An Interview with Peter Davison

By Karen Mauldin

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This short interview concludes our 3-issue look at last November's HME/VISIONS convention in Chicago.)

He's not a doctor in real life, but he's played THREE doctors on television.

British actor Peter Davison (DOCTOR WHO's Fifth Doctor) graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama and got his first big break in 1975 playing Tom Holland in LOVE FOR LYDIA. He went on to star in ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL as Tristan Farnon. His three concurrent series aired 1981-82, when he could be seen on DOCTOR WHO, SINK OR SWIM, and HOLDING THE FORT.

Taking Patrick Troughton's advice, Davison left DW after three seasons. He went on to star as Dr. Stephen Daker on the popular BBC2 series A VERY PECULIAR PRACTICE, returned to ALL CREATURES, and starred as Margery Allingham's dashing 1930's detective CAMPION for two seasons.

Besides these lead roles, Davison has guest-starred in numerous series from THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (which he's embarrassed by) and THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY to MAGNUM, P.I. (Tom Selleck bought each cast member a $500,000 Porshe), and THE STRANGER.

Recently, he appeared in the Warner Brothers remake of BLACK BEAUTY, currently available on home video.

At last year's VISIONS con, Davison revealed his feelings about the DOCTOR WHO pilot movie for the American market. "Paul McGann was great," he said. "It was well done, good script, but it could have been about any superhero. It didn't seem like DOCTOR WHO." Davison was actually jealous of the Eighth Doctor's romance with Dr. Grace Holloway in the movie. "I couldn't touch any of the female companions."

He said he wouldn't approach the role of the Doctor any differently if he were playing the part today and would be willing to return for a WHO special. "I would, though it would have to be well done and on film."

Despite having piloted the futuristic TARDIS as the Doctor, Davison is puzzled by a lot of things having to do with the World Wide Web. "I don't understand role playing, or shrines to actors on the Internet," he admitted. "There's a Peter Davison Worship Page."

Davison said he watches more American television than British TV. "My favorites are NYPD BLUE, ER, SEINFELD, and the David Letterman show."

Karen S. Mauldin was born a little over 3 months after the TV show DOCTOR WHO premiered and has since taken to writing short stories, novels, and screenplays related to British science fiction and comedy. She has had about 20 DOCTOR WHO and RED DWARF stories published in fanzines in 3 countries. She also hosts a chat on British SF and comedy on AOL. To fund her hobbies, she's an Administrative Assistant.