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Companion, in the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, is a term which is often used to describe a character who travels with and shares the adventures of the Doctor. The term is primarily used in Doctor Who fandom; the press and general public often refer to these characters as "assistants". The term was rarely used in the classic series (1963-1989), while the revived series (2005-) makes more frequent use of the term. More often, however, the Doctor merely introduces his fellow leads as his "friends". In the 2005 series, the Ninth Doctor states he "employed Rose Tyler as companion".

The Doctor almost always travels with between one and three companions; the only exception in the television series is the serial The Deadly Assassin, in which he travels alone. In most Doctor Who stories, the companion provides a surrogate with whom the audience can identify, and furthers the story by asking questions and getting into trouble, or (especially in later stories) by helping or rescuing the Doctor.

On occasion, characters have functioned as companions to series villain the Master, among them Chang Lee and his wife, Lucy Saxon, whom he calls his "faithful companion".

History of the Doctor Who companion

When Doctor Who was created, 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 almost an antihero, with uncertain motives and abilities. 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, became unhappy with the lack of development for her character, 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, establishing two scenarios to which the series would later return. 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 Doctor, young heroic male and 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 organization United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. 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. 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 Doctor Who rarely diverged. The "heroic male" type occasionally returned (for example, Harry Sullivan and Jack Harkness), but the single female companion was Doctor Who's staple.

The role of the companion in Doctor Who

Companions have assumed a variety of roles in Doctor Who, as involuntary passengers, as assistants per se (particularly Liz Shaw), as disciples, as friends, and as fellow adventurers.

The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home, or find new causes — or loves — on worlds they have visited. Some companions (notably Katarina, Sara Kingdom, Adric and Kamelion) have died during the course of the series.

There are some disputes within Doctor Who fandom about the definition of a companion, but most fans agree that over thirty (including K-9 Marks I and II) meet the criteria for "companion" status in the television series, with others being established in the various spin-offs. Most companions travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor for more than one adventure, although there are exceptions; see Disputed companions, below. Sometimes a guest character will take a role in the story similar to that of a companion: one recent example is Lynda in "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways" while an example from the classic series is photographer Isobel Watkins who plays a significant role in "The Invasion".

Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor's companions are young, attractive females, the production team for the 1963–1989 series maintained a longstanding 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). 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 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 companions Rose, Jack, Martha, Astrid and Donna, although each instance not in a romantic context (see also "The Doctor and romance").

Previous companions have reappeared in the series, usually for anniversary specials. One former companion, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), together with the robotic dog K-9, appeared in one episode of the 2006 series more than twenty years after their last appearances in the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983). The character of Sarah Jane also heads up a Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures. Another companion, Captain Jack Harkness, appears in the spin-off programme Torchwood.

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 joined the TARDIS crew 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.

New series companions have also 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 featured the returns of Rose, Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane and Mickey. This tendency, and the increase in "one-off" companions like Astrid Peth or Jackson Lake, has further obscured the matter of who is and is not a companion.

List of television companions

The First Doctor's companions

1. Susan travelled with the Doctor prior to the events of "An Unearthly Child" as well.
2. ^ The Doctor takes Barbara and Ian from their time against their will in "An Unearthly Child".
3. Vicki joins the TARDIS crew at the end of her first story, The Rescue.
4. Unbeknown to the Doctor and Vicki, Steven took refuge in the TARDIS during the events of "The Planet of Decision" and is not discovered by them until "The Watcher".
5. Steven left the Doctor in "Bell of Doom", episode four of The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, but returned to him shortly afterwards in the same episode.
6. Sara Kingdom is not included in all lists of companions - the BBC's list of companions at http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/ excludes her.
7. Polly and Ben remain in Doctor Who as companions to the Doctor for the Second Doctor's first six stories.

The Second Doctor's companions

1. ^ Polly and Ben appeared also in Doctor Who as companions to the Doctor in the First Doctor's final three stories.
2. The First Doctor regenerates into the Second Doctor in "Episode 4" of The Tenth Planet.
3. Jamie was played by Hamish Wilson in The Mind Robber episodes 2 and 3, as Frazer Hines was suffering from chicken pox during filming (the surreal nature of that story allowed the change to be written into the plot)

The Third Doctor's companions

The Fourth Doctor's companions

The Fifth Doctor's companions

The Sixth Doctor's companions

1. The series never establishes how the Doctor first meets Mel: she just appears mid-way through The Trial of a Time Lord. The Doctor's first meeting with Mel is recounted in the Past Doctor Adventures novel Business Unusual.

