Why Peter Capaldi is the most underrated Doctor in Doctor Who
As the actor celebrates his 66th birthday, Beth Axford looks back on his unparalleled reign as the Time Lord.
When Peter Capaldi was announced as the Twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who on live television in 2013, I was shocked. I hadn’t known of the actor; I was 15 at the time, and I had grown up when David Tennant and Matt Smith were in the role, so I didn’t know what to expect next. But from the moment the Twelfth Doctor flashed into existence, I knew I would fall in love with him like I had every other incarnation. Before his first season aired, Capaldi had a blink and you'll miss it appearance in 2013’s anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor and then made his Doctor Who debut in Smith's swansong The Time of the Doctor. So, when July 2014 rolled around, I was already excited about what was to come. That month, I, along with many other fans, made my way to St Paul's Cathedral to see Capaldi and Missy actress Michelle Gomez filming the season 8 finale story Dark Water/Death in Heaven. He made time to meet every single fan, passer-by and straggling parent. He signed pictures, took photos and spoke with everyone. This man loved and cared about not just Doctor Who but its fans, and after getting a photo with the new Doctor, I knew he would be something special. His speech during the aforementioned episode could be seen as his defining moment, where he told viewers that he was just an ‘idiot, with a box and a screwdriver’, confirming that he was the same Doctor we’d come to love over the years. However, I think he was a perfect version of our favourite Time Lord from the minute he hit our screens. This Doctor began his tenure with rough edges, a harsher version of the character we knew. But this meant that his later, softer moments equalled so much more; they were earned, meaningful. Behind every grumpy retort was a Doctor who was revealing his truth: his past, his age, his trauma. The Eleventh Doctor had his moments of anger, and the Ninth Doctor was often rude to the people around him. These traits that carried over into the Twelfth Doctor put the character on one of their most compelling journeys, considering a question that many of us often ask ourselves: am I a good person? Capaldi played the questioning man with delicate precision and kept the character loveable despite often seeming rude and uncaring. There were layers to his Doctor, and the longer viewers stuck around to see them, the more rewarding the peeling back of these layers became. Capaldi’s acting showed audiences that though this Doctor was jaded, he was still caring and kind, especially with the help of his companion. This echoed the relationship between the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and the friends that joined him aboard the TARDIS. His incarnation was often uncaring or ambivalent at the beginning of his run but softened as his era continued and companions came and went. The Twelfth Doctor opened up to Clara Oswald similarly, and the chemistry between Capaldi and Jenna Coleman was electric. The notion that the Doctor chose an older face because he trusted Clara is one that set the scene for their entire arc, arguably one of the most beautiful Doctor and companion pairings in Who's history. The relationship between them had many of us hooked, loving the good cop/bad cop energy they brought to every episode. Their story was one of codependency and love, but also of chosen family, and there wasn’t a script or moment that the pair couldn’t make brilliant. By the time Clara left and season 10 rolled around, the Twelfth Doctor became a tutor to Bill Potts, opening the character up to new pastures. Upon finding out that Bill had no photos of her mum, he travelled back in time to take some and gave his new friend a way to connect to her dead parent. He became a warrior for justice – punching racists and fighting against capitalism – something that made his incarnation stand out even more. His friendship with Bill and Matt Lucas’s Nardole brought a new family to the TARDIS, and the Twelfth Doctor became something like a warm hug whenever he was on screen. The season 10 finale was one of Capaldi’s finest hours, the performance of a lifetime in one of Doctor Who’s best stories and a beautiful near-ending to his era. View Green Video on the source website Peter Capaldi may go down in history as the most underrated Doctor. His tenure is often overlooked, sandwiched between the youngest ever actor to play the character and the first woman to take on the role. He was the oldest person to take on the full-time role of the Doctor since Hartnell, making him historic in his own right, and often, ageism stopped people from giving him a chance. But the actor’s ability to mesh together the best of the character and bring to it his own charm, despite the difficulty of playing a darker Doctor, is unparalleled. The Twelfth Doctor didn’t just feel like a television character. Thanks to Capaldi’s performance and passion for the show, he felt like a friend, a fatherly figure and a teacher. He helped us grow alongside him, he held us through our grief, and he taught us about the wonders of the universe. Almost a decade on from his debut, his Doctor should be given the praise that he deserves. Doctor Who will return on Saturday 11th May on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Peter Davison and Elizabeth Morton on Doctor Who, David Tennant and saving the universe
The time-travelling family chat exclusively to RadioTimes.com.
