10 Reasons Doctor Who Is Better When You're An Adult
9. Actually Knowing Who The Cameos Are
We can now identify so many talented Doctor Who actors and actresses since being old enough to watch the other projects they’ve starred in. Hot Fuzz’s Anne Reid as the blood-sucking alien Florence Finnegan, Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon playing an “old fashioned cat” creature, and The League of Gentlemen’s Mark Gatiss as the immortality-obsessed Professor Richard Lazarus, to name a few.
Seeing an actor in a new role, no matter how small, allows us to appreciate their range. But cameos are often more forgettable in children’s programs, likely being brought in to appease its adult fanbase. However, with a show like Doctor Who, cameos can change the rules of the game entirely.
When Lazarus turns into a flesh-eating monster, Martha’s mother, Francine Jones, sees the danger her daughter is willing to put herself in to help the Doctor – prompting her to start working with Harold Saxon to track him down. This decision sparks the explosive conclusion of the season three finale, in which Ten is aged by the same technology Lazarus invented.
What could have only been a small cameo for Gatiss had rippling repercussions beyond its episode, demonstrating how Doctor Who turned a tired ploy into a way of adding even more depth to the Whoniverse. Proving that the show is just as much for adults as children.