“Dr. Who’s” Peter Capaldi gets ready for life outside the Tardis

Meanwhile, Pearl’s co-star Peter Capaldi has revealed he’s just finished working on the highly-anticipated regeneration scene which will herald his exit from the show.

She added: “It’s about time isn’t it?” “I was part of that generation that was deprived of “Doctor Who” as a child”. But he’s not anxious about the show going on without him. Capaldi, a longtime Who fan himself, has some comforting thoughts. “Because he can change, he can survive”. Mackie’s doesn’t play her knowledge of science-fiction too over-the-top either; it comes across as more offhanded so when she suggests an odd puddle is an alien, it’s doesn’t come across as a “look how quirky I am” line. The official BBC Doctor Who Instagram released this short clip featuring showrunner Steven Moffat and stars chatting about the relationship between the Doctor and Bill.

One thing that surprised many people was the announcement last month that Bill is the show’s first gay companion, although Mackie says her character’s sexuality is really not that big a deal.

Yes and no. I didn’t realise it was my final season until about halfway through it.

She said: “I’m just here to play one character”. It’s been sweet. Because it’s fun. Are you going to miss Capaldi as the Doctor?

I think it will please fans. Where “Doctor Who” apportions crumbs on the way to finally making sense of an episode or an arc, “Class” drops them all at once on the table and tries to mash them into a loaf. She is curious about things but has little formal education, which gives her a different perspective than most people.

“Peter was like, “You’re here because you’re really good” – which was very kind – “and our main job is to make the show”. And hopefully, it will be for the audience.

“There’s this notion now that it’s the same process he’s gone through every time, and that’s not true”, the 58-year-old actor said.

There are quite a few classic monsters this series. It was recently revealed that Bill’s “coming out” will be addressed in the premiere episode, but Pearl doesn’t understand why there hasn’t been a gay companion before. The actress said: “I know not everyone is going to love Bill, and why should they?” A sample of The Doctor’s skin is forcibly taken and, with future tech, creates a fully-grown woman in combat attire.

Sure, yeah. Absolutely, why not? “I know what a mind-wipe looks like”.

Do what you like.

But, as dedicated Whovians – Doctor Who fans with those unacquainted with the lexicon of the Whoniverse – the show has had numerous LGBT companions such as Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), River Song (Alex Kingston) and Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh).

“The correct response should be ‘what took you so long?'”