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Bill Potts is a fictional character played by Pearl Mackie in Doctor Who. She first appeared in a prequel to Series 10, entitled 'Friend from the Future' as part of a publicity event to announce her character. Mackie made her first actual apperance in the premiere of Series Ten, 'The Pilot' (2017). She was created by Steven Moffat, the show's current show runner and writer. Bill works in the canteen of St Luke's University in Bristol where she meets the Doctor.

Bill departed the series in finale, 'The Doctor Falls' (2017), where she left the Doctor to travel the universe with Heather.

Early Life[]

Bill's mother died when Bill was still a child. She later admitted to the Doctor she knew little about her mother or even what she looked like.

Bill was brought up by her foster mother Moira in Bristol, and still lived with when she met the Doctor in 2017.

Before the Doctor[]

Prior to Bill's adventures with the Doctor she worked at St Luke's University as a dinner lady in the canteen. Bill commonly served chips and gave extra portions to students she thought were attractive.

Bill took an interest in the Doctor's lecture's at the university and attended many despite not being a student.

Meeting the Doctor[]

'The Pilot' - Series 10, Episode 1[]

The Doctor noticed Bill's attendance in his lectures and summoned her to his office. Having taken interest in her, he offered to become her private tutor, which she excitedly agreed to. She would meet with the Doctor at six o'clock every Wednesday during term time for several months.

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During this period Bill met Heather, a student at St Luke's University whom Bill has a crush on. Bill notices Heather has a noticeable star shape in her iris. The stranger shows Bill what appears to be a puddle in a courtyard within the university which was troubling her due to the fact it had not rained in several weeks. Heather abruptly left Bill with the puddle, promising to see her 'another time'.

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Bill alerts the puddle to the Doctor after he questions her downbeat mood. The two interrogate what the nature of the puddle in the courtyard before the Doctor encourages her to go home and do student type activities. When Bill arrives home she finds running water in the bathroom despite no-one appearing to be in the flat. As she inspects the plug hole she is shocked to see the familiar star shaped iris appear within the drain. Bill, shocked, runs through town to find the Doctor.

Heather, now is liquid form chases Bill and the Doctor into the Tardis in the Doctor's office. Startled to find that the box is bigger on the inside, the Doctor quickly demonstrates to her his machine can travel in space and time.

First Adventures[]

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'Smile' - Series 10, Episode 2[]

  • Location: Gliese 581d, First Human off world Colony, Distant Future
  • Plot: The robot servants of the colony, called Vardies, are programmed to make humans happy. In their attempt to eradicate unhappiness they slaughter every human, leaving the Doctor and Bill to question why.
  • Notable Events:
    • Given the chose of past or future, Bill chooses to visit the future to 'see if its happy'.
    • Bill discovers the human race had to abandon the Earth after something terrible happened.
    • Bill theorises that the Doctor is the equivalent of the intergalactic police.
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'Thin Ice' - Series 10, Episode 3[]

  • Location: The Frost Fairs, Earth, 1814
  • Plot: Bill and the Doctor are suprised to find themselves on the frozen thames during the last days of the frost fairs. However, the pair discover someone is using the event as a means of feeding men and women to a giant serpent which lives beneath the surface.
  • Notable Events:
    • Bill is apprehensive about walking around in 1814 Britain due to slavery.
    • Bill confronts the Doctor over the matter of how many people the Doctor has watched die and killed.
    • Bill notices more black citizens of London then she previously believed lived.

Life at Home[]

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'Knock, Knock' - Series 10, Episode 4[]

  • Location: Bristol, Earth, 2017
  • Plot: Whilst searching for affordable student accomodation, Bill and her new roomates come across a mysterious landlord. He offers them a cheap rent on a old manor house which they quickly accept. However, Bill and the Doctor soon realise that some things are too good to be true.
  • Notable Events:
    • Bill's guilty pleasure is Little Mix.
    • Bill doesn't like the Doctor interfering with her home life.
    • Bill tells Paul she's gay in order to prevent her leading him on.

Travels with the Doctor and Nardole[]

'Oxygen' - Series 10, Episode 5[]

  • Location: Chasm Forge Mining Station, Deep Space, Distant Future

Life in the simulation[]

'Extremis' - Series 10, Episode 6[]

  • Location: St Lukes University, Bristol, The Vatican, Rome, The White House, The United States, 2017

Invasion of the Monks[]

'Pyramid at the End of the World' - Series 10, Episode 7[]

  • Location: Tumzerstan, Earth, 2017

'The Lie of the Land' - Series 10, Episode 8[]

  • Location: St Lukes University, Centeral London, Earth,2017

Further Adventures[]

'The Empress of Mars' - Series 10, Episode 9[]

  • Location: Mars, 1879

'The Eaters of Light' - Series 10, Episode 10[]

  • Location: Scotland, 2AD

Last Adventures[]

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'World Enough and Time' - Series 10, Episode 11[]

  • Location: Mondas Colony Ship, Unknown Date
  • Plot: Bill, the Doctor, Missy and Nardole answer a distress signal aboard a 400 mile long colony ship in order to test Missy's reformed evil. However, events take a deadly turn when Bill is shot dead and resurrected as a cyborg at the bottom of the ship where she befriends a face from the Doctor's past...
  • Notable Events:
    • Bill is stuck at the bottom of the Colony ship for a total of 10 years.
    • She becomes good friends with Razor, a fellow hospital worker, who is in fact the Master in disguise.
    • Bill is fully converted into a Cyberman in the closing minutes of the episode.
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'The Doctor Falls' - Series 10, Episode 12[]

  • Location: Mondas Colony Ship, Unknown Date
  • Plot: With Bill mutilated and transformed into a cyberman, she somehow manages to hold on to her humanity. The two masters are now free and in control of a cyber army, how long can the Doctor and Nardole survive this new world and can Bill's fate be changed?
  • Notable Events:
    • Bill's experience of life under the Monks allowed her to keep her identity, even as a Cyberman.
    • Bill's ultimate fate is averted, Heather finds Bill through her tears and transforms her into a liquid creature like herself.
    • This is currently Bill's last appearance in the series, she is last seen stepping out of the Tardis doors hand in hand with heather, ready to explore the universe!

Trivia[]

  • After Clara, Bill is the second companion whose 'death' is shown on screen during their final story.
  • Like every companion before her, Bill has her own theme.
  • Bill is the shortest spanning featured companion of the new series of Doctor Who at only 12 episodes. Rose's episode count is totals 31, Martha's 19, Donna's 17, Amy's 34, Rory's 27, Clara's 37.
  • Bill's name alludes to both Billie Piper (Rose) and William Hartnell (The First Doctor).
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