The Return of The Rani

The Rani, wearing a red outfit with a wrap-around top that has a belt at the waist, big sleeves and shoulder pads. It is a very 1980s look, especially with the big, shoulder-length dark hair. — Image caption,
The glamourous and fearless Rani (Kate O'Mara) in Time and the Rani (1987)

19 May 2025

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Over the last 60 years he has met many other Time Lords on his adventures, some good, some not so good – like the Rani. As the Doctor once again finds himself facing the Rani, BBC Archives is looking back to the previous times the Doctor has encountered her, and the woman behind this ingenious, misguided Time Lord.

The Rani, wearing the tattered dress and shawl that formed part of her disguise as an elderly woman. Her hair is pulled back from her face. — Image caption,
The Rani (Kate O'Mara) plots her fiendishly brilliant plan in The Mark of the Rani (1985)

"The Rani is a genius. Shame I can't stand her." The Doctor (1985)

The Doctor first encountered the Rani on screen in 1985 when she teamed up with the Master to disrupt the Industrial Revolution in 19th Century Tyneside. This plot outline simply describes her as 'a renegade Time Lady', but she proves to be more than that – a brilliant scientist who only cares for her experiments and not for the chaos they cause.

BBC form with typed information added. The form reads:
DEPT Drama S&S
From Producer, Drama Series and Serials
PRODUCER OF Doctor Who
Title of Play, Series episode or Serial 'Mark of the Rani'
Author Pip and Jane Baker
Director Sarah Hellings
TYPE OF DRAMA Sience Fiction Adventure
BRIEF OUTLINE OF PLOT (Information in brackets NOT FOR PUBLICATION)
Attracted by time turbulence, the Doctor and Peri arrive on early 19th century Earth to discover a small mining community in turmoil. At first it seems that a group of Luddites have taken over the area. (Lord Ravensworth, owner of the local mine, believes something far more evil is at work. The Doctor investigates and finally tracks down the Rani, a renegade Time Lady, who has taken over the local bathhouse and is draining the brains of the miners of the chemical that induces natural sleep - (On the Rani's planet, there is a need for the drug, as without it, her people will die.) Into the mixture is thrown the Master. Forever out to cause trouble, he attempts to humiliate then kill the Doctor. At the same time he hopes to retard the historical development of Earth by destroying the minds of many imminent scientists - including George Stephenson. Fortunately, the Doctor is able to resolve the situation, and the Master and Rani are sent spinning into time and space trapped in a disabled Tardis.) — Image caption,
Plot outline document for Mark of the Rani (1985)

As well as her genius for science, the Rani is also a master of disguise. In The Mark of The Rani she is first seen on screen as an elderly woman. This was probably not what viewers would associate with the actor chosen to portray the Rani, Kate O'Mara, who was more famous for playing the glamourous Caress in Dynasty.

An almost unrecognisable Rani. She is wearing a grey dress and a black shawl over her head and shoulders. Wisps of grey hair hang down on either side of a wrinkled and scowling face. Her arm is outstretched in front of her with her hand held up. — Image caption,
The Rani disguises herself as an old woman in The Mark of the Rani (1985)

It is this talent for disguise that the Rani uses when she faced the Doctor again in the 1987 story Time and the Rani. However this time she pretends to be the Doctor's companion Mel.

Kate O'Mara and Bonnie Langford stand together in identical outfits of white tros and a pink striped top with oversized puffed shoulders and a tight waistband. Kate is also wearing a red, curly wig to match Bonnie's shoulder length hair. Standing between them is Sylvester McCoy, dressed as the Doctor in question-mark jumper, beige jacket and hat. He has a puzzled look on his face as he looks at Bonnie, his thumb pressed to the corner of his mouth as if thinking. — Image caption,
Which one is the real Mel? The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) is caught between Mel (Bonnie Langford) and the Rani (Kate O'Mara) (1987)

In 1999 Kate O'Mara described how she found imitating Bonnie Langford's character her most challenging role, as well as her fondness for the Rani.

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Kate O'Mara answers audience questions on Vanessa (1999)

"If only the Rani could have redirected her incredible talents for good" The Doctor (1987)

Kate O'Mara would play the Rani once more on screen in 1993. In a light-hearted special Doctor Who story for Children in Need, the Rani's dastardly plot to rid the universe of the Doctor brought her to Earth, and to Albert Square. Fortunately Pudsey wasn't part of her plans.

Kate O'Mara, wearing her Rani costume of purple puff-sleeved top and black gloves and with long dark, wavy hair. She is outside the EastEnders Bridge Street Café which has a neon sign 'Kathy's' in the window. Kate has one arm raised to point towards the cafe and is clutching a toy Pudsey bear with the other. — Image caption,
Kate O'Mara (The Rani) poses outside the Bridge Street Café with Pudsey (1993)

The Rani, with her TARDIS disguised as The Queen Vic pub, creates a 30 year time loop, trapping four incarnations of the Doctor and his companions alongside several of the EastEnders residents. But the Doctor managed to defeat the Rani's plan and she was last seen tumbling into the time vortex, entangled in her own trap.

Kate O'Mara, in costume as the Rani and holding a space gun stands in front of the Queen Vic pub on the EastEnders set. on her right is Peter Davison, wearing the cricketing outfit of the fifth Doctor. Behind them are an assortment of over a dozen Doctor Who monsters and aliens, including an Ogron, a Cyberman, a Time Lord and a D-84 robot. — Image caption,
The Doctor (Peter Davison), the Rani (Kate O'Mara) and some of the menagerie of monsters unleashed on Albert Square (1993)

Kate O'Mara remained fond of her time in Doctor Who and of playing the Rani. In 2012, when appearing on Radio Wales, she was asked if she'd like to return to the series and explained how the juxtaposition of her as the Rani and Matt Smith as the Doctor 'would be a great confrontation'.

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Kate O'Mara talks to Roy Noble (2012)

Sadly Kate O'Mara died in 2014, and never got the chance to realise her dream to return to Doctor Who. But as the Rani returns, with this new incarnation played by Archie Panjabi , the fearless, intelligent and ruthless character Kate created will continue to have life, even if the Doctor manages once again to thwart the Rani's plans.