Companion (Doctor Who)

In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, or shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as an audience surrogate. They provide the lens through which the viewer is introduced to the series. The companion character often furthers the story by asking questions and getting into trouble, or by helping, rescuing, or challenging the Doctor. This designation is applied to a character by the show's producers and appears in the BBC's promotional material and off-screen fictional terminology. Until the modern revival of the series in 2005, the term was rarely used on-screen. The Doctor also refers to the show's other leads as his "friends" or "assistants"; the British press have also used the latter term.

History

In the earliest episodes of Doctor Who, the dramatic structure of the programme's cast was rather different from the hero-and-sidekick pattern that emerged later. Initially, the character of the Doctor was unclear, with uncertain motives and abilities.[1] The protagonists were schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, who provided the audience's point of view in stories set in Earth's history and on alien worlds. Ian in particular served the role of the action hero. The fourth character was the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, who (though initially presented as an "unearthly child") was intended as an identification figure for younger viewers.

Carole Ann Ford, who played Susan Foreman, became unhappy with the lack of development for her character[2] and chose to leave in its second series. The character of Susan was married off to a freedom fighter and left behind to rebuild a Dalek-ravaged Earth. Doctor Who's producers replaced Susan with another young female character, Vicki. Similarly, when Ian and Barbara left, the "action hero" position was filled by astronaut Steven Taylor. This grouping of the Doctor, a young heroic male, and an attractive young female became the programme's pattern throughout the 1960s.

When the programme changed to colour in 1970, its format changed: the Doctor was now Earth-bound and acquired a supporting cast by his affiliation with the paramilitary organisation United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT). The Third Doctor, more active and physical than his predecessors, made the role of the "action hero" male companion redundant. In the 1970 season, the Doctor was assisted by scientist Liz Shaw and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, along with other UNIT personnel (such as Sergeant Benton). The intellectual Shaw was replaced by Jo Grant in the 1971 season, and as the programme returned to occasional adventures in outer space, the format shifted once more: while UNIT continued to provide a regular "home base" for Earth-bound stories, in stories on other planets, the Doctor and Jo became a two-person team with a close, personal bond. This pattern, the Doctor with a single female companion, became a template from which subsequent episodes of Doctor Who rarely diverged. The "heroic male" type occasionally returned (for example, Harry Sullivan, Adric, Vislor Turlough, Jack Harkness, and Rory Williams), but the single female companion was Doctor Who's staple.

The character of Harry Sullivan was created by the production team when it was expected that the Fourth Doctor would be played by an older actor who would have trouble with the activity expressed by his predecessor. The role went to 40-year-old Tom Baker, and the part of Harry, no longer required for the action role, was reduced.[3]

In the final season for the Fourth Doctor, he acquired three companions (Adric, Tegan, and Nyssa), and this situation continued under the Fifth Doctor for a while. Adric was written out by the unusual method within the series of being "killed off". By the time of the Sixth Doctor, a single companion had become standard again.

Definition

Although the term "companion" is designated to specific characters by the show's producers and appears in the BBC's promotional material and off-screen fictional terminology, there is no formal definition that constitutes such a designation. The definition of who is and is not a companion becomes less clear in the newer series.[4] For instance, Stephen Brook in The Guardian newspaper's Organgrinder blog discounted Michelle Ryan as a likely next companion but said that "what constitutes a Doctor Who companion is no longer clear"[4] During the Doctor's latest incarnations, his primary companions, such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones, have fulfilled a distinct dramatic role, more significant than other, less-prominent TARDIS travellers such as Adam, Jack, and Mickey. The British press referred to Martha as the "first ethnic minority companion in the 43-year television history of Doctor Who"[5] and the "first black assistant",[6] despite the presence of Mickey Smith in the previous season—including several episodes in which he travelled in the TARDIS with the Doctor. Similarly, some characters who appear to qualify as companions are never awarded the title, as in the case of Canton Delaware, who assisted the Doctor for several weeks, traveled in the TARDIS, and was even invited to witness the Eleventh Doctor's supposed death.[7]

The opening credits do little to clarify the situation. In the first two series of the renewed programme, the only supporting actor to receive a title credit is Billie Piper. In subsequent series, Freema Agyeman, and Catherine Tate are credited in all episodes in which they appear. In the third series, John Barrowman receives a title credit for his return to the show. Series Four gave Agyeman, Piper, Barrowman, and Elisabeth Sladen title billing for each of their reappearances. Noel Clarke reprised his role in the Series Four finale; although listed as a companion alongside the other actors on the BBC Doctor Who website,[8] Clarke is not credited in this way. In The End of Time John Simm receives title billing for his antagonist role as the Master, ahead of Bernard Cribbins as companion Wilfred Mott.

Companions in the new series also have a more flexible tenure than their classical predecessors. Several companion characters have returned to the series after leaving the Doctor's company, most notably in the Series Four finale "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End", which features the returns of Rose, Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane, and Mickey. This tendency, plus the increase in "one-off" companions like Astrid Peth and Jackson Lake, has further obscured the matter of who is and is not a companion.[4]

Role

The Doctor's companions have assumed a variety of roles—involuntary passengers, assistants (particularly Liz Shaw), friends, and fellow adventurers; and, of course, he regularly gains new companions and loses old ones. Sometimes they return home, and sometimes they find new causes—or loves—on worlds they have visited. A few companions have died during their travels with the Doctor.

Most companions travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor for more than one adventure. Sometimes a guest character takes a role in the story similar to that of a companion, such as photographer Isobel Watkins, who plays a significant role in The Invasion (1968), or Lynda in "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways" (2005). In the revived era, some guest characters have gained companion status such as Mickey Smith, River Song, Wilfred Mott, and Craig Owens.

Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor's companions are young, attractive females, the production team for the 1963–89 series maintained a long-standing taboo against any overt romantic involvement in the TARDIS: for example, Peter Davison, as the Fifth Doctor, was not allowed to put his arm around either Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) or Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka).[9] However, that has not prevented fans from speculating about possible romantic involvements, most notably between the Fourth Doctor and the Time Lady Romana (whose actors, Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, shared a romance and brief marriage). The taboo was controversially[10] broken in the 1996 television movie when the Eighth Doctor was shown kissing companion Grace Holloway. The 2005 series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler were a couple, which they vehemently denied. Since the series revival, the Doctor has kissed many of his companions, including Rose and Jack, although each instance was not necessarily in a romantic context (see also "The Doctor and romance"). Donna Noble vehemently denied a sexual interest in the Doctor when he invited her to join him and explained, "I just want a mate," which she misheard as "I just want to mate."[11] Rose and Martha each developed romantic feelings toward the Doctor. On the opposite side of the same coin, Amy reacted to the stress of her adventures by very aggressively trying to seduce the Doctor on the eve of her own wedding, despite being in love with her fiancé Rory; the Doctor forcibly pushed her off of himself, though she did not immediately cease her pursuit.[12] The Eleventh Doctor romantically kissed Amy and Rory's daughter, sporadic companion River Song,[13] jokingly proposed marriage to her,[14] and soon married her.[15]

Previous companions have reappeared in the series. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart reunited with later incarnations of the Doctor in Mawdryn Undead and Battlefield. He and Sergeant Benton began as returning characters in the first place, having appeared with the Second Doctor in The Web of Fear and again in The Invasion, prior to starting their full-time association with the Third and Fourth Doctors. Tegan Jovanka was the first full-time companion to part from the Doctor and subsequently return to full-time companionship, although the break in her tenure had been pre-planned.

Most reappearances of companions in the original series, however, were for anniversary specials, such as guest appearances of numerous companions in both "The Five Doctors", the non-canonical "Dimensions in Time", both of which also featured multiple Doctors. One former companion, Sarah Jane Smith, together with the robotic dog K-9, appeared in four and two episodes, respectively, of the revived series[16] more than twenty years after their last appearances in the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983). The character of Sarah Jane also headed up a Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, with K-9 until Sladen's death. Another companion, Captain Jack Harkness, is the lead character in the spin-off BBC science fiction programme Torchwood. Not only have these former companions continued to make appearances on Doctor Who, they have sometimes been accompanied by some of their own companions from the spin-offs when doing so, including Jack's colleagues Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, and Sarah Jane's 'family' Mr Smith, Luke Smith and K-9 Mark IV. Other former companions from both the classic era and revived series have also returned as guest stars in the spin-offs, including Martha Jones on Torchwood, and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Jo Grant on The Sarah Jane Adventures. K-9 Mark I has also been spun off into its own series, albeit with an independent continuity.

When Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, the companion characters played a slightly different role, partly due to a strong focus on the character of Rose Tyler and characters connected to her. For example, although Adam Mitchell was a companion by the standard definition, he appeared in only two episodes and was arguably a less significant part of the 2005 series than Rose's sometime boyfriend Mickey Smith, who was not technically a companion but appeared in five episodes (or six, including a brief appearance as a child in "Father's Day"). Mickey later gained full-fledged companion status when he travelled in the TARDIS in the 2006 episode "School Reunion". In that episode, Sarah Jane Smith referred to Rose as the Doctor's "assistant", a term to which the latter took offence. This exchange might be regarded as indicating the new series' shift in approach to the companion role. Adam was also far less significant than Rose's mother, Jackie Tyler, who was a frequently recurring character who travelled in the TARDIS, yet is not considered a companion.

As of the end of the sixth series, Sarah Jane Smith is the only classic era companion to have travelled again with the Doctor in the revived series, and one of two to have done so in the revived era. She declined his invitation in "School Reunion", but subsequently met up with the Doctor aboard a Dalek ship in "Journey's End" and travelled with him, several other companions, and Jackie Tyler in the TARDIS as they towed the Earth back to the solar system. Sarah Jane, her predecessor Jo Jones (née Grant), and their own respective companions subsequently momentarily travelled in the TARDIS with the Eleventh Doctor in The Sarah Jane Adventures serial, Death of the Doctor. The Eleventh Doctor attempted to have Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart travel with him again in "The Wedding of River Song" only to learn of the Brigadier's death months earlier.

In the classic era, companions' friends and families were rarely depicted, and almost all were kept unaware of the true nature of the Doctor and the TARDIS. Exceptions include the very brief portrayals of Susan's future husband David Campbell;[17] Dodo Chaplet's ancestor Anne Chaplet;[18] Victoria Waterfield's father Edward;[19] Jo Grant's future husband Prof. Clifford Jones;[20] the companions' various co-workers at UNIT; Leela's father Sole[21] & future husband or lover Andred;[22] Tegan Jovanka's aunt Vanessa,[23] maternal grandfather Andrew Verney,[24] & cousin Colin Frazer;[25] Nyssa's father Tremas & step-mother Kassia;[26] Vislor Turlough's maths teacher retired Lethbridge-Stewart;[27] Peri Brown's step-father Prof. Howard Foster,[28] & future husband King Yrcanos;[29] Ace McShane's ex-lover Sabalom Glitz,[30] maternal grandmother Kathleen Dudman,[31] infant mother Audrey Dudman,[32] & a photograph of her maternal grandfather Frank Dudman);[32] and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's second wife Doris.[33] Classic era spin-off media additionally introduced Sarah Jane Smith's aunt Lavina Smith (who had been an unseen character in the original series) and foster brother Brendan Richards,[34] and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's daughter Kate (who would later become a recurring guest in the revived series)[35] and grandson Gordon.[36]

