Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who
- Publication: Evening Herald
- Date: 1983-02-08
- Author: Helen Howard
- Page: 38
- Language: English
TV'S busiest actor says he sometimes wishes he with a Tardis time-machine at his service!
Instead, to make sure that he knows where. he should be and what he is doing each day of each week, Peter Davison keeps a detailed wallchart at home. Now starring in the latest Dr. Who TV series BBC1 at 6.50 tonight recently been on TV screens in two other hits, Holding the Fort and Sink or Swim.
"Sometimes I almost think of myself as Peter Who?" 30-year-old Peter grins. "There are times when I have to stop and think who I am, and which part I ought to be learning.
"I've found myself on my way to some function in Scotland and then having to dash back to London the following day for something else.
"I could be opening a children's book fair. thinking over some other personal appearances, or reading through a Dr. Who script virtually at the same time.
"And I love every minute of it."
Yet Peter Davison isn't much a workaholic as a realist.
He explains: "My luck for can't last for ever - that's something I realise too well.
"There'll come a time when I won't be able to maintain the energy level that I have at the moment, which allows me to work on three television series all at roughly the same time.
"But I'm not unduly worried that it all might end tomorrow - or the day after that.
"That's something I've geared myself psychologically to face. This is my hour tomorrow could be somebody else's. That's what life is all about."
There's probably never been a young TV actor who has been so popular and so succesful in such a wide range of television roles.
But as Peter points out: "Too much of a good thing, from my point of view could quickly become too much of a bad from thing... public's point of view!
Sometimes, I've thought about limiting my television work and sticking with Dr. Who. But there's the danger of becoming typecast.
"I do other types of television work. so that people won't regard just as the Doctor.
"But there's still the risk that people will suddenly think: "We've seen. enough of him recently. Now let's have a look at somebody else.
Peter still finds it hard to believe that he's been totally accepted as the fourth Dr. Who - the role that's virtually a cult in almost 40 countries for 100 million viewers. "I was absolutely speechless when the BBC first offered me the part." he admits. "It seemed unbelieveable because I'd been an avid fan of the series ever since I was 12 years old.
"Playing Dr. Who entails such a lot. It seems to affect the life of every actor who has played the part."
Last December 26 Peter celebrated five years of marriage to the bubbly, beautiful blonde American actress Sandra Dickinson.
Yet with his normal, cheerful modesty. Peter enjoys pointing out that they certainly didn't fall in love at first sight They first knew other when they students at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.
"I was a year ahead of Sandra." says Peter, "and we knew. although. each other, I don't suppose we exchanged more than a few words during the whole two years there.
"Then we met up again when we were in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Edinburgh Festival. "By then, Sandra had become rather famous In person. fact, I member thinking that she was far too famous and successful a person to be bothered with somebody like me!"
Yet fall in love they certainly did. though Peter still claims to have been surprised. by it all
"Well, I've never been off to sweep girls their feet by wining and dining them." he laughs.
"And I was hardly the catch of the season.
"At the time, the only transport I had shabby old van. I'd hardly have called that much of a status symbol." of course. he Today. has the status symbol to that beat them all. fly-away. police-box called. the TARDIS!
Caption: Peter Davison, TV's Dr. Who: "My luck won't last forever."
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Howard, Helen (1983-02-08). Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who. Evening Herald p. 38.
- MLA 7th ed.: Howard, Helen. "Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who." Evening Herald [add city] 1983-02-08, 38. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Howard, Helen. "Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who." Evening Herald, edition, sec., 1983-02-08
- Turabian: Howard, Helen. "Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who." Evening Herald, 1983-02-08, section, 38 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Peter_wishes_he_really_was_Dr._Who_really_was_Dr._Who | work=Evening Herald | pages=38 | date=1983-02-08 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Peter wishes he really was Dr. Who really was Dr. Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Peter_wishes_he_really_was_Dr._Who_really_was_Dr._Who | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025}}</ref>
