Bayldon Copper
Bayldon Copper (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"]) usually referred to simply as Mr Copper, was an employee aboard the Titanic who met the Tenth Doctor and Astrid Peth. After the near-destruction of the vessel, the Doctor allowed him to live in 21st century England.
Biography
Mr Copper was a travelling salesman, but he reached retirement with little to show for a life's work. He pretended to have a first-class degree in "Earthonomics" to get the job of Ship Historian. In reality, he had been a student at Mrs Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners. Copper helped the Tenth Doctor defeat the Host. After this adventure, he was stranded on Earth with nothing save the clothes on his back and a million-pound credit card. He had been issued this by the Capricorn Cruise Lines for purchasing trinkets from the local life forms, including samples of their local delicacy, beef.
After being refused an opportunity to travel with the Doctor (because the Doctor did not want a new companion at the time), the Doctor told Copper that the credit card he had was worth the local equivalent of 50,000,056 credits. Ecstatic at his newfound wealth, he planned to make a life on Earth so he wouldn't spend the rest of his life in prison on Sto for fraud. (TV: Voyage of the Damned [+]Loading...["Voyage of the Damned (TV story)","Voyage of the Damned"])
Mr Copper eventually used some of his wealth to establish the Mr Copper Foundation, an organisation dedicated to advancements in science. (PROSE: "Putting Things Straight" [+]Part of The Time Lord Letters, Loading...{"name":"TTLL","page":"56-57","namedpart":"Putting Things Straight","1":"The Time Lord Letters (nove)"}) Among the Mr Copper Foundation's creations was the Sub-Wave Network. (TV: The Stolen Earth)
Legacy
In The Time Lord Letters, a letter from the Tenth Doctor to Mr Copper was documented. The book's author had also researched Mr Copper, finding that there was no record of him on Earth prior to Christmas 2007, he lacked a social security number, and that his first name was not known and that they believed "Copper" to be merely an alias. (PROSE: "Putting Things Straight" [+]Part of The Time Lord Letters, Loading...{"name":"TTLL","page":"56-57","namedpart":"Putting Things Straight","1":"The Time Lord Letters (nove)"})
Personality
Mr Copper pretended to be knowledgeable about Earth, but often made mistakes describing the planet and its inhabitants' customs. Copper had been a travelling salesman, but felt that he had not been able to accomplish anything in his life and lied to get a place on the Titanic. Nevertheless he was a kind-hearted man, following the Doctor loyally and hoping to travel with him. He also tried to comfort the Doctor about the death of Astrid Peth, telling him to let her go. Mr Copper was ecstatic to find out he was a millionaire and promised to make the Doctor proud. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)
Behind the scenes
First name
- In the early drafts of Voyage of the Damned [+]Loading...["Voyage of the Damned (TV story)"], Copper had the forename Bayldon, as can be seen in The Writer's Tale. However, this never made it into the final cut of the episode.
- In the video commentary for the episode, Russell T Davies claimed that Copper used to have a forename, but he cannot remember it.
- It was only in The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"] where the name from the script was shown to be his name in-universe; while the later publication — The Time Lord Letters [+]Loading...["The Time Lord Letters (novel)"] — claims that Copper's forename was "not known", and even that "Copper" may be an alias, the context of this statement comes from what is stylised as an in-universe book by an individual who isn't entirely reliable.
Casting
- The late American actor Dennis Hopper was considered for the role of Mr Copper and was later offered the part of Max Capricorn. The actor was interested in appearing in the show, but Hopper's availability proved insurmountable. Ultimately the role went to Clive Swift, who had previously appeared in the Doctor Who episode Revelation of the Daleks as Jobel.
- Nevertheless, the eventual prominence of the character, originally envisaged as a much smaller part, is a direct result of trying to get Hopper to play the role.[1]
- David Jason was also considered for the role.
