KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: "DOCTOR WHO"s BILLIE PIPER

The first, and best, of the modern DOCTOR WHO companions: Billie Piper as Rose Tyler. Image: BBC.

When I originally heard the news that teeny-bop pop star/then married boozy ladette to TV and radio personality Chris Evans, Billie Piper, had been announced as the new companion, Rose Tyler, in the re-imagined series of the BBC's long running and iconic sci-fi adventure series legend, DOCTOR WHO, I was initially very wary about the choice, and the very cynical part of my soul had lingering criticisms that her appointment to such an important series role was stunt casting by the series producers of the very worst kind. However, my doubts about the young actresses capabilities- having then made a favourable impression with TV critics just prior to WHO's start in the drama series CANTERBURY TALES- were soon completely blown out of the water by her inhabiting of the role, and her warmth of personality within it, giving Rose from the get-go equal amounts of curiosity, verve and spunk as she and her character shared their first major appearance on our TV screens, backed up with an enthusiastic and pure thirst for adventure, a steady, if a little unsure at times, heroism and an all-round likability. Here was the first new companion of the series, ands what a winner she was, importantly giving fans old and new watching the revitalised, now smash hit audiences/ratings winning show a great deal of viewer identification and relateability, as well as strong charisma- a smart and ebullient kind of intergalactic spanning/time travelling Eliza Doolittle, discovering herself and what she can do beyond the once dreary confines of her Earth existence in a run down flat in the Elephant and Castle, gaining tremendous self confidence and enjoying the ride of her life opposite the last of the Time Lords: her friend, and later love, The Doctor, now played in his Ninth regenerated form by acclaimed character actor Christopher Eccleston, a superb series lead and just as impressive- an equally big thumbs up for his casting (well, not so much casting, as the actor actually asked writer/producer Russell T. Davies straight off the bat if could play the part in this new interpretation). From helping modern day Earth defeat numerous invasions from aliens like the Slitheen, going back in time to fight a werewolf and save Queen Victoria in Victorian Scotland, swapping bodies with The Doctor for comedic effect in a zombie packed futuristic medical facility, to coming face to face with the almost invincible Daleks, and fighting the literal interpretation of the Devil at the end of the universe, Rose and the now regenerated Doctor (his Tenth incarnation as played by the world popular David Tennant) would become an invincible, almost inseparable, pairing, that is until the Season Two finale, where things would turn sour at the end of their road together with the return of the dreaded silver nemeses, the Cybermen. Heartbreakingly for the audience, the pair, winning the battle,would be accidentally and tragically separated from each other by the walls of closed off parallel universes...

Season One: Billie Piper as Rose with Christopher Eccleston's DOCTOR WHO.

Season Two: Enjoying some 1950's time travelling with new DOCTOR WHO, David Tennant.

Rose Tyler compilation clips: The Doctor and Rose - A Tribute‬‏ - YouTube

Billie as young Victorian era adventuress Sally Lockhart in The Ruby and the Smoke. Image: BBC.

Two series into the run, and wanting to expand her acting character (her pop career previously traversed her early Thespian career plans), Miss Piper wisely left WHO as a long-term series role, though she would return to the series that made her a star for several appearances on and off during Tennant's final season, which would delight fans everywhere. She'd then confidently go on to be the lead star of her own successful mini-series: in two equally ambitious, feature length BBC productions of author Philip Pullman's popular Sally Lockhart mystery dramas set in the dark and dangerous world of Victorian London: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE, followed by THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH (and starring opposite the very young Eleventh DOCTOR WHO to-be, Matt Smith!), plus some more noted period drama in ITV's equally glossy MANSFIELD PARK adaptation, as the romance-led Fanny Price, from Jane Austen's novel, followed by her controversial four season stint as the up for it, no-inhibitions call girl, Belle/Hannah, in the late night adult drama THE SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL, based on the sexy blog memoirs of a British escort, for years known only as Belle De Jour. The first series of SECRET DIARY, showcasing Piper in a role far, far removed from the family friendly fantasy worlds of Rose Tyler in WHO, would turn out to be a big hit, not just for ITV in the UK but in America, too (on the SHOWTIME network. Trailer: ‪Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Trailer‬‏ - YouTube), resulting in Piper staying on for a further three seasons, probably, unwisely, going two seasons more than she should have (though I'm sure her male admirers worldwide were perfectly happy that she took the plunge for so long in the role. If anything, the series, and her participation, helped British TV sales worldwide, so Miss Piper was doing her bit for her country!).

Making her mark on London promotional posters as Belle in THE SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL. Image: ITV.

Last seen in 2010's A PASSIONATE WOMAN (playing an ahead of her time young woman in an adulterous affair, whilst living within the difficult and turbulently repressed era of 1950's Yorkshire), and now presumably, carefully, looking/ waiting for the next big and right roles to come along, the actress, currently married to LEWIS series actor, Lawrence Fox, and now a very happy Mommy, will surely return to our film and TV screens in the not too distant future...

As Belle, against a London backdrop, for a US promotional image for the SECRET DIARY series. Image: SHOWTIME.

Season One of the modern DOCTOR WHO series is now in weekday repeats on the UK's WATCH channel, and all the seasons are available on DVD from the BBC/ 2ENTERTAIN.


UPDATE: 26/8/2011. It looks like Billie is re-uniting with David Tennant for a new BBC series: David Tennant and Billie Piper reunite for new BBC romantic drama - mirror.co.uk

CAUGHT WITHIN THE BLURRED EDGES OF "THE SHADOW LINE"

In too deep? DI Jonah Gabriel (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Joseph Bede (Christopher Eccleston) and the mysterious Gatehouse (Stephen Rea) in the new drama THE SHADOW LINE. Image: BBC.

In 2005 he delighted worldwide children and families of all ages for his sadly one year only reign as the enigmatic and brave Ninth persona of DOCTOR WHO, and, more recently, earned great kudos playing ex-BEATLE/peace protester John Lennon in a documentary set before the man's real-life, tragic assassination, but now chameleon-like actor Christopher Eccleston is back on TV and returning to his more serious and sinister dramatic roles as he takes one of the lead character acting parts in what looks set to be an enthralling new British conspiracy thriller: THE SHADOW LINE, starting tonight on BBC 2 and HD.

In this specially written conspiracy drama/thriller by popular TV industry writer Hugo Blick, Eccleston is a drug dealer, Joseph Bede, out to finish his selling ways for good when he becomes unwittingly involved in the death of one of his old friends, whose body is discovered full of bullet holes by the police, and which sees an investigation soon started by DI Jonah Gabriel (the very popular Chiwetel Ejiofor, now an actor with a major league film career under his belt, too). What springs up from the murder victim-who also happens to be one of the biggest crime bosses in the country- soon sparks off an intriguing and dangerous chain of events that have ramifications for both the police and criminals combined, as a murky world of terror, politics, corruption and shattered humanity comes to the fore...

With its all star cast playing a complex set of characters, including Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall and Lesley Sharp, working in an atmospheric and dark, filmic edge that makes the most of many gloomy and distinctive London locations, THE SHADOW LINE, said to be an original and distinctive drama following in the best BBC drama tradition, looks set to be compulsive TV viewing over the next seven weeks.