Peter Davison and his wife Elizabeth Morton have boundless connections to Doctor Who. Davison debuted as the Fifth Doctor in 1982, piloting the TARDIS until 1984. His daughter, Georgia Tennant, was cast as the Doctor’s daughter in 2008, and later married Tenth Doctor David Tennant - who returns to the show as the Fourteenth Doctor this autumn. Morton writes saga novels set in the early 1900s, bringing readers back in time - just like the TARDIS. The time-travelling family spans decades of Doctor Who and historical adventures, leaving a legacy that is only continuing. "I’m tempted to say that I don’t know anything else now!" laughs Davison as we approach the topic of how much the show has penetrated their lives. "It’s just been a part of my life for so long. From when I first started watching it to, remarkably, being offered the part - and then having a daughter who then had a part in it and then ended up marrying… well, basically, me!" As we discuss the impact of the show on their lives, the conversation turns to their two sons - "One of whom announced earlier this year that he was going to sit down and watch every single Doctor Who story!" describes Davison, laughing at the challenge that many fans of the show attempt to complete at least once in their lives. Morton, having married Davison in 2003, became aware of Doctor Who through his ongoing involvement at conventions. Featuring cast and crew from TV and film, conventions and comic-cons have become a regular staple for most Who actors, getting to meet fans, sign autographs and carry on their participation in the show’s long history. "Meeting the fans was just such a phenomenon that was so new to me, so strange and positive!" she explains. Welcome to 60 Days of Doctor Who, RadioTimes.com's ultimate celebration of all things Who as the show gears up for its 60th anniversary. We'll be bringing you 60 days of exclusive Doctor Who content, from interviews and newsletter takeovers with the show's stars to the hottest takes from our team of Doctor Who superfans. Stay tuned! "I realised through our sons (who used to watch Davison and call him "Doctor Daddy") the power of how important and positive it [Doctor Who] is. I feel that our family has been touched by that. I’ve come to know that the life of it beyond 'what episode is on next week?' is so important." "I would sit down with Louis and Joel (their sons) and watch it when the show came back. I spent the first eight years of that time explaining to them what was happening. I felt like I had some kind of expertise in that area," Davison explains. "But I realised towards the end of that time that I was sitting there with them and I’d say 'What’s going on?' and they’d have to explain it to me! I was losing touch with Doctor Who. It’s funny the journey we have with these things…" Davison dials down the laughter to address the subject more seriously, revealing his real appreciation towards the show. "I don’t mean to be flippant about our connection with Doctor Who, I didn’t anticipate that at all. If you’d have told me in 1984 that I'd still be going to conventions 40 years later and Doctor Who would still be as current as it was then, I would have laughed at you!" Doctor Who is, indeed, as huge as it has ever been. The show celebrates its 60th anniversary this November, and will mark the occasion with three special episodes, a Christmas special and a new series to follow in early 2024. With the arrival of several Doctors and companions for Jodie Whittaker’s fitting final story last October, the return of Tennant and Catherine Tate this year and the casting of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, the world of the titular Time Lord remains a big deal. Davison recently donned his celery once again to be a part of last year’s special episode, The Power of the Doctor. With almost 40 years between his first story and his latest appearance in the show, a lot has changed aboard the TARDIS. "There’s a part of me that wishes I realised what a big deal it was when I first did it," he says of his original time as the Doctor in the 1980s. "To me, it was amazing to be offered it, but it was very much another job. I was cast because I was younger and different from Tom Baker. We didn’t have the budgets that the show has now. Or the technology, more specifically. "So, we were always on the edge of sets that were maybe slightly silly, because there wasn’t the money or ability to make it any differently. "It was very nice to do The Power of the Doctor because it felt like a completion, with the scenes with Tegan [Janet Fielding]. It was a great wrapping up of that Doctor and companion relationship." Thinking back to his first time round in the TARDIS, he recalls: "They wrote very flatly for companions in those days when we were doing it. So, generally speaking, Tegan didn’t want to be there, and that was all they really gave her. She was a great character. Likewise with Adric and Nyssa. Nyssa was the only one I felt was on the Doctor’s side! View Green Video on the source website "Later came a more exploratory thing with companions. It started really with Rose [Tyler, played by Billie Piper], who I still think is probably the best-written companion there’s been - because you were seeing the Doctor through her eyes. "Rather than having them as appendages, you’re seeing the Doctor for the first time through them and how amazing this person is. It felt like there was more to it. "I sort of wish I could get a TARDIS and have another go at some of those stories, to make it more rounded, to make it slightly more touching and deeper. We glanced along the surface of it but never really had the time or scriptwriters to do that." The fan reaction to Davison and Fielding reuniting in The Power of the Doctor was huge, bringing together fans new and old. The scenes felt like a closure for the characters. Was it emotional for Davison to be working once again on screen with his longest-serving companion? "In character, it was, of course. But Janet and I are still friends - I saw her just this last weekend. So it was nice to get the closure in character, but the relationship with Janet is very