A New Companion?

[Starkers]

Spoilers obviously!



Looks like those rumours about one of Clara's fellow teachers joining the Tardis crew were true, only it isn't the guy who was in Time of the Doctor.

I've never seen this guy in anything but I've always like the idea of multiple companions (Jamie and Zoe, Amy and Rory, Tegan/Nyssa/Turlough/Adric) so I have high hopes.

Ok it doesn't say companion as such, but I wonder if he'll be a recurriring character who steadily gets more involved like Mickey or Rory?

Rising star Samuel Anderson (The History Boys, Gavin & Stacey, Emmerdale) is set to join the cast of Doctor Who as a recurring character in Series 8, which will also introduce Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.

Anderson will play Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) also teaches. On joining the show Samuel Anderson said: "I was so exited to join Doctor Who I wanted to jump and click my heels, but I was scared I might not come down before filming started!"

He continued: “It's a quintessential part of British culture and I can't believe I'm part of it. It's an honour to be able to work alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman and I can't wait to show people how my character becomes involved with such a fantastic duo!".


Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, added: "For the fourth time in Doctor Who history, Coal Hill School is coming to the aid of the TARDIS. In 1963 teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright accompanied the First Doctor. These days it's the turn of Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. And very soon now, Sam Anderson as Danny Pink will be entering the world of the Doctor. But how and why? Answers are coming later this year in Peter Capaldi's first series of Doctor Who!".

Filming recently began on episode 4 of the new series, which will co-star Robert Goodman (Gangs of New York, Game of Thrones) and episode 5, co-starring Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch, Groove High), and Pippa Bennett-Warner (The Smoke, Death in Paradise).

Link

 

[Cutter John]

Was just looking at this. Nice.

 

[HIjol]

Was just looking at this. Nice.

Hey, Cutter...just warping through the quadrant, and happened to see your name...LOVE it!...hope the Starchair is well, and you set a course for the Planet of Open-Minded Stewardesses real soon!

HIjol

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Good looking guy.
Think the role was created to please younger female viewers?
If Coal Hill continues to play a role, I hope we get an Ian Chesterton cameo in at least one scene with the Doctor.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Hopefully he's actually a companion and not a supporting Earth-bound character, thus ensuring more than necessary Earth-bound, present-day stories. I also love multiple-companion TARDIS crews, so I really hope that's the case here.

If Coal Hill continues to play a role, I hope we get an Ian Chesterton cameo in at least one scene with the Doctor.

I've been wanting a William Russell cameo for ages now. The juxtaposition of old Ian and young-looking Doctor is too rich to pass up. I had hoped it would've happened in "The Day of The Doctor," but all we got was a visual name drop. At least he was in An Adventure in Space and Time.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Just read through the Facebook comments on the casting news.

About half of them see the picture and think Mickey 2.0.

*facepalm*

 

[Starkers]

That's sadly predictable

 

[Captaindemotion]

Only a matter of time before someone does a Sam Rubin (interviewer who mistook Samuel L. Jackson for Lawrence Fishburne)!

Definite shades of the Older Doctor and young pair of teachers (one of each sex) of the early days, which I too like. I suspect there's also an element of bringing on board a good looking young guy to appease the younger female audience but if he works, I don't mind.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah I don't see any problem at all with that so long as he's not a bad actor and the character's good. Tis another modern day companion though...

 

[diankra]

I'd imagien that they'll play it a bit like Rory - he'll be a recurring character this year, and might go full time next year if he works well and goes down well.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

I'm cool with that, and for a nice original reason to hang around with the Doctor. I'm even cool for Daniel to be a romantic foil for the female companion, despite it being the ONLY real reason a male companion has been in the TARDIS since 2005 (with apologies to Captain Jack), if only because Clara needs some sort of defining feature besides "the girl who goes along with the Doctor".

Mark

 

[Sindatur]

Just read through the Facebook comments on the casting news.

About half of them see the picture and think Mickey 2.0.

*facepalm*

Yea, you just can't win, this is why it does no good to try and placate the complainers.

No Black characters, and Racism is cried. Add a black character, and there's complaints of "Mickey 2" <Sigh>

 

[The Wormhole]

Just read through the Facebook comments on the casting news.

About half of them see the picture and think Mickey 2.0.

