New Companion Time?

[Rob McCow]

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-...will-come-soon

While we still have a long wait until the debut of Doctor Who’s next series, one of its revelations can’t come soon enough – the identity of Jenna Coleman’s replacement as companion, who RadioTimes.com understands will be picked from a shortlist of actresses including EastEnders’ Rakhee Thakrar.

Now however, the Doctor himself has opened up on the subject – and from what Peter Capaldi has told us, the announcement of his new Tardis playmate sounds imminent.

“[The search has] gone pretty well,” Capaldi exclusively told RadioTimes.com. “I think you’ll know fairly soon, where we are with all that.”

So what do we want from a New Companion? What sort of companion do you think would suit Capaldi best?

Not everyone has been happy with Clara. Personally I think Jenna is a fabulous actress who was fairly poorly served by the stories - much like Freema Agyeman. She's had some very good moments but to me her overall story arc made no sense whatsoever. This was made worse by their attempt to actually have an overall story arc. With a character like Leela or Jamie, you know that they have a certain character and you don't expect them to develop. With Clara you had Leaf Girl / Impossible Girl / Saving The Doctor / Boyfriend / Dead Boyfriend / Suicidal(?) / Hybrid / Zygon thing going on and it was very confusing.

It would make more sense if Clara had been a Zygon since Day of The Doctor...

Anyway, enough moaning! I think Capaldi needs someone who can really challenge and annoy him, while still having a good time. An over-enthusiastic companion who keeps getting into huge amounts of trouble but loves every minute of it. That should do it.

[Dino]

Well anything is going to be a step down from "Most important companion ever!" and to be honest, I'd rather have people who fail when not being brilliant. There's no shame in that sort of stuff and that's why you'll always have The Doctor.
If anything, I'd prefer a few stories companionless with people dying at end of each story.
Making his judgement more fearful and doubting.
Grump, Rock God, Doubter would be the way I'd be writing his Doctor.
If there's going to be another family involved, I'd rather they really hated the Doctor and wanted nothing to do with him. Not even in the regeneration episode etc.

[Rob McCow]

If there's going to be another family involved, I'd rather they really hated the Doctor

Martha Jones' family hated the Doctor! Although they weren't in it that much. So you'd go down the path of making the Doctor extra-grumpy? I think you can do that to an extent but he still needs to be likeable.

[Antony Cox]

An over-enthusiastic companion who keeps getting into huge amounts of trouble but loves every minute of it. That should do it.

Looks like Mel will be returning then!

Jenna Coleman is a good actress but the character started out as being slightly annoying and ended up being acutely annoying. Unfortunately I suspect that the same thing will happen again!

Let's have (a) a bloke and (b) an alien, just for a change!

[Stuart Wallis]

So, which of The Lads will be suitable then...?

I prefer the idea of making it up as they go along, as in the old days, rather than, as they did with Clara, trying so many clever-dick things that it looks as though they're making it up as they're going along, if you see what I mean.

[Rob McCow]

trying so many clever-dick things that it looks as though they're making it up as they're going along, if you see what I mean.

Introducing the new companion, Dick Clever!

[Leah Betts]

About the new companion that's due to be announced...

Leela was pretty popular, once, and very different from any of the recent companions.


However, it's easier for the writers if the companion is contemporary is since it means they start off knowing roughly the same as the average viewer. We don't get scenes with the Doctor explaining modern day technology the viewer already know about to someone from the past, or explaining future technology to a companion from the 587th century, who should really already know all about it.


Sticking to contemporary companions then, Rani or Clyde from the SJA could be interesting, and a little different. They're both from ethnic minorities, and Clyde isn't even female.


Alternately, they could go for a companion from the regions, and make them male to help them stand out from the recent run. Northern Ireland might be a little touchy, but how about a Welsh postman or a Yorkshire shepherd, complete with sheepdog?

[Stuart Wallis]

"So Mr. Richard Clever, Yorkshire shepherd, do you know pi to 17 trillion decimal places?"

"Aye, Doctor, I've 'eard all the Clever Dick and Shepherd's Pi jokes before! And the Geoff Boycott ones!"

"So remind me why we hired you again...?"

Rani and/or Clyde? Yes, good choice, if only for some SJA closure; plus decent characters and actors in their own right.

[Rob McCow]

Rani or Clyde from the SJA could be interesting

Rani and/or Clyde?

Hell yes.

If it's slipping in the ratings then we might need a novelty companion to prop things up. Seeing as Peter Capaldi was seen with an animated Brussells Sprout at Christmas, perhaps Tom Baker's idea of having a talking cabbage as the companion is an idea whose time has come.

[Stuart Wallis]

No, I don't think we'll have Boris Johnson, thanks...

[Dirk Gently]

Or Donald Trump.

[gabbie]

Well anything is going to be a step down from "Most important companion ever!" and to be honest, I'd rather have people who fail when not being brilliant. There's no shame in that sort of stuff and that's why you'll always have The Doctor.
If anything, I'd prefer a few stories companionless with people dying at end of each story.
Making his judgement more fearful and doubting.
Grump, Rock God, Doubter would be the way I'd be writing his Doctor.
If there's going to be another family involved, I'd rather they really hated the Doctor and wanted nothing to do with him. Not even in the regeneration episode etc.

Aye, Aye, Would like to see an average companion who isn't that special. Just enjoys having fun hanging around a Time Lord for awhile.

[Nyder]

Surely there must be some news on this soon?

[Rob McCow]

There's been some teasing going on this week on Twitter, some people have been saying that they will probably announce the New "Super-Powered-Uber-God-Like young girl with a mysterious past and a feisty but quirky attitude" this week.

[Leah Betts]

Just imagine a young Clara shard living in the Enid Blyton world, meeting one of those creatures that punish naughty children:

"Clara's hidden her crust under her plate!" squawked the bird. "She's a naughty girl!"
"It's only because I've got two teeth loose and I can't chew properly!" cried Clara, in a rage.
"Well, say so then," said her daddy. "Don't hide things and hope we won't notice. That's not at all a brave thing to do."
"Clara's a coward, a coward, a coward!" screamed the bird joyously. Clara got up from the table in tears, and said she was going to get ready for school.

[Stuart Wallis]

And at school she met the new caretaker, a mysterious man with a Scottish accent.

"Tell me Clara Oswald, do you have problems with birds that talk and monsters under the bed...?"

[Leah Betts]

I wouldn't mind the Enid Blyton version of Wales - where they have anti-gravity wings in the 1940s!

[Stuart Wallis]

Ignore the War, there's so much else going on there!

[SiHart]

New companion announcement coming on Saturday, half way through a football match apparently. Strange timing...

[Alex]

A televised announcement could mean it's a big name...I'm hoping it's Matt Smith, he hasn't done anything interesting lately!

Sheridan Smith's name is also doing the rounds, but that might just be wishful thinking.

[Rob McCow]

Half Time Football Companion Announcement? This is the most tenuous thing that's ever happened, surely?

[Stuart Wallis]

Halfway through a football match? Ah! it's going to be Jackie Charlton, isn't it!

[Stuart Wallis]

I've worked it out - they're only timing it this way because they think it'll make me watch the football tonight. So I've pawned the telly, so I'll find out the new companion when they announce it after the match on the news on the telly -

Oh bugger!

[Jon Masters]

It'll be Gary Neville

[Dirk Gently]

Pearl Mackie named as new companion. Never heard of her; and I was strangely underwhelmed by the scene that announced her.



She is to be called Bill...does that mean we can expect her to have a flat mate called Ben?...I'll get my stoat.