The Seventh Doctor's companions

The Eighth Doctor's companion

The Ninth Doctor's companions

1. Adam Mitchell was the first companion to be expelled by the Doctor for bad behaviour, attempting to use future technology for personal gain.
2. Jack Harkness was the first openly LGBT (in this case pansexual) companion.

The Tenth Doctor's companions

Future Companions

The BBC and outgoing executive producer Russell T. Davies have indicated that the following characters and actors will appear as companions in future episodes.

River Song

River Song is an archaeologist who states that she has travelled with the Doctor in his relative future (her relative past). Although the Doctor first meets her on the Library planet in "Silence in the Library", she states that she has met him on several occasions prior to that in her relative timeline but in a time yet to come for the Doctor. It is suggested that at some point they share an intimate relationship of some sort, and River Song reveals that she knows the Doctor's real name, which she whispers in his ear, thus gaining his trust. River Song appears to be familiar with the TARDIS, and apparently has first-hand knowledge of The Doctor's future encounters with alien races. She also possesses a sonic screwdriver, which she says a future Doctor gave her. This is cited as evidence of his trust in her, and the Doctor considers it highly surprising she should have it - claiming he'd not give anyone else his sonic screwdriver. As the episode unfolds, the Doctor may have had ulterior motives for this, in addition to trust. River Song dies while using her brain as a memory buffer for The Library's data core, thus saving the Doctor, Donna, and the 4,022 people trapped in the data core in "Forest of the Dead", although in the last minutes of the show, the Doctor searches the sonic screwdriver he left her and finds a communications device similar to the ones used in the Lux Industries' suits, and is able to save her onto the "hard drive" in the planet's core.

Disputed companions

Since there is no formal definition of what makes a companion, Doctor Who fans sometimes dispute whether certain characters are really companions or not. Liz Shaw never travelled in the TARDIS in the television series, and Sara Kingdom and Astrid Peth both died in the same adventures in which they made their debut. Some fans define these three as companions and others do not. Fans also disagree on whether Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and other UNIT staff, who sometimes filled the companion's dramatic role during the Third Doctor's exile on Earth, should be counted as companions. For example, Sergeant Benton's only trip in the TARDIS came in The Three Doctors, while the Brigadier travelled with the Doctor on that occasion, and again in Mawdryn Undead and The Five Doctors, but Captain Mike Yates never stepped inside the blue box. Furthermore, basing companion status simply on travelling in the TARDIS is problematical, since several stories of the Peter Davison era featured the majority of the cast being transported in it by the Doctor (it was even invaded by Cybermen on two occasions), and the Master has done so.

The robot Kamelion travelled with the Fifth Doctor, but did not appear frequently. The actual robotic Kamelion prop had chronic technical problems on the set, and therefore appeared in only one story in Season 20 and a second in Season 21, in which it was destroyed. Because Kamelion could change shape into anyone, a number of actors played it. Since it only appeared in two stories (a third appearance was filmed but not aired), its status as a companion is a matter of debate.

There is also dispute over the companion status of Dr Grace Holloway from the 1996 telemovie, who is offered the chance to travel with the Doctor but declines, and therefore appeared only once. Another character from the telemovie, Chang Lee, is sometimes described as a companion as well, although it may be more accurate to regard him as a companion of the Master. Jackie Tyler, Rose's mother, had a recurring, non-travelling role in the series, although in the episodes "Army of Ghosts" and "Journey's End", she does travel with the Doctor in his TARDIS and also acts in the role of companion in the former (standing in for Rose); she is not, however, generally considered a companion.

The definition of who is and is not a companion became more unclear in the new series. The Doctor's primary companion (first Rose Tyler, then Martha Jones, then Donna Noble) now plays a distinct dramatic role, more significant than other, more transient TARDIS travellers such as Adam, Jack, and Mickey. Indeed, the British press touted Martha as the "first ethnic minority companion in the 43-year television history of Doctor Who" or "first black assistant", even though Mickey was also black.

Initially, in the new series, only Billie Piper's name appeared in the programme's opening title sequence along with the Doctor's portrayer (either Christopher Eccleston or David Tennant). The other 'primary companions' are listed in the opening sequence in every episode of the series they are affiliated with, but in the third series, John Barrowman appeared alongside Freema Agyeman in the credits. Piper, Agyeman, John Barrowman and Elisabeth Sladen appeared in the sequence along with Tennant and Catherine Tate in the season finale of series four. The characters played by these actors are listed as companions on the BBC Website for Doctor Who (series 4). Noel Clarke, who acted as a companion in the last episode and is listed as such on the website, was not credited in this way however.

