Summary

• Working with multiple Doctors has shaped Mel Bush's character growth in Doctor Who across generations.
• Actor Bonnie Langford embraces the evolving qualities of each Doctor while staying true to the core character essence.
• Langford reflects on Mel's journey, adapting to new Doctor incarnations and the changing eras in the iconic series.

Classic Doctor Who 60th anniversary special.

Ahead of her Doctor Who season 14 return, Langford opened up to Screen Rant about her multi-generational role in the series. The star explained that Mel has grown used to the Time Lord's ever-changing appearance after aiding the Doctor in four separate incarnations and through two regenerations. Check out Langford's response below:

It's strange because as an actor you're used to people being recast. You're used to having a different type, but this is very much, it's sort of like, yes, a new person undertaking a role, but they've still got the core of that character, but dressed up in a very different guise. There was a time at first when I was thinking, I wonder how Mel feels about this because it's not her Doctor.

She's got to get used to this person who has different qualities that she didn't expect that weren't with her original first couple of Doctors, but also we're in a different era, we're in a different generation, and I think she embraces it. She loves the fact that at the heart, literally two hearts of this person, she knows that they are very special. She is very mindful of that, but at the same time, she loves discovering the different qualities that each person brings.

How Mel's Relationship With The Doctor Evolved

Mel Had A Very Unique Start On Doctor Who

Mel has one of the more complex Doctor and companion relationships seen throughout Doctor Who's classic era. Her first on-screen meeting with the Doctor was a muddled experience, as the Time Lord's meddling meant that she met him before she actually boarded the TARDIS. While she would eventually be taken home by the younger Six so she could reunite with him at the proper date, she was also left to aid the Doctor during his chaotic regeneration into his seventh incarnation.

Despite facing so many unusual experiences early on in her tenure onboard the TARDIS, Mel's classic Doctor Who departure would be one of the more positive farewells, leaving on her own space-faring adventures with Sabalom Glitz (Tony Selby). With Glitz's ing, Mel found her way back to Earth eventually, connecting with other former companions and even taking up a job with UNIT. Through this, Mel would be reunited with the Fourteenth Doctor, aiding him and the Fifteenth Doctor in their battle against the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) before remaining friends with the newly bigenerated Fourteen.

As the sole returning classic companion in Gatwa's new era so far, Mel bridges the gap between Doctor Who season 14 and the classic seasons. As such, Mel is a welcome acknowledgment of the show's long history, representing its first run and potentially leading to new viewers gaining interest in seeing her original travels for themselves. Furthermore, Langford teasing how Mel's experience with the Doctor has left her prepared for anything makes her an ideal ally as long-running mysteries are finally uncovered.

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