10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
5. It Helps To Have Friends In High Places
Now, while this is not to suggest that Jacqueline Hill wasn't perfect for the part of Barbara Wright, it can't be denied that there was a little nepotism at play when it came to the casting of the character for An Unearthly Child.
Miss Lola MacGovern was the 24-year-old history teacher for Susan, who was described as timid, but capable of great feats of courage when the situation called for it. The character went through several different rewrites before Lola became Barbara. This was locked in by the time that the show's bible was written, with Rex Tucker holding auditions for the part.
Sally Home, Phyllida Lee (who would eventually go on to appear in The Sarah-Jane Adventures), and Penelope Lee were all considered for the part. However, once Tucker left the production, Verity Lambert was not interested in any of these actors for the part. She sought out her friend, Jacqueline Hill.
Hill and Lambert had worked together previously at ABC TV, so Lambert was well aware of Hill's talent. She offered her the part, which she played for the first two seasons of the show.