Doctor Who: 10 Best NuWho Performances From Guest Stars

When the Tenth Doctor is forced to change his biology and hide as a human being in 1931 England, his alter ego John Smith becomes attracted to the school nurse, Joan Redfern.

Jessica Hynes plays the woman he falls in love with and it is completely believable every step of the way. There is a grounded humanity to the way Hynes plays this character, where it is hard not to warm to her, even if we know that their blossoming romance is doomed from the start.

As the narrative progresses, things only become worse for the couple as John’s entire sense of identity is brought down to reality that he is, in fact, a face changing alien from another world. Both Tennant and Hynes share excellent romantic chemistry and one of their most dramatic moments comes where they see a vision of the life they could live if John chose to remain human, sacrificing the lives of millions to the relentless Family of Blood.

Another highlight comes towards the end of the second part, where Joan confronts the newly changed Doctor on all the lives he has cost by choosing her village to hide out in. Hynes gives a tear jerking performance as she allows herself to mourn the man she loved once The Doctor departs.

She certainly makes a lasting impression, spurred on by her brief reappearance in The End of Time: Part 2.