much ongoing." Shop Peter Davison action figures at Amazon Snap up this collector’s edition Peter Davison figure while you still have the chance. Standing proud in his iconic cricket whites (celery included), this hand-painted model is a great way of showing off your love for the Fifth Doctor. The figure is on sale at Amazon for £18.89 and there’s only a few left! Buy hand painted Fifth Doctor collector figure for £18.89 at Amazon Davison and Fielding are famously, seemingly, in a permanent feud. "We have this ongoing feud publicly. It's not really real but it’s fun to indulge in! So publicly, at conventions and things, we’re always on stage arguing with each other. But when I saw her last weekend, we had dinner, and it was nothing like that at all. It’s very much a construct!" he laughs. For many fans, there seems to be a keen interest in following the lives and careers of the people who have brought Doctor Who to our screens. But have Davison and Morton taken any of the show’s themes into their own lives? Davison answers: "Do I live my life according to being the good soul that Doctor Who is? I wish I could do that. I think most of us aspire to that and probably believe we are that. I’m sure I have major failings in that area," he chuckles. "I’ve never once saved the universe. But you aspire to that!" Morton continues: "The most creative people want to somehow put things right with the world or shine a light on a corner of the world. I think most endeavour to sort things out for the characters and their world. But that doesn’t apply to you, Peter, because you love playing baddies!" "I like playing grumpy people!" Davison replies. "I have this alter ego that I’ve established in various videos that I have made, where the alter ego is of a grumpy person. So, whether it’s me in the Five(ish) Doctors reboot or it’s me holding a sign up behind David Tennant saying 'he’s not special', it’s a sort of alter ego that isn’t real at all. I’m hoping I get any of my pretend grumpiness out that way." After we chat about The Five(ish) Doctors reboot, where Davison revealed that plans had been scrapped for a new 2023 version, we make our way onto current projects for the pair. Davison has been approached to write an original Fifth Doctor story, but hushed tones fill the air as to what this will entail - other than that he would love to do it. Moving back to their collaboration, they explain that they’re working on a detective novel set in the 1930s, around Shepperton and Walton Studios, "because it was quite Hollywood back then!". Shepperton Studios has been home to many huge films and shows, and notably for Doctor Who fans, is the location at which the 1960s Dr Who and the Daleks movies were filmed. How do the pair find working together? "Almost impossible!" Davison chimes in before I can finish the question. "It’s a matter of back and forth, really. At the moment, we’re still happily married - but we do have some good old disagreements with, 'You can’t say that!' and, 'Yes you can!' But then that tension, I think in the end, is good for..." "Creativity," they say in unison. Morton has written five saga novels, often referring to them as her own form of time travel. With a life so connected to the TARDIS, it must have had some sort of influence on her books that are set in the past. "It’s more my connection to my roots that is always the starting point. But it is fascinating to me how history is such an important, sort of backbone of Doctor Who." "It would be so helpful if there was a TARDIS because, with all the research that you can do about certain periods of time, there’s always a certain amount of guesswork," Davison suggests. "If you had a TARDIS, you could just nip back to 1945 or whatever and it would be so useful." Morton adds that she enjoys viewing history through people’s stories, from their own mouths. "Just sitting down and chatting to someone. You can get so much more [from that] than from any history book, I think. So, I suppose if I’m looking for a link with Doctor Who, it’s that. It’s telling stories," she explains. "Remember that amazing episode? With the camps in Central Park [referring to 2007’s Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks]? Telling the stories of the things you don’t know about necessarily. "So, writing sagas, that’s the theme; always of a family struggle, and they are always historical novels. That’s the similarity with Doctor Who." I’m keen to find out the answer to a question that I imagine every fan of Doctor Who is dying to know. If Davison or Morton could swap lives with anyone else in their time-travelling family, who would they swap with? "I become David Tennant and he becomes me?" Davison chortles. "I raised my daughter and then David came and very kindly took her off my hands - and now you’re suggesting that we swap places so I can have her back?!" he quips. They go on to discuss the difficulties of having Doctor Who as your father, and their children trying to make their own paths - "Georgia has done really well!" - but I do not get a definitive answer from him. "I don’t think I would want to swap with anyone in my family, really." "Who would I swap with?" Morton ponders. "I’d swap with our dog, so I could wander around and no one would pester me!" Naturally, the subject of the 60th anniversary approaches - do the pair have any involvement? "No. I have no involvement in the 60th anniversary episodes, but of course, the more you deny it the more people say you are in it!" Davison chuckles. "Mind you, there’s still time," Morton adds with a nod and a wink. "But you might be… do you think you might? Potentially… surely there will be…" Davison cuts her off: "There’s no specific BBC-organised celebration or event. If there is, I haven’t been invited! As for on-screen involvement, I am not in it." "That was The Power of the Doctor, wasn’t it?" "Yes, done that. Ticked that box!" Elizabeth Morton’s new book The Orphans from Liverpool Lane is available to buy now. Doctor Who is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Are Doctor Who’s companions more important than the Doctor?
The Doctor needs us as much as we need them.
