Classic Doctor Who villain the Rani returns to show played by Archie Panjabi
Saturday's episode saw the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest take place, when Mrs Flood, played by Anita Dobson, bi-generated and revealed her true identity to be the renegade timelord originally played by Kate O'Mara.
Emmy Award-winning Panjabi's character, who first appeared in the BBC sci-fi series in 1985 in the Mark Of The Rani episode, has been hiding as Mrs Flood, 'meticulously waiting for her time to face the Doctor', according to producers.
Speaking about taking on the role, Panjabi, 52, said: 'It seems there's been quite a bit of speculation about the Rani's return, and who can blame you?
'Kate O'Mara's portrayal was brilliant, ruthless and unforgettable. Now, under Russell T Davies, she's back- and I'll ask, what in the Whoniverse will we bring to her? Let's just say, you might not be ready.'
Both Panjabi and Dobson will appear in the two-part series finale Wish World and The Reality War, which will see the Doctor and the Rani go head to head in a battle, which it is said will 'send shockwaves through the Whoniverse'.
Showrunner Davies said: 'Ncuti (Gatwa) always said he wanted to face the Rani, so after 32 years, she's back.
'It's an honour to work with Archie – I've been a fan for years, and what a joy, to see her twinned with Anita Dobson. It's the greatest threat the Doctor has ever faced, and there are even more villains to come.'
The Rani last appeared on screens in a 1993 BBC Children In Need special of the show called Dimensions In Time, which saw the Doctor's Tardis land in Albert Square for a crossover between Doctor Who and EastEnders.
Wish World will launch on Saturday, May 24, on BBC iPlayer at 8am, while The Reality War will premiere simultaneously on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday, May 31, as well as in more than 450 cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
Panjabi is known for her roles as Zahra Gahfoor in Hijack, Kendra Malley in Departure, and Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife, for which she won a Primetime Emmy award.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Graziadaily
19 minutes ago
- Graziadaily
Is New BBC Drama 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' Worth Watching? Reviews Are In
New to the BBC, What It Feels Like For A Girl is the new drama taking audiences on a deep dive back to the noughties – millennials stand up! The coming-of-age show, based on the memoir of Paris Lees, explores themes of class, gender, self-discovery and identity. Paris is a journalist, presenter, author and campaigner, described by ID Magazine as 'a voice of a generation' becoming Vogue's first transgender columnist in 2018. Released in 2021, Paris' memoir pulls readers into her world, growing up in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, uncovering her British trans experiencing growing up in living a life she didn't want to, as a boy called Byron (the fictional name she uses to talk about her pre-transition self). Now, her story has been brought to screen. With Paris as executive producer the 8 part series, What It Feels Like For A Girl follows 15 year old Byron, aged 15, caught between the homes of his mum, dad and gran, finding 'freedom' in Nottingham's underground club scene. The series doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of navigating the world that shaper her, telling a raw story that is love overdue, and already it's pulling in amazing reviews from critics. Ellis Howard plays Byron in the show, a teenager at school who is pulled between different homes while struggling with his own identity. The role was inspired by the life of Paris Lees, the author and campaigner who was the first trans woman to present shows on BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4. Speaking about the role, Howard said: 'Byron is at school, without much of a support system, bouncing between their mum's, dad's and Mommar Joe's homes with a desperate internal desire to escape,' continuing 'It's the story of someone who has grown up in a small town with people who aren't like them, dreaming of a life bigger and bolder.' Howard has had roles in the TV series Red Rose (2022) and the film Romeo & Juliet (2021). Laquarn Lewis takes on the role of Lady Die, a podium dancer in the nightclubs of Nottingham. 'Lady Die is eye-catching, fashionable and super stylish,' Lewis says of her character. 'She's over-caring, loving, fun, wild and crazy. I could relate to her, as she has a loving nature. She's someone everyone would want as a friend, and that's what I love about her.' Lewis previously played Elliott in the television series Jamie Johnson. Laura Haddock plays Lisa, Byron's mum who is struggling with her relationship with her son. 'Lisa is Byron's mother, and [with] Byron secretly struggling with their sexuality and gender identity, [their] relationship isn't what it was,' says Haddock. 'She also feels like she's done the hard bit bringing them up and she deserves to have a life now. Their relationship is really strained; she is struggling to understand Byron and accept who they want to be.' You might recognise Haddock from her starring roles in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Laureate and Downton Abbey: A New Era. She has also had starring roles in Da Vinci's Demons, White Lines and The Recruit. Bryon's father Steve is played by Michael Socha, a working class man known locally as 'Hucknall's most feared man.' 'He struggles to accept Byron's femininity and is determined to toughen them up, which can come across as aggressive and even violent at times,' said Socha speaking about his character. 'His frustration stems from Byron not fitting the traditional idea of masculinity, and this manifests in harsh demands for Byron to "man up."' Jake Dunn plays Liam, a 'bad-boy' figure who Byron is drawn in by. 'Liam's a complicated, intense character,' says Dunn. 'While we share some similarities, like being from Nottingham and being in our early twenties, he's completely different from me. He's a gangster who is involved in some dark stuff.' Jake has also had roles in Renegade Nell and Get Even. Hannah Jones plays trans girl Sasha, who is part of the Fallen Divas who take Byron in. Speaking about her role, Hannah explained Sasha is a 'proud scouse' who is 'volatile and aggressive' at times. 'I just think she's a great person, as much as she is a terrible person. There's so much underlying love and misunderstanding of her personality, and she goes through so much trauma and strife in her life,' Jones said. Alex Thomas-Smith plays Sticky Nikki, who is a slightly older member of the Fallen Divas. 'Sticky Nikki is a passionate and headstrong woman who deeply values her friends, relationships and life' says Thomas-Smith when speaking about her role. 