What is it like being the writer for the Doctor Who 50th special?

Since I was a little boy, the idea of writing a Doctor Who story at all was remarkable enough to me. But writing the 50th special was exciting and terrifying - everything that showbiz should be.

So where did the story for The Day Of The Doctor come from?

I didn't want this to just be a celebration of 50 years of the past. I wanted it to be a celebration of the mythology and legend of the Doctor and all that entailed.

This should be the first step on the next journey, guaranteeing the 100th anniversary. The story focuses on the most important thing that ever happened to the Doctor. We very rarely do that in Doctor Who as it's usually about the people the Doctor meets or the companions that travel with him. This time it's different.

The Day Of The Doctor welcomes back the shape-shifting Zygons, a monster we haven't seen since the 1970s. Why did you decide they were the ones to bring back?

The Zygons, without question, are a design classic. They are superb - brilliant from the voice, to the appearance. Essentially, we've resurrected exactly the same Zygon as Tom Baker fought back in the '70s. They are beautiful, and it'll show that the special looks forward to the future of Doctor Who and also celebrates the legend.

At the end of the last series we were introduced to John Hurt as the Doctor. What does John bring to the role and can you tell us anything about his Doctor?

With John Hurt we have serious acting royalty and that was the intent of John's character. John is one of the most distinguished film stars of British origin, one of the most distinguished actors this country has produced, and has now become part of Doctor Who mythology.

There have been Doctor Who anniversary specials before, which are so well loved. How do you think this one will be remembered?

There's only really been one anniversary special before and that was for the 20th anniversary with The Five Doctors. The Three Doctors wasn't an anniversary special as it was one year too early, but we remember it that way.

I adored The Three Doctors, it was brilliant, an accidental piece of magic. I also loved The Five Doctors. I did think that was the one where possibly the desire to celebrate overwhelmed the desire to tell a story. But I can't really begrudge it that!

The Day Of The Doctor will be the first time we see Doctor Who in proper 3D. Did you write the script with 3D in mind?

My first impulse was if we're going to do 3D, it had to be part of the plot. We actually have to make 3D part of the story and, if at all possible, to try and make 3D a bit scary. I wouldn't say it's in every scene, but there is an element of the show that exploits the fact of 3D.

The 50th special will mark the return of David Tennant to the role of the Tenth Doctor, starring opposite the Eleventh, Matt Smith. How was it having two Doctors on set?

It was eye-twisting at times. You don't quite realise how these two men have become hard-wired into your brain as the Doctor. Matt and David got on so well and their interaction on screen is a sublime double act. Matt said to me, "It's a bit like Laurel and Laurel. It's like Hardy didn't turn up." They are absolutely great together. Sometimes very, very, different - other times, in moments they choose together, they are exactly the same.

And seeing Billie and David on set together, how was that?

Seeing Billie and David standing on set together was quite epic. Billie told me that as she is very good friends with both Matt and David she felt quite torn and divided. She didn't know how to deal with both of them at the same time, so if she was talking to one, she would stroke the arm of the other.

And finally, where will you be watching the episode on 23rd November?

I've got two impulses. One is to watch it at home with my friends, particularly friends who made the show. My other impulse is to go out and join the party. But it's a difficult one. When Matt and I watched The Eleventh Hour we watched it many times before it went out. Then came the fateful day, 3rd April 2010. Matt came round to my house, my parents and his parents were there to watch the episode go out and have our future decided. Everyone sat down, but Matt and I couldn't stay in the room. So I might be watching it peering round my kitchen door with Matt.

What is it like starring in the 50th anniversary special, one of the biggest years for the show?

It's a thrill to be in the 50th anniversary. I feel very proud to be part of it and it's a credit to everyone who started the show back in the '60s that it's come this far. It's a great format and a great idea.

The Day Of The Doctor marks the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper, and we get the revelation of John Hurt's Doctor. What was it like working alongside them all?

It was a joy to work with David, Billie and John Hurt. I've worked with Billie before and I'd obviously seen all of David's work, especially as the Doctor. He's a brilliant actor and a brilliant Doctor. It's quite strange, I always sort of get that surreal thing of looking at David and thinking, "Oh my God, there's Doctor Who." And John is acting royalty. Another wonderful Doctor and again, a good bloke. I think looking back over my tenure on this show, one of the great privileges has been the quality of actors that you get to work with.