For almost six decades, viewers all over the world have been turning to Doctor Who for adventures filled with aliens, time travel and endless possibilities. With a main character whose face changes every few years and decades worth of stories to watch, read and listen to, what is it that makes it so special? In a cosmos filled with Time Lord lore, it is arguably the Doctor’s companions who are most important to the show - and our entry point into this vast and complicated world. Growing up with Doctor Who, it was often the companions I related to the most. While I felt that the Doctor reflected some of my life and feelings, I also wanted to be more like them and, despite my connection to them, their world seemed so far away. It was the companions within each season that made me connect so strongly to the stories. In many ways, the Doctor’s friends are us. When Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) enters the TARDIS for the first time, or Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) steps foot on her first alien world, we’re discovering the universe through their eyes. We’re wearing Rose’s pink hoodie or Bill’s high-top trainers. The Doctor may be mad and odd and brilliant, but the people surrounding them are what grounds the show and makes it so loveable. Welcome to 60 Days of Doctor Who, RadioTimes.com's ultimate celebration of all things Who as the show gears up for its 60th anniversary. We'll be bringing you 60 days of exclusive Doctor Who content, from interviews and newsletter takeovers with the show's stars to the hottest takes from our team of Doctor Who superfans. Stay tuned! When Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) felt she wasn’t good enough, we saw ourselves in her. When Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh) mourned the loss of his wife, his grief reminded us of our own. When Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) found a best friend in the Doctor, we found ourselves loving him, too. When these characters stepped aboard a spaceship that could take them anywhere at any time, we journeyed with them, transporting from our planet to somewhere far away. This is something that feels so special to the core of Doctor Who; where else can people like you or I go on such unique and diverse escapades? With an ever-changing roster of friends, every new season or story can be fresh for those of us who have been travelling with the Doctor for a while - or a jumping-on point for anyone diving in for the first time. With a new pal comes new perspectives, experiences, loves and losses. A new relationship with the Doctor. A new way for us to hold the Doctor’s hand and experience a trip of a lifetime. Take Rose’s first encounter with a Dalek (Dalek, 2005). She is compassionate and attentive. She listens to the creature, despite knowing it could be a threat. She is emotional and she is human. The Doctor’s stance is a little different; having known and dealt with the Daleks for many regenerations, they are determined to kill the pepperpot menace. Although the Daleks had been a constant enemy since Who began in 1963, it’s Rose’s view of the age-old foe that makes it such a compelling watch. Her innocence and compassion kept viewers hooked for the first two seasons of New Who, and cemented the show in many people’s hearts. It’s not just Rose who solidified the significance of the Doctor’s pals. Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), companion to the Third and Fourth Doctors, proved countless times that she was as important to Who as the Doctor was - and was so beloved that she even got her own show and series of adventures! From her very first moment in The Time Warrior (1974), Sarah holds her own next to the Doctor, from attempting to fool them with an alias to fighting back when they suggest she makes them coffee. She is then fierce enough to stow away on the TARDIS, changing the Doctor’s life forever. Sarah Jane became integral to Doctor Who, proving that companions could be just as smart, brave and wonderful as our favourite Time Lord. Her brilliance is immediately on a par with theirs, bringing us closer to the Doctor and indicating the importance of having someone alongside them to hook viewers in. Sarah Jane became an icon and one of the best-loved companions - spanning multiple generations. There’s Clara Oswald’s tenacity and strength through constant loss, and how she held the viewer's hands through the transition from the Eleventh incarnation to the Twelfth. It’s Ace's (Sophie Aldred) ability to bring wonder and excitement to everything and her student/teacher relationship with the Seventh Doctor that influences our own relationship with the 'Professor'. Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) taught us to appreciate ourselves in the face of unrequited love and Yasmin Khan’s (Mandip Gill) mental health storyline reflected a world that is unique to our human-ness, one that the Doctor may understand and feel - but is more relatable to the audience here on Earth, especially when experienced through the lens of a young, queer, Asian woman. View Green Video on the source website All of this is without even touching on what it means to see yourself or your experience represented in such a huge franchise. Sexuality, class and race are all addressed by those who join the Doctor on their travels, showing us that a fairer world is indeed achievable - and giving us a better future to look towards. Up until recently, the main source of diversity within the show’s lead cast has been via the role of the companion. Viewers may relate to the Doctor, too, and many feel reflected in them, but for others, they’re more likely to see themselves in a companion or friend within the Whoniverse. Without companions, the Doctor’s world would be more difficult to digest, and the Doctor would be a worse-off character for it. It is, after all, Donna Noble who persuades them to save just one single family during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in The Fires of Pompeii. It’s Clara who supports the Twelfth Doctor to be more empathetic and caring. It’s Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Ian (William Russell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) that helped to humanise