Chris Chibnall, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill
The last season ended on such a cliffhanger, fans are desperate to know what’s going on. Tell us a little about where we’re going to pick up?
Chris Chibnall: We pick up with the Doctor in prison. She’s been taken by the Judoon at the end of the last series and we’ll be picking up with her there. Some time has passed, she has been in prison for a very long time. She’s struggling. Back on Earth Yaz, Graham and Ryan are struggling to figure out their lives without the Doctor. It’s been 10 months for them since they’ve seen the Doctor and at the beginning of this they discover the presence of a Dalek.
The Doctor has faced major challenges before but perhaps this is her biggest challenge yet. How is she coping when we see her?
Jodie Whittaker: The opening for the Doctor is in prison where a lot of time has passed, and time plays out for the Doctor in a certain way as well so I think what’s interesting is at the start of this, the discoveries and journeys that we all go on aren’t Doctor led. That makes it exciting as well because it’s definitely a team effort throughout.
How is Yaz getting on without the Doctor? Is she having to take control here?
Mandip Gill: Yeah I think like we saw, Yaz has a really complex and different connection to the Doctor than the two boys for loads of personal reasons. So I think it would be safe to say that she is struggling without the Doctor but is probably trying that bit more than the boys to solve this. Probably because there was just no conclusion and that’s a little bit distressing for her but also she has a connection with the Doctor and with Space. She loves being in Sheffield, but there’s just something about Space, and the Doctor that’s just not been fulfilled yet. So there’s just more a sense of urgency with Yaz trying to find the Doctor.
Let’s talk a little bit about Captain Jack, we saw him briefly in series 12 and he’s coming back for the festive special. How long have you been planning that?
Chris: Ooh a long time, it’s been cooked up for a long time. We knew he’d be coming back for this special so we back-laid him into the previous series and the Judoon episode in the middle there. It’s been cooked up over lots of phone calls and secret meetings, and not so secret meetings, at John Barrowman concerts and things like that! He smuggled me backstage and we had a secret conversation. I knew that I really wanted Captain Jack to meet the Thirteenth Doctor and it had been a long time since he’d been on screen in Doctor Who so well overdue, and with Festive Specials you want them to feel like a treat, and there’s no bigger treat than John Barrowman’s Captain Jack.
Another thing that people have been talking about, lots of rumours flying around, is this going to be the end of the fam?
Jodie: Well as the Doctor I will say that the fam as a four is no more.
Mandip: I’m not really an emotional person, but even I was like “this is really sad I’ll never see you again, you’re so busy Brad always filming”. But it’s been too soon to miss them, we have this WhatsApp group that’s pinging all the time, and obviously because of the lockdown we wouldn’t have seen each other anyway in that time, so it’s too soon to realise the impact of not having them, because we’re constantly sending memes or a message.
Can you tell us a bit about the storyline and how they come to leave?
Chris: I can tell you that it’s very emotional, I think we’ve all been in tears watching it. It’s a really important part of the mix of the special, where you get lots of thrills, lots of spills, lots of humour, lots of Daleks, and lots of emotion. It’s hard, but we don’t shy away from what it means for this family to have its final moments together. And it was emotional off screen, it’s emotional on screen, and it’s an incredible thing. Because it’s like you said Jodie, you all clicked, and you just never know if that’s going to happen. You could never have known that you would all get on and have such a great time, and I think we all feel very lucky that that happened. And that’s reflected on and off screen, but I hope it feels like a good send off for those two characters whatever happens to them.
And will the door be left open for them?
Chris: You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you!
We do have some exciting guest appearances in this episode. Can you talk about Chris Noth coming back?
Chris: Well I loved his character, it’s a fabulous performance by Chris. He loved being in the show and was very keen to come back. And his character story didn’t feel like it was at an end. He was disgraced at the end of the previous episode where we met him. And the story of his recovery and how he claws his way back into the world is seen in this story.
