History Boys in Doctor Who

I don’t know what it is exactly about The History Boys. Back when it made a splash first on the West End and then on Broadway, I was really intrigued by it, but when I saw the eventual movie adaptation starring the original stage cast, it didn’t really blow me away. Maybe it was something that worked better onstage than onscreen (I’ve talked before about the difficulty of adapting stage works for films,) but either way, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about.

However. That cast has stuck with me. I enjoyed pretty much all of them, and ever since 2006, I’ve sat up and taken notice every single time a former History Boy pops up on my screen in a different project (this blog features numerous references to History Boy alum in assorted reviews.) Some have seen their careers take off more than others – for pure visibility, I’d say James Corden is probably leading the pack – but nearly all of them have had their moments for me. And, rather delightfully, more than half of them have made their way to the Whoniverse in some way. Today, I’m doing a rundown of History Boy appearances in new Who and beyond (a few spoilers.)

 

Russell Tovey as Midshipman Alonzo Frame

First up, chronologically, is Russell Tovey (aka Rudge) as Midshipman Frame. His is the smallest Whoniverse appearance – Midshipman Frame features prominently in the Tenth Doctor Christmas special “Voyage of the Damned.” He’s a stalwart young man working aboard the starship Titanic, and when the captain sabotages the ship, Midshipman Frame moves heaven and earth to keep her afloat and save as many of the passengers and crew as possible, all while injured himself. Tovey is really endearing in the role, and he pops up again for a cameo in the final scenes of “The End of Time,” I’m sure launching a host of fanfics after he meets Captain Jack Harkness.

 

James Corden as Craig Owens

Next comes James Corden (aka Timms,) making a big impact in “The Lodger” and “Closing Time” as Craig. Corden was a great choice for this character, a basically-decent everyman who has a whirlwind encounter with the Eleventh Doctor in a non-companion capacity. For everyone who’s ever asked, “What if the Doctor was my roommate?” or, “What if the Doctor was my babysitter?”, these are the episodes for you (the answers, by the way are, “Pretty much exactly what you’d think it’d be like.”) Craig isn’t a companion type, and he can get overwhelmed or annoyed at the wild goings-on that seem to follow the Doctor wherever he goes, but Craig also recognizes how much our world needs the Doctor and provides an important type of support that the Doctor sometimes needs.

 

Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink

Although Samuel Anderson (aka Crowther) has probably had the most screentime on Who so far, for my money, he didn’t exactly strike the jackpot. His Danny Pink often feels more like a plot device than a character, Clara’s love interest who largely reacts to things in whatever way will affect her character the most. There are hints of a good character here – a former soldier still dealing with trauma from his time in the service, a fellow teacher at Coal Hill with Clara – but it never develops into something that feels fully fleshed out. While I’d say Anderson does his best with what he’s given, this character doesn’t really come together for me.

 

Samuel Barnett as Norton Folgate

This one surprised me. The only non-TV and non-Doctor Who entry on this list, I found myself listening to the Torchwood audio drama Ghost Mission and thinking, “Where have I heard that voice before?” I knew I recognized the actor voicing Norton Folgate, a Torchwood operative from days of yore whose “ghost” is sent to the 21^st century to serve as an objective rater for Andy’s field review as a prospective Torchwood candidate. I couldn’t figure it out, but when they read the credits at the end and I heard the name Samuel Barnett (aka Posner,) I shouted, “History Boy!” out loud. Norton is a fun character, and luckily for me, one that I’ll be hearing more of in the future (Ghost Mission is the only audio that I’ve listened to featuring him, but the interwebs tell me he’s a recurring character.) He’s sharp, fab, and dapper, and he and Andy make an entertaining odd couple together – plus, the ending of Ghost Mission suggests he’s part of a larger puzzle at work.

 

Sacha Dhawan as the Master

Obviously, Sacha Dhawan (aka Akhtar) is the big winner here. I was enjoying him enough when he was masquerading as “O,” the disguise persona we were initially introduced to, but the second he was revealed as the new Master, everything got super awesome really quickly. I’ve said before that Dhawan is the first new Who Master who fully works for me. Unhinged up to here, but scarily controlled when he needs to be. And the rage! Rage that seems to unsettle even him – I like the way he gets this hysterical edge to his voice, screaming like a Dalek in the fervor of his fury. Fingers crossed that will get lots more of Dhawan’s Master. (Also, first Master of color, which I’m totally here for.)