the First Doctor and bring out their grandfatherly qualities, making them a hero to children all over the country when the programme first launched in 1963. The dynamic of including people just like us, the audience, into this alien landscape means that we’re influencing the Doctor’s world just as much as they influence ours. It is only through our inclusion that we’re so able to love the Doctor, learn from them and be inspired by them. With the most important part of the show being centred on the TARDIS’s guests, Doctor Who has thrived, and the Whoniverse has felt like home for countless viewers and fans. The Third Doctor without Jo (Katy Manning)? The Eleventh Doctor without Amy (Karen Gillan)? The Second Doctor without Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury)? Donna comments that the Doctor needs someone to stop them during darker times, and Amy insists that they should never, ever be alone. The Doctor needs us as much as we need them. In all these years of Doctor Who, it is the sidekicks, friends and loved ones that make us want to tune back in. As long as we can be the Sarah Jane or the Rose Tyler of that world, the show will continue to be our favourite history-jumping, alien-stopping, future-exploring franchise - and have a place in our hearts forever. Doctor Who is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How Doctor Who: Redacted links with Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials
Doctor Who has had its fair share of spin-offs over the years, becoming the ‘Whoniverse’ with shows such as The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood. Last year, the franchise launched a podcast series tie-in – Doctor Who: Redacted. With lead writer Juno Dawson and a stellar cast including Charlie Craggs, Louis Chimimba and Holly Quin-Ankrah, the show is now back for a second season and this time it links with its parent show, Doctor Who, even further. The BBC Sounds show is fronted by three queer, female characters who have their very own mystery podcast all about the Doctor’s blue box - ‘The Blue Box Files’. The first season comprised 10 episodes about a deadly virus that wiped anyone and everyone who had ever known the Doctor from the universe. Filled with Who throwbacks, Easter eggs and Whoniverse characters galore, the show even included a special appearance from the Thirteenth Doctor - Jodie Whittaker - just months before she regenerated. It ended with Cleo Proctor (Redacted’s main heroine) begging to travel in the TARDIS, but ultimately staying behind to figure her life out. Careful, Redacted season 2 spoilers ahead! Season 2 of the show launched on 18th September, and although the Doctor doesn’t appear this time round, this series has a special link to the upcoming 60th anniversary episodes. During the ‘Blue Box Files’ gang’s latest adventure, villainess Honour Brady is determined to get to the Doctor and steal their TARDIS. She is the landlord of thousands of alien refugees hidden under London’s tube network, aptly named ‘London Underground’, and also happens to be head over heels for Cleo’s love interest, Apex Costa. Apex fails in his mission to find the Doctor for Honour and raids alien artefacts all over Earth while trying to do so. Meanwhile, Cleo also can’t seem to get in touch with the Time Lord, despite calling and leaving many voicemails. Read more: William Hartnell predicted Doctor Who "could go on forever" Doctor Who's Alex Kingston on hiding River Song's biggest spoiler The series once again links to previous Who spin-offs, with Rani Chandra, Mr Smith and 13 Bannerman Road from The Sarah Jane Adventures becoming key to the storyline. It is Mr Smith, Sarah Jane’s super-computer, who mentions that the Doctor is unable to be located, delivering the chilling line: “I do not know where the Doctor is. The Doctor is missing. Something is amiss with their timeline.” This is our first link to where the Doctor currently is within the Whoniverse narrative. We last saw them regenerate from Jodie Whittaker back into David Tennant in last year’s The Power of the Doctor. The only other in-universe story to happen between Power and this year’s new episodes is Doctor Who Magazine’s comic Liberation of the Daleks, which is yet to conclude and features the Fourteenth Doctor’s first adventure. But, according to Redacted, the Doctor is missing from our universe. There is also a mention of 2021’s Flux event during a face-off between Cleo and Honour, who says that the aliens of ‘London Underground’ have no right to remain on Earth, adding that “after The Flux, anti-alien sentiment is higher than it has ever been” – bridging the last Who era and the next one. It is at the very end of the season that we are treated to the biggest Easter egg, leading directly into David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s Who Return, The Star Beast, due to air this autumn. After saving ‘London Underground’ and finally getting some more alone time with Apex Costa, Cleo and her new man finish the adventure at a rooftop date, with a ‘spectacular’ view of London. As they romance and flirt, Apex mentions that they can see “all the way down Camden, to the river”. They kiss under the stars and a noise ripples from above them. ‘I think a spaceship just crashed!’ utters Apex. “We should do something!” replies Cleo. “We absolutely should. In a minute, yeah?” as police cars zoom by in the background. The series ends on this cliffhanger. Saturday’s Doctor Who trailer revealed a ship crashing during scenes at Camden Market, where the Doctor, Donna Noble and her daughter Rose are present. The Doctor then says: “A spaceship crashes right in front of her, it’s like she’s drawing us in”, confirming the event in Camden. This neat tie-in confirms the crash that Cleo and Apex witness is the same one to occur during the next TV episode of Doctor Who, making Doctor Who: Redacted another puzzle piece of the show’s canon and a nod to its 60th anniversary celebrations. View Green Video on the source website Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Classic episodes are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Peter Davison reveals scrapped plans for Five(ish) Doctors Reboot follow-up
He spoke about the prospect of a new skit for the 60th anniversary.