Jodie: He was brilliant. We had a really good time so we were like ‘great!’. I think for us, it’s really important that if someone’s going to come on it, and they’re going to leave their families, especially someone coming from abroad, they’re going to have to spend a long time away, the hours are what they are, there’s a lot going on, you don’t want that energy to be faked in the scene, you want it to be a bubble of excitement. I think we’ve been so lucky with all the guest artists that have come in, they’ve all brought so much, but I feel like they’ve all had a really good time as well. I think Chris is a comedy genius, I think he’s hilarious.
Why do you think people get so excited by the Daleks? What can we expect from them this time?
Jodie: I think what’s really brilliant about it is, it requires no previous knowledge of the Who universe. A TARDIS is a part of people’s vocabulary whether they’ve seen the show or not, so is a Dalek. This is the thing about it, you have little kids knowing about ‘exterminate’, it’s such an iconic thing.
John Barrowman talks about returning as Captain Jack
Ahead of his return in the upcoming New Year’s Day special Revolution of the Daleks, John Barrowman talked about reprising the part of Captain Jack Harkness, facing the Daleks once more, and what it was like to join the Doctor Who family.
Captain Jack is one of the most iconic and recognisable characters in Doctor Who, how did you get away with being back in Cardiff and not giving away you’re back?
The irony is I did the costume fitting the day I was doing a concert in Cardiff. Ray (Homan, costume designer) came to the hotel, it was the same hotel I stayed in with my husband, Scott, after we got married and the hotel had put pictures of us up in the room, so we were doing the costume fitting. So I took a picture of me in the room with Cardiff in the background and thought if people only knew…
When we were filming, I was being driven to set with hoodies on and I was also able to throw people off the scent because I said I was there to remodel our flat. I’ve never actually posted a picture of which I will do, it’ll be quite funny when I do that. It’s a little fun thing. I think because we live in Cardiff, and have a house there, people don’t find it weird when they see me in town. They don’t think I’m there filming. So it’s a very good thing to have a house there because it throws them off the scent.
How was it to step into Jack’s shoes again?
I call it slipping on the coat. Putting Jack’s coat on is like wearing an old coat. I know exactly who he is, I know exactly how he talks, I know exactly the way he delivers things so it’s like putting an old pair of shoes or an old coat. It’s why I rarely put the coat on for photographs and things because it changes my whole demeanour.
What can we expect from Captain Jack this time? Is it the same cheeky character?
Yes. Captain Jack is a little older. He’s still fun. He still very much has a joie de vivre, a lust for life and a passion for saving people and humanity, as does the Doctor. You can expect cheeky lines. You can expect a couple of… shall we say a few sparks between he and somebody. He plays along with to wind that person up. Jack always seems to find somebody who has a heart and Jack then has a lovely chat with … I’ll just say someone he finds in team TARDIS who has a very big and open heart.
Jack has a long history with the Daleks, what was it like going up against them again?
I love the Daleks. I have one in my house. I’ve always been a fan. For me as a little boy growing up Glasgow, it was always Davros, the Daleks and the Cybermen. Now I can say I got to fight the Daleks, I got to fight Davros but I never got to do the Cybermen. However the Daleks for me are the quintessential and most evil villain of the Doctor. As Captain Jack, I say they are never to be underestimated as they will always find a way to survive which is exactly why they have survived over centuries.
How was it being on set with the cast?
Having been part of team TARDIS it was great being back with them. It’s interesting for me because I’ve been with the most Doctors as one of the Doctor’s companions. So it’s interesting because I get to see the difference with each of them. Also their different quirky personalities. What’s great for me as Captain Jack and being part of team TARDIS is I get to figure out all the different personalities of the other players and characters in there. It’s Jack making himself work with that.
I’ve known Bradley for years. For me to be on set with Bradley was a laugh. Also with Mandip and Tosin. Mandip came to me after and said “it’s kinda weird because in this World you are the man. For us to have you on…” Tosin used to say to the others “do we have to match his energy?” and it’s like YES (laughs). You’ve got to be scared of the Daleks. Brad said to me “You get it. You love this. You love doing it and it shows.” So yeah, we had a great time.
What was your overall highlight of returning?
