‘Doctor Who’: Things we learnt from the BFI's Fifth Doctor event

Taking place at BFI Southbank as part of their year-long 50th anniversary celebrations, the screening was followed by a highly entertaining Q&A with Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), with director Graeme Harper.

Here are some of the highlights…

» Peter Davison: ‘John Nathan-Turner wanted me to highlight my hair!’

» Janet Fielding: ‘I had to dye my hair red so I didn’t look like Matthew.’

» Peter Davison: ‘I suggested the cricket outfit to [executive producer] John Nathan-Turner. I love cricket. It was very comfortable.’

» Graeme Harper: ‘I thought of Mick Jagger and David Bowie when casting Sharaz Jek.’

» Peter Davison: ‘I hadn’t been happy with my second season, for various reasons, mainly budgetary. Once I made the decision to go it was a relief. I felt it was definitely the right decision.’

» Graeme Harper: ‘This period was the beginning of the end of Doctor Who for me.’

» Peter Davison: ‘Robert Holmes was definitely writing about Maggie [Thatcher in ‘The Caves of Androzani’].’

» Janet Fielding: ‘Wherever we went in the universe, men were in charge. I just can’t believe we’ll be that stupid in the future.’

» Peter Davison: ‘Anthony Ainley [who played The Master] was desperately keen about cricket, I’m sure he would’ve loved to have had my outfit.’

» Sarah Sutton: ‘If it’d been upto me I would have stayed longer. I found leaving quite traumatic… [but] I was pleased with the way she went.’

» Peter Davison: ‘I like the four episode longer format… [but] I think the scripts nowadays are fantastic. I’m deeply envious of the special effects, because we just didn’t have the technology.’

» Peter Davison: ‘I loved pushing the Dalek out the window [in ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’]. Just the thrill of “I’m pushing a Dalek out a window!”’

» Sarah Sutton: ‘After I left Doctor Who I didn’t want any more of Peter’s stories. Maybe I was in a huff!’

» Peter Davison: ‘The cliffhanger is an essential part of Doctor Who. It always was.’

» Janet Fielding: ‘There’s much more in the show now for young women. It’s exciting!’

» Peter Davison: ‘I always felt when Doctor Who went off air [in 1989] that it’d come back.’

» Matthew Waterhouse: ‘[Adric’s outfit] was delightful! I never, ever imagined my costume was going to be a pair of pyjamas. I remember thinking “I hope I’m not going to wearing this forever”.’

» Peter Davison: ‘We filmed for a week in Amsterdam and nearly lost Janet in the red light quarter.’