AS DR GRACE HOLLOWAY IN THE 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Daphne Ashbrook was catapulted into a world she had no idea existed. Not only did this British sci-fi show have a 33-year history at the time, but the “backdoor pilot” movie for Fox in the United States had a massive weight of expectation resting on it – with it having been seven years since the programme had last been in production, hopes for a new series were at a high. In this previously unpublished archive interview, Ashbrook discusses her on-set experiences…
Did you know much about Doctor Who before filming?
Not originally. There was an education going on on the set. The very first three days of shooting in Vancouver were the series in Grace’s apartment. The owner knew about Doctor Who, so he had his computer booted up while we were there to rehearse, he was pulling stuff off the internet and saying “See…” That’s when I started to get a little bit of information. Then on the set, Paul [McGann] and Sylv [McCoy] and Philip [Segal, executive producer], and Geoffrey [Sax, director], they all started to just tell me a bit about it.
I still didn’t understand. I still did not understand. I still don’t. I’m still kind of like, “Okay, groovy.” I had a lot of fun, it was a great show. I loved the script, the character and everything. So I’m alright with everything that’s continued on. I’m very fortunate, actually.
Did production not tell you how big it was?
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