Was there any kind of competitiveness between the different Doctors and companions?

No, we're not competitive, I mean there's a funny bit in the script between the 10th and 11th Doctors comparing sonics, so there's competitiveness in the story, but not off-screen. We just had a laugh and it was exciting to see David back in the pin-striped suit and Converse. John only has to move his eyes and he floors you, and Billie is Billie. I adore Billie, so we had a great time.

Were there any moments when you were standing on the floor waiting for action to be called and thinking "Oh my goodness, I'm actually doing this"?

Of course, there's always those moments in Doctor Who when you're going, "Wow we're doing Doctor Who and there's David Tennant over there and John Hurt over there and Billie over there and there's a Redgrave over there." There are a lot of those moments when you make this show.

But I think the wonderful thing was there was great downtime. I just enjoyed spending time with David and obviously for me as well, as I am about to leave the show, it was really interesting to talk to him about that experience and his experience on the show, because it is a very individual experience playing the Doctor. It was quite nice to go, "What was that bit like for you?" and it was just sort of enlightening really.

Moving on to stunts, some pictures have been published of you hanging from the TARDIS in front of crowds in Trafalgar Square. What was that like and did you need to be convinced to go up there?

I was hoisted up over 90 feet, double Nelson's Column ....[DWN note: The monument is 170ft high], hanging on a wire under the TARDIS. They used the biggest crane I think they had ever brought to Trafalgar Square. I really had to persuade them to let me go up, but I had the most wonderful view of London. It was raining and really windy, but I loved it and would do it again. It was one of the rare brilliant opportunities that you only get with Who.

As well as being shown on BBC One, The Day Of The Doctor will be available in 3D to those with a 3D TV and in some cinemas. What was it like filming in 3D?

The rigs for the cameras are much heavier and poor Joe [Russell], who is our wonderful cameraman, had a very tough time of it. It was like having a six-year-old or seven-year-old child on your shoulder all day. There's just a lot more time, the technical process of filming everything is more laborious.

But also there are a lot of pluses and I'm really excited to see how Doctor Who lends itself to it, because I think as a show and a format it really suits the idea of being shot in 3D. I think it's good for a show like Doctor Who to be at the forefront of technology and that's what we've always been. It's always been at the front of the advancement in film and even with the wobbly sets, at least they were having a go and I think it's a good step forward. It's an evolution.

What is it like being part of the 50th in one of the biggest years for the show?

It's very exciting to be around for the big celebration episode. I think since I left, the expectation had been that I'd end up in this special, because there is a precedent for old Doctors coming back for a visit around the anniversary time. I was thrilled because it's a huge thing for Doctor Who and it's a huge thing for television in general. So few shows run beyond a few series and 50 years' worth is quite a legacy, so I'm very honoured to be part of that.

What is it like working with Matt and Jenna? Was there any rivalry or competitiveness between the two sets of Doctors and companions?

It's funny, I think people almost expected Matt and me to be at loggerheads, but we've really enjoyed it. I guess when you've played a character for a long time you kind of feel like you know how they'll react in most situations. It's delicious to be handed a situation that's completely new and a character meeting a version of himself is not something that you come across in a lot of drama. So to get to play that with someone as talented and as quick and brilliant as Matt is nothing short of jolly good fun.

You've probably seen some of the previous anniversary specials, but how do you think this one compares to them?

It's very hard to be objective about something you're in, especially when you set it up against things that you experienced as a child. But I certainly remember when The Five Doctors was on, it was electrically exciting. That was of course in the day when we didn't even have a video player. You couldn't revisit things, so the chance to see old Doctors that I had never seen on the telly at all acting with the current [Doctor] was fantastic. I hope that this will have some of that buzz for today's generation.

Do you still watch Doctor Who?

Of course. I watch it every time it's on, along with the rest of the nation.

How did you find filming in 3D compared to 2D?

Our job as actors remains the same really, but you're aware that there's a whole extra layer of technical stuff that has to be dealt with and the cameras are bigger. We shot a lot on this hand-held camera, which was quite trying for Joe, our intrepid camera operator, who has this enormous thing that he has to lug around and navigate around the set; he did it brilliantly. But it causes some headaches for the camera teams and for the post-production side of making it. We're not doing too much novelty-weaving into the lens for the 3D effect, but it gives it an extra zing.

What was it like working with Billie again?

