Thanks to the most recent season of the sci-fi series, it’s impossible not to compare the current era of everyone’s favorite timey-wimey show,Doctor Who, and the iteration that reintroduced the world to its time and space-travelling antics back in 2005. With both eras helmed byRussell T. Davies, although to entirely different results,Doctor Who’s recent trend of leaning heavily into nostalgia has left many yearning for a time when said nostalgia was simply the fresh, new brand of the series.
After bringing backDavid TennantandCatherine Tate, fondly remembered as theseries' best Doctor/companion partnership, the mission statement of Davies' new era was set, with a heavy dose of the past in an attempt to bring back once-impressive viewing figures favored instead of a vision for the future in a show that has lasted thanks to its embracing of chance. This all culminated in the recent unexpected reveal ofNcuti Gatwaregenerating intoBillie Piper, making her third return to the series in earnest.
In light of this return, Piper spoke toDoctor Who Magazineto discuss the differences between the 2005 era and today, and why she thinks what made it so successful before wouldn’t work now. “If we just made the Doctor Who that we made 20 years ago now, it would feel slightly disingenuous, because things were so different then, even 20 years ago, to what we’re experiencing, what we’ve seen, what we’ve been exposed to since,” Piper said. She added, “God, we were so much more positive then.People have been profoundly affected by the material they see on social media. And it’s been so normalised; everyone is a lot more heavy-hearted. It’s not to say that we don’t have a capacity for joy, because I think we absolutely do, but to ignore where we are right now… it’s a completely different experience.”
Billie Piper is Involved in One of the Most Hotly-Anticipated TV Events of the Year
Whilst the future ofDoctor Whoremains undecided, Piper’s immediate on-screen future is very much in the public eye, with the actress set to appear as Isadora Capri in the upcomingWednesdaySeason 2. StarringJenna Ortegaas the titular Wednesday Addams, the second season has been long-awaited ever since the first became a massive global hit for Netflix, with Part 1 of the next installment premiering on August 6. Piper’s character, Isadora, is described in an official description as “the Academy’s new head of music. A former child prodigy, Isadora is brilliant, intense, and enigmatic. She takes a special interest in Wednesday’s musical gifts and becomes a mentor to fellow werewolf Enid Sinclair.”
Doctor Whois available to watch now on Disney+.
Doctor Who
