Bonnie Langford to Return as Melanie Bush for DOCTOR WHO Series 14

 
So, are we getting a spinoff called The Melanie Bush Adventures next?

The official Doctor Who site has announced that former Doctor Who actress Bonnie Langford is returning to her classic Doctor Who series role of Melanie "Mel" Bush for the show's upcoming Series 14, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday.

Langford, 58, first appeared as Mel in the 1986 serial "Terror of the Vervoids", Parts 9 through 12 of the Season 23 storyline "The Trial of a Time Lord" that served as Colin Baker's final season as the Sixth Doctor. She continued in the role through the end of Season 24 in 1987, Sylvester McCoy's first season as the Seventh Doctor, and left the series in the Season 24 finale, "Dragonfire". After reprising Mel in various Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, she recently returned to the modern era of Doctor Who for a cameo appearance in Jodie Whittaker's final episode, "The Power of the Doctor".

Mel is a computer programmer from the 20th century who originated from the village of Pease Pottage in West Sussex, England. She has an eidetic memory, and a cheery, almost perky personality. She greets most situations with a warm smile and good humor, and is an optimist whose views extend to believing the best of people's natures, but can also scream with the best of them. Mel is a health enthusiast and a vegetarian, often encouraging the slightly portly Sixth Doctor to exercise more and drink carrot juice. She was present (albeit unconscious at the time) when the Sixth Doctor regenerated into his seventh incarnation, and continued to travel with him. In the serial "Dragonfire", she reunited with the galactic confidence trickster, Sabalom Glitz, whom she met in "The Trial of a Time Lord" and decided to travel with him aboard the Nosferatu II, leaving the Seventh Doctor with new companion Ace. In the 2022 special, "The Power of the Doctor", Mel returned on Earth alongside several other former companions who gathered together as a support group to share their experiences with the Doctor.

Langford remarked on her upcoming return, "I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing Melanie Bush back. To be part of the exceptional cast, crew and production team led by the force of nature that is Russell T Davies is a career highlight. I’m so privileged and proud to have been a member of the Doctor Who family since the classic era and to be included in the new generation is phenomenal.”

Returning showrunner Russell T Davies said, "Open those TARDIS doors wide, because Bonnie’s back! What an honor, delight and hoot to welcome back the character of Melanie, after too long away. And this isn’t just a cameo, Bonnie is right in the thick of the action, battling monsters and chaos and cliffhangers, right at the Doctor's side, just like the old days."

Doctor Who Series 14 is currently expected to begin sometime in Spring 2024.