Doctor Who's Richard E Grant was "so up" for "last-minute" Rogue cameo
"As we watched that parade of Doctors, we just sat and went, 'We've got to put an extra one in, we've got to.' That’s the fun of it."
Eagle-eyed Doctor Who fans were caught off guard earlier this year, when in the episode Rogue they were shown a line-up of the Doctor's previous faces - including one they had long thought was non-canonical.
This was, of course, the version previously thought to be the Doctor's ninth incarnation, who was played by Richard E Grant in a 2003 animated web series Scream of the Shalka.
This was revealed not to be the case when Christopher Eccleston's Doctor was revealed in 2005, but Rogue seemingly confirmed he is indeed one of the Doctor's incarnations from some point in the timeline.
Now, speaking in SFX magazine, showrunner Russell T Davies has opened up about the appearance, and revealed that Grant actually had the photo taken which appeared in the show especially for it.
Davies explained that the cameo was "fun".
"Enormous fun, absolutely, literally," he continued, adding that the cameo was just intended as "a joke".
He said: "We talked about that many times with Kate and Briony. Just fun, a joke. It’s funny. It’s that simple.
"I sat here in his office with [writers] Kate [Herron] and Briony [Redman], and they just thought 'an unknown Doctor' – that’s what the script said, because we had to work out who to get and how we could get him.
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"And he was so up for it. He went and took that photo especially, he went into Soho for a special photoshoot for that. You have to clear this with people, you have to kind of book him. He wasn’t paid the fee he would’ve been paid to be a Doctor, obviously.
"He was so up for it and went and did that, especially for us. Very last minute! Because we weren’t sure whether to do it or not, partly because we’re busy, and there was a lot of extra paperwork just to do that.
"But as we watched that parade of Doctors, we just sat and went, 'We've got to put an extra one in, we've got to.' That’s the fun of it."
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Davies recently explained how the series gets away with seemingly rewriting its own history so frequently, saying of the show: "It's destroyed Atlantis three times in its history, and if someone came to me tomorrow with a great story about the destruction of Atlantis, I'd do it again.
"In the 1960s, with William Hartnell, they went to Troy and did the wooden horse... that so wouldn't stop me doing Troy and the wooden horse again now. I'd do it again now.
"That's not a spoiler – I'm not doing it! But you'd just put in one line, 'Oh, a glitch in time, we're here again!'"
The latest issue of SFX Magazine is out now. Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Doctor Who will return at Christmas on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series 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 and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