Conversely, families and friends of most companions in the revived era are extensively and continually depicted, and their adventures with the Doctor are generally not kept secret. The revived era has also featured a number of companions related to other companions by blood or marriage (Donna Noble's grandfather Wilfred Mott, Amy Pond's fiancé (later husband) Rory Williams, and the couple's daughter River Song; and former companions Mickey Smith and Martha Jones who married subsequent to their companionship).[37] No such relationships occurred among companions in the classic era, although original companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are reported in the revived era to have married subsequent to their companionship, and Ben Jackson and Polly are likewise reported to be together.[38] The families of some classic-era companions too have been depicted in the revived era, such as Jo Grant (n/k/a Jo Jones)'s grandson Santiago Jones;[39] and Sarah Jane Smith's parents,[40] adopted son Luke Smith, adopted daughter Sky Smith, and alternate timeline fiancé Peter Dalton;[41] and Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart's daughter Kate Stewart.[35]

Another change in the revived era is the depiction of many companions' pre-Doctor lives, particularly their childhoods; no companion was so depicted in the classic era, aside from John Benton being temporarily 'de-aged' by The Master).[42] Companions Rose Tyler,[43] Mickey Smith,[32] Adelaide Brooke,[44] Amy Pond,[45] Rory Williams,[14] River Song[46] and Clara Oswald[47] have all been portrayed in their youths by juvenile actors on Doctor Who; the pre-companionship lives of the Pond-Williams-Song family being particularly well-documented. Companions Jack Harkness[48] and Sarah Jane Smith[49] have also been depicted in their youths on their respective spin-off series. In addition to having been de-aged once in the classic era, John Benton was the first companion whose childhood was chronicled.[50]

A recurring theme of the new series is the toll the loss of companions takes on the Doctor. While he would more or less easily deal with his companions' departures in the classic series, the new series shows the Doctor having a harder time recovering when a companion leaves him, especially when they do so under tragic circumstances. After losing Donna Noble, the Tenth Doctor refused to travel with a companion until after his regeneration, unable to cope with them leaving anymore. Later, the losses of Amy and Rory Williams drive the Eleventh Doctor into a deep depression, and he retreats to Victorian London where he refuses to get involved in the world's affairs anymore.[51] Additionally, "Let's Kill Hitler" shows the Doctor's continuing guilt in relation to several past companions.

List of companions

The 'last serial' column only includes the last serial in which he or she appeared in a companion role and excludes minor roles, cameos, flashbacks, and so forth. Also, the table refers solely to adventures with the respective Doctor. Some companions who appear with two or more Doctors appear in separate tables.

First Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Susan Foreman Carole Ann Ford 1–2, 1983 Special An Unearthly Child[nb 1] The Five Doctors[nb 2]
Barbara Wright Jacqueline Hill 1–2 An Unearthly Child The Chase
Ian Chesterton William Russell 1–2 An Unearthly Child The Chase
Vicki Maureen O'Brien 2–3 The Rescue The Myth Makers
Steven Taylor Peter Purves 2–3 The Chase The Savages
Katarina Adrienne Hill 3 The Myth Makers The Daleks' Master Plan
Sara Kingdom[52][53][54][55][56][57][58][nb 3] Jean Marsh 3 The Daleks' Master Plan The Daleks' Master Plan
Dodo Chaplet Jackie Lane 3 The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve The War Machines
Polly Anneke Wills 3–4 The War Machines The Tenth Planet[nb 4]
Ben Jackson Michael Craze 3–4 The War Machines The Tenth Planet[nb 4]

Second Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Polly Anneke Wills 4 The Power of the Daleks The Faceless Ones
Ben Jackson Michael Craze 4 The Power of the Daleks The Faceless Ones
Jamie McCrimmon Frazer Hines
Hamish Wilson[nb 5] 		4–6, 22 The Highlanders The Two Doctors[nb 6][nb 7]
Victoria Waterfield Deborah Watling 4–5 The Evil of the Daleks Fury from the Deep
Zoe Heriot Wendy Padbury 5–6 The Wheel in Space The War Games[nb 7]
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Nicholas Courtney 1983 Special The Five Doctors[nb 8] The Five Doctors[nb 9]

Third Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Liz Shaw Caroline John 7 Spearhead from Space Inferno[nb 10]
Jo Grant Katy Manning 8–10 Terror of the Autons The Green Death[nb 11]
Sarah Jane Smith Elisabeth Sladen 11, 1983 Special The Time Warrior The Five Doctors[nb 12]

UNIT

The following three characters, all associated with UNIT during the Third Doctor's exile to Earth, are sometimes considered his companions despite appearing irregularly during his tenure.[59][60]

Character Actor Seasons First appearance Last appearance
Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart Nicholas Courtney 7–11 Spearhead from Space[nb 13] Planet of the Spiders
Sergeant John Benton John Levene[61] 7–11 The Ambassadors of Death[nb 14] Planet of the Spiders[nb 15]
Captain Mike Yates Richard Franklin 8–11 Terror of the Autons Planet of the Spiders[nb 16]

