\'Doctor Who\' will release \'Rose: The Prequel\' as a treat for fans this week.
Former showrunner Russell T Davies has revealed plans to air a special piece of promotional material before Thursday\'s (26.03.20) simulcast of \'Rose\', which was the original 2005 \'pilot\' for the rebooted version of the sci-fi show.
Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "ROSE livestream and tweet-a-long, THURSDAY 26 MARCH at 7pm GMT. Come and have fun!
Russell T. Davies and Boyfriend Oliver Cole Enjoy Romantic Speedboat Ride in Venice
"Before that, Thursday daytime, time TBC, we\'ll release ROSE: THE PREQUEL on the BBC\'s Doctor Who website - it\'s a lost piece of history from the 50th anniversary year, 2013. Never seen before!"
The 56-year-old screenwriter will be watching \'Rose\' - which starred Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as the titular Rose Tyler - with fans, but he admitted he isn\'t quite sure how global fans will tune in.
He continued: "ROSE is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer and Netflix; worldwide, check your own resources (don\'t ask me, I have no clue!).
"If you can\'t find a copy, close your eyes at 7pm GMT and feel my psychic link. Yeah.
"I\'ll be tweeting along, twitter handle to be named on Thursday! Plus more surprise to come. Oh what a lockdown this is! #TripofaLifetime (sic)"
Meanwhile, Christopher previously heaped praise on Billie\'s performances during their time together, and insisted she should have taken over the TARDIS.
He said: "If Billie Piper ever wants to play the Doctor I\'ll [be her companion]. Who wouldn\'t? I think that\'s what they should have done... Rose should have moved up to become the Doctor ... but it was just too early."
He also insisted bosses should have cast a woman as the titular Time Lord much earlier than 2017, when Jodie Whittaker made her first appearance in the role.
He added: "It\'s ridiculous we weren\'t thinking of a female Doctor at that time. In 2004, in me they picked yet another white skinny male to be the Doctor.
"If somebody had said in 2004 it should have been a woman, there\'d have been outrage. But only 14 years later it\'s acceptable. I think it\'s time for white middle-aged males to step aside."
26 April 2026 - 4:39 AM
