Doctor Who: 30 NuWho Characters Who Would've Made Fantastic Full-Time Companions

Appeared in: Mummy on the Orient Express.

It seems Frank Skinner can turn his hand to anything; stand-up, chat shows, radio breakfast host, and co-writing the best football song ever. But his coolest job, by far, has to be chief engineer of an outer space train!

A massive fan of the show, Skinner said he was "beyond excited" when given the part of the affable Perkins. He is clearly enjoying minute of it, which makes his understated performance even more impressive.

Perkins is quietly inquisitive when helping the Doctor, and remarkably calm and measured when all about him are dying harrowing deaths, and also acutely aware - taking the Doctor to task over his lack of compassion. Perkins would've had a positive impact on the Twelfth Doctor, that's for sure.

Skinner and Capaldi make a pleasing double act, the former enthused that "Capaldi is fabulous and watching him... doing stuff it was just great... it was a bit intimidating because he's a really proper good actor, and I kept thinking oh man I'm really not this good..." Well, Frank, there's no need for you to be naturally self-deprecating because you more than held your own.

That wistful look on Perkins' face at the end, when the Doctor indirectly asks him if he wants to stay on board the TARDIS, is straight up Skinner not wanting to leave.