Doctor Who launched my acting career. I was in this awful transitional period, going from singing to acting, so getting the part of Rose Tyler felt like a real vote of confidence. I’m not sure the fans were as happy – loads seemed hacked off, as they often are about change – but they soon seemed to accept me. I’ve signed quite a few fans’ bodies over the years, but my fan mail has been very gentle: these are smart people, with sci-fi intellects.
At first, I didn’t know whether the show was going to be a success or die a death. It was such a hard shoot: nine months, with pretty much everyone using CGI for the first time. There were times when I thought, “Is this ever going to pay off?” But it did. I remember being in a London hotel for the launch of the first episode. There was such a buzz; it was thrilling. I called a friend and said, “I’m going to remember this feeling for the rest of my life.”
I loved the character of Rose; the fact that she was a girl who went from a small, domestic life to experiencing time travel with this strange guy. She was both strong-willed and vulnerable. I think that’s a really healthy representation of women. Instead of showing a female character endlessly striving towards perfection, here we saw a range of genuine female reactions. The show seemed to say, it’s OK to cry, it’s OK to question yourself, and it’s OK to be excited about someone else coming up with a great idea.
I’ve had some discussions recently with a friend who is convinced the next Doctor needs to be a woman. I don’t think he does. I like that he’s a man and that he has his little time-travelling mate. You see what’s important in that kind of relationship: what a man can offer, what a woman can offer. It’s OK to feel small against this enormous male character. It’s actually quite romantic.
The BBC have announced the the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special will be called The Day Of The Doctor. They have also confirmed that the running time of the episode, starring Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt will be 75 minutes. Filmed in 3D, it will be screened on BBC One, BBC America and worldwide on the 23rd November and will also have a limited cinematic release. Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer on Doctor Who said: “50 years has turned Doctor Who from a television show into a cultural landmark. Personally I can’t wait to see what it becomes after a hundred.”
The BBC made the announcement among details of other programmes scheduled to mark the anniversary of the show. These include:
- An Adventure In Space and Time, written by Mark Gatiss. The one-off drama stars David Bradley as William Hartnell, the first Doctor, and tells the story of the show’s beginning in 1963
- Who Is The Doctor?: A 90-minute documentary on BBC Radio 2 with newly-recorded interviews and exclusive archive material
- There will also be several commissions on BBC Three
Doctor Who showrunner has called the hit BBC1 series “Billie Piper’sshow”, crediting the actress for the show’s success when it returned in 2005.
Asked why the 30-year-old actress keeps reappearing in the show, Moffat said: “Probably because when the show first came back I think it was Billie Piper who brought it back. I think those first two years, that was Billie Piper’s show.”
“It was all about Billie, and Billie as Rose,” Moffat continued, while speaking at the Ad Lib event in Edinburgh last night. “Russell [T Davies] was so clever in creating that character and casting that character so perfectly. He’s allowed an audience who would not naturally have watched Doctor Who, which was practically everybody at the time, to find a way into the show, so she has an iconic status partly because it was a brilliant performance and a brilliantly written part but it was also the way back in.”
“She has a bigger status than most of those companions and really seriously, for the first two years, that was Billie Pipers show and she was amazing. Let’s not forget how amazing she was.”
“It was a really nice feeling because every day felt like a celebration. You knew you were part of something special, and part of the history of the show. It will be lovely to look back in a few years and be like, ‘Cool, I was part of that whole thing!’”
Jenna also spoke of meeting Billie, who played companion Rose during the first two series of post-rebirth Who: “This was the first time I had met her. I heard a lot about her. Matt’s really good friends with Billie, so I felt like I met her before.”
Did they compare any notes about their TARDIS travels? Not really, Jenna says. “It’s funny, the stuff you talk about is more like the logistics of like, ‘Oh yeah, I used to eat at this place.’ ‘Well, actually did you know about this place?’ ‘Oh, I stayed in this place.’ We shared notes on that kind of thing, and then we just really got on. She’s great to have around. She’s got such a good energy on set as well. We all had special chairs made for us for the 50th. In between takes and stuff like that, we’d sit around and it was just like a big family.”
Let’s talk a little bit about the 50th. I know you can’t say too much, but what was the vibe like on set, since it was the 50th Anniversary special. Did it feel like a regular episode?
Jenna Coleman: No, it didn’t. It was different in so many ways. Because it’s 3D, the way of shooting is totally different. The cameras are a lot bigger. It takes a lot more time with set ups, and actually filming the show. Also, just having so many people on set. It’s such an ensemble cast, with the three Doctors, with Billie Piper, myself, lots of different characters.
It was a really nice feeling because every day felt like a celebration. There was just a buzz. You knew you were part of something special, and part of the history of the show. There was that kind of atmosphere around. I have to think it will be lovely to look back in a few years and be like, ‘Cool, I was part of that whole thing!’
Had you met Billie Piper before or was this the first time?
This was the first time I had met her. I heard a lot about her. Matt’s really good friends with Billie, so I felt like I met her before.
Did you compare companion notes at all?
It’s funny, the stuff you talk about is more like the logistics of like, ‘Oh yeah, I used to eat at this place.’ ‘Well, actually did you know about this place?’ ‘Oh, I stayed in this place.’ We shared notes on that kind of thing, and then we just really got on. She’s great to have around. She’s got such a good energy on set as well. We all had special chairs made for us for the 50th. In between takes and stuff like that, we’d sit around and it was just like a big family.
It sounds exciting.
It was, and we’d all get Nando’s at lunch. Do you have that here?
Following The Daleks, here comes the ultimate celebration of the Doctor’s companions and friends, from Ian, Barbara, and Susan in the very first episode through to Clara in the current series.
This lavishly illustrated collectors’ volume contains many rare and previously unseen photos, and includes a wealth of features and interviews, celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who.
You can pre-order the Bookazine here