Peter Purves, who played companion Steven Taylor, has said that he doesn’t feel Doctor Who is the same show anymore.

What’s more, he doesn’t think there’s any way back to how it was…

Purves said:

“When Doctor Who started it was a children’s programme, we had a weekly cliffhanger and it was simple. I liked it when it was straightforward entertainment. But it’s a very different show now. I don’t watch it any more, to be honest. It’s very extravagant and there are lots of special effects. You can see the money on the screen. It’s a multi-million pound production. It looks incredible. But it’s not really Doctor Who for me.”

He concludes:

“It couldn’t go back now. It’s gone too far to go back.”

On the last point, I disagree to some extent — it can get some of its original charm back as new eras come in all the time and redetermine what Doctor Who is; that could quite easily mean embracing less technical wizardry and going back to simple but effective storytelling stripped of spectacle. However, some recent revelations and changes have coloured past and future episodes for me — notably the Timeless Child.

Purves played First Doctor companion, Steven Taylor, who joined in The Chase and left the TARDIS in The Savages. The actor and former Blue Peter presenter says he’d nonetheless like a cameo appearance in Doctor Who, but doubts it’ll ever happen. Then again, he came back for the miniseries, Tales of the TARDIS, so you really never know…