Companion deaths

As noted above, during the course of the show's history, companions have, on rare occasion, been killed while serving with the Doctor.

Katarina dies in "The Traitors", the fourth episode of The Daleks' Master Plan, when she opens the airlock of a spaceship and is blown out into space while trying to protect her friends from the insane Kirkson.

Sara Kingdom dies in "Destruction of Time", the twelfth and final episode of The Daleks' Master Plan, when she undergoes extreme aging as an unfortunate side-effect of the First Doctor activating a "Time Destructor" device in order to defeat the Daleks.

Adric dies at the end of Episode 4 of Earthshock in the explosion of a bomb-laden space freighter in Earth's atmosphere.

Kamelion, an android companion, is destroyed by the Fifth Doctor in Episode 4 of Planet of Fire as an act of mercy after Kamelion is taken over by the Master.

Astrid Peth sacrifices herself in order to kill Max Capricorn by driving him into a reactor core at the end of "Voyage of the Damned". The Tenth Doctor partially resurrects her and sends her atoms flying into space.

Peri Brown's death is depicted in episode 4 of Mindwarp, the second story arc in The Trial of a Time Lord, as having been killed by King Yrcanos upon his discovering that her brain has been replaced by that of Kiv, a member of the Mentor race. However, the concluding episode of the Trial of a Time Lord season revealed that Peri had not been killed after all and had instead become Yrcanos' consort, although it is not explained how the brain transplant was undone or even if it actually occurred as several incidents depicted in the arc are revealed to have been fabricated by the Valeyard.

Susan Foreman and Romana are implied to have died by the events of "Rose" in the Doctor's personal chronology as the Doctor is said to be the last of the Time Lords following the events of the Time War. Susan is left on 22nd century Earth by the First Doctor in The Dalek Invasion of Earth after she falls in love with David Campbell, whilst Romana chooses to remain in E-space to help the Tharils at the end of Warrior's Gate.

Grace Holloway and Chang Lee die in the 1996 television movie when they are killed by the Master. However they are soon revived by the TARDIS's link to the Eye of Harmony.

Jack Harkness is killed by Daleks in "The Parting of the Ways" but is soon after brought back to life, and inadvertently given immortality, by Rose Tyler during her "Bad Wolf" manifestation. (He then goes on to die a number of times, both on and off screen-but is able to come back to life.)

Rose Tyler is trapped in the parallel universe in "Doomsday" while trying to save the world from a war between Daleks, Cybermen and humans. The Doctor tells her that she has been declared dead in her original universe. Like Peri, however, she does not die in actuality, and the Doctor later tells Donna Noble that Rose is "so alive".

K-9 Mark III sacrifices himself in "School Reunion" in order to save the Doctor and his friends from a group of aliens. Technically, however, this model of K-9 was never officially a companion of the Doctor, having only been given to Sarah Jane Smith in the spin-off K-9 and Company, the subsequent K-9 Mark IV that the Doctor leaves with Sarah Jane tells her that his (Mark III's) files have been transferred to the new machine.

Sarah Jane Smith and Martha Jones die from oxygen starvation in "Turn Left" when the Royal Hope hospital is transported to the Moon, whilst Donna Noble is hit by a truck later in the episode. However, these events do not happen once the timeline is fixed.

Additional companions have died while serving with the Doctor in the various spin-off media (the canonicity of which is unclear); this has included Jamie McCrimmon and Ace, both of whom were killed off in the Doctor Who comic strip published in Doctor Who Magazine (McCrimmon in a Grant Morrison-written strip entitled The World Shapers and Ace in Ground Zero).

Additional spin-off works have also postulated the final fates of some former companions in the years following their travels with the Doctor, such as Dodo Chaplet, whose death is indicated in the novel Who Killed Kennedy, Liz Shaw in the novel Eternity Weeps and Tegan Jovanka who, though her death is not depicted, is described as having a terminal illness in the Big Finish audio production The Gathering.

Miscellaneous notes

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (July 2008)

Most of the Doctor's companions have been human, with some exceptions such as Kamelion, Nyssa, Adric, Turlough, Astrid (who was from the planet Sto) and Romana. Of the non-human companions, all apart from K-9 are (or were) members of humanoid races. To date, Romana and Susan are the only members of the Doctor's own race to travel with him.