For me the thing was being back. I’ve always said from the moment I finished when we did Torchwood and I went off to the States, people continually to this day ask me “when are you going back to Doctor Who? When will Jack meet Jodie’s Doctor?” And I used to always say to people if I’m asked, I’ll do it at the drop of a hat. You do not have to convince me. You do not have to twist my arm. I will be back because I love the role so much. So for me it was great to be back. It kind of solidified what I always thought in the back of my mind that Jack was actually a really popular character.
To have him be brought back and be made into such a big deal… the fans went bonkers when it first happened and they’re gonna go bonkers again. It was like going home. It was like going back home to a family and even though they were different people, it was still the same world.
Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole talk about ‘Revolution of the Daleks’ and leaving Doctor Who
What can viewers expect from the festive special?
Bradley Walsh: You can expect old enemies, spectacular scenes, a surprising ending and a heart- warming story.
Graham, Ryan and Yaz are stuck on earth without the Doctor, how are they getting on?
Tosin Cole: Yes, Ryan is OK without the Doctor. He has learnt a lot from his time with the crew and is now more confident and self-sufficient than ever.
Bradley: They are very annoyed, I think they are more annoyed as they feel like they have been abandoned. I don’t think they realise what predicament the Doctor has been in and I think they are more annoyed and a bit upset that they have been sort of left alone. I think what is happening as well is that they are becoming slightly more accustomed to their surroundings being back on earth.
We see ‘the fam’ go up against the Daleks in the festive special, what’s it like working with such an iconic monster?
Bradley: For me it was amazing. I loved it, you can say you have taken on a Dalek, you are only one of a few people on the planet, on our real planet, that has done that and has worked with them so I am very honoured and privileged to be part of that.
Tosin: Working with the Daleks is sort of like working with Doctor Who royalty. You have to respect them because they are so iconic.
Do you have a highlight from filming the episode?
Bradley: There are some very moving movements in the show and working with Jodie, Mandip and Tosin is a dream come true. They are all so, so talented people and all the crew too. For me it was very emotional.
You’ve got to work with some really iconic monsters, do you have a favourite?
Tosin: Hmm I would say Weeping Angels, but never had the pleasure of working with them. So I would have to say the Dregs as they really shook me up whilst we were filming.
Captain Jack is also back. What was it like working with John Barrowman?
Bradley: He makes me laugh a lot. He is a breath of fresh air. Funny guy and a great actor and far too handsome for his own good!
This is yours and Tosin’s last episode, can viewers expect lots of drama?
Bradley: It is very, very dramatic. It is very sad. It is quite sad and poignant is the word. You can expect a lot of poignancy from the episode.
Without giving anything away, what was your final scene like?
Tosin: Emotional! I was looking forward to having a rest though!
What’s been your highlight about being on Doctor Who?
Bradley: Working in Wales with everyone on the crew. I have absolutely loved it, loved it. Wales has become like a second home to me and being included in something so iconic and ground-breaking with the advent of having a female Doctor, that whole thing where Chibnall sold that to me, it didn’t disappoint, and I loved working with those guys.
I love working with Chris Chibnall, that man is a genius but to also be working with Mandip and Tosin and of course Jodie is just extraordinary.
What are you going to miss the most?
Tosin: There are too many things to list here, but it has to be the team on the screen and behind it as well as the amazing fans. It’s been an honour to work on such a cultural institution with fans across the world. The people like me on the screen come and go, but it’s the people behind the scenes and the fans that will always be there keeping the Doctor Who world alive and exciting.
Bradley: Everyone and everything. We are now in constant contact, texting, Whatsapping. I miss them all. I was texting the location guys across the airwaves. Happy days. Fantastic memories. Our times abroad, when we were in Spain, South Africa. I just loved it.
And Jodie Whittaker spoke on Bradley and Tosin’s departure:
“On a personal note, absolutely devasted! Both of them had to carry me to my trailer, I haven’t cried like that for such a long time. Brad couldn’t cope with it at all! Tosin was like ‘I really can’t cope with you getting this upset’.”
Get ready for the festive special Revolution of the Daleks, coming to BBC One and BBC America on New Year’s Day.