Fifth Doctor Peter Davison has exclusively revealed his plans to create a follow-up to his hit 2013 sketch, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, for this year’s 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. The original skit celebrated 50 years of the legendary show and featured Davison alongside Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy, attempting to sneak their way into a role in the coveted 50th anniversary episode Day of the Doctor. With guest appearances from Doctor Who alumni such as David Tennant, Paul McGann, Matt Smith and a whole host of companions, the film was a success and beloved by fans around the world who hoped to catch a glimpse of past Doctors and friends for the anniversary celebrations. Speaking on the prospect of a follow-up 60th anniversary spoof, Davison and his wife – author Elizabeth Morton – have confirmed that a new sketch was planned, but eventually scrapped. Read more: Doctor Who's Peter Davison "always happy" to come back to the show Doctor Who stars Ncuti Gatwa and Bonnie Langford film dramatic scenes "I came up with an idea. It was deemed, by those I showed it to, as utterly unacceptable, although I thought it was very funny!” Elaborating on the scrapped script, Davison explained: “It’s a different world now. And I am always – I wouldn’t say – pushing the boundaries. My sense of humour is maybe a little out of sync with the sense of humour that now exists…" The pair went on to discuss trying to top the original version and what it would take to create something just as brilliant and celebratory. “It was so perfect, and it just evolved – it started off so small, Peter was just going to film it himself. But the whole thing became – suddenly you’d go, ‘Ian McKellen has agreed to be in it!' Peter Jackson said, ‘Pop by!' It was phenomenal. "To get that perfect storm, I think it would diminish the original Five(ish) Doctors if you tried to do it again," said Morton. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do it anyway unless I thought it could be as good, or better," added Davison. “So, in the end, it became very clear to me that there were too many compromises I’d be asked to make in the making of it and I thought it just best to leave it alone – because the original was perfect!” View Green Video on the source website Davison went on to add that his experience with directing led him to realise that he didn’t quite learn the knack of compromise required for an updated anniversary spoof. “That’s the trouble with my first experience with directing. As much as I enjoyed it enormously, I realised that I am too unmoving. I’ve not gained the talent of compromising with what I want!” Rounding off the revealing conversation, the pair suggested that the BBC air The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot again to celebrate 60 years of our favourite time-travelling show. Rewatch anyone? Elizabeth Morton’s new book The Orphans from Liverpool Lane is available to buy now. Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who - Worlds of Wonder review: Educational, inspirational and a fan's dream
A new exhibition in Liverpool combines authentic props from the series with scientific teaching to great effect.
If you’ve ever wondered how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside or pondered how far off we are from teleporting around the universe like The Doctor and co, you may just find the answers at Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder, a new exhibition opening today (27th May) at World Museum in Liverpool. Matching Doctor Who props, costumes and ideas with detailed explanations of the science behind the show, Worlds of Wonder is not only a Doctor Who fan’s dream, but an educational tool and exciting lens through which to view the Whoniverse. The extensive exhibition has been lovingly curated by Sarner International, the same brainchild behind previous Doctor Who exhibit the Doctor Who Experience. The show brings together the excitement of getting up close and personal with Who props whilst also educating visitors on concepts such as teleportation, cloning and space travel. There’s a focus on the scientific inspiration behind our favourite monsters and episodes, as well as theories on how the show’s more fantastical elements might actually be possible. "There will be an opportunity for visitors to get to grips with some of the scientific ideas that have inspired the show’s writers for decades; things like astronomy and astrobiology, quantum physics, evolution, cybernetics and nature itself," Fiona Philpot, director of exhibitions at National Museums Liverpool, told RadioTimes.com. "It’s a wonder to behold, and perhaps a rediscovery of elements of the show that seasoned fans know and love." Upon entering the exhibition through oversized TARDIS doors, visitors are greeted with a replica of the First Doctor’s TARDIS console, setting the scene with a bit of Doctor Who history. What follows is an interactive tour through space, time and science, complete with specially-shot video content featuring Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss and scientists such as Maggie Aderin-Pocock. For visitors who aren’t familiar with the show, there’s plenty to entertain. Pairing Doctor Who lore with educational activities such as guessing how many hearts a cockroach has (11 more than a Time Lord!) makes for a fun adventure - whether you know your Kerblam! man from your Kamelion or not. There are fun opportunities to get inside a Dalek and use a ring modulator to make your voice sound like the Doctor’s deadliest enemy. But becoming a Dalek is just the tip of the interactive fun; why not match your favourite aliens to their Earth counterparts that inspired them, or dig into Who episodes that deal with environmentalism and climate change? Towards the end of the exhibition, there’s a brilliant cameo from Zoë Wanamaker, reprising her role as ‘the last pure human’ Lady Cassandra – 'a living exhibit from the very distant future' – and a real treat for fans of the new series of the show. She is on hand during the final instalment, covering the future of humankind and the scientific possibilities that lay before us. From the implications of extending human life to explaining the science behind changing gender, the science behind Doctor Who has a lot to teach us. Liverpool residents have their very own section of the exhibition, aptly titled 'Doctor Who’s Liverpool connections.' From Fourth Doctor Tom Baker to current showrunner Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who has many Liverpool-born alumni, as well as companion Dan Lewis (played by John Bishop) who joined the TARDIS last year. Of course Liverpool featured heavily in the latest series, so it feels right that this brilliant celebration of the show has premiered in the centre of the city. Covering the entire history of the show, there is truly something for everyone at Worlds of Wonder. You might find a creature from the 2021 series stood next to a foe from '70s Who, or concept art for those interested in how monsters and spaceships are brought to life. The exhibition itself centres on inclusion and how Doctor Who has brought people together, telling the story of how it has inspired fans and scientists around the world. At its heart, Worlds of Wonder is about accessibility, opening up the world of science through one of the nation’s most treasured shows. It wonderfully mirrors Doctor Who’s original intent; to educate and inspire. From the wonders of the natural world to the limitless possibilities within the stars above us; this interactive exhibition is a celebration of the Doctor’s adventures and shows us that we truly are living in a world of wonder. Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder is open for visitors now, and tickets are available online. Doctor Who returns to BBC One this autumn, and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
Every Easter egg from Doctor Who: Redacted episode 1
Every reference to Whostory you might have missed.
