A Cancelled Doctor Who Episode Would Have Changed Rose Tyler Forever

When a series has been on the airwaves for decades, it can almost seem daunting for new viewers to find a comfortable place to hop aboard. Thankfully, “Doctor Who” has mostly been pretty good about thatwhether it be the introduction of a new actor playing the Doctor, the arrival of a different companion, or both.

When the beloved British sci-fi series returned to the airwaves in 2005, it had been 15 years since Sylvester McCoy’s last seasonand about a decade since Paul McGann starred in “Doctor Who: The Movie.” Within the first episode of Christopher Eccleston’s tenure, a whole new generation was not only introduced to the Doctor, but also their new traveling companion: Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). As the 19 year-old working class girl gets swept up in the Doctor’s sense of adventure throughout time and space, so do we, with Rose serving as an audience surrogate of sorts.

Indeed, we as viewers get to experience the grandeur that comes with Rose’s impulsive decision to learn more about Eccleston’s mysterious Time Lord. Over the course of their adventures, Rose is transported to the end of the world, takes part in a deadly incarnation of “The Weakest Link,” and even comes face to face with the Doctor’s ultimate foe: the Daleks. And as is the case with most companionsRose’s personal story becomes intertwined with the Doctor’s as a result of their excursions.

In the season 1 finale of the new “Doctor Who,” Rose even looks directly into the heart of the TARDIS in order to save the Doctor. At this point, it’s revealed that she’s the entity that all of those cryptic ‘Bad Wolf’ messages throughout the season have been hinting at. The result is a beloved “Doctor Who” storyline, but also one that would’ve taken a much creepier turn had an earlier episode made it past the development stage.

In a 2005 issue of Doctor Who Magazine, writer-showrunner Russell T. Davies talks about how he courted script writer Paul Abbott for an episode for the show. “There were three glorious weeks when episode 11 was his,” Davies recalled. Titled “The Void,” the bizarre episode treatment revealed that Rose’s bond with the Doctor wasn’t the result of their time spent together; it was because the Time Lord essentially had a hand in her creation. Per Davies:

“He actually submitted a storyline — I mean, it’s so marvelously inventive — about how Rose had been bred secretly by the Doctor as a psychic experiment to create his perfect companion. I sat there and went, ‘You’ve just ruined my character, thank you very much!’ Ha-ha. But he would have made it brilliant, because he’s the best writer in the world.”

Abbott ultimately never went through with the idea and it’s safe to say the show is all the better for it. Viewing the Doctor through a morally complex lens is not a bad idea. The episode “Dalek,” for example, sees Eccleston’s Doctor grappling with the darker aspects of his personality as a result of the Last Great Time War. Even the episode that replaced “The Void” (“Boom Town”) ruminated on what gives the Doctor the right to condemn someone to a place where they know they’ll be executed upon arrival.

When it comes to Rose, however, this kind of development would have been disastrous when it came to both the emotional trajectory of Rose’s story and the Doctor’s trustworthiness.

Rose develops a wonderful friendship with the Doctor over the course of her first season on the series, so much so that she’s willingly puts herself at risk to save him in the finale. When Eccleston then regenerates into the younger-looking David Tennant, her fondness evolves into something more romantic. It’s what makes the pair’s separation in the season 2 finale “Doomsday” all the more heartbreaking.

If Rose’s companionship had been manipulated by the Doctor from the very beginning, however, it would have cast a dark cloud over Eccleston’s run. A large part of their dynamic is that she learns to trust the Doctor as someone to look up to — someone who, among other things, helps her navigate being present at her father’s death. I simply can’t imagine Rose would’ve followed the same trajectory with Tennant’s Doctor had she learned she was a scientific experiment all along. Even her “Bad Wolf” transformation would have stemmed from calculation, which would’ve essentially removed her agency from the selfless act.

As we’ve discussed, the Doctor is far from perfect. Nevertheless, considering this was a character whose charm audiences were just starting to get familiar with, the idea of them breeding their best friend leaves such a sour taste. Although Eccelston only had a one season stint with Piperthe two made an excellent pairing because they had great chemistry. It’s just a shame they never got to spend more time on screen together.

The first 13 seasons of “Doctor Who” are currently streaming on Max.