Daisy Ashford, the daughter of Caroline John, who played Third Doctor companion, Liz Shaw, says that her mother never thought she was very good in Doctor Who — but fan reception “meant an awful lot to her”.
Recalling Caroline leaving the show, Daisy says her mother had mixed feelings about Doctor Who, and goes on to explain:
“It wasn’t until years later – she’d been asked and asked if she’d go to conventions and she finally went to one in Manchester. She got a standing ovation and was like, ‘Oh wow, these people actually like what I did!’ and then was invited back into the family again.
“She really cherished that and she loved meeting the fans. So it wasn’t a big part of her life in the beginning but once she came back into the fold, it meant an awful lot to her.”
It’s such a shame that Caroline didn’t think she was particularly appreciated as Liz because she’s brilliant. One of the absolute best. She’s fierce and intelligent and witty and gorgeous. And the stories she appeared in were all great too! Spearhead from Space! Doctor Who and the Silurians! The Ambassadors of Death! And Inferno, for goodness’ sake!
Fortunately, Season 7 is being released on Blu-ray as part of Doctor Who: The Collection, so we’ll all be able to enjoy this period of the show afresh.
I met Daisy Ashford last year at the wonderful Bedford Who Charity Con, and she’s just as lovely: a real gem and asset to the universes of Doctor Who; while I’m not always okay about recasts, hearing Daisy playing Liz for Big Finish works really beautifully.
Doctor Who — The Collection: Season 7 is available to pre-order now.