Susan, Jamie, Harry and Sarah Jane (and K-9 Mark III) have guest-starred in later stories. Zoe, Liz, Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, Turlough and Kamelion have reappeared in cameo roles, played by the original actors rather than in stock footage or still photos (eg. Romana's later appearance in The Five Doctors).

Vicki, Polly, Mel and Ace/Dorothy are never given surnames on-screen. Polly Wright and Mel Bush are fully named in their original character outlines, while Vicki Pallister and Dorothy McShane gained surnames in spinoff novels. The production team had intended that, if revealed in the course of a story, Ace would either have the last name Gale (an allusion to the movie version of The Wizard of Oz) or whatever would suit the story.

Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 Mark III returned in the 2006 series episode "School Reunion". She later reappears and acts as a companion in The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.

Sarah Jane has appeared in three television series, namely Doctor Who, K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures. K-9 Mark III has appeared in two, (K-9 and Company and Doctor Who), as have K-9 Mark IV, (Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures) and Captain Jack and Martha (Doctor Who and Torchwood)

Three companions had memories of their adventures erased: Jamie and Zoe, by the Time Lords, and Donna, by the Doctor himself. Jamie and Zoe's only remaining memories were their first encounters with the Doctor whilst Donna was left only with an anonymous 'John Smith' who was visiting her grandfather Wilfred Mott.

Nine companions have been with the Doctor through a regeneration:

• Ben and Polly - First Doctor to Second Doctor (The Tenth Planet)
• Sarah Jane - Third Doctor to Fourth Doctor (Planet of the Spiders)
• Adric, Nyssa and Tegan - Fourth Doctor to Fifth Doctor (Logopolis)
• Peri - Fifth Doctor to Sixth Doctor (The Caves of Androzani)
• Melanie - Sixth Doctor to Seventh Doctor (Time and the Rani)
• Rose - Ninth Doctor to Tenth Doctor ("The Parting of the Ways")

During the Tenth Doctor's aborted regeneration ("The Stolen Earth"), Rose, Jack and Donna were all present.

