The next companion

[Chris227]

With a new Doctor coming (Although we don't know who yet), there's obviously going to be a new companion-any thoughts on which type?


So far, we've had really only modern companions with the exception of Captain Jack who hails from the future. Some wish for a historical companion, like Jaime and Victoria from the Second Doctor's era, or an alien companion, like Nyssa and Adric in the Fifth Doctor's era (Well, hopefully not exactly like Adric ). Any thoughts?

 

[Turbo]

Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.
Charley Pollard.




Bias? What bias?

 

[Starkers]

I kinda like the idea of a companion from the past and from the future ala Jamie and Zoe, or from a future Earth colony (Leela) Or a downright alien (Nyssa).

What I don't want is yet another contemporary girl from London. Not even if it's (God help me for saying this) Sally Sparrow!

 

[Starkers]

Who's the woman in the topmost pic byt the way, StCoop?

 

[StCoop]

Assuming that he wasn't joking, Moffat's first script involves some sort of "Killer House" which would suggest present or future, and I expect they'll stick with the former.

 

[StCoop]

Who's the woman in the topmost pic byt the way, StCoop?

Natalie Mendoza.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_mendoza

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

In my opinion, companions from the past or the future never work. Companions are point-of-view characters, they're our entry point into the Doctor Who universe. If the Doctor, an eccentric alien from the future, travels with, say, a feisty 12th Century scullion, we won't have anyone we can relate to. It would be like an all-Klingon Star Trek show.

 

[Starkers]

I see what you're saying but that misses the point that we regularly relate to Star Trek populated entirely by 23rd and 24th Century humans? I don't need a TV character from my own time to relate to. Going a bit far I know, but Martha was black, female and a Doctor. I'm none of those things yet I could still relate to her as a character. Similarly I can relate to Jamie despite not being from the 17th(?) Century myself.

 

[StCoop]

The real problem with companions form the past is that they stop being people from the past pretty quickly, except for perhaps the occasional line of dialogue.

The first thing Victoria does after joining the TARDIS crew is to change into a miniskirt! So much for being a reserved young girl from Victorian England!

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I see what you're saying but that misses the point that we regularly relate to Star Trek populated entirely by 23rd and 24th Century humans? I don't need a TV character from my own time to relate to. Going a bit far I know, but Martha was black, female and a Doctor. I'm none of those things yet I could still relate to her as a character. Similarly I can relate to Jamie despite not being from the 17th(?) Century myself.

Yes, you're definitely right. I don't think I picked the right words. Of course, it's perfectly possible to relate to people with whom we have very little in common. I do think, however, that there is a limit beyond which we stop being emotionally engaged in fictional characters because their behavior and the way they express their feelings is just too alien to us.

Even this can be counterbalanced, however, if you mix the characters just right. The Doctor's personality is ever-changing, but he'll always be an alien, always be much older than everyone else, always be slightly eccentric and he'll always be on to something. In my opinion, he works much better when he's associated with someone who looks more familiar to the audience, reacts in ways we can understand, and is generally more down-to-earth than the Doctor. Someone has to be the cheese to the Doctor's wine, if you get what I mean.

So rather than saying that saying I wanted a companion I could relate to, I should have said I wanted a companion which offered a good contrast with the Doctor. In my opinion, the best choice is a contemporary character.

 

[captcalhoun]

Jemima Roper (er off Hex and Lost in Austin)

or Michelle Ryan (WTF is wrong with her? she's by no means a crap actress, she looks good too)

 

[Brendan Moody]

The real problem with companions form the past is that they stop being people from the past pretty quickly, except for perhaps the occasional line of dialogue.

The first thing Victoria does after joining the TARDIS crew is to change into a miniskirt! So much for being a reserved young girl from Victorian England!

Exactly. The same is true for "aliens" like Adric or Nyssa or Turlough. I would love to see a non-contemporary companion if it could be done well and in a way that wouldn't slow the show down unnecessarily, but that's really a tall order even for the kind of talent you get on Doctor Who.

 

[TerriO]

Jemima Roper (er off Hex and Lost in Austin)

I will totally second the Jemima Rooper rec. She's fabulous.

 

[Starkers]

The real problem with companions form the past is that they stop being people from the past pretty quickly, except for perhaps the occasional line of dialogue.

The first thing Victoria does after joining the TARDIS crew is to change into a miniskirt! So much for being a reserved young girl from Victorian England!

Exactly. The same is true for "aliens" like Adric or Nyssa or Turlough. I would love to see a non-contemporary companion if it could be done well and in a way that wouldn't slow the show down unnecessarily, but that's really a tall order even for the kind of talent you get on Doctor Who.

Strange I always thought Adric, Nyssa and Turlough managed to retain a certain alieness.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Who's the woman in the topmost pic byt the way, StCoop?

Natalie Mendoza.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_mendoza

Personally, I'd prefer Michelle Ryan of your two choices. Liked her in "Jekyll".

I'll also give the thumbs up to Jemima from "Hex". She was a lot of fun. I can see her as a bit of an Ace-y type.

 

[The]

 

[wamdue]

Jemima Roper (er off Hex and Lost in Austin)

I will totally second the Jemima Rooper rec. She's fabulous.

yep I 3rd it as well, not sure about the woman from Hotel Babylon however

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I'd 2nd Jemima Rooper! She was the best thing about Hex by far! (2nd best thing about Hex? The fact that her character was a lesbian. 3rd best thing about Hex? Sam Troughton.)

The rumors I've heard have implied a Celtic woman from the past.

I have this idea in my head for a modern-day homicide detective named Barbara Chesterton. (She mentions that she's named after her grandmother but that's about all the overt connection we get.) I see her being a very driven woman next to a somewhat more laid back, distracted Doctor.

 

[Garibaldi O'brien]

Strange I always thought Adric, Nyssa and Turlough managed to retain a certain alieness.

Gahhhhhhh! Adric... I don't mind alien, but I want alien that is just a bit more than Peter-Pan alien...

Give me Alien-Dish-of-the-Day, with proper ACTING! or huge... um, capabilities. At least TWO!

 

[Guy Gardener]

Y'know it could be a bloke?

Which would give the weekly story the capability to skank it across time and space with many beautiful women, at the very least one a week....

Although as we ask for Charley, which would be lovely, would it be Charley with or without her baggage?

I found natalie Mendoza to be bloody annoying on Hotel Babylon, she was pretending to be to way to much of a person to be objectified. It just wasn't fair not that she's that attractive.

Although quid pro quo, Hotel Babylon does owe Doctor Who a few warm bodies.

Oh god. They wouldn't? What about that girl they just kicked off The Sarah Jane Adventures? Although, i wouldn't mind her dad as a companion if we can stick maria off into boarding school somewhere...

What's so horrible about Michelle Ryan?

She was neat in Jeykll.