Matthew Waterhouse played Doctor Who companion Adric from 1980 to 1982.
A young native of the planet Alzarius, which exists in the parallel universe of E-Space, Adric was the youngest male companion so far in the series and appeared in 40 episodes with the Fourth and Fifth Doctors.
Matthew’s autobiography, Blue Box Boy: A Memoir of Doctor Who, is out now.
> Read our review of Blue Box Boy.
CultBox caught up with Mathew to find out what his favourite TV shows…
TV show that reminds you of your childhood:
“Doctor Who, obviously! Also The Magic Roundabout, which is so brilliant that Eric Thompson’s scripts still seem like surreal masterpieces, and the Trumpton trilogy from Watch with Mother!
“These stop motion gems designed for five year olds (Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley) had a cozy English villagey feel and the narration was interspersed with jolly songs – “If you want a doctor call Doctor Mopp!” – accompanied by a very cool acoustic guitar which stuck in your head.
“No doubt patriarchal and class-ridden, but every character, from the doctor to the postman to the baker to the cider-guzzling miller, was treated as having value.
“And, when I was a bit older, there were Gerry Anderson’s unspeakably exciting puppet programmes – Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, etc.
“I never saw Fireball XL5 at the time, but it appeared in comic strips in the weeklies I read. Gerry Anderson gave British children of many generations a vivid, imaginary version of America as ‘high tech’, futuristic, glamorous, sophisticated and exciting.
“When, in my early teens, I fantasised about being American, it was Gerry Anderson’s version of America (and the New York of comic books) that I believed in. By the way, I was quite excited to be at a signing with Parker a while ago.”
TV show that reminds you of being a teenager:
“Doctor Who, obviously!
“And Sapphire and Steel, sublimely inventive and odd and original. S&S was still in production when I was in DW and it was the only programme (apart from the one I was in!) that I didn’t want to miss.
“One of the very few programmes where there aren’t enough episodes. I have it on DVD and I still think it’s great.”
Favourite “guilty pleasure” TV show:
“I don’t feel guilty about any pleasure. Before I was involved in the Big Finish audio version perhaps, just perhaps, the glorious ‘60s daytime soap about a vampire, Dark Shadows, might count. But after I was in a few of the audios I could justify viewing as professional research…”
TV show that you find most addictive:
“The nearest I have come to binge viewing is Dark Shadows.
“This was my partner’s favourite programme as a lad and I bought Volume 1 on DVD, not expecting to watch more than one or two eps, but then became addicted to it. Eventually we worked through all 1225 episodes, though it took ten years. Sometimes we watched four or five at a time. It is the only soap I have ever loved.”
Favourite TV show to watch hungover:
“If I were ever hung over (I’m not saying I ever am!) I don’t think watching TV is something I would do, but if I did, the original TV version of E F Benson’s Mapp and Lucia might work.
“The campest thing ever on TV that doesn’t have the word ‘Who’ or ‘Shadows’ in the title. Especially great is the one where they go to sea on a table top. I’ve not seen the new version but one day I will.”