Peter Anghelides Interview

Peter Anghelides, writer of many Doctor Who related books and audios recently kindly agreed to do an interview with the Tardis Base. Please note that the following interview is just for the Tardis Base and so it may not be reproduced in any way. You can read the interview below;

Hello Peter, thanks for doing this interview.

You're welcome. Thank you for asking.

We know you have written a new 5th Doctor audio drama due for release in March next year, what can you tell us about it?

It's the concluding story in Big Finish's Key 2 Time 2 series. I'd been talking to them about something else related to Season 16, and they asked me to have a go at this instead. Rather splendidly, it involves a whole load of people who've appeared in telly Doctor Who, including the director.

How do you find writing audios compared to writing books?

It's a less solitary activity doing full-cast audios, because inevitably there are more people involved in getting it completed -- producer, script editor, director, cast, and so on. My "talking books" audios are somewhere between the two.

When did you first start watching Doctor Who?

I am a little bit older than Doctor Who, so I can't remember a time when it wasn't on TV. I suppose I really became an addict when I was at primary school, which was around the time that Jon Pertwee took over.

What is your favourite episode?

There are lots of them, so it depends what mood I'm in when someone asks me. Today, it's Pyramids of Mars.

Who is your favourite Doctor?

Whichever one I'm writing for at the time.

Who is your favourite companion?

Whichever one I'm writing for at... er, I've done that one already, haven't I? Well, Sarah Jane Smith made a big impression on me when she was first in the series, and I've had the great pleasure of writing audio adventures for her subsequently, so I think it's fair to say that she's at the top of my list.

What is your favourite Torchwood episode and who is your favourite character?

That opening episode, Everything Changes, is so clever and surprising and funny and shocking. I also really like A Day in the Death, with its interesting structure and clever reversals. It's a good story for Owen, of course, who has had an intriguing journey through the first two series. Favourite character? Well, I always like it when PC Andy makes an appearance.

What is your favourite Sarah Jane Adventures episode and who is your favourite character?

The Mark of the Berserker, which says more about family and extended relationships on a CBBC show than you see in many mainstream drama series. An odd favourite to have, perhaps, because Sarah Jane is absent for so much of it -- and she, of course, is my favourite character.

We have all heard that David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who after the 2009 specials, who would you like to take the role of the 11th Doctor?

I finally got round to watching Serenity, the film spinoff from the TV show Firefly. The villain in that was mesmerising in every scene he was in, so I think that Chiwetel Ejiofor would be a great choice. He was funny in Kinky Boots, too. And he has a surname that looks like one of those difficult hands I always get when I play Scrabble.

Doctor Who is now 45 years old, how long do you think it will run for?

I think it can go on forever.

Which of your books/audios is your favourite?

I'm quite fond of Frontier Worlds, which I enjoy reading more than I enjoyed writing it. And Pest Control is my favourite audio.

Can we expect to see anymore Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures books or audiobooks from you in the future?

I hope so.

Peter Anghelides has written quite a few books and audio's to date, most recent ones including Doctor Who Pest Control, Torchwood Another Life, Torchwood Pack Animals, and The Sarah Jane Adventures The Time Capsule. He has also written some classic Doctor Who books and much more, and in March next year his new 5th Doctor audio drama The Chaos Pool will be released.