Fourth Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Sarah Jane Smith Elisabeth Sladen 12–14 Robot The Hand of Fear
Harry Sullivan Ian Marter 12–13 Robot Terror of the Zygons[nb 17]
Leela Louise Jameson 14–15 The Face of Evil The Invasion of Time
K-9 Mark I John Leeson (voice) 15 The Invisible Enemy The Invasion of Time[nb 18]
K-9 Mark II John Leeson
David Brierley (voices) 		16, 18
17 		The Ribos Operation
The Creature from the Pit 		Warriors' Gate[nb 19]
The Horns of Nimon
Romana Mary Tamm
Lalla Ward 		16
17–18, 1983 Special 		The Ribos Operation
Destiny of the Daleks 		The Armageddon Factor
The Five Doctors[nb 20]
Adric Matthew Waterhouse 18 Full Circle Logopolis[nb 21]
Tegan Jovanka Janet Fielding 18 Logopolis Logopolis[nb 21]
Nyssa Sarah Sutton 18 Logopolis[nb 22] Logopolis[nb 21]

Fifth Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Adric Matthew Waterhouse 19 Castrovalva Earthshock[62][nb 23][nb 24]
Tegan Jovanka Janet Fielding 19–21 Castrovalva Resurrection of the Daleks[63][nb 25][nb 24]
Nyssa Sarah Sutton 19–20 Castrovalva Terminus[64][nb 24]
Vislor Turlough Mark Strickson 20–21 Mawdryn Undead Planet of Fire[65][nb 24]
Kamelion[66][67][68] Gerald Flood (voice) 20, 21 The King's Demons[nb 26] Planet of Fire[69][nb 24]
Peri Brown Nicola Bryant 21 Planet of Fire The Caves of Androzani[nb 27]

Sixth Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Peri Brown Nicola Bryant 21–23 The Twin Dilemma The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp
Mel Bush Bonnie Langford 23 The Trial of a Time Lord: Terror of the Vervoids[nb 28] The Trial of a Time Lord: The Ultimate Foe[nb 29]

Seventh Doctor

Companion Actor Seasons First serial Last serial
Mel Bush Bonnie Langford 24 Time and the Rani Dragonfire[nb 30]
Ace Sophie Aldred 24–26 Dragonfire Survival[nb 31]

Eighth Doctor

Companion Actor Story
Grace Holloway Daphne Ashbrook Doctor Who[nb 32]

Ninth Doctor

Companion Actor Series First episode Last episode
Rose Tyler Billie Piper[nb 33] 1 "Rose" "The Parting of the Ways"[nb 34]
Adam Mitchell[70] Bruno Langley 1"Dalek""The Long Game"
Jack Harkness[71] John Barrowman 1 "The Empty Child" "The Parting of the Ways"

Tenth Doctor

Companion Actor Series First episode Last episode
Rose Tyler Billie Piper 2, 4 "The Christmas Invasion" "Journey's End"[nb 35]
Mickey Smith Noel Clarke[nb 36] 2, 4 "School Reunion"[72][nb 37] "Journey's End"[73][nb 38]
Donna Noble Catherine Tate 2006 Special, 4 "The Runaway Bride"[nb 39] "Journey's End"[nb 40]
Martha Jones Freema Agyeman 3, 4 "Smith and Jones" "Journey's End"[74][nb 41]
Captain Jack Harkness John Barrowman[nb 42] 3, 4 "Utopia" "Journey's End"[nb 43]
Astrid Peth[75][76][77] Kylie Minogue 2007 Special "Voyage of the Damned" "Voyage of the Damned"
Sarah Jane Smith[78] Elisabeth Sladen[nb 44] 4 "The Stolen Earth"[nb 45] "Journey's End"[nb 46]
Jackson Lake[79] David Morrissey 2008–2010 Specials "The Next Doctor" "The Next Doctor"
Lady Christina de Souza[80] Michelle Ryan 2008–2010 Specials "Planet of the Dead" "Planet of the Dead"
Adelaide Brooke[81][82] Lindsay Duncan[nb 47] 2008–2010 Specials "The Waters of Mars" "The Waters of Mars"
Wilfred Mott[83] Bernard Cribbins 2008–2010 Specials The End of Time[nb 48] The End of Time

Eleventh Doctor

Companion Actor Series First episode Last episode
Amy Pond Karen Gillan[nb 49] 5–7 "The Eleventh Hour" "The Angels Take Manhattan"[nb 50][nb 51]
Rory Williams Arthur Darvill[nb 52] 5–7 "The Vampires of Venice"[nb 53] "The Angels Take Manhattan"[nb 54][nb 50]
River Song[84] Alex Kingston[nb 55] 5-6 "The Time of Angels"[nb 56] "The Wedding of River Song"[nb 57]
Craig Owens James Corden[85] 6 "Closing Time"[nb 58] "Closing Time"
Clara Oswald Jenna Coleman[nb 59] 7–2013 Specials "The Snowmen"[nb 60] "The Time of the Doctor"[nb 61]

Twelfth Doctor

Companion Actor Series First episode Last episode
Clara Oswald Jenna Coleman 8–9 "Deep Breath" "Hell Bent"[nb 62]
River Song[86] Alex Kingston 2015 Special "The Husbands of River Song" "The Husbands of River Song"

