With Doctor Who’s future currently up in the air, star Jo Martin has suggested that the series should take its cues from those who arguably know it best: the fans.
The BBC recently announced that the show’s Christmas special has been cancelled, with the series being put out to competitive tender this year. Showrunner Russell T Davies has also stepped back.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times before the BBC’s announcement, Fugitive Doctor actress Martin opened up about her hopes for the series.
“I think we should be talking to the fans more, because they know this genre so well,” she said.
“They may have the best ideas for its future… As I’ve said before, long may it reign. The stories are endless. The stories are never going to end.
“Whovians, fans, and their children and their children’s children will be watching this show, and hopefully seeing holograms of me when I’m gone!”
She added: “I’m hoping that Doctor Who carries on, because it has been [here for] decade upon decade, with generations upon generations growing up on this show. It is a way of life and I think it will be here long after we are gone.”
Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor in Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker. BBC Studios
Martin made her debut as the Fugitive Doctor in season 12, and has returned various times since then, including a surprise appearance in the season 15 episode The Story & The Engine. Now, she’s set to star in Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker, a “multi-platform” adventure, released throughout the summer.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Times about what fans can expect, Martin said: “There are so many layers to her, and we’re just finding these layers, which has been a real gift and a real joy. She’s not one-dimensional, which is what she kind of veers on in her TV appearances, really – you don’t see all the other things that make her tick.”
Martin added: “I think that in all my TV appearances, she’s very decisive, she knows what [she’s doing], it’s a very hard line, and no nonsense. And I think with Big Finish and with Circuit Breaker, we’ve got room to breathe and room for more nuance and room for making her a far more multi-dimensional character.”
We’re also going to see the Fugitive Doctor in a very new dynamic, alongside returning character Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) – and Martin has teased that the pair of them might not always see eye to eye.
“She needs my help, as per usual!” she teased. “And, of course, I’m there for her. She doesn’t quite fully understand me, and there’s a little battle going on, but we need each other.”
Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker begins on 25 June on the UNIT website. Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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