It's always lovely to see Billie, and to be on set with her is a particular joy. She's one of my favourite actresses and one of my favourite people, so I was very happy to be in the same room as Billie.

Where will you be watching the episode?

Wherever I am in the world and whatever I'm doing, I'm sure I will make time for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special.

During filming did you ever have pinch-yourself moments thinking, "God, I'm back" or anything like that?

I think the thing with filming Doctor Who is that there is so much excitement around it and there's so much enthusiasm for it that often the lead-up to getting here is more of a delight than shooting it.

Because once you're on set there’s a script and there's lines and you've got to get the scene shot and they are the pressures that filming always has. Really, you're just trying to film the scenes the best you possibly can, so you sort of put aside the idea that you're making something that is a moment in television history. The pressure of that would sort of paralyse you really.

What is it like starring in the 50th special, one of the biggest years for the show?

It's fantastic. I feel really spoilt to be honest and lucky to be in the show in the first place, but also to have come in at this time. Whilst we were filming it felt very celebratory and special. Working with David, Billie and John, I feel really pleased to be part of the whole thing.

What was it like working with David and Billie? Was there any competiveness between the different Doctors and companions?

I think there's a competitiveness in them that kind of brings out the best in the Doctor. You see it on set that they are so totally different Doctors, but they just complement each other. They make fun of each other mercilessly.

What were your thoughts when you first heard about John's character?

So, not only do we have David back, we also have John Hurt starring as the Doctor, which is massively exciting. And again, the three of them complement each other totally, and it utterly works. It's great to see all of them together.

There are some big stunts in this episode. What was it like filming in the TARDIS dangling from a crane in front of crowds in Trafalgar Square?

It's one of the major stunts that we did and one of the big opening sequences at the beginning of the episode. We actually filmed it in a couple of stages including at St Athan's airfield, where me and Matt were in the TARDIS being swung from side to side. Then, in the second half, we were actually lowered down into Trafalgar Square. I think it will be quite an iconic image, it certainly felt like that on the day.

I didn't get to do the really high stunt in Trafalgar Square, which I was devastated about, and was kind of stood around begging people to go up, but I got to do the end of it. I am quite scared of rollercoasters, but when you've got a camera pointing at you and loads of crew then you kind of just tend to be really brave. That's one of the thrills of the show.

What differences did you find filming in 3D compared to 2D?

Loads of differences. Well for a start, the cameras are massive, so you kind of can’t miss them and they're really heavy for the poor camera operators. The framing is quite different and when the Doctor points you can kind of really react to it. I just think the show lends itself so well and there are so many moments in it that will work really well in 3D. On the first day I saw Matt in the TARDIS in 3D it felt like the world was coming right out at you.

What's it like being part of the 50th, one of the biggest years on the show?

It's amazing being part of the 50th anniversary. I just remember getting an email asking if I'd play Queen Elizabeth I, which in itself I couldn't believe because she's so iconic, even in the history of Doctor Who. I've always wanted to be in Doctor Who and now to be in it and playing Queen Elizabeth I is absolutely fantastic, so exciting.

And what did you do when you first found out about the news?

When I first found out about the news I phoned my mum and my dad and obviously told my husband, and then I sat down and read the script, because I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I just couldn't believe that they had sent it to me, as it was like gold dust. There were all these rumours in the papers about what's happening, and so and so is coming back and I just thought I'm actually going to know what happens. I've never done a job where you have to keep a secret before and it's been really difficult, but also really exciting because you know and no-one else does.

You're playing royalty. Can we expect a Queen Elizabeth with a Welsh twang?

Well, it's very funny being one of the most well-known Welsh people and having to stand up and say, "How dare you, I'm the Queen of England." That did make me laugh, but no, I'm playing her with an English accent. But John Hurt said she actually wouldn't have had a very English accent, because there were so many different influences.

What was it like working Matt, David, Billie and Jenna?

It was quite scary working with Matt, David, Billie and Jenna because they're iconic and they're these major characters that I've watched and are part of Doctor Who history. It's really funny acting with them because you look at them and they're almost like cartoon characters because you see them so much and you've watched them and you believe them. It's just been fascinating and working with the two Doctors is brilliant because it's the same character, but seeing how the two boys just play them completely differently and how they work off each other, it's really funny. After reading the script and then hearing it all in the read-through, it just all came to life and I thought, "Wow this is going to be fantastic."

