FORMER Dr Who Peter Davison is exploring space once more.
The current star of the comedy series Ain't Misbehaving now has his head above the clouds to work at his childhood hobby — astronomy.
His new BBC1 series Heavenly Bodies sees the popular actor presenting fascinating facts about everything from star signs to moon-walking. "I have always been interested in astronomy," says Davison.
"My first memory of it was when I was given the chance to look through my grandfather's brass naval telescope.
"I still own it, but since doing the
series I have been on the look-out for a rather more modern one."
Davison says his years as the sci-fi Time Lord Dr Who probably landed him the job.
"You could say there is a slight connection," he laughs.
Davison has regular contact with his fellow Time Lords, such as Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy, thanks to the huge following that the series has in the United States.
It rivals Star Trek for fanatics, with regular conventions and hundreds of fans dressing up as their favourite heroes or villains.
"I don't tend to do as many of them as the other Doctors," Davison admits.
"For me it means having to smile for three days non-stop — and I find that difficult," he says.
"It's not that I am usually a miserable person," he insists. "But at the end of each day I would go back to the hotel with a fixed smile."
But Davison has no regrets about his time travelling with the Tardis. "It is still nice to know that wherever I go I do still seem to have that instant charisma of being the Doctor."
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