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And now they’re the latest classic companion to return to Doctor Who, fitting for Jodie Whitaker’s final episode (and BBC’s 100th anniversary special) The Power of the Doctor.
Who and how have changed since they last set foot in the TARDIS, what their characters have been up to in that time, and most importantly, what Jodie Whitaker has given them as fellow ex-Fu To find advice, we caught up with both of their performers.
Your characters Ace and Tegan are back — how did you feel when you got the call?
Sophie Ordred: I was in tears when I got the call. You didn’t realize it, but it’s the phone you’ve always wanted, right? There aren’t many jobs where you can say you’ve been playing the same role for 33 years. Maybe at Archers. that’s abnormal.
Janet Fielding: what can I say? How many shows give you that opportunity? It was the first camera appearance in 35 years, so it was an adjustment. I did the series in my twenties, and now I’m in my sixties. So it’s not as easy as it used to be.
But at least these days, I don’t have [former series boss] John Nathan Turner tells me what to wear. No more fighting monsters in short skirts, that’s all.
SA: Ace: I remember writing a book about the making of Doctor Who called The Story Behind the End of an Era. I put in an epilogue.
I mean, 33 years after I started Doctor Who, who would have thought I’d be playing the same part here? And I am very happy to do so. I love the ace part.
What have Tegan and Ace been up to since they last met in the 1980s? Is Ace still a giant tomboy?
JF: Let’s start at the top: Tegan is anything but mellow. For those of you who think you’ve gotten older and softer, dream! She’s in her 60s and she doesn’t care about anyone. That includes the Doctor, as always.
SA: Ace is the CEO of this charity, and although he wears a suit, he’s really not far from a baseball bat. She still wears her martin on the dock.
When your return was announced earlier this year, it was big news, did it get a lot of attention?
SA: Twitter explodes. I was getting message after message “I’m screaming, I’m crying, I jumped off the couch and hit my head!”
JF: I’m on Twitter. I don’t do Instagram. I’m a reluctant social media person. But the reaction was extraordinary. Very enthusiastic.
SA: Somebody said the next day on the BBC News website it said: party gate. Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred are back in Doctor Who. ’ It was really huge. It surprised us all.
What about your former Doctor Who co-stars Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy? How did they react?
SA: Sylvester was delighted. He was one of the first to email me. He’s the king of emojis, so there were lots of little symbols and “Congratulations, can’t wait to see that.”
JF: I’ve met Peter and I don’t think it’s very glamorous to be mesmerized, but sometimes you have to… We’re great mates. They spend a lot of time trying to separate Mickey from each other.
How has show production changed since your time?
JF: From my point of view there were many more time When I did Doctor Who. If you have a shoot and location job, read aloud, then 5 days to shoot, 10 days to rehearse, 2 days in the studio, 10 days in rehearsal, 3 days in the studio, or 4 23-minutes. Now you go in and do it. That is, we don’t go through the whole process of finding out if something works and talking about this, that, and so on.
SA: Other than that rehearsal period, I was surprised at how similar they really are. Another is the size of the device. Cameras are smaller now, but they’re still pretty heavy.
The trailer teases Ace and Tegan’s action in the new episode.
SA: Chris [Chibnall] “What do you want to do?” and i said to him They wanted someone who could ride a bike and look a little younger than they really are.
But that doesn’t compromise health and safety these days. When I got the script, yeah, it wasn’t a bike, but it didn’t disappoint.
JF: Yeah it’s all very exciting.
Jodie Whittaker is leaving Doctor Who – but are you both living proof that you’ll never say goodbye to the show?
SA: I remember someone saying ‘Welcome to the family’ when I got the first role. I immediately thought, “Yabai!” But it is absolutely true. it’s family.I told Jodi and Mandip [Gill]”You will never leave.”
JF: I don’t think Jody didn’t even have to talk about it. I think she already knew.
SA: It’s funny that Jodi and Mandip asked us about life after Doctor Who. Because for us, it’s like: Oh yeah, they don’t know yet.
We used to say, “You’re always going to the convention.” They were asking: What are Americans like? what can they expect? It was really nice. “Oh yeah, we’re old hands on this one. We’re leaders.”
What was upsetting for Sylvester and me at the time was that Doctor Who was cancelled. [in 1989]This is not a cancellation. It’s something Jodi has been waiting for for a long time and he’s working towards it, so it’s kind of a completion.
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This episode is also related to the BBC’s 100th anniversary. What is it like to be part of that legacy?
JF: Forget the BBC and feel like you’ve lived for 100 years. We should make a Doctor Who story that goes back to the founding of the BBC. Sir Reese had a very different idea for his BBC. In fact, it is Doctor Who who organizes Lord Reese’s thoughts…
SA: The BBC is a global wonder. Radio 4. Children’s programming. open university. That people had access to really great programming all over the world. It is our crown jewel. I am very proud to be a part of that celebration.
Can we see them come back again or is this the final goodbye for Ace and Teagan?
JF: If they wanted me back, I would say, Give me enough notice and I’ll go there. ’ It’s so riotous to participate.
Over the years, I run into people who say, “The doctors that were so important to me when I was going through this…” To be part of that element in people’s lives.
SA: Coming back, it was amazing given all the years that have been in between.
Yeah, I’m very proud of it, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. There are unique things to do.
An abridged version of this interview was published in Radio Times magazine.
Read more Doctor Who news:
Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor will air on BBC One on Sunday 23 October at 7:30pm. The series can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and episodes of the classic series are also available on BritBox. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage, or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is now available – APPLY NOW Get your next 12 issues for just £1. For more on TV’s biggest stars, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.
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