Although Carole Ann Ford only appeared on Doctor Who for two seasons, she’s been closely connected to her groundbreaking character, Susan Foreman, for over 62 years.
Ford, originally known as Susan Foreman, was the very first companion to the Doctor in the original 1963 series, ‘An Unearthly Child’. Appearing with William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, she set the stage for all future companions on the show.
Reflecting on her time filming the very first episode of Doctor Who, actress Carole Ann Ford remembers feeling an instant connection to her character, Susan. She says walking onto the set and seeing the TARDIS felt like coming home.
One of the things that really made early Doctor Who special was the fantastic connection between myself – I mean, Carole Ann Ford, playing Susan – and the other actors. I spent so much time with William Hartnell, the original Doctor, building a whole history for our characters that wasn’t even in the scripts! Then there was William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton – he was just adorable, and I even jokingly suggested to the writers that maybe Susan had a little crush on him! And Jacqueline Hill, playing Barbara Wright, was incredibly kind and thoughtful – a joy to work with.
Ford expressed deep sadness about their passing, saying, ‘We miss them terribly. It’s hard to believe they’re gone.’ He added that Hill would have been thrilled to see how things developed, and Russ got to witness and be a part of their success.
Losing close friends is always tough. We were a tight-knit group of just four people for a long time, practically a family. We understood each other really well – we knew what made each other happy and how we all operated.
Understanding how your scene partner will respond to even small changes in the lines is crucial. We all felt very comfortable and familiar with each other, which meant we could really trust one another – that trust was essential, because a lot could go wrong if you didn’t have it.
Despite its huge popularity, Doctor Who wasn’t without its problems. While there were typical on-set mishaps like shaky sets and lighting difficulties, the biggest ongoing issue is the loss of entire episodes. In the 1960s and 70s, the BBC unfortunately wiped or reused many of the original tapes to save money and space, before proper archiving procedures were established, and these episodes remain missing today.
As a movie buff, it really bums me out to learn that Ford’s old serial, Marco Polo, is basically gone. All that survives are some audio recordings, which is heartbreaking. Ford herself is totally devastated that fans can’t actually see the story, and she keeps saying how gorgeous it was. She’s really holding out hope that maybe, someday, it won’t be lost forever, and that’s a feeling I totally get.
Although there’s no concrete evidence, many fans speculate that the lost ‘Marco Polo’ story is hidden away in a private collection. Actor Colin Ford has jokingly asked anyone who has it to share it, saying, “If anyone has ‘Marco Polo,’ please return it – we’re really missing it and would love to see it again, even just for a little while.”
Ford initially hesitated before agreeing to play Susan, as he wasn’t entirely satisfied with how the character was depicted in the script.
She felt like the character was going to undergo many transformations – different costumes, personalities, and be placed in various times and locations. However, the initial idea for the character didn’t quite match the final result. She’d been told to expect a lot of changes that never materialized, but despite that, everyone had fun, and looking back after 60 years, they seem to have created something worthwhile!
Ford felt frustrated with her role because, despite being very fit and skilled in dance, swimming, and horseback riding, the character didn’t utilize any of those abilities. She remembers being disappointed that her physical skills weren’t incorporated, and she was often limited to simple actions like climbing a small wall.
Ford has confessed she felt a pang of envy towards subsequent companions, particularly Billie Piper. Piper famously made a dramatic entrance as Rose Tyler in 2005, swinging across a pit of fire.
As a longtime fan, I always felt that companions were so important to Doctor Who, and I really believe Nicola Piper changed things for the better. She brought something special to the show, and I think she made a huge impact on how companions were seen after that.
Before that, it seemed like they were really trying to bring Susan back to life – they pictured her as the typical girl next door, the kind who’d watch Doctor Who. It’s clear it worked, because I’ve met fans at conventions who’ve told me they grew up wanting to be just like her.
Despite some challenges, Doctor Who also had many successes, something Bill predicted from the start. He confidently told everyone that the show could go on indefinitely, saying, ‘Why wouldn’t it? We have the freedom to go anywhere and anytime.’
He really poured his heart and soul into that role – it meant the world to him, honestly. Because of that, he was a total perfectionist, always striving to get it just right. It was amazing to watch.
People might have misunderstood Bill if they didn’t appreciate how much he cared about getting things exactly right. He wouldn’t tolerate carelessness or a lack of dedication to the work, and ultimately, he was proven correct in his standards.