Episode 1 of new Doctor Who spin-off podcast Doctor Who: Redacted launched on Sunday after the show’s adventurous Easter special, Legend of the Sea Devils. The 10-part series will follow three university drop-outs, Cleo, Shawna and Abby, who run their own conspiracy podcast ‘The Blue Box Files.' The trio find themselves wrapped up in their own blue box mystery: everyone who has met the Doctor is disappearing, being forgotten. Bringing together characters and storylines from all over the Whoniverse, the first episode is filled to the brim with Easter eggs, references and exciting cameos. Read on for a full list of all the fun references to Whostory in Doctor Who: Redacted episode 1. Adipose Industries/Penny Carter The first Blue Box Files episode we hear focuses on the events of Partners in Crime (2008). This Tenth Doctor adventure saw the Doctor and Donna Noble tackle Adipose Industries, a diet pill company that turned people’s fat into baby aliens called Adipose. Cleo, Abby and Shawna discuss the events of the alien invasion and interview Penny Carter, a journalist who investigated the adipose pills at the time. During Partners in Crime, Penny’s efforts to uncover the mystery are thwarted by the Doctor and Donna on multiple occasions and she leaves the story exclaiming that she will report the time-travelling duo for ‘madness’. While being interviewed, Penny explains that she saw aliens and a man in a blue box but the details after that are a little sketchy. This is the first character we meet who can no longer remember our favourite Time Lord at all. She just remembers one thing – he was called the Doctor. The Powell Estate While the Blue Box Files trio are retelling the day the adipose invaded, Cleo mentions a ‘drunk woman’ from the Powell Estate who was ‘always going on about it’. Famously home to Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith, the Powell Estate was the centre of many Who stories during 2005 and 2006. From Autons and Slitheen to Pilot Fish and Cybermen, the TARDIS was a regular visitor at the tower block of flats. Are the residents of the Powell Estate about to forget all their memories of the Doctor and the TARDIS? Yeti ‘person’ After meeting Penny, we hear Cleo mention she accidentally deleted a previous interview, referring to the interviewee as ‘that Yeti person’. As the podcast team are covering Earth sightings of the Doctor, it’s safe to say that this is a reference to the robot Yeti, who appeared in Second Doctor stories The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear. The Yeti terrorised the Himalayas in 1935, created by the Great Intelligence as servants and an army. Some were reactivated and brought to London over 30 years later to haunt the London Underground railway system. Sightings of a Yeti and the TARDIS in London must have led our Blue Box Files girls on an investigation into these historic classic Who events. Graham and Ryan Later in the episode, Abby overhears a news bulletin playing in a café; an appeal for information regarding the disappearance of Thirteenth Doctor companions Graham O’Brian and Ryan Sinclair. The pair travelled with the Doctor from 2018 to early 2021 but were left safely in Sheffield at the end of New Year's special Revolution of the Daleks. There are numerous occasions where characters forget the Doctor throughout this episode, as well as the mysterious disappearance of two of her most recent companions. Are we seeing the redaction of the Doctor in different stages? LINDA The 2006 Tenth Doctor story, Love and Monsters, featured a group of people whose lives had been touched by the Doctor and were determined to find out more about the mysterious Time Lord. They formed LINDA; The London Investigation ‘N’ Detective Agency. The gang weren’t too dissimilar to the Blue Box Files girls in their passion for discovering more about alien invasions and TARDIS sightings. Unfortunately, all but one member of LINDA were absorbed by the aptly named Absorbaloff, who joined their club in a quest to find and absorb the Doctor. Shawna wonders if Penny is ‘another blue box fruitcake from LINDA’, the legend of previous Doctor fanatics passed on. Rani Chandra The end of the episode features an appearance from Rani Chandra. Rani fought aliens alongside 70’s Doctor Who companion Sarah-Jane Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures and met the Doctor on multiple occasions. Rani warns Cleo that the Doctor is killing them, leaving us on a huge cliffhanger. Is she referring to the fact that everyone who knows the Doctor is being redacted from history; that the very act of knowing the Doctor is killing them? The cast list for Redacted features other friends of the Doctor such as Madame Vastra, Kate Stewart and Osgood – and with the Blue Box Files focussing on TARDIS sightings throughout history, we’re bound to hear from many a ghost from the Doctor’s past in episodes to come… The first episode of Doctor Who: Redacted is available on BBC Sounds. Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year. All 13 series of Doctor Who are available to watch now on Prime Video – sign up for a <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/offers/rel=%20%E2%80%9Csponsored%20noopener%20noreferrer?tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-1628662" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-geniuslink="https://buy.geni.us/Proxy.ashx?TSID=114542&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fgp%2Fvideo%2Foffers%2Frel%3D%2520%25E2%2580%259Csponsored%2520noopener%2520noreferrer%3Ftag%3Dradtim0b-21%26ascsubtag%3Dradiotimes-1626937&dtb=1">Prime Video free trial. 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Doctor Who deserves praise for shining a light on overlooked historical women
Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall's era of the BBC sci-fi series has broken barriers by centring female stories – long may it continue.
