Friday Poll: Supporting Companions

[Rob McCow]

We've had the battle of the 'main' companions, you know, those ones who get their faces on the cover of the Radio Times. Now lets look at some of the 'Secondary Companions' - those who travelled in the TARDIS for more than one story but didn't get their name into the opening titles.

A bit of reasoning here - I've not included Wilf, because The End of Time was described as 'Parts One and Two'. So if I'd have included Wilf, I'd have needed to include Jacqui Tyler and if I'd have included Jacqui, then what about Pete Tyler or Francine Jones? Maybe.

Anyway, here are five of Doctor Who's part-time companions to fight it out for supremacy!

Adam
"The companion who couldn't". He traveled with the Ninth Doctor from Van Statens' private collection to Satellite Five in the distant future, before being dropped off seemingly in present-day Earth.

Captain Jack
This Time Agent proved his worth against Gas-mask zombies, Slitheen, Daleks and the Master and Daleks again. Phew! We might not have seen the last of this highly sexed space cadet - who knows?

Mickey
Also known as 'Ricky' or 'Mickedey Mick Mickey'. Rose's boyfriend in the first series, by the end of year two he'd been inducted into parallel world Torchwood and seemingly a new sexuality. He saw his alternate self electrocuted by Cybermen and adopted 'Tin Dog' duties in School Reunion. Happiest when holding a gigantic gun.

River Song
Recently promoted after traveling with the Doctor in Time of Angels. We saw her die in Forest of The Dead, and they keep implying that she's seen the Doctor die after marrying him (or something). The male audience were hypnotised by her well proportioned spoilers.

Rory
AKA Roranicus. May be promoted to a Primary Companion at Christmas, we'll have to wait and see. He's Amy Pond's hapless husband by the end of the year, though whether or not he's an Auton remains a mystery. He held the 10th Doctor's clothes in The Eleventh Hour (eBay!) and battled Vampires, the Dream Lord and Silurians before dying and coming back.

So which one of these is best? And don't worry, you can vote for Wilf next week!

[Llordllama]

Tricky. Harder to call for me than the main ones. Adam's right out as he was supposed to be crap, and was. River Song...erm, no. She's fun and all, but I can't help but thinking she's just too damn smug all the time.

Which leaves Capt Jack in a Rory/Mickey sandwhich...oh my.

Much as I'd like to say Capt Jack, I'd be voting on his Torchwood character development not in Who. In Who cool as he is he hasn't had the story arc of Mickey or Rory.

Give Rory a cracking S6 and I think he'd be the winner, life/death/plastic/life arc not to mention moving from terrified onlooker to hero in his own right (2000 years - nice one, shame he couldn't have dug up Capt Jack from his burial nearby to chat to).

Which means for me it has to be Mickey. Mickey (the idiot), then Mickey (the ex) then Mickey (the would be hero) then Micket (the hero). Great arc, great actor - Noel is a gem, and the writers stuff worked well for him. Forget Rose - he's the RTD character I always wanted to see more of (well and Jackie).

[SiHart]

Mickey wins for me too. As Gaz says, he had great development over the two years and despite starting out as unlikeable, he soon grew to be a wonderful character who was treated really, really badly by Rose and the Doctor (that bit at the start of Rise of the Cybermen is horrible- Mickey is better than that).

Si xx

[Llordllama]

I always took the Doctor's erm, mickey taking, to be his way of bringing out the strong, noble and all round brilliant guy Mickey could be. Forged in adversity I thought. Although it did come over a bit Time Dickish on screen.

[Larry]

gone for Mickey, too pretty much for the same reasons already mentioned.

Rory, is instantly likeable and even though he was an Auton, standing guard over a box containg the woman, you love for 2000 years has to make him for me already one of the best companions ever.


Capt Jack. great character but one I think works best when he appears every now and again.

Adam, - probably the worst companion ever both male and female simply nothing to like about him.