It's him behind 'Doctor Who'

When filming, Davies works from a spartan flat overlooking Cardiff Bay and Roald Dahl Plass, the centerpiece of the set for "Torchwood," one of the two "Doctor Who" spinoffs. The second season of "Torchwood," about high-level investigators fighting evil in an alien-infested time rift (also known as present-day Cardiff), had its U.S. premiere on Jan. 26. (BBC America airs "Torchwood" and the third season of "Doctor Who" on Saturday nights.)

There are no writers rooms on the shows. "This country simply couldn't afford that system," Davies said. "We pay people per script, but within that we try to make it collegiate -- as much as one can."

"Doctor Who's" second spinoff is "The Sarah Jane Adventures," a kids show that airs at an earlier time on the BBC and on the kids digital channel, the CBBC. All three shows swap cast members and villains. (" 'Sarah Jane' inherited some of our 'Doctor Who' monsters," Davies said. "We can't afford new prosthetics.")

They also share an increasingly complicated mythology. It falls to Davies "to keep balancing how much continuity there is, how many stand-alone elements there are." Ever mindful of the shows' "mainstream audience" (meaning, not just sci-fi enthusiasts) and put off by "exclusivity" in general, he said he is reticent of creating overly inclusive stories dependent on viewers' in-depth knowledge of ornate histories.

This job is made easier by Davies' policy of ignoring the voices of those most vigilant. "I think we're an unusual science-fiction franchise in taking a very big step back from fandom and having nothing to do with them. . . . Every program on the BBC has a message board on the website. I forbid it to happen on 'Doctor Who.' I'm sorry to say this, all the science fiction producers making stuff in America, they are way too engaged with their fandom. They all need to step back."

Spanning generations

What's striking about the "Doctor Who" franchise is the wide age range it not only speaks to but also seeks out. When Davies embarked on "The Sarah Jane Adventures," about an investigator and her 14-and-younger companions, he sought to tell younger stories without neutering them. There's death and despair, he said, but less violence and more fun. Also, Davies added, with a laugh, "more hugs." (It will be broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel beginning in April.)