Doctor Who legend Peter Purves hits out at modern series and argues it’s “gone too far”

by

Peter Purves, a well-known actor from the original Doctor Who series, has criticized the show’s current version, saying it’s very different from the Doctor Who he was a part of.

The actor, known for playing Steven Taylor alongside the First Doctor (William Hartnell), recently told the Daily Star that the show originally felt like a straightforward children’s program with exciting weekly cliffhangers. He believes it has strayed from those simple beginnings.

I used to enjoy the show when it was just simple fun. But it’s changed a lot, and honestly, I’ve stopped watching it.

He said the show now “looks fantastic” thanks to the bigger budget, but emphasized it doesn’t quite feel like traditional Doctor Who to him.

Purves believes the show has changed too much to ever return to its original style, stating, “It’s simply gone too far to revert to what it once was.”

Even so, the actor expressed continued pride in his work on the show, marking the 60th anniversary of his debut this year.

I remember first spotting Derek Purves way back in a 1965 Doctor Who story called ‘The Chase.’ He popped up as a quick, one-episode character – an American tourist named Morton Dill. But what’s really interesting is he wasn’t quite done with the show! He came back later within the same story, this time taking on a much bigger role as the Doctor’s pilot, Steven. It was a neat little bit of casting continuity, and a fun surprise to see him reappear.

Earlier this year, Peter Purves explained that he was let go from Doctor Who. Speaking at a BFI event, he clarified that his contract simply wasn’t renewed.

I received the script for The Savages, and Innes Lloyd, the series producer, immediately told me they weren’t renewing my contract. That meant I only had four weeks left on the show.

Purves believed Hartnell, his fellow actor, was unhappy about his upcoming exit, but the production team had already made their decision and wouldn’t change it.

After finishing filming, Purves recalled simply having a drink with a few of his co-stars at the pub. There wasn’t any kind of celebration or farewell party – no goodbye at all, really.

“I never heard anything again – and I never worked on Doctor Who again.”

To mark Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary in 2023, actor Peter Purves returned to play his character, Steven, in the spin-off series Tales of the TARDIS.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Read More

2025-10-22 13:34