When Doctor Who returned to our TV screens in 2005, among the changes was making the companion character seem more well-rounded and real. Showrunner Russell T. Davies gave Rose Tyler a boyfriend, Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), and a mother, Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri). I recall that some people objected to the idea, but to me it grounded Rose in the real world – there were people back home who loved her and were waiting for her.

Sadly, for some fans, Jackie Tyler is the overbearing mum that they love to hate – but I’ve always seen her as a much more nuanced character, an ordinary woman thrown into an extraordinary world and worried for her daughter’s safety. She doesn’t choose to have a daughter who roams time and space, but she knows how important it is to Rose to do it.

It was really cool to chat with Camille at last November’s L.I. Who convention on Long Island, where we discussed not only Jackie Tyler but also the film King Ralph (with John Goodman) and the sitcom Him & Her (which I need to find streaming somewhere).