*facepalm*

To be honest, he does kind of remind me of Mickey. Try to understand, I'm not saying that because he's black, I'm not ignorant enough to believe "they all look the same." But there is something about those pictures and the fact he's Clara's friend who may join the TARDIS team that makes me think of Mickey.

Obviously, I'll try to keep an open mind and not pre-judge the guy. After all, in season 5 Rory was very much "Mickey 2.0" but over the course of time he eventually developed his own distinct personality and character and I don't even notice the Mickey similarities when I watch season 5 episodes anymore. But the similarity is there, at least it is to me.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Not JUST because of my own heritage, but it could be nice to have an Asian character in there too...

 

[Sindatur]

Just read through the Facebook comments on the casting news.

About half of them see the picture and think Mickey 2.0.

*facepalm*

To be honest, he does kind of remind me of Mickey. Try to understand, I'm not saying that because he's black, I'm not ignorant enough to believe "they all look the same." But there is something about those pictures and the fact he's Clara's friend who may join the TARDIS team that makes me think of Mickey.

Obviously, I'll try to keep an open mind and not pre-judge the guy. After all, in season 5 Rory was very much "Mickey 2.0" but over the course of time he eventually developed his own distinct personality and character and I don't even notice the Mickey similarities when I watch season 5 episodes anymore. But the similarity is there, at least it is to me.

Really? Hair is close cropped, so, that's the same. But, Clara's not blonde, we haven't heard he's her boyfriend, he's got a beard, different style of dress, he's a teacher, and I don't recall ever seeing Mickey pose like that. This guy has a beard, and lighter skin. I don't really see any similarity aside from the hair and that Clara's white?

 

[The Wormhole]

Just read through the Facebook comments on the casting news.

About half of them see the picture and think Mickey 2.0.

*facepalm*

To be honest, he does kind of remind me of Mickey. Try to understand, I'm not saying that because he's black, I'm not ignorant enough to believe "they all look the same." But there is something about those pictures and the fact he's Clara's friend who may join the TARDIS team that makes me think of Mickey.

Obviously, I'll try to keep an open mind and not pre-judge the guy. After all, in season 5 Rory was very much "Mickey 2.0" but over the course of time he eventually developed his own distinct personality and character and I don't even notice the Mickey similarities when I watch season 5 episodes anymore. But the similarity is there, at least it is to me.

Really? Hair is close cropped, so, that's the same. But, Clara's not blonde, we haven't heard he's her boyfriend, he's got a beard, different style of dress, he's a teacher, and I don't recall ever seeing Mickey pose like that. This guy has a beard, and lighter skin. I don't really see any similarity aside from the hair and that Clara's white?

It's indefinable, but there is something about him that reminds me of Mickey. Perhaps I am subconsciously racist, although I'd hate to think so.

Although, Mickey also had a beard. Maybe that's it, beards. Say, does anyone else look at those pictures and think of Jonathan Frakes?

I think I'll just quietly back out of this now.

 

[davejames]

Looks like he should be a nice new addition. And yeah, I wouldn't doubt some of this is because they needed a new young cute guy to make up for the loss of a young Doctor. But that's fine.

I just hope he's more of a professional colleague than someone who has a secret crush on Clara (although to be fair if we worked with someone who looked like her, we'd probably have a secret crush too).

 

[Mr Awe]

I've been wanting a William Russell cameo for ages now. The juxtaposition of old Ian and young-looking Doctor is too rich to pass up. I had hoped it would've happened in "The Day of The Doctor," but all we got was a visual name drop. At least he was in An Adventure in Space and Time.

Agreed. I loved Day of the Doctor, but that was a *huge* missed opportunity. While it would still be cool with Capaldi, the age constrast between young Smith and older Russell would've been great.

Side point, had the chance to meet and chat with William Russell, what a nice man.

Mr Awe

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Unless we take the SJA line about Ian & Barbara not aging, then Ian would still look younger than the Doctor.

Of course, then we would need a younger actor who looked like William Russell.

 

[The Wormhole]

Unless we take the SJA line about Ian & Barbara not aging, then Ian would still look younger than the Doctor.

Of course, then we would need a younger actor who looked like William Russell.

I for one have no problem disregarding that line if it means having William Russell back. But even if we are so inclined, there are ways of having an aged Ian without contradicting what was said on SJA.