She’s got one condition.
It’s been decades since Louise Jameson’s Leela was last seen on screens, but the Doctor Who legend is definitely not opposed to returning.
The actress, who has continued to play Leela throughout the years on Doctor Who audio dramas, says she hopes Russell T Davies brings her back — but on one condition.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of the release of her new Big Finish story, A Ghost of Alchemy, she said of a potential return: “Oh yes, but I think you would absolutely have to take my age into account.
“I think we need to know what Leela’s like at 70, not give me a whole load of CGI and certainly not in that costume. I would love to see where she’s got to now. I hope Russell T Davies is watching this interview! She’s had such lifetimes of experience.”
In terms of where Leela could be now, Jameson added: “I would like to think of her as having a football team of children, that she’s some kind of guru. In some of the stories I’ve been made quite literate and science-y but I’m personally more interested in her visceral side, in her hunting, shooting, fishing, morality side, and I would like to see that explored and for her to be a sort of touchstone of wisdom…
“I’d love to do a cameo in the new one. I think the new choice of Doctor is extraordinary, and the new choice of companion. I think they’re going to work brilliantly together, so I’d like to flip in and out of that story.”
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Jameson has now had the chance to write her own Doctor Who stories, and she’s delighted to write for Leela, a character she’s known for decades — but she wanted to make some changes of her own.
“I think what I’ve done with her is made her a little more vocal,” she explained. “Basically, the companions are there to go, ‘What is it Doctor?’ so the Doctor can then tell the companion and therefore the audience. The companion is a kind of conduit and I rather selfishly took some of the action for Leela.
“It’s why I enjoyed The Sun Makers so much, which was one of my stories back in the day, because Leela was literally in the driving seat for a while.”
Plus, she’s absolutely delighted to reunite with Baker on the audio drama, even though the pair didn’t always get on.
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“It’s no secret we weren’t bosom buddies back in the ’70s but we’ve become such good friends since the ’90s,” she continued.
“He’s been working with and for Big Finish as I have and we’ve laughed our way through many a recording.
“He’s a one-off, isn’t he? He’s eccentric and weird and wonderful and witty and intelligent and all those things the Doctor should be. My goodness, he’s eccentric! And unpredictable, and I’ve learnt to really love that about him.”
A Ghost of Alchemy, written by Jameson and starring the actress alongside Baker, follows the Doctor and Leela as they meet Marie Curie (voiced by Holly Jackson Walters).
The Worlds of Doctor Who – The Eighth of March: Strange Chemistry, featuring A Ghost of Alchemy, is now available to pre-order for £19.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £16.99 (download only).
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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