10 Best Doctor Who Moments Of 2024
3. The Long Way Round
Though Nicola Coughlan’s hotel guest Joy was billed as the Doctor’s companion for Joy to the World, she ended up being out-companioned in her own episode.
Steph de Whalley's Anita completely stole the show, building a more effective bond with the Doctor in ten minutes than Joy did in 40.
The Doctor and Anita's year together may only amount to a few minutes of screen time, but it’s so evocative (and Steph de Whalley is so good in the role) that it doesn’t matter.
There are hilarious and heartfelt moments in equal measure, from the Doctor’s incredibly Bob the Builder-style handyman outfit and incredulous response to being handed a plunger (“Is this armed?!”) to his offer of a chair to Anita, and the pair’s eventual farewell – not to mention the strangely emotional image of him collecting little blue boxes, as so many of us have done over the years.
With Anita smartly being kept hidden in pre-release material, it was an unexpected delight – and you just know that Big Finish is already plotting their first “Anita Adventures” boxset.