Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return to Doctor Who for docu-series

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Doctor Who stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will return to look behind the scenes of the long-running science fiction show as part of a docu-series.

They will celebrate 20 years since Doctor Who’s Cardiff-based revival by taking part in a special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed, a series that delves into the BBC show.

Scottish actress Gillan and English actor Darvill portrayed Amy Pond and Rory Williams, who were the companions when The Crown and House Of The Dragon star Matt Smith was the 11th Doctor in the 2010s.

Since leaving the show, Darvill has won an Olivier Award for his turn as Curly McLain in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and Gillan has been in the blockbuster franchises Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jumanji.

She played Amy as a policewoman kissagram who met the Doctor when she was a small child, and remained on the show for two series alongside Birmingham-born Darvill as her panicky husband.

The hour-long episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will also see other iterations of the Doctor past and present – including Ncuti Gatwa, who currently plays the 15th Doctor, David Tennant, who has been the 10th and 14th Doctor, and Jodie Whittaker, who played the 13th Doctor – discuss the series.

Also appearing will be people who are and have portrayed companions such as Varada Sethu, who is in the current series with Gatwa, Billie Piper and Mandip Gill, along with current and former showrunners Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall and Russell T Davies.

Presenter Steffan Powell promises “secrets” from the show by talking with former production designer Edward Thomas and costume designer Ray Holman, as well as unpacking what Wales has brought to the programme since it was revived in 2005.

Since the time-travelling series was brought back two decades ago, after being on pause since the 1990s, Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor for one season, before Tennant took on the role and continued for a spell with Piper playing his companion, Rose Tyler.

Gatwa has played the Time Lord across two series since fellow Scottish actor Tennant bi-generated in 2023.

His character is set to have a “high-stakes showdown” in his latest season’s finale The Reality War on Saturday.

The episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will land on Saturday June 7 at 6am on BBC iPlayer, and will air on BBC One Wales and BBC Three later that day.