WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RUMOURS AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Back in the 1980s, Bonnie Langford played the role of Mel Bush as a companion to the Sixth and Seventh Doctors during a difficult time for Doctor Who. This was when the BBC wanted the show off the air and the quality of the series had radically declined. Bonnie Langford’s character came under extensive scrutiny and criticism, often aimed at her constant screaming and high-pitched voice. Yet from my point of view, the fault was that Bonnie Langford wasn’t given a proper character to play. The return of Mel Bush in Series 14 under Russell T Davies presents an opportunity to fix this, and I think offers lots of potential.
Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush in my opinion is the definition of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she had been in Doctor Who two or three years earlier or even a year later, she might have fared slightly better, but what you get in Seasons 23 and 24 is a terribly used character the writers don’t know what to do with. It’s not Bonnie Langford that is the problem as she gives the part some good energy and giddy excitement, as well as a certain bossiness. This paired with a sense of innocence, makes her likeable and enjoyable to watch on screen. However, her character and Bonnie Langford as an actor ends up being totally wasted in a really unfortunate way. Mel is perhaps one of the most generic companions that there has ever been and a bit of wooden and shallow character.
Bonnie Langford was given the companion role largely because of her ability to scream, and I think by Season 24 Mel was unfortunately defined by her constant insistent screaming and asking questions. As a result, you really don’t get the best out of Bonnie Langford as an actor because Mel is a poorly sketched-out person who unfortunately is never given priority in storylines. She has a good curiosity but unfortunately little agency or drive that allows us to learn much about her. Mel is meant to be a computer programmer, but bafflingly we never see those abilities in the stories she is in; it’s merely a part of the backstory and not a worked-in part of who Mel is which it should be.
Bonnie Langford, at the very least, manages to elevate the very subpar and weak material she was given to work with because she injects the character with some likeable energy. She came into the show when it had just come off hiatus and was trying to prove its place in the BBC TV schedule, which gives some context as to why Mel as a companion probably wasn’t given priority.
What impacts her character badly is the fact that she isn’t given a proper introduction. We get to know most companions through their first appearance; through their backstory and situation we learn what sort of person they are and what motivates them. By the nature of Mel being shoved in the middle of the Trial of a Time Lord story arc, we just pick up with her already as a companion to the Sixth Doctor and miss out on that which I think was a mistake.
I think she worked rather well, had strong chemistry, and was rather a good fit for Colin Baker’s Doctor. Her innocence and bossiness were the right contrast needed to lighten some of the harshness and bring out more of the humour and generosity in the Sixth Doctor, and I would have been interested in seeing a full season with the two of them in the Tardis. The problem was that after Season 23 Colin Baker was sacked and Sylvester McCoy replaced him as the Doctor, and Mel suffered once again as the Season 24 writers simply lost interest in Mel as a character. The focus was on introducing the Seventh Doctor, and Mel’s character got somewhat shoved to the side of the storylines, resulting in her and McCoy being a less effective fit for one another. In Season 24 they are both giving the same energy to the show with the lightness they present in their parts; McCoy does not have the same kind of dominance for Mel to contrast with, and as a result you don’t have a strong enough dynamic and relationship. It was before the darkness in the Seventh Doctor was unveiled, and unfortunately the combination of the two performances clash badly.
The following companion with Ace ended up being a much more fleshed-out and developed character, in a way in which the modern series would take advantage of in order to transform and reinvent the companion role. Bonnie Langford was the last companion of a certain formula and unfortunately for her narrowly missed out on the great reinvention of the companion role. Season 24 laid the groundwork but unfortunately for Mel, it was in Season 25 when I think the series started to find its feet again. Bonnie Lanford has had a successful career in the West End and Musical theatre and more recently a role in Eastenders which makes it clear her full talents were not taken advantage of during her time on Doctor Who, and bringing her back gives an opportunity to fix that and revive her reputation as a companion. As a well-known name outside of Doctor Who she also makes some kind of sense as a character to bring back as she is recognisable. Mel’s giddy and likeable energy I think will merge well with the style of Russell T Davies and with his strong character writing I have confidence he can take the mould and basics of Mel and expand her to become a much stronger character.
I have only listened to a handful of her Big Finish stories, but her character is much stronger with more of an intelligence, agency, and a better role in the main storylines. I recently listened to the story: Catch-1782 and I thought that was a particularly good storyline for her with where it took her character and what she went through. You’ve also got to consider that the first Doctor Who script that Russell T Davies wrote with Mind of the Hodiac that he submitted to the BBC in the 1980s featured Mel. This was adapted by Big Finish last year and certainly had more of an amped-up companion role than was typical at that time, so as a writer with more experience Russell T Davies definitely has the tools to do her justice as a character.
I am anticipating seeing Mel’s computer skills and intellect getting properly used and playing a satisfying role in the main plot to help drive the story along. It would help develop her character, through her experience, history and qualities, and give her a more rewarding function and role. Mel is strangely a good vehicle to build a character because there isn’t a lot to her currently, but the basics and essentials are there to develop a strong character which I have confidence Russell T Davies will do.
Since Mel made a cameo at the companion support group in the Power of the Doctor then the question has been there on how Mel got to earth in the present day and what happened to Sabalom Glitz. The last time we had seen Mel in Dragonfire she had left with Sabalom Glitz to travel the universe and to keep an eye on him, asserting her independence. Recent comments from Russell T Davies indicate we may find out what has happened to Mel since we last saw her. It would be nice to get some gaps filled in and with Tony Selby who played Glitz dying in 2021, it would be nice to honour the actor in one way or another. I can see Mel being driven to do good and help others with the Doctor close to her heart after she left the Tardis in Dragonfire which I would like to see.
Given the companion support group and Kate Stewart trying to recruit old companions to develop an intelligence network, I presume this is how Mel comes into things; especially with the rumours of a UNIT spinoff. I reckon Series 14 will lay the groundwork for this as Kate Stewart slowly puts together a new team. Rumours have previously suggested, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mel turns up slightly earlier than promoted and pops up in the 60th Anniversary Specials alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate. It seems like Mel is going to be part of the Series 14 finale and I’m looking forward to seeing how she works with Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Her reunion with the Doctor will be interesting to witness, and how she has developed being away from the Doctor as well as the guilt the Doctor will be faced with meeting her again. Judging from the likes of School Reunion and the Death of the Doctor, this should be a core focus and I’ll be fascinated to see what route is taken with the Mel and Doctor relationship. Also considering the relationship between Rose and Sarah Jane in School Reunion it will be good to see how seeing a past companion of the Doctor impacts Ruby’s character played by Millie Gibson and how she feels as a result of the idea of continuing to travel with the Doctor.
Whatever role Melanie Bush ends up playing in the next era of Doctor Who, whether it’s just for the Series 14 finale or more beyond that, I think it presents a great writing and character opportunity. Bonnie Langford suffered from being underserved in her original run and became the object of much derision for her character. She deserves the opportunity to show how good she really is, and I think a return could offer that.
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