‘Doctor Who’ Adds 3 New Companions
The TARDIS is going to be a bit more crowded than we’ve seen in recent years. Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor will be getting 3 new regular companions when the series of ‘Doctor Who‘ returns in Autumn 2018.
First is the long rumoured Bradley Walsh, who will be playing Graham. Walsh’s name first started to pop up as a possible companion just weeks after the BBC announced Whittaker would be taking over as the timelord.
“I remember watching William Hartnell as the first Doctor,” says Walsh. “Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself. I was petrified but even though I’d watch most of it from behind the sofa through my fingers, I became a fan. I then queued up for ages to get into the Carlton picture house in Watford to watch the great Peter Cushing appear as the Doctor in a full-length feature film made in glorious colour. Am I thrilled to be part of this whole groundbreaking new dawn for the Doctor?? Oh yes!”
Whilst many people know Bradley Walsh as a comedian and presenter of ‘The Chase’, he’s also had a number of acting roles including playing Danny Baldwin in ‘Coronation Street’, Ronnie Brooks in ‘Law & Order: UK’ and Dave Dodds in the movie ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’. Like many other Who stars, this isn’t his first time on the franchise either. He popped up in an episode of ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ playing three parts of the same ego in the episode ‘The Day of the Clown’.
Tosin Cole takes the role of Ryan, saying “I’m grateful and excited to be a part of this journey with the team. I’m looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe.” Cole is probably best known for his part as Neil Cooper in ‘Hollyoaks’, but has also appeared in ‘Lewis’ and played Resistance pilot Lieutenant Bastian in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’.
Mandip Gill, who has landed the role of Yasmin, said “I am over the moon to be joining the Doctor Who family. This is an iconic show with an amazing fanbase and I look forward to everything that brings. Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didn’t believe it to be true for the first few weeks. To be working alongside the likes of Jodie, Bradley and my old friend Tosin is thrilling. This show is worlds away from the work I’ve done previously and that’s the part that excites me the most.”
Like Cole, Gill also had a regular role in ‘Hollyoaks’ playing Phoebe and also starred in ‘Doctors’ as Shazia Amin.
In addition to the 3 companions, it was also announced that Sharon D. Clarke (‘Holby City’, ‘Psychobitches’, ‘The Singing Detective’) has landed a returning role, although her character has not been named.
“The new Doctor is going to need new friends,” adds new showrunner Chris Chibnall. “We’re thrilled to welcome Mandip, Tosin and Bradley to the Doctor Who family. They’re three of Britain’s brightest talents and we can’t wait to see them dive into brand new adventures with Jodie’s Doctor. Alongside them, we’re delighted that Sharon D Clarke is also joining the show.”
The new series of ‘Doctor Who‘ will be a 10 week run of 50-minute episodes starting in Autumn 2018, and will kick off with a feature-length hourlong opening episode.
We’ve seen some reports online of “fans” being upset about Chibnall picking “soap stars” as the new companions. To these people, we say “get over it”… You know who else started off in soaps? Margot Robbie, Liam Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, Nathan Fillion, Kelsey Grammer, Anne Heche, Robin Wright, Jensen Ackles, Eva Longoria, James Earl Jones, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Slater, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Pitt, Laurence Fishburne, Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, Guy Pearce, Kirsten Dunst and Morgan Freeman…
