Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Rani
Everything you need to know about aborted Auton alliances, the Rani's rights, and the Master's ring!
Now that Mrs Flood has been revealed – somewhat inevitably – as a new incarnation of the Rani, it's the perfect time to learn a bit more about the Doctor's other troublesome school pal.
Created by husband and wife duo Pip and Jane Baker, and memorably played by Kate O'Mara, the character debuted in the eponymous serial The Mark of the Rani in 1985. A brilliant bio-chemist, the Rani used her TARDIS to collect various specimens for her multiple dubious – and weirdly complicated – science experiments.
The Rani only appeared twice in Doctor Who, but she left a huge impression on the show, due mostly to Kate O'Mara's gloriously camp performance. Since Doctor Who returned in 2005, it's become almost traditional to greet each announcement of the casting of a well-known female character actor with speculation about whether she'll be playing the Rani.
Sarah Lancashire, Keeley Hawes, and Michelle Gomez have all been linked to the role over the years. But now, finally, Doctor Who has brought her back (twice!) played by Anita Dobson and Archie Panjabi.
10. Dimensions In Time Is Canon?!
The last time we saw the Rani, she was facing the Seventh Doctor and Ace (and many more!) in 1993's Dimensions in Time, a special charity crossover with British soap EastEnders. Since then, various explanations have been given for Ace's depature from the TARDIS across lots of different spinoff media.
Keenly aware of this, Chris Chibnall shied away from giving too much detail when he reunited Seven and Ace in 2022's The Power of the Doctor.
Pete McTighe, however, was a lot less shy while writing the Tales of the TARDIS episode for The Curse of Fenric. His newly-written intro and outro scenes heavily hinted when Ace made her decision to leave the TARDIS, with the Doctor saying:
"We did have a very busy day, as I remember. Yes. Oh, yes. The Rani was up to her old tricks."
So does this mean that, at some point very soon after the events of Dimensions in Time, Ace decided she wanted to leave the TARDIS? Was starting the day with a mind-bending adventure across 30 years of Albert Square just too much for her? And does this mean that the Rani's scheme in Dimensions in Time is now canon?!
Time will tell! Maybe.