List of spin-off companions

Deaths of companions

A few of the companions have died during the course of the series. Katarina sacrificed herself by opening her airlock to save the others from the mad fugitive Kirksen, and was blown into the vacuum of space.[87] In the same serial, Sara Kingdom was rapidly aged to dust by a Time Destructor.[87] While Adric attempted to divert a spaceship from crashing into Earth, a Cyberman destroyed the controls; they hurtled through time and crashed into the planet, creating the Chicxulub crater and causing the K-Pg extinction event (this fulfilled Silurians' prophecy and facilitated the evolution of mammals).[88] The android Kamelion, after coming under the Master's control, convinced the Doctor to destroy him, and the Doctor complied.[89] Astrid Peth sacrificed herself to kill Max Capricorn, saving the lives of millions aboard the interstellar space liner RMS Titanic and in the greater London area.[90] Before River Song's formal companionship began, she sacrificed herself in order to save those trapped in the Library's computer servers' simulations.[91] The Doctor uploaded her "data ghost" into the library servers, from which she later is able to communicate across time and space with Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, Strax, and Clara Oswald in "The Name of the Doctor". Adelaide Brooke killed herself after the Doctor altered the timeline by rescuing her; this ensured that her granddaughter will explore the galaxy as originally destined.[44] Rory Williams is touched by a Weeping Angel in 2012 and sent back in time.[92] With the encouragement of her daughter, River Song, and against the Doctor's pleas, Amy Pond allows herself to be touched by a Weeping Angel in 2012 in the hope of being reunited with her husband in the past. She is successful, and they grow old together in New York City, die, and are buried in Queens on the spot from which they will later be sent back in time in 2012.[92] In fighting the Ice Governess in the final hour of Christmas Eve 1892, a Victorian era incarnation of Clara Oswald falls off of the cloud on which the TARDIS was parked, plummeting to the ground.[93] Another incarnation of Clara Oswald (named Oswin Oswald) dies in "Asylum of the Daleks"; the character disabling the planet's shielding thus enabling the Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams to escape.[94]

Not all companion deaths have been permanent however. Jack Harkness resurrects after each death, having been made immortal by Rose Tyler in "The Parting of the Ways". Rory Williams suffered several deaths, each of which was negated by alternate timelines, paradoxes, resurrection by advanced alien medicine, or the rebooting of the universe. Clara Oswald dies in "Face the Raven", but in a subsequent episode ("Hell Bent") her time stream is frozen at the moment of death by the Time Lords so that they can interrogate her about the Hybrid; the Doctor takes advantage of this to save her life, but she remains technically neither alive nor dead, does not age or have a pulse. After her departure as a companion of the Twelfth Doctor, she teams with the immortal Ashildr and travels in a stolen TARDIS.

Other companions died in alternate timelines or alternate lives. Brigade Leader Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, Section Leader Liz Shaw, and Platoon Leader John Benton all died in the destruction of their universe's Earth.[95] Sarah Jane Smith, her son Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, & Clyde Langer perished while trying to stop the Plasmavore and the Judoon in Royal Hope Hospital on the Moon in the parallel universe of "Turn Left". In the same story, Martha Jones suffocated after giving up her oxygen to classmate/co-worker Oliver Morgenstern while on the Moon. Teenaged Sarah Jane Smith also died after falling from a pier in place of her friend, Andrea Yates; Maria Jackson convinces the adult Yates to correct the timeline, restoring Sarah Jane to life.[96] After surviving decades in an alien hospice that was deadly to humans, Amy Pond compelled Rory Williams to lock her out of the TARDIS in order to protect her younger self and allow the latter to have the life with Rory that the former missed.[97] Amy and Rory jointly jumped off of a high-rise in New York on a hunch that doing so would create a paradox and deliver themselves from that timeline.[92]

Several other companions have died subsequent to their companionships. Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart's death months earlier was revealed in "The Wedding of River Song", and he was later remembered fondly by his daughter and the Eleventh Doctor.[98] Harry Sullivan's death was implied by Sarah Jane Smith when he was the only former companion of whom she spoke in the past-tense and she remarked that she loved him.[99] When the series was relaunched in 2005, the Doctor believed himself to be the only Time Lord to have survived the Last Great Time War, indicating that he believes that Susan Foreman and Romana were killed, and that Leela, who settled on Gallifrey,[22] was lost when that planet was destroyed in the Last Great Time War. However, the fiftieth anniversary episode "The Day of the Doctor" reveals that the planet still exists, escaping destruction in a pocket universe. In 2050, Sarah Jane Smith is implied to be dead by Rani Chandra in "The Mad Woman in the Attic". Vicki left the First Doctor circa 1250 BCE and passed into legend as Cressida.[100]

List of companion deaths

During the course of the show's history, there have been a few occasions when companions have died while on adventures with the Doctor. They are:

Others are implied or stated to have died years after parting company with the doctor.

Mitigated

Parallel world

Spin-off media

A number of TV companions have died in spin off media as well as several spin off exclusives companions have died but this list is only concerned with TV companions

