Matt Smith reveals to What's On TV what we can expect in his new Doctor Who episode, The Bells of Saint John, the first in a new series starting on Saturday, March 30. The Time Lord rushes from medieval times to modern London, where he hooks up again with the mysterious Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Louise Coleman. Here's what Matt told us....
This first episode is a London-based thriller, taking in all the capital's top landmarks, particularly Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, the South Bank, St Paul's, and The Shard. How was it getting all those iconic buildings into one adventure?
"Well, with The Shard you've got the Doctor hurtling up the side of it on a motorbike, with the help of an anti-gravity device. How brilliant is that? The Shard is the sort of building that Steven Moffat loves, it's now sort of iconic, and I love it when I get iconic London buildings into Doctor Who, and base the characters around them. It means you have to film next to them, which is exciting too."
Was filming the Doctor's mad motorbike dash fun to do, perhaps your James Bond moment?
"Yeah, this episode is a very much a James Bond-like thriller. Literally we just drove round for two hours, down near Waterloo, across Waterloo Bridge and back round and over Westminster Bridge. It was one of those rare unique moments when you're on the back of this motorbike which is on the back of a rig and you can move around on it and stuff and it was the most beautiful day as well. Jenna and I both went: 'This isn't a real job?' because it was such great fun."
We heard you were swamped sometimes by the London crowds when filming this episode?
"Yeah, we were a bit. We were forever getting in and out of cars quickly to get shots. Even when the TARDIS was plonked on the South Bank we managed to keep shooting despite attracting a crowd, all wondering what the Doctor and Clara are doing there. Then they saw us on a motorbike and were amazed. I sort of love the attention when you're doing something like that."
This is the Doctor and Clara's first full adventure, so how is their relationship now?
"Well it's about somewhere in the Doctor wanting a new companion now. He's bored, he's lonely, he's grieving after Amy and Rory, and he now wants someone to play with him and go on adventures. And Steven Moffat of course has plotted a great big question mark over her, which unravels as the season progresses. The question is over why, who and what she's doing. Basically in this episode, you get a modern day version of the Clara we saw in the Christmas episode."
Does the Doctor still think Clara 'Isn't possible' as we saw on the trailer. And has he met his match in her for being mysterious and magical?
"Nope, no one is as mysterious and magical as the Doctor. She can have a go, but I wouldn't bet on her? For my money I don't think he ever feels he's met his match. He's certainly met someone in Clara who's bright, happy and clever, but she also puzzles and confuses him. It's weird with the Doctor isn't it? The women he likes tend to be women who on paper would be those who'd just irritate him. It's less about attraction though than about what they know, or what he can find out. He's really met someone who bites back. It's always great in the show to see how The Doctor changes and is slightly different by being around someone new."
Can you tell us something about the sinister 'Spoonheads' in this first episode? They're being controlled by an evil businesswoman Miss Kizlet, played by Celia Imrie...
"The Spoonheads are a classic Moffat creation. They are robotic type things that have heads in the shape of spoons. Basically if you can imagine monsters in the Wifi that can disguise themselves and live among us, so they're chameleons but also monsters. They're doing something to all of us that we don't know and it takes the Doctor and Clara to uncover it. And there's this great big demon that's behind them all. I think it's a really clever idea."
Are you enjoying wearing The Doctor's new suit?
"Yeah I am, and that coat. It's strange really, I always said the costume would evolve and I'm pleased with the way it has. I've always wanted something purple and I've now got purple tweed which is my dream so I'm thrilled. I've still kept the staple pieces, too, like the bow tie, the waistcoat and the boots, which is good."
Is the Fez back?
"The Fez has never gone!"
What about the motorbike helmet this time. Do you you fancy keeping that?
"Am I going to keep the motorbike helmet? No because I Iook like such a berk in it, but I don't mind keeping the bike. It was a cool bike that literally flew up the Shard."
Do you ever make suggestions which have made it to the TV screen?
"I let Steven Moffatt do what he's brilliant at and just write. What happens is I'll talk to him and say things like 'Oh man, I'm getting a grey hair, I've found two grey hairs' and that will end up in the script. Or 'I've got a really big chin' and then it's in the script. Basically you can have a conversation and then it will appear and you'll be 'Oh no...'"
Have you ever given Steven Moffatt pointers about how your Doctor should eventually be written out of the series?
"No, no, no, I'd never presume to tell him how to do that because he can do that so much better than me and that's his job. My job is to turn up, learn his words and be inventive with them and talk to the press and sort of be the Doctor. I get the fun bit of getting to be whatever he comes up with."
Are you looking forward to working with Ryan Gosling on his new film How To Catch A Monster?
"I'm really excited, he's written a great film, and it's a great cast, so I think it's going to be special. We are off to Detroit to film it. Ryan is quite dreamy, I shouldn't say that as it makes me sound uncool. Right now I'm focused on making Doctor Who, though."
