Bradley Walsh wants to cast The Chase stars as Doctor Who villains
Could either The Beast, The Barrister or The Governess be the Doctor's next great foe? New Who companion Walsh wants to bring The Chasers into the fold...
They're the most terrifying foes in the universe: emotionless monsters ruled by logic, driven by an insatiable desire for knowledge and unstoppable in their mission to hunt down all humans.
We are talking, of course, about the Chasers from hit ITV game show The Chase, hosted by new Doctor Who companion Bradley Walsh.
And he thinks it's about time for a crossover.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, the host said that he would cast any one of the feared quizmasters as Doctor Who villains – which makes sense, considering that the Chasers have suitably Master-esque nicknames, including 'The Beast', 'The Barrister' and 'The Governess'.
"I would cast all of them," he says. "I think they'd be great. They're all pantomimic characters aren't they? But they're not like that really. I could see The Beast playing one, or Anne Hegerty [The Governess]. She's delightful really."
For Walsh, signing on to Doctor Who while staying host of The Chase has meant splitting his time between the two shows. Anne Hegerty, speaking earlier this month, revealed that Walsh's commitments has delayed filming on the show, but Walsh considers himself fortunate that both the BBC and ITV have worked together to make sure his schedule is manageable.
"I'm lucky to be in that position [of doing both shows] and I really love it," he says. "But [executive producer] Matt Strevens and his team, and my guys at ITV, they've actually gelled really well. They're in constant contact, to make sure that schedules do not clash. It's a tough ask, because [The Chase] is an ongoing contract that I have to honour. And to do this after being a fan of the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton shows, in the days when it was black and white... I'm thrilled to be part of it. It's great fun to do."
Doctor Who series 11 will premiere on BBC1 on October 7
Authors
Stephen Kelly is a freelance culture and science journalist. He oversees BBC Science Focus's Popcorn Science feature, where every month we get an expert to weigh in on the plausibility of a newly released TV show or film. Beyond BBC Science Focus, he has written for such publications as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The I, BBC Culture, Wired, Total Film, Radio Times and Entertainment Weekly. He is a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies, the apparent football team Tottenham Hotspur and writing short biographies in the third person.