10 Doctor Who Behind The Scenes Secrets You Need To Know

A lot of very strange things go on when the doors of TARDIS close.

Doctor Who Weeping Angel
BBC Studios

Doctor Who didn't become one of the longest-running and most iconic TV shows of all time without a lot of work going into it. Like a "this is probably unhealthy" amount of work.

Honestly, it would've probably been easier to build a functioning time machine and make a documentary.

As with any storied entertainment franchise, there are so many fascinating things to find out about what it's like to work on the show. Doctor Who is like Wester Drumlins or Gabriel Chase – a creaky old house full of secrets, just waiting to be uncovered. So, let's uncover some!

From production techniques to the casting process to happy little accidents, these tidbits are as fun as any of the Doctor's most thrilling adventures. Well, maybe not the most thrilling ones. We can't guarantee you'll enjoy them as much as Blink, but they're definitely as fun as, let's say, Mummy on the Orient Express.

Let's start with a neat way the production keeps new cast members under wraps...

10. Code Names Keep Things Quiet

Doctor Who Weeping Angel
BBC Studios

Doctor Who is one of the most scrutinized shows in the world, and both the press and fans alike want to know what the next big scoop is going to be.

So, certain measures are taken to keep things hush hush, including a tactic the Doctor themselves would be proud of – fake names!

Before the Twelfth Doctor's new companion Bill Potts was officially revealed, the role was known as "Mean Town" behind the scenes. That's an anagram of "Ten Woman", as Bill was the tenth companion of the tenth modern series. Sneaky!

Jenna Coleman and Karen Gillan had to tell their family and friends they were auditioning for shows called "Men on Waves" and "Panic Moon", respectively. "Men on Waves" is an anagram of "Woman Seven", since Coleman was auditioning for Series 7. "Panic Moon" is the word "companion" scrambled up.

Meanwhile, the codename for current Doctor Who filming is reportedly "The Bridge". If you think all of this is ridiculous, just remember that this is a show that made an entire spinoff based on an anagram.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.