Doctor Who boss opens up about that surprising Richard E. Grant cameo that made an obscure Doctor canon

EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDoctor WhoDoctor Who boss opens up about that surprising Richard E. Grant cameo that made an obscure Doctor canonWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDoctor WhoDoctor Who boss opens up about that surprising Richard E. Grant cameo that made an obscure Doctor canonWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: BBC) WhenDoctor Whoviewers tuned into episode 6,‘Rogue’, they were greeted with a wonderful surprise. And no, we aren’t talking about Jonathan Groff’s charming bounty hunter. Instead, we are referring to anobscure cameo. As the Doctor discussed his long history, images of his past faces popped up, including all 15 canon Doctors, in addition to Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor and John Hurt’s War Doctor. Hidden amongst these though was the face of Richard E. Grant, who voiced the Doctor, known as the Shalka Doctor, in a 2003 animated web series titled Scream of the Shalka. It certainly shocked fans as this adventure had previously not been considered canon, but for showrunner Russell T Davies the appearance meant something more. Speaking toSFX magazinein the new issue, which hits newsstands on July 10 and features Doctor Who on the cover, Davies opened up about the exciting cameo, revealing that it was partly included as a thank you to the animated show’s writer, saying: “I wrote to [writer] Paul Cornell the night before, saying, ‘Please watch tomorrow because there’s such a treat in store,’ and he was so delighted. But it’s really nice when you can do things like that. That was a really nice moment between me and Paul, we’re old friends going back decades.” Russell continues: “It was lovely. A little bit of payment there because he created the Ninth Doctor with the Shalka and we completely replaced him with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. So, how nice all these years later, to take a little lean back and sort of say, the door’s open now, thanks to ‘The Timeless Child’, and you can come in and own your Doctor again. Really, it’s not just fun, it’s a nice thing to do.” (Image credit: BBC) Although Davies says the “door is open now,” he won’t be pushed on what exactly the appearance from Grant’s Doctor means for the show. Instead, he suggests the opposite, emphasizing that it doesn’t “presage anything” nor does it mean the Shalka Doctor will return. In fact, Davies highlights that it was a bit of fun adding: “We talked about that many times with [co-writers] Kate [Herron] and Briony [Redman]. Just fun, a joke. It’s funny. It’s that simple. I sat here in this office with them 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.” Thankfully, Grant was more than up for it, attending a photo shoot where they could take new images of him for the cameo. Davies says that the actor was very excited to take part despite it being a last-minute call: “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.” Not a subscriber to SFX? Thenhead on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device! Sign up to the SFX Newsletter Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Doctor Who season 1 is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and viaDisneyPlus worldwide. Read more inthe latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Doctor Who on the cover and is available from Wednesday, July 10. Check out what to look for on newsstands below. For even more from SFX, sign up to ournewsletter, which delivers all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox. Enter the Empire of Death… The Doctor, Mel and Susan Triad take over the cover of the latest issue of @SFXmagazine! 🤩 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/4pNo58LTRKJuly 5, 2024 Enter the Empire of Death… The Doctor, Mel and Susan Triad take over the cover of the latest issue of @SFXmagazine! 🤩 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/4pNo58LTRKJuly 5, 2024 CATEGORIESDisney PlusStreaming Services CATEGORIES More about sci fi showsDoctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on"Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood More about sci fi shows Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on"Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on” Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on” Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood Latest See more latest► Most PopularOne of Sonic 3’s writers threatens us with a good time in a future movie: “We gotta get Big the Cat in there in some capacity"This nifty gadget turns any M.2 SSD into a portable drive, but it’s great for when you’re upgrading your PC tooLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like 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to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”