WHO'S THERE?
IT is Halloween and all across the universe terrifying forces are stirring and an ancient evil is breaking free.
“It’s bigger and better than ever,” says Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker. “It’s my final (full) series, there will be questions asked, there will be answers, there will be exclamation marks... and I think that in itself will pique your curiosity.”
She adds: “I think self-discovery is the biggest journey the Doctor goes on this series. A self-discovery rollercoaster!”
Packed with action, humour, terrifying new villains and iconic returning monsters such as the Sontarans and the Weeping Angels, the 13th series of Doctor Who begins tomorrow and tells one story across a vast canvas.
Jodie says: “We started filming late because of Covid, so starting was a tentative time because none of us had shot during the pandemic.
“Knowing it was my last, I knew it would be very different because we weren’t able to travel, we couldn’t be tactile in that way we were.
“But what was immediately reassuring is as soon as you got on set, no matter if the logistics or the face of the show seemed different because of masks and all of that, all of the heart and all the love was still there and it was still great fun.
“We were able to be safe as we could be and as caring as we could be and not lose the atmosphere on the set. It was such a pleasure to be around people, so I was delighted!
“It was emotional to start with because you hadn’t seen anyone and everyone has gone through so much to get to the first day, and you want to make sure you’re not the person to make a mistake as the domino effect can be so catastrophic on the set.”
Comedian John Bishop is also stepping into the Tardis as new cast regular Dan Lewis, following the departure of companions Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole.
“Getting to know John has been wonderful,” says 39-year-old Jodie. “He came in at one hundred and ten (percent) with his energy and enthusiasm. He’s been so much fun to be around he’s been a massive team player.
“For us, we were still grieving
Brad and Tosin and for him to come in and not to fill anybody’s shoes and be his own person... we found a new dynamic which felt brilliant and it felt so comfortable. The way you meet Dan are really fun scenes.”
John laughingly says there was a big bonus in joining Doctor Who. “It meant I could get out of the house and not be stuck in with Covid.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know how big an impact this will have on my life or anything like that as it’s not come out yet, but as a life experience it’s one of the best things that I’ve done since I’ve managed to get into this world of showbusiness. I genuinely feel I’ve learned a lot and I’ve made good friends, and I didn’t think that I’d come away with that.”
John, who turns 55 at the end of November adds: “Most of what I do is me – or The John Bishop Show – me on the stage on my own or leading something on my own. For this I
Doctor Who is back with a Halloween special. MARION McMULLEN discovers which monsters from the Timelord’s past will return in the show’s 13th series
The thing that’s fun about working with monsters that have been in it before but are new for me is that it makes you feel like you are getting your moment of history... like Sontarans, for me it’s my first...
was part of something and I wasn’t the most important part which was good!
“In many respects the actors themselves are not the most important thing, there are so many other things that happen before that camera gets turned on and I came away with that appreciation for the skill of so many others.”
Jodie also enjoyed getting to work with some of Doctor Who’s famous enemies. “The thing that’s fun about working with monsters that have been in it before but are new for me is that it makes you feel like you are getting your moment of history... like Sontarans, for me it’s my first so that was great.”
She says: “The prosthetics are amazing. You forget that the make-up is on them after 10 minutes as you’re so used to seeing them having a cup of tea and talking to people.”
However, fighting aliens comes at a price and Jodie has suffered her fair share of bruises doing stunts for the new series. She reveals: “After two days I was bruised and hurt and realised that this is why there are stunt doubles, as I am pathetic!
“You do a lot of flips as if you’re falling through space and have to spin yourself backwards in a rotation and make sure you don’t get tangled. It’s all wonderful as you don’t think at the time that you’ll be able to do it. I also do sword fighting in this, or maybe it is best described as avoiding being got by a sword – I really loved that.
“Stunts wise there is a lot of action, but rather than jumping through cranes it feels like a lot of falling through space.”
Meanwhile, what does John think fans will make of the newest member of the Tardis team? “So far it’s been positive but they haven’t met Dan yet!
“I think, for me, I have been given a glimpse that once you’re in Doctor Who, you’re fixed in time in the eyes of a lot of people because they’ll come to it at different times in their lives and at different ages. And so of all the things I’ve ever done, it might be the thing that lasts the longest.”
Doctor Who, BBC1, tonight, 6.25pm