The actress' time-traveler faces off against her greatest foes in a Groundhog Day-esque adventure.
“It’s a high energy, high comedy farce.
It pulls in all the brilliant things that you want over the festive period from television.
A scene from the New Year’s Day special ‘Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks’.James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America
I think that’s why it works so well as a standalone festive episode.”
The special is also screening on a certainEntertainment Weeklywriter’s birthday, so thanks for that.
A New Year’s Day birthday!"
Aisling Bea as Sarah in ‘Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks’.James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America
It’s actually theworstbirthday to have.
“Because everyone’s hungover!”
Whittaker says with a laugh.
Adjani Salmon as Nick in ‘Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks’.James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America
“No one wants to hang out.
You get a joint birthday [and Christmas] present.
You won’t be getting two presents off me!
Mandip’s is early Jan. and I am always like, ‘Argh!
It’s Mandip’s birthday!’
I’ve always forgotten.”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The most recent season ofDoctor Whocomprised one long story with a lot of plot strands.
What did it feel like to come back and shoot a self-contained, one-episode adventure?
I loved theGroundhog Daytheme.
I think it’s a really brilliant premise to use in any kind of narrative.Russian Dollwas absolutely brilliant.
Obviously,Groundhog Day[too].
There was a recent film calledHappy Death Day, a horror movie, which is great.
Happy Death Day, yeah.
But thank goodness it’s a time loop!
Nobody talked about ending my contract when I was 10 minutes into an episode!
Tell us about the episode’s guest stars.
So, Adjani Salmon and Aisling Bea.
It was really exciting for us for Aisling to want to be in it.
We were all introduced essentially on Zoom, that is the new way of doing a read-through.
I knew from that Zoom meeting we were going to have such a wonderful time.
[The main cast] all know each other.
We’ve been on set with Daleks before.
The guy sat in [the Dalek] is like, “Hi, mate, you alright?”
That ’s totally normal for us.
But [Salmon and Bea] just came in and brought everything and more and it really elevated it.
Adjani and Aisling, the chemistry between them was brilliant.
So that doesn’t wear off by, say, day three?
Now with us guys!
There literally isn’t one shy or quiet cast member in that group.
For thecrewit will have been a nightmare.
I heard, “Stand on your mark!!!”
They’re like, “I’ve been asking you for about 15 minutes.”
“Oh, I didn’t hear you, I was monologuing.”
Watch the episode’s trailer below.
