PETER PAN star Bonnie Langford is to be Dr. Who's new girl in the next BBC TV series, it was announced today.
Television executives are hoping that some of Peter Pan's immortality will rub off on the programme, which has the threat of BBC 1 controller Michael Grade's axe hanging over it.
The bubbly 21-year-old - who was not even born when the first Dr. Who episode went out - will be assistant No. 20 for the current Time Lord, Colin Baker.
It is hoped that her appearance in the series will influence the decision on whether the autumn series will mark the last journey of the famous Tardis.
Mr. Grade delayed the series because he thought the previous one had grown "tired and unimaginative," and featured too much violence.
He said it would be watched closely this time to decide whether it should continue.
Bonnie Langford, currently starring in Peter Pan at the Aldwych Theatre in London, was chosen for the Dr. Who role for her "sparkling" personality.
The former child star, who made her bigtime debut in television's Opportunity Knocks, has never had an image linked to violence.
At the age of 12 she played in Just William, as Violet Elizabeth "I'll Thqueam" Bott, went on to star in the West End and kicked off part of her goody-goody image with some raunchy performances in Wayne Sleep's Hot Shoe Show on BBC TV.
In Dr. Who she will help to develop the humour of the programme. She thinks the doctor is overweight; he gets irritated at her singing in the Tardis.
The 22-year-old series has seen six Dr. Who characters and 19 previous assistants.
The Corporation is reported to have years of early episodes worth a potential fortune to a world market.
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