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Susan travelled with the Doctor prior to the events of An Unearthly Child.
  2. ↑ Susan leaves the Doctor in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, later appearing in The Five Doctors as companion to the First Doctor (then played by Richard Hurndall).
  3. ↑ The inclusion of Sara Kingdom as a companion varies; e.g. she does not appear on the BBC website list of companions.
  4. 1 2 Polly and Ben continue travelling with the Doctor following his regeneration in The Tenth Planet.
  5. ↑ Jamie is played by Hamish Wilson in parts of The Mind Robber episodes 2 and 3, while Frazer Hines was suffering from chickenpox.
  6. ↑ Jamie returns to his own time in The War Games, but later appears in the Sixth Doctor-era story The Two Doctors, again as the Second Doctor's companion.
  7. 1 2 Also makes a cameo appearance in The Five Doctors
  8. ↑ First appears in The Web of Fear (as Colonel) and The Invasion alongside the Second Doctor, before appearing as a semi-regular character throughout the Third Doctor's era. He further appears in Robot and Terror of the Zygons alongside the Fourth Doctor, and Mawdryn Undead alongside the Fifth Doctor before serving as the Second Doctor's companion in The Five Doctors.
  9. ↑ The Brigadier later appears in Battlefield alongside the Seventh Doctor, and The Sarah Jane Adventures story Enemy of the Bane.
  10. ↑ Liz also makes a cameo appearance in The Five Doctors.
  11. ↑ Jo also appears in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor, alongside Sarah Jane Smith and the Eleventh Doctor.
  12. ↑ Sarah continues to travel with the Doctor following his regeneration in Planet of the Spiders, and after her later departure from the series serves as the Third Doctor's companion once more in The Five Doctors.
  13. ↑ Lethbridge-Stewart appears alongside the Second Doctor as a colonel in The Web of Fear and subsequently as a brigadier in The Invasion.
  14. ↑ Benton appears alongside the Second Doctor in The Invasion as Corporal Benton.
  15. ↑ Subsequently appears with the Fourth Doctor in Robot, Terror of the Zygons and The Android Invasion as WO2 Benton.
  16. ↑ Also makes a cameo appearance in The Five Doctors
  17. ↑ Harry also appears in The Android Invasion.
  18. ↑ This first incarnation of K-9 returns in the independent spin-off series K-9, regenerating into a newer form.
  19. ↑ A further model of K-9, "Mark III", features in the pilot of K-9 and Company with Sarah Jane Smith, and Doctor Who episode "School Reunion" with the Tenth Doctor and Sarah Jane. Killed and replaced by K-9 Mark IV in the latter episode, he subsequently appears irregularly in The Sarah Jane Adventures, and also the Doctor Who episode "Journey's End".
  20. ↑ Romana leaves the Doctor in Warriors' Gate, and subsequently reappears as the Fourth Doctor's companion in The Five Doctors (in footage from Shada).
  21. 1 2 3 Adric, Nyssa and Tegan continue travelling with the Doctor following his regeneration in Logopolis.
  22. ↑ Nyssa appears in the preceding serial The Keeper of Traken, before being reintroduced as a companion mid-way through Logopolis.
  23. ↑ Adric also makes a cameo appearance in Time-Flight.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Also makes a cameo appearance in The Caves of Androzani
  25. ↑ Tegan is left behind by the Doctor at the conclusion of Time-Flight but returns during the next serial Arc of Infinity, set around a year later in her relative time.
  26. ↑ Due to problems with the robotic prop, Kamelion was not featured in the five serials between his first and last stories. Planned scenes in the The Awakening were cut and never broadcast.
  27. ↑ Peri continues travelling with the Doctor following his regeneration in The Caves of Androzani.
  28. ↑ The series never establishes how Mel meets the Doctor, who first appears as part of the Doctor's future. Their first meeting is recounted in the Past Doctor Adventures novel Business Unusual and the Big Finish Productions audio-drama The Wrong Doctors. Note that the four adventures broadcast under the single title The Trial of a Time Lord are each counted as separate appearances in this table .
  29. ↑ Mel continues travelling with the Doctor following his regeneration in Time and the Rani.
  30. ↑ Mel and Ace essentially swapped their men, with Mel flying off with the space smuggler Sabalom Glitz, while Ace took Mel's place beside the Doctor.
  31. ↑ Ace's fate was unknown past Survival as she does not appear in the following story, the 1996 film. Her post-companionship life was finally revealed in The Sarah Jane Adventures story, Death of the Doctor, in which she is said to have founded a philanthropy, A Charitable Earth (i.e., ACE), and to have raised millions. Sophie Aldred had been contracted by Russell T. Davies to return to the role of Ace in the second half of The Sarah Jane Adventures series 5, before Elisabeth Sladen's death cancelled the series.
  32. ↑ In the 2013 webcast "The Night of the Doctor", the Eighth Doctor makes reference to a number of his companions from the extensive Big Finish Productions audio series, but this list only concerns televised companions.
  33. ↑ Julia Joyce portrays a young Rose in "Father's Day"