There's a little bit of romance between Queen Elizabeth and the Tenth Doctor. What was is it like filming those scenes?

Filming the romantic scenes were quite difficult because my first day was on top of a mountain in Neath. It was absolutely freezing, it was blowing a gale and David, the Tenth Doctor, and I are having a picnic. So I'm lying across him and he probably couldn't breathe, because I've just got this massive costume on, and he's feeding me grapes as I'm just desperately shivering. You've got to try and play it romantic and relaxed, when actually you're freezing cold. I think our lips were turning blue and I stopped feeling my hands. The next day, because it had been so cold with the wind, my hands were bright red and all blistered because they were so chapped. So everyone is probably jealous, thinking she gets to kiss the Tenth Doctor and it's all romantic, but it's not; my lips were numb and my hands were chapped.

Where will you be watching the episode?

I'm going to be watching the episode in my living room. My husband has been asking for ages if we can buy a 3D TV and I said no, but now after putting on the glasses myself it's fantastic so I've said we have to get a 3D TV. So we'll be watching it in the living room with all of my family round and then I'll probably go to the cinema and watch it as well.

What can viewers expect from the drama?

Principally, it's the story of how Doctor Who was created, so we concentrate on the very beginnings and the first few episodes. There are lots of treats for the fans but it's also the story of William Hartnell, the First Doctor, and how the part transformed his life.

Why did you want to tell this story?

I'm a life-long Doctor Who fan and the origins of this beloved show have always fascinated me. But, above all, I wanted it to strike a chord on a human level. These were brilliant, complex, talented people making something revolutionary. And, in William Hartnell, we have the very affecting story of a man redeemed by the role of a lifetime who then, sadly, had to let it go. I think we can all relate to something like that in our lives.

What was the casting process like? Did you set out to find such good lookalikes?

I'd had David Bradley in mind for some years but it wasn't simply a question of a good likeness! David is such a fine and delicate actor, I knew he'd find something wonderful in the part. With everyone else, I stressed that we must first and foremost get the right people for the job. But it turned out the right people also bear the most amazing resemblances to the originals! Costume and make-up, of course, played a huge part in that.

Could you explain a little bit about the research process?

Doctor Who is probably unique in terms of TV shows in that its history has been exhaustively researched for years. Happily, this means that there are lots of interviews existing with people who are no longer with us. I'd wanted to tell the story for years – I sort of grew up with it. How no-one wanted the Daleks. About the first episode going out just after JFK was shot. But I wanted to get deeper than just the details of production and find the human story. I conducted new interviews with a lot of the original cast and crew. They were all hugely enthusiastic and very helpful.

Did you uncover any facts or information that you didn't previously know as a Doctor Who fan?

A few bits and bobs but, as I say, most of it is very well documented now! It was very touching, though, to talk to people about a part of their lives that was often very happy and to discuss people long gone.

There were so many people involved in the show's beginnings, why did you decide to focus on the four central characters of Hartnell, [Sydney] Newman, [Verity] Lambert, and [Waris] Hussein?

I had to focus it down. Simple as that. This is a drama, not a documentary, and though it's extremely painful to have to leave out some people who played a huge part, it makes dramatic sense. You simply can't do everyone justice in 90 minutes. For instance, the story of how Terry Nation and Ray Cusick created the Daleks is almost a film all on its own! Jeff Rawle plays Mervyn Pinfield, who was the associate producer, and his character sort of absorbs several others including Donald Wilson and the brilliant David Whitaker – the first script editor - whose contribution was immeasurable.

Set in the 1960s the drama brings to life that era through the costumes, hair and make-up and the sets, including the first-ever TARDIS console. What was it like being on set?

It was extraordinary. To see the original TARDIS re-created genuinely took my breath away and everyone who came to the set had the same reaction. It was frequently quite uncanny. We used some of the original Marconi cameras and, on the black-and-white monitors, seeing David, Jemma [Powell, as Jacqueline Hill], Jamie [Glover as William Russell], and Claudia [Grant as Carole Ann Ford] was like looking back through time. Spooky and very moving.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from the drama?

This is my love-letter to Doctor Who! In this 50th-anniversary year, I hope fans will enjoy and be thrilled by it and all the kisses to the past it's laden with. But my greatest wish is that it appeals to people who know very little or nothing about Doctor Who and see the struggle of talented people (almost) accidentally creating a legend!

