There was an entertaining snap caught at the recent National Television Awards which quickly did the rounds, as these things do, on social media when Call The Midwife star Stephen McGann appeared to be more than pleased to be captured in the same shot as Doctor Who’s new star Jodie Whitaker… and also outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat.
Greatly enjoying the doctor vibe in this audience shot from tonight's NTAs. pictured: 13th Doctor; 8th Doctor's brother – a TV doctor; Background, wearing death-ray hat, former Doctor Who producer. #NTAs pic.twitter.com/hNtOdBNXYw
— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) January 24, 2018
Being an experienced actor of some standing, as well as brother of Eighth Doctor actor Paul, one perhaps wouldn’t have expected McGann to be starstruck on this type of occasion but, rather sweetly, he seems to have been overcome with the serendipity of the moment:
“How great a picture was that? You’re not supposed to talk about just how cool it is to be the Eighth Doctor’s brother as well, and the fact is, when you looked at – hang on a minute, that’s the Thirteenth! But my favourite bit is still Moffat with this glorious light shining behind him, and I couldn’t resist it.”
McGann, currently to be seen in the UK playing a Doctor himself in the seventh series of the hit BBC1 drama Call The Midwife (which his wife, writer Heidi Thomas, created and still oversees), seems to hold a considerable affection for Doctor Who:
“What’s always wonderful about Doctor Who is, it went right around the world, far more than my normal witterings do, you know, and it went right around, and you get reminded every now and again that the worldwide love for that show is just so universal.”
Amen to that. Read the full interview with Stephen McGann (and more on Call The Midwife) at Radio Times.