Behind the scenes of Jodie Whittaker's final, cameo-filled Doctor Who
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for "The Power of the Doctor."
Jodie Whittaker's final episode of Doctor Who delivered more cameos from fan favorites than any previous adventure — even before the actress' version of the titular time traveler regenerated into David Tennant (and not, as had been expected, Ncuti Gatwa) during the show's final minutes.
"The Power of the Doctor" featured previously-announced appearances from Sophie Aldred's Ace and Janet Fielding's Tegan, but the list of previous companions seen on the show proved much lengthier than that with Bradley Walsh's Graham, Katy Manning's Jo, Bonnie Langford's Mel, and William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton way back in the '60s, all joining in the fun. The episode also saw the return of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor, Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor, Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor, Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor, and David Bradley's version of the First Doctor, a role originally played by the late William Hartnell.
BBC America Jodie Whittaker in 'Doctor Who'
Speaking after a screening of the episode in London earlier this month, departing showrunner Chris Chibnall revealed how he decided to include so many cameos in the episode, which in addition to being his and Whittaker's final show, also celebrated the BBC's centenary.
"The story of the Master, the Daleks, and the Cybermen was always going to be Jodie's final episode," said the executive producer. "We talked right when Sacha (Dhawan, who plays the villainous Master) was with us in series 12, Jodie's second series, we talked about him coming back for her final episode as soon as we saw a few days of him on set. So we always knew that. And then, when it became a 90-minute episode for the BBC centenary, it was just that chance to have the past, present, and the future all in one episode, and really layer it in with my love of Doctor Who, and just do those references into the past, and just pack it full of Easter eggs. I mean, the amount of surprises we have been keeping, and the amount of secrets we have been keeping for a very long time, it feels like a relief to see them up there. It had to be big, it had to be epic, it had to be emotional, and it had to have lots of golden threads back to the past... The great things was, everybody said yes, first phoning Janet and Sophie, then getting in touch with the other [Doctors], then people like Bonnie and Katie and William Russell, everybody, they were just yeses."
The screening was also attended by Whittaker who talked about the time she spent with the actors who had previously played the Doctor. "I loved working with everyone, but the scenes for me where I get to meet other iterations was such an emotional day, such a wonderful day. It was like being at the ultimate Comic-Con," she said.
The actress turned up on set the day the production shot the scene featuring all the companions even though the Doctor did not appear in the sequence.
"I was in the green room with everyone. It was amazing," said Whittaker. "Walking onto set with people who, this is their show, and you are a tiny drop in the ocean of Doctor Who. For us, we've got to tread lightly, we've got to earn our place, and so then to be on set with people that paved the way for us to be here, it's a really emotional thing. I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a relatively new Whovian, compared to a lot of people. My introduction into the universe has been getting the job. To have these kind of experiences, I know people would kill to be in this position, and so I knew every second of it you've just got to treasure."
Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three special episodes celebrating the show's 60th anniversary starring Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate, reprising her role as Donna Noble. Gatwa will then take control of the TARDIS, with his first episode airing over that year's festive period.
Watch the just-released teaser for those special episodes below.
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