A popular screen star, well regarded by his peers, William Hartnell appeared in numerous plays, films, and TV shows, often playing the "tough guy" role as typified by his character Sgt Major Percy Bullimore in the Granada-made comedy The Army Game, which ran on ITV for five series between 1957 and 1961, three of which - series 1, 2, and 5 - featured Hartnell.

When he was first approached, Hartnell was widely reported to have been unconvinced by the role of Doctor.

"It has to be said, after some initial reluctance to do something for children's TV I think he was quickly convinced that it was the right thing for him to do," says David. "He felt quite insecure about it as it was new territory for him, but once he started he embraced the whole idea of the part."

An Adventure In Space And Time tells the story behind the beginnings of Doctor Who and the team of personalities behind it. Known as a perfectionist, Hartnell was widely regarded as cantankerous by colleagues. But as David explains, the script for 'Space And Time' reveals a full picture of Bill, including the good and the bad.

"I know he had a reputation at times for being cantankerous and rather difficult and one has to play that. It was clear from research and hearing his colleagues talk about him that he was a perfectionist. He demanded a lot of himself and he expected everyone around him to show the same level of commitment."

Hartnell played the role from 1963 until 1966, creating the template for the character of the Doctor, which has since been played by 10 other actors on TV. And he embraced all that embodied the show, as David explains: "He was invited to school fetes in the full outfit and I thought how brilliant and touching that was. It's clear that he absolutely loved it and found it very hard to let go. That's an element that Mark Gatiss brings out in the script."

Deteriorating health led Hartnell to finally retire from the role, but as his illness worsened, so too did his relationship with the production team of Doctor Who.

"I think maybe when people joined the show later, different directors and different actors, if they showed a lack of commitment then it would upset him and he would let people know that's how he felt," says David. "There are moments of sadness in 'Space And Time' where he becomes aware that he hasn't got the strength to do it any more."

David grew up with the show ("I remember Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee best") and last year starred opposite current Doctor Matt Smith [in Dinosaurs On A Spaceship, as the villain Solomon]. Does he see any of Hartnell's characteristics in Smith?

"I really admire him as a Doctor. He's got that curiosity and that slight eccentricity that the part requires, not in the same way as Bill Hartnell, but I think some of those characteristics have gone all the way through everyone that's played the Doctor."

So how would David sum up his experience taking on one of TV's most iconic roles?

"It's been one of those great jobs and an experience I'll always remember. We're honouring something that's been part of television history for 50 years and I hope I've done justice to an actor that I admire greatly."

"She was very strong-willed, very compassionate and very warm," Jessica says enthusiastically about Verity.

"As the first female drama producer at the BBC she had to be very determined. She had a real fire in her belly about projects she believed in."

Verity Lambert began her career at the BBC in June 1963, having followed ABC's former head of drama, Sydney Newman, to the corporation. Lambert oversaw the first two seasons of Doctor Who, eventually leaving in 1965. It has since become the project she is most famed for.

In An Adventure In Space And Time, one of our first introductions to Verity is at a Swinging Sixties house party, which, according to Jessica, shows the lesser-known fun side of the producer.

"We concentrate more on her work, but we do get a little sliver of the fun side of Verity," says Jessica. "Apparently she used to hold these art parties and invite the artist and all of her mates around and have a sort of exhibition, a bit of music, and a bit of dancing."

Well-known among Doctor Who fans, Sydney Newman once described her as full of "piss and vinegar" and claimed that hiring her was one of the best things he ever did. So, what research did Jessica do to prepare for the role?

"For any role I pretty much always go to the script, first and foremost. While I was auditioning I did look for video clips, but they were all from recent years, but it was interesting to see her. I felt she was very composed, very classy, very warm, but you could see real steel there.

"I also watched the original episode that Verity, Waris, and Sydney, to a certain extent, created and I was really struck by how it holds its own. It's eerie, weird, intriguing, and it's incredible that they were able to do that on such a minuscule budget."

Playing such a formidable character, does Jessica see any similarities between herself and Verity?

"I guess I didn't quite realise how determined I was to act, I really did plug away for it for a while, so I suppose I am in a way. I like that Verity's got quite a twinkle in her eye. It would be very flattering if anyone compared me to her."

Telling the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the many personalities involved, An Adventure In Space And Time sums up a moment in television history and the start of the world's longest-running science-fiction series.