If you don’t commit to what you’re doing, the audience won’t either. If you don’t believe in it, how can you expect them to be engaged or enjoy it?
We stopped joking around about the monsters during rehearsals, which was probably a good thing. Looking back, I can’t believe I managed to stay serious!
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Ford remembers finding the serial ‘Planet of the Giants’ particularly difficult, but she considers it her most enjoyable experience working on Doctor Who.
We had a lot of fun filming that scene, especially because everything was done practically – there were no computer effects. The set featured incredibly large furniture, almost like mountains, and we actually had to climb a giant chain – the drain chain for the sink! There were also oversized cats and insects, and honestly, that giant ant was really unsettling, but it all made for a great experience.
Although Ford enjoyed her time on the show, she also felt that Doctor Who was limiting her career in certain respects.
I always felt like I wanted to move on sooner, honestly. It’s a common thing for actors, I think – when something’s going really well, you get flooded with other opportunities. I was getting some great offers, but I couldn’t take them because of my commitment to Doctor Who. Plus, things were starting to feel a little samey, and I was ready for a new challenge.
Initially, the story seemed interesting, but it quickly became predictable. The same scenario kept repeating: we’d leave a place quickly, often forgetting to set the time correctly on the device, arrive at a new location, and the doors would open. I was warned not to rush out, but I always did, and would inevitably get lost or captured as a result.
I always seemed to be the one getting into difficulties, and others would constantly have to help me out, leading to a repeating cycle. I felt like I wasn’t growing as a person, and definitely not in the ways I hoped.
Eventually, the time arrived for her to depart from Doctor Who. After saying goodbye to her grandfather on the show, Ford aimed to take on diverse roles, hoping to move beyond being solely known for her initial success.
She recalls being asked to play a sex worker in ‘Public Eye,’ which she found amusing. She’d hoped the role would shake off her ‘Doctor Who’ image, but it backfired. She received angry calls from parents who were upset that she, an actress they’d allowed their children to watch, had taken on such a part. Her response? ‘I’m an actress, that’s what I do!’
Over time, she continued to follow Doctor Who, and admired the dedication of its fans who remained loyal throughout the show’s history.
It’s amazing to me how much passion there is for this show! Even when the BBC wasn’t actively making it, fans were still creating their own content, proving how dedicated we are. I truly believe the BBC has a responsibility to us, the fans, and should continue to support something so loved.
Ford has revisited her role as Susan through audio dramas produced by Big Finish, and she appreciates the creative freedom it offers. She explains that these stories allow her character to mature and take on more responsibility, giving her the opportunity to explore avenues she’d previously hoped for.
When Doctor Who returned in 2005, I was really impressed. I immediately wanted to be involved – it was clear they had a substantial budget and the show looked amazing.
After 18 years, Niamh Blackshaw (known as Ford) finally got what she hoped for when she unexpectedly met Russell T Davies in 2023. She described him greeting her with open arms, lifting her up, and excitedly telling her it was time for her to return.
Ford kept his promise and came back to Doctor Who with ‘The Interstellar Song Contest.’ However, some viewers thought the storyline for Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, felt incomplete by the season’s end.
Ford believes many fans are aware that additional footage was shot but ultimately left out of the final cut.
Yes, a few extra scenes were filmed, but after some necessary changes to the project, those scenes no longer fit the story. So, they had to shoot new footage to match the revised version.
I was really disappointed not to be able to do more, but what I did accomplish, I truly enjoyed. Seeing the finished product was amazing – it felt like I was floating in space.
At 85 years old, Ford isn’t planning to retire. She still has goals she wants to achieve, like appearing in a large-scale historical film.
Feeling the writers hadn’t fully captured her character, Susan decided to take control and wrote a short story for the ‘Doctor Who: The Adventures After’ anthology, where she ultimately becomes the hero.
This story is a follow-up to ‘The Edge of Destruction,’ as Ford explains. In that previous adventure, it appeared the TARDIS was attacking everyone on board, with Susan even trying to harm Ian. This time, a creature has taken over the ship and is controlling the TARDIS itself – it’s a really exciting plot!
Ford has openly said she’d love to come back to Doctor Who to complete Susan’s storyline, playfully adding, “You still need to find me, Grandfather! I’m waiting for that moment…”
She once thought she needed to move away from Doctor Who, but now she feels quite the opposite. Looking back, she says she can’t imagine her life without the show.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro and holds a degree in English Literature.
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2026-01-25 12:07