Robert Holmes and the 'double-act'

[Whofan]

One of the interesting things about Robert Holmes stories is that he always seemed to have two supporting characters who sort of played off each other. The best example of this, I think, is Jago and Litefoot from Talons of Weng-Chiang, other notable examples are the con men in The Ribos Operation, The restaurant owner/butterfly hobbyist and his lady friend in Two Doctors, the showman and his assistant from Carnival of Monsters and finallyGlitz and Dibber in Trial of a Time Lord.




Although he died in the 80s, we've seen some cool double-acts that kind of are like his style in the series since. The Madam Vestra and Jenny, for instance.


Any opinions/favorites from this?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I've long thought that Jobel and Tasambeker in Eric Saward's "Revelation of the Daleks" were Holmes-esque. Not surprising, given the worshipful regard Saward had for Holmes. However, Jobel and Tasambeker are pathetic, damaged people in ways that Holmes' characters usually aren't, so maybe I'm just imagining them as Holmes-esque. Maybe.

 

[The Wormhole]

TV Tropes has a category titled "Those Two Guys" in which they mention the "Holmesian Double Act."

 

[diankra]

In Revelation, the Bostock-Orcini double act actually say of Kara and her secretary that 'they're like a double act.' Fourth wall falling!