"I think it encapsulates a time in the Sixties when we're on the brink of this huge change - and it does it really subtly," explains Jessica. "We've got Verity Lambert walking into the BBC, who is a woman. We've got Waris Hussein, the first Indian director at the BBC. The stakes are very high and that reflects what was going on in society at the time."

Apart from reflecting the societal changes at the time, the drama also explores the origins of one of the world's most recognisable monsters, the Daleks.

"I actually do remember being really afraid of the Daleks," says Jessica. "I was just terrified of their horrible voice, which I always equated with the voice on the Tube. We used to go up to London, because I was from the countryside, for a London weekend and the Tube voice, 'Mind the gap', used to always remind me of the Daleks, so it was just a terrifying experience!"

"Sydney Newman was a formidable force in television," says Brian. "He started at ABC and kind of revolutionised drama. I first worked at the BBC in 1965 and did my first-ever television play, 'A Knight In Tarnished Armour', and Sydney was there and I actually met him very briefly. You could always spot Sydney in the BBC Club because of his brightly-coloured cravats and waistcoats. And his personality was the same!"

We first meet Newman in An Adventure In Space And Time as he strides into Television Centre, ignoring the security guard's calls to show his pass, and walking away with "That’s not how we do it at the BBC, sir" ringing in his ears.

But as Brian explains, Sydney was very different to others at the corporation.

"The BBC was very stuffy. There were very good producers and directors, but it was all done by the board and delegation committee, and lots of memos. Sydney had a very different approach, a hands-on approach, and I think that's what made him unique. He brought a breath of fresh air."

As well as being very passionate about his projects, Newman also had a knack for spotting a hit and delegating. He trusted those he appointed to do the work and gave them second chances. This is evident in 'Space And Time', which reveals that despite rumblings of criticisms about producer Verity Lambert's overspending and hating the first try at the first episode of Doctor Who, he gave his team another shot.

"He had them reshoot the whole of the first episode of Doctor Who because he didn't think it was quite right," explains Brian. "I think he was very revolutionary. I think he really did create a standard."

Trying to find a teatime family show, Newman was clear there should be no "bug-eyed monsters", and he hated the idea of the Daleks, but as we see in 'Space And Time', on seeing their success he was happy to admit he was wrong.

"Ultimately, he was a populist," says Brian. "He believed in making drama popular. I think he took forward the original Director-General Lord Reith's philosophy in wanting to get the best possible drama to the maximum number of people."

So does Brian see any similarities with Newman?

"I think there's something very positive about Sydney and he was a force going against the norm of the day. In a sense, I'm very empathetic to him; he’s very much my kind of guy."

"There were definitely challenges for Waris at the time, but I think in the longer term it made him a better director," says Sacha. "And I think Doctor Who was one of those projects that gave him immense confidence."

Following on from Doctor Who, Hussein went on to have a long career directing a variety of projects from A Passage To India to Shoulder To Shoulder.

As well as touching on the issues of being an Indian director at the BBC in the 1960s, the drama explores the bond between Hussein and the producer Verity Lambert. They struck up a strong friendship and became a committed team, with Hussein going on to work with Lambert on several other productions after Doctor Who.

To research the role, Sacha spent a lot of time with Waris, first meeting him at a public screening of the episodes he directed.

"He is quite a specific character and I wanted to make sure that I played him as truthfully as possible," explains Sacha. "He has a particular way of speaking as well, which I really wanted to home in on."

"We were a bit kind of weird with each other; we were both studying, looking at one another. He was looking at me thinking 'You're watching everything I'm doing, aren't you?', but we hit it off straight away," he says.

Hussein attended one of the first scenes Sacha filmed, showing Lambert and Hussein in the BBC Club. "He started welling up and getting quite moved by it," says Sacha. "I hope that was in a good way and not a bad one, but I think he seemed happy."

Sacha was excited to tackle a period setting he'd never done before. "When I first read the script, it was the era that really excited me. I'd never done anything in this kind of genre. The 1960s is so cool; I love the set and the clothes. As soon as you wear them, you act in a certain way; you walk in a different way."

And to get in to the right frame of mind Sacha dipped into his music collection. "I listened to loads of Sixties music on the way to work, to get a certain kind of swagger."

So how would he sum up 'Space And Time'?

"I think it appeals to those who aren't necessarily Doctor Who fans. I was very moved by the script, particularly William Hartnell's journey, which I relate to as an actor myself," he concludes.