Doctor Who has a good track record for educating viewers on historical figures, with various versions of the time-travelling Doctor (especially in the post-2005 series) meeting significant faces from the past in different episodes. But of those the Doctor has met on screen, the list up until 2018 consisted mostly of men. While there were a few exceptions (such as Agatha Christie, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria in the Tennant years), it wasn't until the arrival of showrunner Chris Chibnall and Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker that the scales became more balanced. In just three seasons, Whittaker's Doctor has now met several incredible women from history, highlighting their stories and educating viewers on often-overlooked parts of the past. We’ve had some already well-known icons at the forefront of recent episodes, such as Mary Shelley and Rosa Parks. But subsequent episodes have also highlighted figures that rarely get the spotlight, such as wartime spy Noor Inayat Khan or medical hero Mary Seacole. Altogether, the current era of Doctor Who has been a beacon for representation, uncovering hidden stories and revisiting overlooked parts of history. Now, for upcoming Easter special Legend of the Sea Devils, the show will feature Madame Ching, a Chinese pirate leader from the 1800s rarely counted alongside the likes of Blackbeard despite her huge impact on society at the time she was alive. Isn't it time we gave Chris Chibnall some credit for telling these sorts of stories? After all, it's been there since the beginning of this era. During Whittaker and Chibnall’s first season of Who, the Doctor and her gang met Rosa Parks. The civil rights activist, who protested segregation by refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger on a bus in 1955, was the first historical person of colour in an episode whose story was the main focus (the show previously featured Queen Nefertiti as an incidental character in 2012, who at this point was the only other person of colour from Earth’s history to appear in the new series). Rosa focused on racism and segregation – not only during 1955, but how it also affected the Doctor’s companions in the present day. It showcased the importance of going back to what the show was originally intended for: educating its viewers. Centring stories like that of Rosa Parks’ activism helps to push for positive change and educate audiences on the truth of our history – it may not always be easy, but it's an essential story to tell. Since Rosa we’ve also seen the brilliant Ada Lovelace (known as the world's first computer programmer) join the Doctor on her adventures. In a world where women in STEM still face sexism and gender barriers, learning about Ada Lovelace means that young viewers can see that women have been just as important to the history of technology as men, and that they too can be mathematicians and scientists, whatever their gender. The Doctor’s adventures have always been about inspiration and hope, and the show continues to deliver that to its viewers through spotlighting female pioneers - and not just in science. Joining the Doctor and Lovelace in this story was Britain’s first Muslim war heroine, the incredible Noor Inayat Khan. Doctor Who has featured many historical figures during its nearly 60 year history, but the Thirteenth Doctor’s era has featured more historical women of different races than any other period of the show. We’ve had countless movies and shows depicting the events of the Second World War, but Khan is rarely mentioned. Sending Khan on an escapade with the Doctor is a powerful tool; it not only represents a wider range of audiences, but also celebrates them and their history. Other women featured were more well-known. Just a few episodes after meeting Lovelace and Khan, the TARDIS landed outside of Villa Diodati and introduced us to the legendary Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Showcasing so many women in one season of Who and portraying their complex histories also balanced the scale of telling more female stories. It means that we can look back upon Doctor Who’s past and learn about brilliant men AND brilliant women, getting a more even view of history and the events that have made our society what it is today. Most recently, Mary Seacole helped the Doctor defeat the potato-headed Sontarans during 2021's Doctor Who: Flux. While the name Florence Nightingale may be more recognisable in the British education system, British-Jamaican nurse Seacole also played a key role in the Crimean War, setting up the ‘British Hotel’ to tend to wounded soldiers during the conflict. Uncovering stories about women whose lives remain forgotten or largely untold has been one of the most beautiful parts of recent Doctor Who. Viewers young and old may now know of Mary Seacole’s incredible story, the TARDIS once again a vehicle for education and inspiration. We have two final episodes of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who this year. This Sunday, we’ll see Madame Ching join the list of famous women who’ve met the Doctor. She has probably the most complicated history of them all, and it will be interesting to see how the show balances the life of a ruthless pirate with the Doctor’s morality. However the show tackles this, we know one thing: that complex stories deserve to be told just as much as more palatable ones when used as a tool for education. Wherever Doctor Who heads next after the departures of Chibnall and Whittaker, let’s hope there’s space for the show to continue to delve into women throughout history and their stories. The TARDIS was designed to explore the universe, with the Doctor our teacher to show us the way. There’s no better use for a beloved franchise whose viewers span generations all over the world. Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 17th April. All 13 seasons of Doctor Who are also available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video – sign up for a <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/offers/rel=%20%E2%80%9Csponsored%20noopener%20noreferrer?tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-1627865" target="_blank" rel="sponsored" data-geniuslink="https://buy.geni.us/Proxy.ashx?TSID=114542&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fgp%2Fvideo%2Foffers%2Frel%3D%2520%25E2%2580%259Csponsored%2520noopener%2520noreferrer%3Ftag%3Dradtim0b-21%26ascsubtag%3Dradiotimes-1625860&dtb=1">Prime Video free trial. Visit our Sci-fi hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide. The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.