Former Doctor Who star Peter Purves has shared that he is often confused by the newest episodes of the show, describing them as “too sophisticated”.
Purves played Steven Taylor, a companion of William Hartnell’s First Doctor in a total of 46 episodes between 1965 and 1966, with the actor also having an 11-year stint on Blue Peter following his exit from BBC’s sci-fi drama.
With the show currently airing the 15th season of its modern era, Purves discussed the newest episodes, with the star admitting that the show had become “far too sophisticated for [his] simple brain”.
“We used to have stories that were very simple,” recalled Purves (via BBC News). “You went from there to there, had a cliffhanger at the end of an episode, the following week you picked up from there and went to another cliffhanger, then end of story, onto another one.”
“Very simple, very straightforward, very clear and easy for kids to understand,” continued the actor, who added that he continues to make an effort to keep track of the various personnel changes in the show.
Despite his reservations regarding the current storytelling style, Purves did praise the show for its enduring legacy, explaining that it was “remarkable” that he was able to talk about it six decades on from his appearances.
While Purves reflected on the current iteration of the series, the BBC recently announced that the two-part finale for the 15th season – consisting of ‘Wish World’ and ‘The Reality War’ – will be shown in cinemas on 31 May.
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“We’re delighted to be partnering with CinemaLive once again and give Doctor Who fans across the UK and Ireland the opportunity to watch their favourite show together,” said Natasha Spence, events director at BBC Studios, in a statement.
“We’re excited to be working with BBC Studios to ensure that this time round Doctor Who fans of all ages are able to share in the epic experience of watching the two-part season finale on the big screen,” added John Travers, head of acquisitions and distribution for CinemaLive.
