Welsh screenwriter Russell T Davies tops list of most influential names in television

Russell T Davies has topped a list of the most influential names in television.

The Welsh screenwriter, whose five-part drama It’s A Sin centred on the lives lost to Aids in the 1980s, came ahead of a host of big names on the annual list, which was compiled by industry experts.

The Channel 4 drama’s leading star, Olly Alexander, took second spot on the RadioTimes.com TV 100 2021 list, which recognised the top 100 people in front of and behind the camera in 2021.

According to Morgan Jeffery, the executive editor of the entertainment website Davies’ Channel 4 drama was “far and away” the obvious winner.

He also described It’s a Sin as a “beautiful tribute to lives lost to the Aids epidemic – a stunning piece of work, it challenged stigma, sparked conversations and even led to charity drives raising hundreds of thousands for HIV charities”.

Nicola Shindler, the executive producer at Quay Street Productions, said  Davies, whose previous successful works include Queer as Folk, The Second Coming, and the 2005 revival of Dr Who, is a “powerhouse of ideas” and is “one step ahead of the trends”.

Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, whose performance on the BBC dance show raised awareness of hearing impairments, came third.

The creators of the Netflix smash hit Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk, and the HBO comedy drama Succession, Jesse Armstrong, two of the biggest international television shows of 2021, completed the top five.