Doctor Who’s first episode is “innately queer” says Jonathan Groff

Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, he said that even the very first episode of the show back in 1963 featured a moment that is “innately queer”.

"What really struck me is the scene where the two teachers are tracking down this young girl who you end up finding out is the granddaughter of the Doctor," he said of An Unearthly Child.

"They follow her into that sort of eclectic place, sort of like a junkyard with antiques everywhere, and the TARDIS is in there and they go inside and they can’t comprehend how something so small on the outside is so big on the inside, and the Doctor says something like: ‘It takes people a while to fully comprehend something that’s so far outside of what they understand.’"

He continued: "I said to Russell [T Davies], there’s something innately queer to me about that. Something innately alternative that feels like a direct line from that very first episode all the way through to the first gay black man playing the Doctor.

"I can see how far it’s come in the way the culture has evolved but at the same time, even back in 1963, they’re saying something quite alternative and profound in that scene."

Read more:

• Doctor Who star Jonathan Groff says Rogue is not "who he appears to be"
• Peter Davison: "Doctor Who has always been liberal and progressive"

Groff had never previously watched any episodes of the sci-fi juggernaut before being cast in the series, but revealed that Davies had sent him a hand-picked selection of episodes to get him up to speed, including the aforementioned An Unearthly Child.

"[He] sent me about five episodes of Doctor Who from throughout the years, including the first episode that ever aired in black and white," he said. "So, I had a very quick crash course before I started."

Meanwhile, Groff has also revealed some intriguing details about his character in the upcoming episode, explaining that Rogue is "an alien bounty hunter and a man of mystery".

He added: "When we meet Rogue, and he first meets the Doctor, we're in a Regency era. Rogue is not necessarily who he appears to be when you meet him."

Doctor Who continues on Saturday 8th June. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.