Resistance is useless ...

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Publication: St Ives Weekly News
Date: 1992-11-19
Author: David Crozier
Page:
Language: English

IT'S been getting on for three years now, barring repeats, since Dr Who disappeared from our TV screens. But despite that, the popularity of this remarkable science fiction programme remains as strong as ever.

Witness last Saturday, when Sophie Aldred visited Forbidden Planet, the comics and science fiction store in Burleigh Street, Cambridge.

Sophie, who played Dr Who's assistant Ace in the last couple of seasons of the show, was at the shop to sign copies of a new Who magazine 'Classic Comics'. And there was a steady stream of delighted fans eager to meet and chat to her.

Dr Who first appeared on our screens in late 1963 when Sophie was just over a year old.

And, a few years later she, like most young people, avidly watched the programme on a Saturday tea-time. Except the Cybermen.

"I remember I was terrified of the Cybermen," Sophie said. "My mother actually stopped me watching Dr Who for a while because I was so scared of the Cybermen I used to scream and cry so much when they were on."

But, like most of us, the thrill of weird monsters and barren planets — not to mention the regular fights in quarries — eventually waned and, when Sophie's agent put her name forward to appear in an episode of the series, Sophie herself didn't even realise it was still going.

Surprise

"My agent had put me up for it because they wanted somebody who looked young for their age and could ride motorbikes," she said.

At the time, Sophie — a classically-trained singer — was appearing in the musical Fiddler On The Roof with Topol.

"I thought I didn't really come over as 16 which is what the part wanted — I was 25 at the time — but to my great surprise got the episode."

And so, she joined the ranks of actors involved in the series which is now sold to 32 countries and is still being broadcast "literally all the time", she said, in America.

But will there be any more made?

"I don't know," said Sophie. "I think people realise after 3 1/2 years since we made the last one that there is the possibility that we're not going to do anymore —which is a great shame."

Caption: Sophie Aldred at Saturday's book signing at Forbidden Planet in Burleigh Street.

Resistance is useless ...

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