New Doctor Who has lost his mystery says original director Waris Hussein

When a white-haired William Hartnell first took on the role of the Doctor at the age of 54 there was little chance of romance between the Time Lord and his younger travelling companions. And that’s the way it should have stayed, according to original Doctor Who director Waris Hussein.

"There is an element now – and I know we're living in a different era – of sexuality that has crept in,” said Hussein, discussing the Time Lord’s relationship with new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman. “We've just had a recent rebirth and another girl has joined us, a companion – she actually snogged him."

Hussein said the revived Doctor Who had removed some of the mystery surrounding the alien being at the centre of the show. "The intriguing thing about the original [Doctor] was that you never quite knew about him and there was a mystery and an unavailability about him,” said Hussein, speaking on Radio 4’s The Reunion. "Why bring in this [sexual] element when in fact you needn't have it there?"

Peter Purves, who played Doctor Who companion Steven Taylor between 1965 and 1966, said he agreed “totally" with Hussein, adding that storylines in the show had become too complicated in recent years.

"The original series was so simple,” said Purves. “They were very straightforward, nice linear stories that one could follow."

We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. Cookies perform functions like recognising you each time you visit and delivering advertising messages that are relevant to you. Read more here