclusively shares AI-generated clips of themselves supposedly travelling back in time, to such events as Partygate and Princess Diana’s wedding day.
A recent clip saw him claim to be on the 1963 set of the first episode of Doctor Who – although several social media users have pointed out huge anachronisms in the video.
In it, Hartnell’s artificially reanimated figure can be seen in the background, speaking with a crew member and standing in front of the Tardis.
In voiceover, the creator claimed the first Tardis was made of cardboard (it was built with wood) and questioned what Hartnell might have discussed with the crew in between takes, when the episode was filmed as if it were live, for minimal editing.
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In the comments section of the post, John Barrowman described it as ‘brilliant’ and Davies also wrote ‘amazing!’, which he reiterated when he shared the Instagram reel to his story.
The decision to promote AI slop has disappointed several fans online, with Matthew Purchase sharing the post on X with the caption: ‘Oh god. RTD likes AI slop.’ The post has been viewed over 200,000 times.
Sammy wrote on X: ‘The Tardis prop didn’t look like that, all the sets are wrong. Literal slop and I don’t know why RTD would post that.’
Meanwhile, Josh Snares similarly commiserates over the lack of accuracy, while Romana said it proved Davies needs to step back from the show.
‘I think above else it just proves he is out of touch and that we need new blood in the writers’ room. The same 3 people can’t write Doctor Who forever if it’s going to continue and continue successfully,’ she wrote.
Matt simply wrote: ‘Russell T Davies has just lost it hasn’t he really.’
Zee was another disappointed fan online, writing: ‘Why use this slop when the show has successfully recast late actors and had old Doctors reappear without de-ageing effects? This show only exists today because of the love and care humans put into creating it.’
While some Whovians believed the furore was making a mountain out of a molehill, others framed the promotion of AI as a ‘moral issue’ given the threats it poses to the entertainment industry and those working on shows like Who.
Davies subsequently appeared to remove the post from his Story, but he still follows the account posting this AI-generated content and has not deleted his comment.
Other fans dug up a years-old interview of Davies, alongside Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, in which he suggested Who could one day ‘re-create’ the past Doctors with CGI.
The reception from the actors beside him was noticeably muted as he told Variety: ‘Wouldn’t that be amazing? A CGI William Hartnell as the very first Doctor in 1963.
‘Imagine that. It would be amazing. One day we can do anything.’
Metro contacted Bad Wolf for comment on this story.
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