  34. ↑ Rose continues travelling with the Doctor following his regeneration in "The Parting of the Ways".
  35. ↑ Rose departs in "Doomsday", and makes brief cameo appearances in "Partners in Crime", "The Poison Sky" and "Midnight" before returning as a companion from "Turn Left" to "Journey's End". She briefly appears in The End of Time, and in "The Day of the Doctor" as the interface of the Moment device selects an image of Rose to assist the War Doctor.
  36. ↑ Casey Dyer had previously played a young Mickey in "Father's Day".
  37. ↑ Mickey is introduced in "Rose" as Rose's boyfriend and recurs regularly before becoming a companion.
  38. ↑ Mickey departs in "The Age of Steel" and re-appears in "Army of Ghosts" / "Doomsday" before returning as a companion in "Journey's End". He also appears in The End of Time.
  39. ↑ Introduced in "Doomsday" as "The Bride"
  40. ↑ After initially refusing to join the Doctor on his travels in "The Runaway Bride", Donna returns as a regular companion from "Partners in Crime". She also appears in The End of Time.
  41. ↑ Martha departs in "Last of the Time Lords", but returns from "The Sontaran Stratagem" to "The Doctor's Daughter" and again for "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End". She also appears in The End of Time.
  42. ↑ Young Jack (by whatever name he was known before adopting the late Group Captain Jack Harkness' identity) was portrayed by Jack Montgomery in the spin-off series, Torchwood episode, "Adam".
  43. ↑ Jack rejoins the Doctor in "Utopia" before departing in "Last of the Time Lords", but returns again for "The Stolen Earth" / "Journey's End". He also appears in The End of Time.
  44. ↑ Sarah Jane Smith is portrayed in her infancy, adolescence, and as a teen by, respectively, one or more uncredited babies, Jessica Mogridge, and Jessica Ashworth, in her spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures stories, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith, The Day of the Clown, and Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?.
  45. ↑ Previously appears with the Tenth Doctor in "School Reunion".
  46. ↑ Also appears in The End of Time. Additionally, the Doctor appears alongside Sarah Jane in The Sarah Jane Adventures stories The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith and Death of the Doctor, in his Tenth and Eleventh incarnations respectively.
  47. ↑ Rachel Fewell portrays a younger Adelaide in flashback
  48. ↑ Wilf is introduced in "Voyage of the Damned", and recurs throughout series 4 as Donna's grandfather.
  49. ↑ Caitlin Blackwood plays a young Amy (as Amelia) in "The Eleventh Hour", "The Big Bang", "Let's Kill Hitler" and "The God Complex", along with archival footage in "The Angels Take Manhattan"
  50. 1 2 Amy and Rory are left by the Doctor in "The God Complex", but appear briefly in "Closing Time" and feature as companions again in "The Wedding of River Song". They appear in the final scene of "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe", before returning as companions from "Asylum of the Daleks".
  51. ↑ An illusionary Amy appears to the Doctor before his regeneration in "The Time of the Doctor".
  52. ↑ A younger Rory is played by Ezekiel Wigglesworth in "Let's Kill Hitler".
  53. ↑ Also appears in "The Eleventh Hour"
  54. ↑ Rory is killed in "Cold Blood", but returns in "The Pandorica Opens" as an Auton duplicate before being restored to humanity and resuming his travels with the Doctor and Amy in "The Big Bang".
  55. ↑ Earlier incarnations of River Song (as Melody Pond) are played by Sydney Wade in "The Impossible Astronaut" / "Day of the Moon", and Maya Glace-Green and Nina Toussaint-White in "Let's Kill Hitler".
  56. ↑ River first appears alongside the Tenth Doctor in "Silence in the Library" / "Forest of the Dead", introduced as a companion from his relative future who calls the Doctor to her aid. Progressively younger versions of River subsequently summon the Eleventh Doctor in "The Time of Angels" / "Flesh and Stone" and "The Pandorica Opens" / "The Big Bang", before the future Doctor summons her to his death in "The Impossible Astronaut".
  57. ↑ River refuses the Doctor's offer to travel with her permanently in "Day of the Moon". She subsequently features as a companion in "A Good Man Goes to War", "Let's Kill Hitler" and "The Wedding of River Song", and also appears in "Closing Time". She later appears in "The Angels Take Manhattan" and "The Name of the Doctor".
  58. ↑ Also appears in "The Lodger"
  59. ↑ Sophie Downham appears as young Clara in the prequel to "The Bells of Saint John", "The Rings of Akhaten" and "The Name of the Doctor".
  60. ↑ Coleman first appeared as Oswin Oswald in "Asylum of the Daleks", revealed in "The Name of the Doctor" to be one of multiple echoes of Clara distributed across time. In "The Snowmen", Coleman initially plays another echo of Clara, with her original iteration appearing briefly at the end of the episode. The latter Clara joins the Doctor permanently in "The Bells of Saint John".
  61. ↑ Clara continues traveling with the Doctor following his regeneration in "The Time of the Doctor".
  62. ↑ Clara dies in "Face the Raven" and appears only as an illusion in "Heaven Sent", before being rescued from death and appearing as a companion for the final time in "Hell Bent".

