Why Billie Piper and Rose Tyler Were Perfect for a New Doctor Who
- doctorbrick
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
When RTD brought back Doctor Who in 2005 it wasn’t just a revival, it was a rebirth. A beloved show, and let’s face it, institution, brought back for a new generation of fans as well as fans from the past. The success of the show since 2005 is nothing short of a miracle, and the fact it is still going twenty years (Jesus H Christ that is scary) is in no small part down to a popstar from Swindon!
Relatable, compelling, modern, brilliant. Enter Billie Piper and Rose Tyler, a casting choice so inspired that she became one of the show's most celebrated and loved companions ever.
So here is the story of why Billie Piper and Rose Tyler were perfect for a new Doctor Who.
Let’s start with the obvious. Rose is us! Rose was normal! Rose was the human element in extraordinary adventures with an extraordinary alien, in a show that can be so many things. It can be camp, it can be bonkers, it can be serious, it can be silly, it can be tragic, but it is always brilliant. Rose wasn’t a genius or a chosen one, she was an ordinary shop-assistant from London who wanted more. She just needed to be shown she wanted more. Rose was our window into this amazing new Universe we were about to enter with the Doctor.
Series 1 Rose was a peak companion! Would she ever be beaten? Every companion has been brilliant in their own right, but would anyone other than Rose and Billie have captured the nation's heart in the way that she did? The way Billie played her and the way she was written were perfect. She was brave but not fearless, compassionate but selfish, she was jealous, curious and impulsive. She challenged the Doctor, but adored him. She made mistakes, and she learned from them.
We, the audience, went on a journey with Rose. Her life on screen mirrored ours as we watched this bloody silly show. At first she was overwhelmed by the vastness of time and space, just as viewers were acclimatising to a revived show with modern effects and storytelling. Over time, she grew into someone who could stand alongside the Doctor, facing Daleks and Slitheen with confidence.
Her relationship with the Doctor was another masterstroke - and I still think Rose and Nine are possibly the greatest TARDIS team we have ever had. She challenged him, helping him rediscover his joy and compassion and love for the Universe. Was their bond romantic? Was it friendship? A partnership? Or was it all of those things and more?
She treated Mickey like shit, but again, everyone has treated someone like shit before. Every single one of us. Their relationship wasn't the main point in the show, but it ran in the background and was another thing that made Rose real. I haven't even mentioned the icon that is her Mum either - Jackie Tyler you will be forever famous!
Billie Piper’s casting raised eyebrows at first. Known primarily as a pop star, she wasn’t the obvious choice, and as much as I enjoy Honey to the Bee, her music wasn’t to everyone's taste. Billie’s performance silenced any doubts though. Rose’s depth and warmth were brought to life brilliantly, and Rose just felt real. Watching Rose made you believe that you might walk around a corner and see a TARDIS waiting for you for real. I cannot put it another way, she made us believe she was real, and that made us believe the Doctor and his wonderful life could be real.
Luckily, Christopher Eccleston was also an inspired choice and their chemistry was, for want of a better word, fantastic!
Her legacy will last forever. At the Doctor Who Proms last year her theme tune filled the Albert Hall with cheers and gasps as people remembered their hero. Rose and Billie Piper were perfect for introducing a new Doctor Who because they were, in many ways, a reflection of what the show itself was attempting to do: balance the old and the new, the extraordinary and the everyday. Rose’s humanity brought a timeless story down to Earth, making it accessible to everyone.
RTD could have chosen to make the companion extraordinary - but the genius of it all was she was just Rose Tyler from the Powell Estate. Ordinary, mundane, flawed and full of potential. Through Billie and Rose we learnt that being ‘just human’ is the most extraordinary thing of all.
Did you love Rose? Who is your favourite companion? Let me know in the comments below. One more thing before I go, I suppose…if it’s my last chance to say it…Rose Tyler…
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