David Bradley has some Doctor Who advice for new Doctor Jodie Whittaker
First Doctor replacement David Bradley, who appears in 2017 Christmas special Twice Upon a Time, shares some handy tips for his former Broadchurch co-star
It’s fair to say that this December’s Doctor Who Christmas special is a real extravaganza, featuring not one, not two but THREE incarnations of the Time Lord in the form of Peter Capaldi’s departing Twelfth Doctor, the returned First Doctor and Jodie Whittaker’s new Thirteenth Doctor.
Of course, two of these Doctors have actually worked together on screen before, with Whittaker and Bradley both acting in the first series of Broadchurch. Whittaker even said she’d seek out Bradley’s advice when it came to taking on her new role (along with fellow Who/Broadchurch crossovers David Tennant and Arthur Darvill).
When we sat down with Bradley for the special Radio Times Doctor Who preview issue, we couldn’t resist asking: has Whittaker reached out yet? And what would his tips for her, Doctor to Doctor, actually be?
“She hasn't asked me yet, no,” Bradley, who’s taking over William Hartnell’s original role from the 1960s, said.
“But I'll say, they just need to keep that sense of fun and not forget the comic energy - no matter how dark the situation is in the story.
“And just enjoy it, and keep that sense of fun. She's got that, she's got it all, all she needs to do is tap into it, and I'm sure she'll do the biz.”
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Bradley has worked closely with incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, who wrote and created Broadchurch as well as Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, a previous Doctor Who episode Bradley appeared in.
However, Bradley says he had no inside track on Whittaker’s casting – even though he had a sneaking suspicion that Chibnall might return to the Broadchurch cast…
“I had no idea,” Bradley said. “I thought it might be somebody he'd been working with, because he's been doing Broadchurch. But I wouldn't have put money on who it was.
“But when I heard it was Jodie I thought 'Well, that's perfect' - because she's got the range. She's funny, so funny, and that's important.
“I think she's got everything it takes,” he concluded, “and I'm sure with Chris writing it, they've already got a good working relationship.
“I'd like to see that continue. I think it will - I'm looking forward to seeing it.”
You and us both, David – and now we only have three weeks or so to get our first taste of it in the 2017 Christmas special...
The Radio Times Doctor Who Christmas preview issue is on sale in shops and online now
