Doctor Who: 10 Things You Never Knew About Series 2 Of NuWho

10. Oscar Worthy Performance

Tooth and Claw is fondly remembered as one of the highlights of Series 2 and it certainly has a lot going for it. Not only do the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler encounter a werewolf (and the consequences are truly terrifying for all concerned), the episode also features the creation of Torchwood and the titular Time Lord finally gets the knighthood he's been waiting for (during the 1965 serial The Crusade, the First Doctor wistfully comments that he wishes he was knighted, to which his companion Vicky chortles, "That'll be the day!"). Not bad for an episode that literally took Russell T Davies a matter of days to write when another script fell through at the last minute. It's also held in high regard for Pauline Collins' guest turn as Queen Victoria with Pauline becoming the first Oscar nominated actress to appear in the series. She was shortlisted for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Shirley Valentine in the 1989 film adaptation of the iconic Willy Russell play but unfortunately lost out at the 1990 ceremony to Driving Miss Daisy star Jessica Tandy. She was so not amused. Still, she was a stellar addition to the episode in question but things could have been a lot different for Her Majesty Victoria. The role was originally offered to One Foot in the Grave's Annette Crosbie who was no stranger to the royal role having previously portrayed her in the 1975 drama Edward the King. Coincidentally, the same series also starred Felicity Kendal who played Lady Clemency Eddison in the 2008 Doctor Who episode The Unicorn and the Wasp. Doctor Who, slowly but surely making its way through the best of British talent since 1963.