Don’t you just love it when we get a TV crossover? The Jetsons meet The Flintstones, The Simpsons meets Family Guy, Friends meets ER! As Whovians, it’s incredibly rare that we’re treated to such an event, given the Whoniverse is so gigantically huge already, looping in other TV shows feels unnecessary (although Barbara Windsor’s cameo as Peggy Mitchell in Army of Ghosts means Eastenders officially exists in the Whoniverse). So, we have make do with seeing our favourite actors playing Who characters and when they do, pray they get a decent story and don’t end up as some sort of green, hairy alien who absorbs people who live on their backsides (sorry Peter Kay fans). One such actor is Mark Sheppard, best known as Crowley, king of hell in the US behemoth Supernatural, cast as Canton Delaware III in Doctor Who’s series 6 opener The Impossible Astronaut.
Sheppard’s turn as Canton Delaware was during a time when NuWho was basking in its own glory. Series 5 brought a new Doctor in Matt Smith, a new showrunner with Steven Moffat and a new US relaunch on BBC America. Having performed well with US audiences, it’s not surprising that series 6’s opening episode was set in the US of A, and around a seminal moment in US history, the moon landing in 1969. Sheppard says that Supernatural made allowances for the filming of Who, ‘flipping around the schedule’ so he could film the episode. Sheppard was a childhood Who fan, unsurprisingly given that he was raised in the UK during the 1970s, and jumped at the chance to be in NuWho when it was offered. When he realised the episode required an older version of Canton, he also suggested his father, renowned Shakespearean actor W. Morgan Sheppard, play the role, which is pretty flawless casting.
Canton’s story begins with that older version of himself greeting a grieving Amy, Rory and River who have just seen the Doctor shot by an astronaut emerging from Lake Silencio. He briefly confirms that the Doctor is in fact dead and provides the gasoline required to burn his body. Travelling back to 1969 with a 200-year younger Doctor, they meet a younger Canton, a former FBI agent tasked by then President Richard Nixon to find out why he keeps receiving mysterious phone calls. Canton follows the Doctor and his companions into the Tardis, joining the illustrious list of non-companion Tardis travellers and on their quest to find out who the mysterious astronaut is and who or what the Silence want with the White House and humanity. Pivotal to the plot, and displaying a knack for adapting to modern technology ridiculously quickly, it’s Canton who records the Silence’s warning to Amy to ‘kill us all on sight’ on her phone allowing The Doctor to broadcast it at the same time as the moon landing while the world is watching, eradicating the Silence and their manipulative ways. Canton is someone the Doctor trusts almost immediately, their joint missions coinciding meaning they are working together for a similar purpose, but also entrusting him as his messenger at Lake Silencio years after their 1969 adventure. It shows him as more than just a handy passer-by, more a pseudo-companion for this, one of the Doctors biggest mysteries. In an already packed Tardis, Canton almost becomes the audience surrogate, proving himself both brave and resourceful as the true nature of The Silence is revealed, then forgotten, then revealed again. He also trusts the Doctor almost immediately, despite his FBI background, even going against his colleagues to allow the Doctor’s plan to proceed. The final revelation that Canton was kicked out of the FBI for wanting to marry his boyfriend, who happens to be black, is played for laughs, not offensively, but it’s also refreshing to have that only be revealed at the last minute. A comedy kicker, maybe, but representation is representation.
While I would have loved to have seen Sheppard’s Crowley show up in the Whoniverse, I’ll happily make do with Canton.
Supernatural, the US drama following two brothers who hunt the evil creatures that roam the earth, started in 2005 on US network the WB. It was famous for it’s teen show line up, and no doubt riding on the success of Buffy, Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester respectively, fighting their way up and down the US, coming across vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, angels and demons. By the time Sheppard joined as the demon Crowley in series 5, the series and had perfected it’s model of monsters of the week while facing a larger overarching threat across the 20 -23 series. Inspired by the real-life mystic Alistair Crowley, although in name only, Crowley is the demon King of the Crossroads and the King of Hell in Lucifer’s absence. He is sarcastic, cruel and uncommonly selfish, always working to his own benefit and often playing both sides, utilizing the Winchesters when it suits his needs, leading to an uneasy alliance between the trio and Crowley becoming an on-again off-again companion and protagonist to the brothers through the next few series. Bumped up to a series regular in series 10, Crowley becomes an integral part of the series line up with extended storylines and a much more complex relationship with the brothers along with his mother, the ancient witch Rowena who has magically reappeared. This emotional vulnerability makes him a fan favourite and leads to a number of dilemmas for the righteous Winchesters, especially Dean, who grow to rely on Crowley for both information and strength. His ultimate demise, for he manages to evade death a number of times previously, is an act of sacrifice for the brothers, a full circle moment from his introduction and cementing his position as one of the most iconic characters in the show.
Sheppard was knee deep in filming Supernatural when Doctor Who came knocking. All the behind-the-scenes gossip on Supernatural suggests it was a fun set, so it’s not surprising to hear that they were flexible enough to let Sheppard take part in Who. There’s very few differences visually between the two. Looks-wise, Sheppard is instantly recognisable, in his role as Crowley he is always sporting a black shirt and tie under a black mac, with a slightly dishevelled appearance and stubble. His Who appearance also calls for a black suit, albeit a white shirt and black tie, typical FBI outfit. Crowley’s accent is British, as is Sheppard’s, however Canton is American and Sheppard’s accent is flawless, no doubt perfected by his years on US shows. His characters in both series do have some similarities. They are both strong and driven. They share a dry sense of humour. They both utilize the things and people around them to get what they need. They are also aware of who the most powerful person in the room is and aren’t afraid to throw their lot in with that person – Canton becomes aware that the Doctor is the authority and follows him to get to the bottom of his task, while Crowley often sides with the Winchesters to get rid of a joint foe, often using them to protect himself from bigger bads. Both characters are easy likeable but for different reasons. Crowley is the bad boy everyone loves to hate with a sliver of potential humanity, while Canton is the hard-nosed FBI agent working with the Doctor, the character who does carry a gun, sometimes held up as a bad thing in the Whoniverse. While this means he isn’t companion material, it’s a fond farewell from the Doctor and that’s no small thing.
Sheppard has no doubt crafted an iconic character with Crowley in Supernatural, he is part of the dynamic of this long-lived show, which ran from 2005 to 2020 and has a handful of spin offs under it’s belt. His appearance in Who may have been fleeting, but his characters importance to a story which bedevilled viewers throughout the series cannot be underestimated. While I would have loved to have seen Sheppard’s Crowley show up in the Whoniverse, I’ll happily make do with Canton. Sheppard speaks lovingly about his time on Who, recommending Smith’s era and championing him as an actor. You can tell he looks back on the role with a lot of affection as almost as a life goal. I think he (unlike some of the others) should be proud of the part he played in both the world of Supernatural the Whoniverse.
