Original Star of Doctor Who Reflects on a Potentially Emotional Return

The last remaining original cast member of the BBC sci-fi staple Doctor Who still has an interest in returning to the show as the 60th anniversary of her character’s last scene is approaching. Carole Ann Ford, who played Susan-the-Doctor’s-granddaughter-in the very first season of the series back in 1963, recently aired her views at Luton Comic Con.

Talking about returning to the show, she admitted that that would be one hell of a very emotional ride for her. “I don’t know if I could survive the excitement, actually. It would be intense beyond all intensity,” she confessed. Here’s 84-year-old actress as she speaks on returning to Doctor Who, “It will bring back memories of my former co-stars, most of whom have died anyway.”.

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Dopefish at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“It’s not just coming back; it would bring back all the memories of William Russell, Jackie, and Bill [William Hartnell], and various others who are no longer with us. I might be a little bit overcome and start blubbing,” Ford admitted. She added, “I keep being reminded that I’m the last one standing, and it’s not something I’m happy to hear.”

From June 2023, the last of the original cast to have passed was actor William Russell, aside from Ford. They worked closely together as both of them portrayed their characters of Susan and Ian, who are some of the Doctor’s companions. The combined history that she has with the show and the loss of her colleagues makes it even more bittersweet for Ford to return to the set of Doctor Who.

Her last scene in the classic series was in the episode where she faced the Daleks that aired on 26 December, 1964. In that edition of the program, the Doctor promises to return for her, but although she was briefly featured in the 20th-anniversary show The Five Doctors, that has not occurred on camera, yet. Ford jokingly said, “He said he’d come back and get me and he never did”. I’d give him a good telling-off if I saw him again.”

Ford learns, however, that it would be challenging for the writers to reboot her character. “It’s been 60 years since I was first in it. I understand their dilemma and how difficult it must be to write for me,” she said. Still, she feels hopeful with all her appreciation for Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies. “I’ve only met Russell a few times, and I absolutely love him. He is the man who would say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the guy I will be marrying-so hopefully it’s going to be ‘yes'”.

In fact, Ford said she has had “one or two” discussions about returning to the program, though she does not know if she was speaking with the appropriate personnel. “I’ve had many conversations about going back, maybe not with the right people, I don’t know,” Ford mused in an interview with BBC Three Counties Radio.

She laughed when asked what she would do if somebody suggested that her character might be recast. “They better not. I’d burn the studio down.”

Ford returned to television in a newly colorized version of the 1963 episode The Daleks, which was screened on BBC Four as part of celebrations for the show’s 60th anniversary. Thus, the colorized episode brought Susan back into the spotlight reminding fans of her integral role in the early years of Doctor Who.

The fans have been clamoring for Ford’s return on the show, and, if they do, she requests that it be louder than ever. The reason is that she trusts that it would actually mean something, and there is an equal possibility of this role being revisited, and such energy from the fanbase would bring them to notice.

Ford still looks back with nostalgia and hope on her days in Doctor Who. It also keeps the door open to a possible return into that world which, not only for her but for the stalwart fans across the globe, has been an emotional journey spanning sixty years. Yet, that connection between Ford and the role, as well as to the series itself, remains very strong.

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