Past Companions with newer Doctors

[Demonland]

In the classic series why was there never any reunions between past companions and a new Doctor?

Obviously disregarding situations where a companion moved over to a new doctor and episodes such as The Five and Two Doctors and of course School Reunion.

Was there ever any reason's for this not happening?

 

[Mitty]

Don't know... maybe the BBC thought viewers were to dumb, and didn't want to confuse them? Maybe they did ask people back but they didn't want to return? One of the great things about the new series is the continuity with companions etc. Though whether we see any 9/10 companions with 11, will be a different story entirely.

Apparently they wanted to get Sladen back for the transition from 4-5, but she either couldn't or didn't want to at the time (I think she was pregnant or something). At least that's what I heard. But she got to come back... eventually!

 

[Cutter John]

My only theory is since the average demographic back in the day was 12 years and younger, and since the BBC rarely showed repeats, most of the audience wouldn't 'get' returning companions. So it really wasn't worth the bother.

I think the Brig appearing with 5 and 7 is about it. Though I still find it rather mindboggling that JNT managed to get Jacqueline Hill back, and ended up casting her as 'generic alien priestess #34'.

 

[wamdue]

this is the best example I can think of, you could have Tegan & the 6th Doctor in "A Fix with Sontarans" , but obviously it being a segment for Jim'll Fix It, it may not be what you had in mind.

what has happened outside of TV, in Big Finish and the various book lines is another question. The Brig has appeared in a Tenth Doctor DWM comic for example.

 

[OmahaStar]

the best example I can think of, but you could have Tegan & the 6th Doctor in "A Fix with Sontarans" , but obviously it being a segment for Jim'll Fix It, it may not be what you had in mind.

It's the Sixth Doctor. It counts.

 

[wamdue]

the best example I can think of, but you could have Tegan & the 6th Doctor in "A Fix with Sontarans" , but obviously it being a segment for Jim'll Fix It, it may not be what you had in mind.

It's the Sixth Doctor. It counts.

if we are going to count a Jim'll Fix It segment, then should we count Dimensions in Time, which played it very loose with the Doctor / companion pairings?

 

[Demonland]

I'm talking about on screen. For some reason the whole concept of the companions reuniting with the Doctor years later when the companion is old and the Doctor is in a new incarnation fascinating. I realise that the powers that be don't want to have to explain the whole past history thing to a new audience but it worked well enough for Sarah Jane. I also understand that not every episode can be the Doctor meeting up with an old companion but surely the odd one every year or so can't hurt.

I like the fact that the audios and comics occasionally do this. I guess I just want my dream of a Brig/Doctor reunion or Susan or Ian/Doctor reunion to come to fruition.

 

[OmahaStar]

the best example I can think of, but you could have Tegan & the 6th Doctor in "A Fix with Sontarans" , but obviously it being a segment for Jim'll Fix It, it may not be what you had in mind.

It's the Sixth Doctor. It counts.

if we are going to count a Jim'll Fix It segment, then should we count Dimensions in Time, which played it very loose with the Doctor / companion pairings?

I know it's generally hated through fandom, but it was the ONLY time Six and Lethbridge-Stewart teamed up on screen. And you know I'm all about Six, so I'm pretty much ok with it.

 

[wamdue]

there cant be many more times Pertwee would play the Doctor again after DiT, certainly not with Sarah Jane & the Brig around.

However I dont think any Doctor Who that cast EE actors as there characters should be taken seriously, expect Army of Ghosts which makes its clear Peggy is a fictional character.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

JNT planned to bring back Ian Chesterton for Mawdryn Undead but unfortunately William Russell was too busy at the time. This is why The Brigadier is a mathematics teacher in the serial.

That being said, I'm finding myself wanting Ian to return in the new series more and more. I would love the juxaposition between the old companion with a young looking Doctor.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

In this vein, will Barrowman be in S5? Or S6, which begins filming in June (I think).

I wonder if he'll make a pass at the Doctor before he realizes he is the Doctor and not just some young bit of male tail.

 

[OmahaStar]

In this vein, will Barrowman be in S5? Or S6, which begins filming in June (I think).

I wonder if he'll make a pass at the Doctor before he realizes he is the Doctor and not just some young bit of male tail.

I'm kind of hoping he's still with Alonso.

 

[wamdue]

In this vein, will Barrowman be in S5? Or S6, which begins filming in June (I think).

I wonder if he'll make a pass at the Doctor before he realizes he is the Doctor and not just some young bit of male tail.

I'm kind of hoping he's still with Alonso.

since when has already being with one guy, ever stopped Jack making a pass at another one?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

JNT planned to bring back Ian Chesterton for Mawdryn Undead but unfortunately William Russell was too busy at the time. This is why The Brigadier is a mathematics teacher in the serial.

JNT also wanted to bring back Sarah Jane for the four-to-five regeneration.

 

[Joel_Kirk]

I would like to see Nicola Bryant return to the series...as well as Wendy Padbury...

 

[23skidoo]

JNT planned to bring back Ian Chesterton for Mawdryn Undead but unfortunately William Russell was too busy at the time. This is why The Brigadier is a mathematics teacher in the serial.

Russell and Jacqueline Hill were also to have done a cameo at the end of The War Machine but it didn't work out.

Also, Jamie McCrimmon is paired with the Sixth Doctor in a new series of audio dramas for Big Finish that starts shortly.

In answer to the original question, why should the series always be looking backwards? If a new production team is brought on board, it should be their right to move the show forward and create the Ian Chestertons for the future generation, which is what RTD did. Only difference with him is his era was closely interconnected between 2 Doctors and 3 series, so there was a lot of give and take.

But if Moffat goes his entire run without Rose, or Ace, or Tegan appearing, I don't see the problem. He's too busy creating new monsters or expanding on characters he created like River Song. Yeah I know there's a Dalek or two in there as well, but some things are obligatory.

And anyway, if the OP wants to know why the Doctor doesn't usually reunite with past companions, watch School Reunion again and listen to what the Doctor says on this very subject.

Alex

 

[Mr. Sin]

Jacqueline Hill did make an appearence as a character in Tom Baker's Meglos and Jean Marsh was in Battlefield. And then of course there's Bernard Cribbins, although his Doctor was a non-canon Doctor.


Plus a lot of companions have played different roles in Who audio dramas- to cite one example, Wendy Padbury was in "Davros" but not as Zoe. And I'm pretty sure Anneke Wills (Polly) played the role of Charley Pollard's mother.

Also I've read that Julia Sawalha was considered for the role of Sophie Aldred's replacement had season 27 been made. Instead we got her in the non-canon "Curse of Fatal Death"

 

[wamdue]

wasnt David Tennant the companion to a female Doctor in a Big Finish at one point?

 

[Mr. Sin]

David Tennant had a lot of Big Finish roles, and I think the one with Arabella Weir as the Doctor had him as a time lord (I haven't listened to that one yet).

 

[Allyn Gibson]

wasnt David Tennant the companion to a female Doctor in a Big Finish at one point?

She didn't have a companion, in the Doctor Who sense. She did have some drinking buddies and coworkers at the supermarket.

Tennant played a Time Lord who was to hunt her down and kill her. He was a bit incompetent, as I recall.

I also liked him in Sympathy for the Devil, where he plays a UNIT Colonel.