'She's a little older than the other girls, which allows her to look at their more-outrageous behaviour with a sense of understanding. Her role is about supporting the others, encouraging them to have fun, but also imparting some of the lessons she's learnt along the way.' You might recognise Alex from her roles in Dixi and The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury. Ali plays Dirty Damian, a 'party instigator' who is always there for the Fallen Divas. 'The girls are protective of each other, and I feel like Damian and Sticky Nikki are the good ones. They are a bit more behaved and sensible. They've got work in the morning when the party is coming to an end,' Ali said. 'They know it's time to go home, and the other three are more party-oriented. The Fallen Divas are also a very tight-knit family, and they're there for each other when things get hard.' Ali is best known as Kai Shariff in Waterloo Road. Despite only being out for two days, the show has gone down a storm with critics. The Guardian gave the show four stars, writing that the show is a 'memorably complex psychological portrait will be your reward.' The Telegraph gave the show four stars, describing the show as 'snappy, addictive, often shocking.' The Independent also settled on four stars for the show. Critic Nick Hilton wrote 'at a time when the trans community are being forced to suffer almost daily indignities at the hands of Britain's political and media establishment, the presence of What It Feels Like for a Girl feels urgent,' adding 'in a world where it is easy to feel pessimistic about the course of progress, What It Feels Like for a Girl presents an engaging – and rational – case for optimism.' Meanwhile, the show is getting rave reviews on social media. One user wrote on X 'Watched the first episode of What It Feels Like For A Girl last night and if it were any closer to my own experiences it would be autobiographical. Incredible, crucial television.' Another simply penned 'Finished watching the Paris Lees' What It Feels Like For a Girl series. It was beautiful, start to end.' A third praised the show's nostalgic element, writing 'I loved the first 2 episodes of the new #LGBTQ series #WhatItFeelsLikeForAGirl and I can't wait to see how the story develops. I also loved the 00s soundtrack and those Bacardi Breezers because that was my drink of choice back then.' The good news is that What It Feels Like For A Girl is available to watch on iPlayer right now! It landed on the platform on Tuesday 3 June, with all eight episodes available. The show will also air weekly double bills starting at 9pm on Tuesday, June 3 on BBC Three.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Concerns as park left 'churned up' after BBC Radio 1 event
Part of a city park has been left damaged, with grass and paths "churned up by vehicles" after a music event was held there, a local councillor has Park in Liverpool hosted the three-day BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend over the May Bank Holiday days on from the event, local people have been sharing photographs online of the damage to grass and City Council said "the damage was not extensive" but the BBC was responsible for any repairs. BBC Radio 1 has been contacted for comment. Opposition councillor Liberal Democrat Richard Kemp said he was concerned about the scale of the damage."I'm concerned about the grass and any gouging effects and trees pushed back or damaged during the installation of security fencing," he said. Mr Kemp, a councillor for nearby Penny Lane, added he had requested a report from the council to look at the impact to the local area and the environment.A city council representative said site walks had already taken place and a plan was "currently being pulled together which will provide a timescale for the repairs". "The damage is not extensive and the reinstatement work will be carried out by Liverpool Street Scene Ltd," it added. In 2024 the city became the world's first Accelerator City for climate action, under UN Climate Change's Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action city council representative said the authority had worked with external specialists to monitor the impact of the Big Weekend event, which included the "impact on the environment and sustainability" and would share those finding once a report has been written "in the coming months". Regular Sefton Park user Adam said he thought he damage was "minimal" and said it was "no worse than on a campsite where tents have been".A local resident, who did not want to be named, said she thought the grass had been protected "really well" and the event had been well organised."There was hardly any traffic disruption and not much noise," she said."The streets were fairly clean after, much cleaner than after a lot of other events. I thought it was really good for the city." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial
The seven-woman, five-man jury is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape, each relating to a different accuser and a different date. In this case, the criminal sex act charge is the higher-degree felony. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty. Harvey Weinstein (Olga Fedorova/Pool Photo via AP) Nearly eight years ago, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning movie producer propelled the #MeToo movement. Some of those accusations later generated criminal charges and convictions in New York and California. The New York conviction from 2020 was subsequently overturned, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy and sometimes fiery questioning of Weinstein's three accusers in the case. Jessica Mann said he raped her in 2013, when she was trying to build an acting career. Miriam Haley accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on her in 2006, when she was looking for work in entertainment production. Kaja Sokola, who was not involved in Weinstein's first trial, told jurors that he forced oral sex on her, too, during 2006. At the time, she was a teenage fashion model trying to break into acting. 'They all had dreams of pursuing careers in the defendant's world, the entertainment industry,' prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors in her closing argument on Tuesday. She contended that Weinstein let the women think he was interested in their careers when what actually interested him were their bodies, and 'he was going to have their bodies and touch their bodies whether they wanted him to or not'. Weinstein chose not to testify. His defence called other witnesses, including some former friends of Ms Sokola's and Ms Mann's. Weinstein's attorneys argued that all three accusers consented to Weinstein's advances because they wanted help with their Hollywood aims. All three stayed on friendly terms with him afterwards, a point the defence emphasised. 'It's transactional, folks. Yes, he wants to fool around with them, and yes, they want something from him,' defence lawyer Arthur Aidala said in his summation on Tuesday.
