Evolution of the companion ...

[WhiteCrow]

... or not ...

Interesting to see in our "Best Companion" vote Barbara and Ian held on until the last day with Ian overall winner.

In the first few stories, they were very much the equal to the Doctor - both very passionate and intelligent characters, although neither obviously had the Doctors wisdom.

When they left we never saw characters quite like them. Partly because the dynamic changed, it was now the Doctors show, and when they left he permanently became the focus.

As the series has continued, the Doctor has regenerated many times. Usually they've been female, and in many ways seeming just a regeneration of his granddaughter Susan in their role.

So which companions have you found to be groundbreaking in the series? With all the talk of new companions in series 4, do you think Doctor Who has missed the boat as far as a companion they could have had?

Who are the companions you'd like to forget? Are there any who you feel would be somewhat out of place on modern TV?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Polly and Ben for being the first contemporary "yoof" companions, which pretty much became the standard pattern for most of the show's run.

Jamie for being the first proper stab at a companion from the past.

K9 for being a robot dog.

Turlough for being the first "bad" companion with his own agenda, even though it was never really used properly.

Ace for being the first stab at a chavvy type companion.

That's more or a list than an answer I suppose

I was going to include Leela, but really she's just another version of the primitive thing that Jamie pioneered. Likewise I didn't count Romana - despite techinically being a timelord she's just a genereic girl companion most of the time.

[transvamp]

Are there any who you feel would be somewhat out of place on modern TV?

Well nearly all of them by Russell's standards, since his conception is that for the companion to be modern, she must be rabidly bitchy, have a bunny boiler infatuation with the Doctor and be completely self-involved.

Tegan or Peri might just slip by on those standards.

[SiHart]

I don't Martha actually had any of those attributes, so I'll just quietly diasgree with you Tom.

Si xx

[WhiteCrow]

I don't Martha actually had any of those attributes, so I'll just quietly diasgree with you Tom.

Si xx

Dunno - to be fair Rose's infatuation was slowly became more and more apparant. Martha has been all mad for the Doctor since they exchanged genetic material in Smith and Jones.

But it has to be said that any of the new Doctors companions so far have been a damn site better than any of the really dodgy "Jo Grants"/Third Doctor companions. I think Rose was one of the all time great companions, certainly top 5 material, and I think Donna is going to give her a run for her money.

[SiHart]

What I meant was that although she had a crush on the Doctor it wasn't anywhere near the "bunny boiler" level that Tom was accusing her of, and she certainly wasn't bitchy or self-obssessed, as far as I could see.

Si xx

[WhiteCrow]

What I meant was that although she had a crush on the Doctor it wasn't anywhere near the "bunny boiler" level that Tom was accusing her of, and she certainly wasn't bitchy or self-obssessed, as far as I could see.

So true Simon.

I have to say I like it though at the moment I like it that modern characters do have little bits to them which makes them real people than being there solely to say "what is it Doctor", "how does it work", and "arrrrrrrrrrrrgh".

I mean I know I've said Rose was a great character, but the best companion who never was (although she did travel in the Tardis) was Jackie Tyler. There was a great dynamic between her and the Doctor, and I think they figured they lost out on something special there, which is why they wrote Donna as they did, a foil to the Doctor.

And at least it's nice to have companions now which people are either passionately loving or hating, because in my opinion it has to be better than the awful dullness of companions such as Liz Shaw, Jo Grant or Mel. Yack.

Jo Grant left to be with a man who grew fungus, but it was still a lot more interesting than any six-parter she was ever in.