Runner A runner — or in some BBC Wales credits , an un - numbered assistant director — is an entry - level job in the production of shows set in the " Doctor Who " universe . As the name suggests , they run errands — generally those that no one else on the production has time to do . Their precise job is ill - defined , as their role changes depending upon the needs of the day . Nevertheless , they are distinct from the related floor runners . Both of these types of runner are similar to , but distinct from , the production runner , who is sometimes , in at least modern British parlance , called the production assistant . All breeds of runner exchange low wages and long , irregular hours for invaluable work experience and jobs that are never the same from one day to the next . Confusingly , during the 1963 version of " Doctor Who " , a " production assistant " was " not " a runner , but what is today called a 1st assistant director . Runner . A simple " runner " tends to be mostly focused on jobs that will take him or her away from the production office or the studio floor . Most of the errands the runner is responsible for take them away from the actual studio or location itself . If equipment needs to be hired from an outside source , for instance , the runner will likely be involved in the physical transport of that equipment . Floor runner . In contrast , floor runners leave the studio less often . They may be tasked with things like bringing tea and coffee to the on - set personnel or helping to transport material within the studio complex itself . Floor runners generally report to an assistant director . A common career path is for floor runners to ascend to the position of director , though this hasn ' t happened yet on the relatively young production team at BBC Wales . Nevertheless , career development towards this goal can be detected at BBC Wales . Heddi Joy Taylor , for instance , was a floor runner during series 3 and series 4 . She rose to the position of 3rd assistant director on " The Next Doctor " and has continued that role during Matt Smith ' s first series . Production runner / production assistant . A production runner , though a similar sort of " gofer " to other runners , is allocated to the production office itself . Like the runner , he or she will infrequently work on the studio floor . Their job may require such things as filing paperwork , answering telephones , arranging lunches , making sure that transportation details are implemented , and distributing production paperwork . They often work closely with the production secretary in these tasks . They do sometimes work on - set as well , though perhaps more often on location . In this capacity , they often liaise with the 3rd assistant director in the management of supporting artist s ( or extra s ) . They can also be employed to provide some minimal crowd control , in conjunction with civil authorities , and in cleaning up locations after a shoot has been completed . A production runner may report to the producer directly , or to another senior member of the production staff , like the production co - ordinator . Production runners often advance through the production ranks , or sometimes use the position as a springboard into other departments . Tim Hodges , for instance , began on " Doctor Who " as a production runner in series 1 , but by the time of " Blink " had become an assistant editor . Anna Evans also started out as a production runner in series 1 , but was 2nd assistant director on " Blink " , and the regular 2nd AD on series 1 of " The Sarah Jane Adventures " . The BBC Wales version of " Doctor Who " has not typically credited " both " production runners and production assistants on the same episodes . However , both positions have been credited by BBC Wales . It is somewhat unclear whether BBC Wales see any meaningful distinction between the two jobs . Certainly most job descriptions don ' t reveal any substantive difference . The 1963 version of " Doctor Who " . Someone credited as a production assistant during the original run of " Doctor Who " was " not " a runner of any kind , but someone much farther up the production hierarchy . According to Philip Hinchcliffe and Marion McDougall , a PA during their era was what the BBC Wales show calls a " first assistant director " . ( DCOM : " The Android Invasion " ) For this reason , production assistants from the 1963 version of the programme are listed separately on this wiki .