References

  1. ↑ Neela Debnath, "Review of Doctor Who ‘An Unearthly Child’ (Series 1)", The Independent blogs, 16 September 2013. Accessed 8 October 2013
  2. ↑ "'Doctor Who destroyed my career'". .canada.com. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  3. ↑ The Handbook: Fourth Doctor p?
  4. 1 2 3 Brook, Stephen (23 January 2009). "Michelle Ryan guest stars in Doctor Who. But would she make a good companion?". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 1 June 2010. A minor factor in the continual swirl around Doctor Who is that what constitutes a Doctor Who companion is no longer clear. Sure, Rose, Martha, and Donna were all companions. So was Captain Jack. But what about Mickey and Jackie? How do you qualify? Name in the opening credits, regular trips in the Tardis? The Doctor kisses you? I'm no longer sure. Modern TV drama is so difficult.
  5. ↑ Adam Sherwin (5 July 2006). "Sidekick whose time has come". The Times. UK. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  6. ↑ Richard Simpson (5 July 2006). "Doctor Who gets first black assistant". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  7. ↑ Doctor Who, episodes "The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon".
  8. ↑ "BBC Doctor Who Series 4 Characters". Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  9. ↑ Commentary on DVD of Castrovalva
  10. ↑ BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - Doctor Who: The TV Movie - Details, retrieved 21 April 2013
  11. ↑ "Partners in Crime"
  12. ↑ "Flesh and Stone", "Meanwhile in the TARDIS... 2"
  13. ↑ "Day of the Moon"
  14. 1 2 "Let's Kill Hitler"
  15. ↑ "The Wedding of River Song"
  16. ↑ Sarah Jane Smith has appeared in "School Reunion", "The Stolen Earth", "Journey's End", and "The End of Time". K-9 has appeared in "School Reunion" and "Journey's End".
  17. ↑ The Dalek Invasion of Earth
  18. ↑ The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
  19. ↑ The Evil of the Daleks
  20. ↑ The Green Death
  21. ↑ The Face of Evil
  22. 1 2 The Invasion of Time
  23. ↑ Logopolis
  24. ↑ The Awakening
  25. ↑ Arc of Infinity
  26. ↑ The Keeper of Traken
  27. ↑ Mawdryn Undead
  28. ↑ Planet of Fire
  29. ↑ The Ultimate Foe
  30. ↑ Dragonfire
  31. ↑ The Curse of Fenric
  32. 1 2 3 Ibid.
  33. ↑ Battlefield
  34. ↑ K-9 and Company
  35. 1 2 "The Power of Three", "The Day of the Doctor"
  36. ↑ Downtime
  37. ↑ Statement by Mickey Smith to Martha Smith-Jones in "The End of Time"
  38. ↑ Statement by Sarah Jane Smith to Luke Smith in the epilogue scene of Death of the Doctor part 2
  39. ↑ Death of the Doctor
  40. ↑ The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith
  41. ↑ The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
  42. ↑ The Time Monster
  43. ↑ "Father's Day"
  44. 1 2 "The Waters of Mars"
  45. ↑ "The Eleventh Hour", "The Big Bang", "Let's Kill Hitler", "The God Complex", "The Angels Take Manhattan"
  46. ↑ "A Good Man Goes to War", "The Impossible Astronaut", "Day of the Moon", "Let's Kill Hitler"
  47. ↑ The prequel to "The Bells of Saint John"
  48. ↑ "Adam"
  49. ↑ The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith, Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
  50. ↑ The direct-to-video spin-off film, Wartime, produced during the interim between the classic and revived eras, showed Benton as a boy during flashback scenes.
  51. ↑ BBC - Doctor Who, The Snowmen, retrieved 26 April 2013
  52. ↑ Robinson, Nigel; Nathan-Turner, John (1981). The Doctor Who Quiz Book. Target Books. pp. 39 and 98. ISBN 0-426-20143-4.
  53. ↑ Lofficier, Jean-Marc (1994). The Doctor Who Programme Guide Third Edition. Virgin Publishing Ltd. pp. 16, 43 and 45. ISBN 0-426-20342-9.
  54. ↑ Howe, David J.; Stammers, Mark; Walker, Stephen James (1994). Doctor Who The Handbook – The First Doctor. Virgin Publishing Ltd. p. 297. ISBN 0-426-20430-1.
  55. ↑ Richards, Justin; Martin, Andrew (1997). Doctor Who The Book of Lists. BBC Books. pp. 13 and 218. ISBN 0-563-40569-4.
  56. ↑ Pixley, Andrew (16 December 1998). "Doctor Who Magazine" (272): 21.
  57. ↑ Campbell, Mark; Duncan, Paul (April 2014). The Pocket Essential Doctor Who. Pocket Essentials. pp. 20–21. ISBN 1-903047-19-6.
  58. ↑ Cornell, Paul; Day, M.; Topping, K.; Howe, D. J.; Walker, S. J. (1995). "The Daleks' Master Plan". Doctor Who: Classic Series Episode Guide. BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  59. ↑ Haining, Peter (1983). Doctor Who: A Celebration – Two Decades Through Time And Space. Virgin Publishing Ltd. p. 85. ISBN 0-86369-932-4.
  60. ↑ "Companions". Doctor Who: Classic Series Episode Guide. BBC. 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2007.
  61. ↑ Darren Plant portrayed John Benton as a baby in The Time Monster, and Steven Stanley did so as a child in the direct-to-video release, Wartime.
  62. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Adric".
  63. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Tegan Jovanka".
  64. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Nyssa".
  65. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Vislor Turlough".
  66. ↑ Nathan-Turner, John (1986). Doctor Who — The Companions. New York: Random House. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-0-394-88291-8.
  67. ↑ Howe, David J; Stammers, Mark (1995). Doctor Who — Companions. London: Doctor Who Books. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-85227-582-2.
  68. ↑ "Doctor Who — Classic Series — Companions — Kamelion". BBC. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  69. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Kamelion".
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  71. ↑ "Doctor Who – Captain Jack Harkness – Character Guide". BBC. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  72. ↑ "Doctor Who – News – Noel natters to DWM". BBC. 21 February 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  73. ↑ "Doctor Who – Mickey Smith – Character Guide". BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  74. ↑ "Doctor Who – Martha Jones – Character Guide". BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  75. ↑ "Companion Piece". BBC News. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  76. ↑ "Who Should Be So Lucky?". 19 December 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  77. ↑ "Confidential at Christmas". Doctor Who Confidential. Season 4. Episode 1. 25 December 2007.
  78. ↑ "Doctor Who – Sarah Jane Smith – Character Guide". BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  79. ↑ Olsen, Anton (21 July 2009). "Who's Your Favorite Doctor Who Companion?". Wired.
  80. ↑ Cook, Benjamin (9 January 2008). "Sands of time". Radio Times (11–17 April 2009). pp. 16–20.
  81. ↑ "TV – Tube Talk – Ten 'Waters of Mars' teasers". Digital Spy. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  82. ↑ "Lindsay Duncan to star in second Doctor Who Special of 2009". BBC. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  83. ↑ Davies, Russell T (7 April 2009). "Dr Who's Easter special". BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  84. ↑ Doctor Who: Best of the Companions (Television production). BBC America. 28 August 2011.
  85. ↑ Gareth Roberts (24 September 2011). "Open All Hours". Doctor Who Confidential. Series 6. Episode 12. 4:52 minutes in. BBC. The Doctor allows Craig to come along and play the part of his companion [...]
  86. ↑ K McEwan, Cameron (26 May 2016). "Steven Moffat reveals Pearl Mackie to debut in 2017, her name and when's she's from...". Doctor Who. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  87. 1 2 The Daleks' Master Plan
  88. ↑ Earthshock
  89. ↑ The King's Demons
  90. ↑ "Voyage of the Damned"
  91. ↑ "Forest of the Dead"
  92. 1 2 3 "The Angels Take Manhattan"
  93. ↑ "The Snowmen"
  94. ↑ "Asylum of the Daleks"
  95. ↑ Inferno
  96. ↑ "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?"
  97. ↑ "The Girl Who Waited"
  98. ↑ "The Power of Three"
  99. ↑ "Death of the Doctor"
  100. ↑ The Myth Makers
  101. ↑ Doctor Who: Companions, 1995

Bibliography

External links

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