When Peter Davison emerged from the Tardis as the fifth incarnation of Doctor Who, he had no idea the iconic sci-fi drama would become a constant in his life for over 40 years.
Peter had big shoes to fill when he took over from Whovian favourite Tom Baker in 1982. At just 29, he was the youngest actor to play the Time Lord but, with his signature cricket outfit, he became one of the most memorable Doctors of all time.
“When I left Doctor Who, three years later, I thought that would be it, people would forget I was Doctor Who,” Peter, 75, tells TV WEEK. “And yet here we are in 2026. It seems as fresh as ever in my mind.”
The original 26 seasons from 1963–89, plus a movie, featuring the first eight Doctors, are now available on Britbox. It’s a win for Whovians and newcomers to the Time Lord’s galactic adventures.
Before playing Doctor Who, Peter was already known as Tristan in British drama All Creatures Great and Small. But Doctor Who made him a household name.
Peter was a fan of Doctor Who and had grown up watching the first and second Time Lords – William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton. The idea of living up to the high standard set by the early Doctors was “intimidating”, Peter admits.
“I was younger, much younger than previous Doctors,” he says. “I struggled a bit with that, so I decided to concentrate on just running faster than the other Doctors could. And being sporty.”
Which brings us to his cricket outfit. Whose idea was that?
“It was a costume choice of mine,” Peter explains. “The producer said to me, we need something that’s different. British, but more youthful.
“I said, ‘Well, what about a cricket outfit, because that’s quintessentially British?’ And they went away and they designed this outfit. I was very fond of that costume.”
One of the most memorable moments during Peter’s time as the Doctor was the death of his long-standing companion, teenage mathematical genius Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) in 1982. It occurred at the finale of a story involving the Cybermen and took the series in a darker direction.
“It seemed to me it was a heroic death,” Peter says. “I don’t think Matthew agreed with me. And, on reflection, I’m not sure it was a good idea, because it had more of an effect on the children watching than I would have anticipated.”
Of course, Doctor Who is very much a family affair for Peter because his daughter, Georgia, is married to Scottish actor David Tennant, who famously played the tenth Doctor from 2005–10 (and in the 60th anniversary specials). Peter says Georgia and David, who met during a 2008 episode of Doctor Who, in which she played Jenny ‘the Doctor’s Daughter’, were “destined” to be together.
“I think what happened usually for David was that these actresses would come in and they would be slightly intimidated by David,” he says. “And my daughter came in and was not intimidated at all because basically she was saying, ‘Well, look, my dad’s Doctor Who as well.’”
Peter did make light of the strange situation of having two regenerated Doctors in the house during his speech at David and Georgia’s wedding in 2011: “Her father’s Doctor Who and she married Doctor Who so, in effect, it was almost like she was marrying me, because we’re the same person.”
Away from Doctor Who, Peter was in season four of cosy British crime drama The Good Ship Murder. “I still get a buzz from acting,” he smiles.
Seasons 1-26 of Doctor Who are available to stream on BritBox.
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