Time of my life
- Publication: TV & Satellite Week
- Date: 2023-12-02
- Author:
- Page:
- Language: English
Showrunner Russell T. Davies on his enduring love of Doctor Who
The Doctor (David Tennant) and companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) are transported to the furthest reaches of the universe by an out-of-control TARDIS this week, following Donna's accidental spillage of a cup of coffee all over the ship's control console.
While the BBC is keeping the details of this instalment tightly under wraps until it airs - with showrunner Russell T. Davies simply hinting that the episode is 'serious and dark' - TV&Satellite Week caught up with Davies, 60, for an exclusive chat about his lifelong love of the show...
What's your earliest memory of Doctor Who?
My first memory is William Hartnell [who played the First Doctor] regenerating - I was terrified! I didn't realise what was going on because regeneration had never happened before, and I was only three anyway! I remember all the switches on the TARDIS console were operating on their own, and it terrified me. That scene doesn't exist in the archives, it's gone, but it's wired into my head.
Which episodes are your favourites?
I love The Ark in Space with Tom Baker, from 1975. The first episode is simply him, Elisabeth Sladen [who played Sarah Jane Smith] and Ian Marter as Harry trapped all alone on a spaceship full of dead people. It's a marvellous piece of work. There's also a Patrick Troughton story from the 60s called The Invasion, where the Cybermen hide in factories all across the world and invade Earth through the sewers, which is absolutely glorious.
Who are your favourite adversaries of the Doctor?
Daleks. I just love them. In my house in Manchester, I've got collections of Daleks that sit on my shelves like a proper fan. There's something absolutely amazing about the fact someone designed something in 1963 and they got it so perfectly right that you dare not interfere with them.
What memorable encounters have you had with fans of the show?
I had my hair cut the other day by a 60-year-old man who remembered episodes of Doctor Who from 1968. He wasn't a fan, he was simply remembering his childhood, and I knew which episode he was talking about - a story called Fury from the Deep. That was a cherished memory of his youth, and that's how important Doctor Who is. We've all grown up with the Doctor in different forms, and we carry that with us with a lot of love and pride.
Doctor Who
Saturday, 6.30pm, BBC1
Caption: Donna (Catherine Tate) and the Doctor (David Tennant)
Caption: The Daleks first appeared on the show in 1963
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- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Time of my life | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time_of_my_life | work=TV & Satellite Week | pages= | date=2023-12-02 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Time of my life | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time_of_my_life | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 March 2025}}</ref>
