Lancashire Doctor Who star Peter Purves criticises current version of the popular BBC show
A former Doctor Who star from Lancashire has criticised the more recent series of the popular BBC show at an event over the weekend.
New Longton born actor Peter Purves played Steven Taylor, a travelling companion of the very first Doctor between 1965-1966.
The now 86-year-old, who appeared in 46 episodes overall, was the guest of honour at a new Doctor Who exhibition at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday when he spoke to the BBC about the programme’s current state.
Former Arnold School pupil Peter told the news outlet that he thought Doctor Who had become “far too sophisticated for my simple brain”.
Peter continued: "We used to have stories that were very simple, you went from there to there, you 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, on to another one.
“Very simple, very straightforward, very clear and easy for kids to understand.”
The former Blue Peter presenter even revealed that he stopped watching Doctor Who regualrly in the early 1970s, when Jon Pertwee - who was actually a friend of his - played the Doctor.
Peter later explained this was nothing to do with Jon’s performance but rather the show’s format at that time, with the Doctor having been exiled to Earth where many stories took place in the south.
He said: “I didn't like the serials then because it got embedded in England, which lots of people think is fabulous and great, it just wasn't for me. It had lost what Doctor Who was all about.”
The Lancashire star did however admit that he does keep up to date with some of the major plot lines and cast changes to avoid any awkwardness at conventions.
He told the BBC: “I try to make sure I know who's in it. If I turn up somewhere and there's someone I don't know, it could be quite embarrassing, particularly if they're a principal character.”
As well as his appearance in Doctor Who, Peter, who was born in New Longton but spent his early years in Blackpool, co-presented Blue Peter for 11 years during its heyday.
He has presented the world-famous dog show Crufts for 41 years and has acted in and presented a host of other shows.
In 2023, he was granted an Honorary Fellowship by UCLan in acknowledgement of the significant contribution he has made in services to television, acting and presenting.