June 04, 2025
“Science fiction has come a long way in the last twenty years”
It’s been over twenty years since Doctor Who rematerialised on television with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper in the TARDIS and, to celebrate, the behind-the-scenes show Doctor Who Unleashed reveals all!
Hosted by presenter Steffan Powell, the special episode will see cast and crew from the last twenty years of the show’s production sharing their memories of their time in the TARDIS.
We spoke to Steffan about the show’s rich history, spending time in the top-secret props warehouse, and his stand-out moments from joining the Whoniverse…
Doctor Who Unleashed - 20 Years in Wales will be available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK from 18:20 on Saturday 7th June.
What can fans expect from the Unleashed special and how was it seeing some iconic faces from the past?
It's always great seeing some of the iconic faces from the past, right? We talk to some of the most famous companions of recent years, like Billie Piper, Mandip Gill and Karen Gillan, and some Doctors as well, Jodie Whittaker, David Tennant and of course, Ncuti Gatwa. To see them back and talking so passionately about their experience on Doctor Who is fascinating. Getting their take on it, because I think you do reflect differently all these years after doing something, is really cool.
Fans can expect to hear from the people who made all of the magic happen, straight from the horse's mouth - the executives who brought Doctor Who back, why they did it, the challenges they faced, the directors who helped to make the programme work, and fascinatingly for me as well, the production design team who were there designing what the revival of Doctor Who looked like. At the time of the revival, there wasn't that much sci-fi really on the telly compared to now, and so everyone was really breaking new ground.
So, it's been fascinating talking to everyone and getting a sense of how they did that, why they did it, and then you can see the impact that it's had on twenty years of television.
Also, we get to go to some amazing places that would mean a lot to Doctor Who fans. Essentially, it's a celebration and a real exploration of the last twenty years, how it happened and what it means. It's great!
Is there a particular highlight from filming?
For me, one of the highlights from my experience of filming this show was getting to chat with Edward Thomas, who was the production designer who did a lot of the work designing what the Doctor Who revival would look like, including the Daleks. We stood next to a Dalek, and he described to me how they had rejuvenated the Dalek while also keeping hold of the aesthetic of the originals. That was fascinating.
We had this conversation in a secret warehouse where they keep all of the old stuff. It's amazing. There are Weeping Angels in the corner, four different TARDISes in there, there are all sorts of costumes and space weapons and different aliens from all the different generations, all there just in this warehouse. To be there and snoop around for an afternoon and chat with Ed was really fascinating. There are loads of cool stuff in this episode, but that was a real highlight for me.
How do you even begin to put a show like this together?
I mean, putting a show like this together is... where do you start?! This is made by Bright Branch, the production company who have been making Unleashed since we brought it to the screen during the 60th anniversary specials. There is a real expertise in telling behind the scenes stories of Doctor Who, and some of the team from Bright Branch have been across Doctor Who for years, so they know it inside out. My colleagues absolutely adore Doctor Who, and are across the lore and know almost every word of every episode since the show came back twenty years ago.
So, while it's a big show to make and it's a lot of hard work, it's done with lots of love and passion for Doctor Who.
What type of impact has Doctor Who had on Cardiff and Wales?
I think Doctor Who has had a massive impact on Cardiff and Wales. We explore that in the Unleashed special, and people like Russell T Davies [Showrunner] and Julie Gardner [Executive Producer] talk about it in the episode.
Some of the Welsh people who were given opportunities to work in television, thanks to Doctor Who, have gone on to do brilliant and beautiful things all over the world - and all of that was because Doctor Who came to Cardiff. Some of those people are now playing their trade all over the world on some of the most influential programmes out there, and a lot of the tricks of the trade they learned from Doctor Who.
That infrastructure and industry wouldn't necessarily be what it is today if they hadn't made that decision to bring Doctor Who to Cardiff all those years ago. It's really fascinating to delve into.
What do you think is the secret to Doctor Who's success that's seen the revival on screens for 20 years?
I think the secret to Doctor Who's success is that it offers people the escapism that they need. There are thrills and spills and chases and uncertainty and scary moments, and it is a way to step away from the trials and tribulations of life and go on this fantastical journey for a bit. We know life can be tough for a lot of people a lot of the time, especially at the moment, so to have that fantastical escape with a good heart is important.
There are a lot of television shows that are sometimes upsetting and dark, and I love those programmes as well. But sometimes, you just want a feel-good escapist show where there is bravery, and weird and wonderful things happen.
I think that's what Doctor Who did when it came back twenty years ago, and that's what it's doing now. Science fiction has come a long way in the last twenty years, and there's a lot more competition out there, but Doctor Who stays true to those roots that were founded sixty years ago. It's that sense of joy that it brings, despite the scary moments and the tension, that allows you to escape to a safe place with safe characters who you adore.
What have been some of your standout moments since entering the world of Doctor Who?
I love seeing the creativity of everybody involved. From the scriptwriters who keep everyone guessing, to the costume designers and the production designers who make it look incredible, to the special effects team and visual effects team who create magic on screen.
All these wonderful, creative endeavours that come together to make the show, to experience that happening, and to see it in front of me, it's quite inspiring.
I got turned into an alien one time. I got turned into a Silurian for one of the episodes, and seeing the care and the craft that the Millennium FX team took to make that look just right was amazing to see. To experience that skill up close and personal was eye-opening and really rewarding, and I'll remember that forever.
I do like to show my little son, he's three, Daddy as a Silurian, and he doesn't quite understand what's going on because it's so realistic. So yeah, to get to see all those different crafts up close and personal has been a joy and something that will stay with me forever.
If you had your own TARDIS, where would you go?
I've thought long and hard about this question because I've been asked a few times since doing Doctor Who: Unleashed and I usually give slightly different answers. However, I've started to decide upon two different ways of doing it.
If I were going back in time, I think I would love to go and see them build the pyramids because that must have been an amazing feat, mustn't it? I mean, it must have been pretty grim as well, but it would have been incredible to see them build the pyramids.
If I were to travel to the future, I'd like to go one thousand years in the future to see if Wales ever wins the Rugby World Cup. I don't know if I'd be ecstatic at that or sad. However, those are the two things I would do. Also, I'd love to go to space – I'd love to see how big Jupiter is in real life because it looks massive, doesn't it? Yes, those are three places I'd go if I'm allowed to pick three.
Doctor Who Unleashed - 20 Years in Wales will be available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK from 18:20 on Saturday 7th June.
