Doctor Who: Why Leadworth was a great setting
Leadworth may be seen as a quiet little village, but it was also part of the huge change of style when Moffat took over. We take a look at what made it such a great and refreshing setting for Doctor Who.
When Steven Moffat took over the mantle of show runner from Russell T. Davies back in 2010, a vibrant new vision for Doctor Who was unleashed with a myriad of major changes. One of the least discussed alterations to the show was the setting for the companion’s home.
New companions Amelia Pond and Rory Williams broke New Who tradition – their place of residence would be the sleepy English village of Leadworth, marking a departure from the United Kingdom’s capital city. Leadworth is an overlooked element of the early Moffat era and it made for a great setting. Here I lay out why.
Consecutive companions Rose, Martha and Donna all heralded from London. This was an understandable move on the part of Russell T. Davies, who aimed to re-launch Doctor Who’s identity as contemporary and relatable.
London, being the United Kingdom’s capital and most internationally recognizable location served as fitting representation for modern-day British companions. By 2010, London, as a setting for a companion, had become a formula, a predictable template for new characters to be introduced.
Leadworth was a key location in Matt Smith’s first season as the Eleventh Doctor. What makes it truly stand out?
(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
From London to Leadworth
To some, a shift in setting may have seemed like a small change to implement, but I contend it invigorated Series Five in a number of ways. A setting can create a framework for tone and style – Leadworth achieved this to contribute to the fairytale-esque nature of Matt Smith’s first season.
The story of the Ponds was magically poetic. Whilst Moffat made Amy and Rory complex, engaging characters, their story arc was less grounded in reality than their previous counterparts.
To me, there’s something more ethereal and comforting about a typical English village than a major city. The lush greenery, quaint streets, old Churches and the intertwining streams and sleepy atmosphere all contributed to construct a sense of adventure and mystery.
This fits perfectly for the journey Steven Moffat takes us on, making Leadworth a superb basis for the more fantastical mythic storytelling that took root. Not only is Leadworth an enchanting location that invites you to traverse every hidden nook and cranny, it provides a nice change of pace.
Would stellar Series Five stories The Eleventh Hour or Amy’s Choice work as well as they did if they were set in London? No, because Leadworth provides a tonal framework, atmosphere and charm in ways that London could not replicate.
A change of scenery
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The changeover from London to village was a decision that allowed for greater representation of the UK too. Whilst London is an iconic and greatly important part of the country, it’s culturally detached from a lot of it. A gorgeous sprawling metropolis London may be, but it’s not the only location in the UK. So it’s lovely to see more of the country represented.
In the case of Leadworth, it gave focus to small rural areas that frequent the UK outside of major urban centers. Doctor Who has always maintained an inherently British quirk, and this is partly another reason why Leadworth worked so well – one of the most quintessential images of the country are small cosy villages. Leadworth epitomized that image and that feel.
So next time you’re re-watching Series Five, make sure you appreciate the little town of Leadworth. Particularly for its plucky undertaking in making Doctor Who feel fresher and more unconventional than from what came before.
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What do you make of the village of Leadworth? Do you think it provided a refreshing change of location? Did you enjoy seeing something different to the usual contemporary location of London? Let us know in the comments below.