Actor Mina Anwar has recently been cast in the latest series of Doctor Who, as a character called ‘Goodthing’. Many Whovians will remember Mina Anwar from the Doctor Who spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures, where she played schoolgirl Rani’s mother Gita Chandra.
So could Gita Chandra be returning in Doctor Who?
Well, first you have got to ask why she would be returning. What importance could Gita possibly have to the plot of a Series 10 episode?
If the Bannerman Road Gang (consisting of school kids Sky, Luke, Clyde and Rani) were to return in Series 10, then it is possible they would bring Gita back in order to explore the domestic theme often present during Russell T Davies’ era of the show. The Moffat era has brought back the focus on domestic life before – for example, in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and The Power of Three with companion Rory’s father Brian Williams. Gita could fulfil the role of companion mothers Jackie Tyler or Francine Jones if the Bannerman Road Gang (or at least her daughter Rani) were to become guest companions for an episode.
Bringing the Bannerman Road Gang back would also be a nice way of continuing the late Elisabeth Sladen’s legacy, given that they were a part of a gang led by her character Sarah Jane Smith. It would be a nice tribute to such a brilliant and well-loved Doctor Who actor to have these characters appear in the main show. Sarah Jane may no longer be able to appear in Doctor Who but there is no reason why her presence can’t be felt with the appearance of her spinoff characters.
The one thing that may support this idea is the weird name given to Mina Anwar’s character. ‘Goodthing’ is far from a traditional name and reads more like a codename for something than what they would actually call a character. Doctor Who has had a long association with codenames; the revival of Doctor Who was initially referred to as ‘Torchwood’ and auditions for Amy Pond were talked about by the production crew under the name ‘Panic Moon’. ‘Goodthing’ may be another of these codenames to keep the return of the Bannerman Road Gang secret. After all, Steven Moffat is famously fond of keeping secrets; he kept the return of Davros in last years’ The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar hushed up for one.
I think enough people care about the Bannerman Road Gang to warrant it being kept a secret. Many Doctor Who viewers have grown up with these characters and there is a sufficient demand to see the likes of Luke Smith and Clyde Langer return to the Whoniverse. The latest Doctor Who spinoff Class could always be used to remind viewers of the gang; maybe Luke could be a teacher at Coal Hill Academy, for instance?
Of course, it is equally possible that I could be wrong and Mina Anwar’s character is actually called Goodthing. The other members of the cast have also been given odd character names – Ralf Little is playing Steadfast and Kaizer Akhtar is Praiseworthy. Maybe the Doctor and Bill arrive on a planet where these names are commonplace? But it does seem suspect that the actor known for playing Gita Chandra has been cast in the show for the series of Doctor Who that will air ten years after The Sarah Jane Adventures began. Surely The Sarah Jane Adventures’ 10th anniversary would be the right time for a nod to the show?
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