Companions in Spin-off material

References

1. Writer Russell T Davies, Director Colin Teague (2007-06-30). "Last of the Time Lords". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
2. Commentary on DVD of Castrovalva
3. ^ Brook, Stephen (23 January 2009). "Michelle Ryan guest stars in Doctor Who. But would she make a good companion?". Organ Grinder. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2009. A minor factor in the continual swirl around Doctor Who is that what consitutes 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.
4. Writer Terry Nation, Director Richard Martin, Producers Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield. The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
5. ^ Writers Anthony Coburn, C. E. Webber, Directors Waris Hussein, Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield. An Unearthly Child. Doctor Who. BBC. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
6. ^ Writer Terry Nation, Directors Richard Martin, Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert. The Chase. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
7. Writer David Whitaker, Director Christopher Barry, Producer Verity Lambert, Mervyn Pinfield. The Rescue. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
8. ^ Writer Donald Cotton, Directors Michael Leeston-Smith, Producer John Wiles. The Myth Makers. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "The Myth Makers" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
9. Writer Dennis Spooner, Director Douglas Camfield, Producers Verity Lambert. The Time Meddler. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
10. Writer Ian Stuart Black, Director Christopher Barry, Producer Innes Lloyd. The Savages. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
11. ^ Writers Terry Nation, Dennis Spooner, Director Douglas Camfield, Producer John Wiles. The Daleks' Master Plan. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
12. Robinson, Nigel (1981). The Doctor Who Quiz Book. Target Books. pp. 39 and 98. ISBN 0426-20143-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
    Lofficier, Jean-Marc (1994). The Doctor Who Programme Guide Third Edition. Virgin Publishing Ltd. pp. 16, 43 and 45. ISBN 0-426-20342-9.
    Howe, David J. (1994). Doctor Who The Handbook – The First Doctor. Virgin Publishing Ltd. p. 297. ISBN 0-426-20430-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
    Richards, Justin (1997). Doctor Who The Book of Lists. BBC Books. pp. 13 and 218. ISBN 0-563-40569-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
    Pixley, Andrew (16 December), Doctor Who Magazine, p. 21 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
    Campbell, Mark (2000). The Pocket Essential Doctor Who. Pocket Essentials. pp. 20–21. ISBN 1-903047-19-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
    Cornell, Paul (1995, 1998 and 2003). "The Daleks' Master Plan". Doctor Who: Classic Series Episode Guide. BBC. Retrieved 2007-09-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
13. Writers John Lucarotti, Donald Tosh, Director Paddy Russell, Producer John Wiles. The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
14. Writer Ian Stuart Black, Kit Pedler (idea), Director Michael Ferguson, Producer Innes Lloyd. The War Machines. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
15. ^ Writers Kit Pedler, Gerry Davis (episodes 3 & 4), Director Derek Martinus, Producer Innes Lloyd. The Tenth Planet. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
16. ^ Writers David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke, Director Gerry Mill, Producer Innes Lloyd. The Faceless Ones. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
17. Writers Elwyn Jones, Gerry Davis, Director Hugh David, Producer Innes Lloyd. The Highlanders. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
18. ^ Writers Malcolm Hulke and Terrance Dicks, Director David Maloney, Producer Derrick Sherwin. The War Games. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
19. ^ Sarah Jane Smith is a companion with both the Third and Fourth Doctors, and has numerous subsequent appearances, most recently in "]", as well as her own spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures.
20. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/page14.shtml
21. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/page13.shtml Benton is not included by all comprehensive lists of companions - he is, for instance, excluded in John Nathan-Turner's book on Doctor Who companions.
22. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/page15.shtml Yates is not included by all comprehensive lists of companions - he is, for instance, excluded in John Nathan-Turner's book on Doctor Who companions.
23. Subsequent models of K-9 have made appearances with Sarah Jane Smith in various episodes, due to the Doctor's giving Sarah Jane a version of K-9 in the aborted spin-off K-9 and Company. He has also appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures. K-9 is due to be the subject of his own spin-off, produced separate from the BBC, entitled simply K-9.
24. Romana also appears in The Five Doctors via the use of footage from Shada.
25. Adric serves as a companion with both the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, and has a cameo appearance in The Caves of Androzani.
26. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/page25.shtml
27. Nyssa serves as a companion with both the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, and has a cameo appearance in The Caves of Androzani. Some sources consider her to have firs appeared as a companion in Logopolis, treating her as a guest star in Keeper of Traken.
28. Tegan serves as a companion with both the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, and has a cameo appearance in The Caves of Androzani.
29. including Children in Need 2005 episode
30. "EG BIG INTERVIEW: JOHN BARROWMAN". thisisnottingham.co.uk. 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
31. ^ "Companion Piece". BBC News. 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-08-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
32. "Who Should Be So Lucky?". 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2008-02-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    "Confidential at Christmas". Doctor Who Confidential. Season 4. Episode 1. 2007-12-25. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
33. Cook, Benjamin (2008-01-09 (cover date)), "Sands of time", Radio Times, no. 11-17 April 2009, pp. pp. 16–20 {{citation}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
34. ^ "Lindsay Duncan to star in second Doctor Who Special of 2009". BBC. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 21 February 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
35. ^ Davies, Russell T (2009-04-07), Dr Who's Easter special, BBC News, retrieved 7 April 2009 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
36. "The future is already written for both the Doctor and his adventurous companion to come" - Narration: Doctor Who Confidential, Series 4, Episode 9
    "Here's a woman who travels with the Doctor, therefore she knows him" - director Euros Lyn to Alex Kingston (Doctor Who Confidential, Series 4, Episode 9)
    "You took me to Derillium, to see the Singing Towers. Oh, what a night that was." - River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
37. "Crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet? .... Picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?" - River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
    "It's ok, it's not over for you. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and me, time and space, you watch us run." - River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
38. "One day I'm going to be someone you'll trust.. completely. " -River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
    "River, you know my name. You whispered my name in my ear. There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name. There's only one time I could." - the Doctor, to River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
39. "The squareness gun ended up in the Tardis" ... "it's the same squareness gun, it's Captain Jack's older one, pilfered from the Tardis locker by River Song" - Steven Moffatt (Doctor Who Confidential, Series 4, Episode 9)
40. "I've seen whole armies turn and run away and he'd just swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers" - River Song (Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
    "It's a tempting thing isn't it? I mean, there it is, there's you future, there's what's going to happen to you... There's a handy guide to how to win against the... the other monsters, you know? Of course you'd want to have a little look" - Steven Moffatt, referring to River Song's diary (Doctor Who Confidential, Series 4, Episode 9)
41. The Awakening at A brief History of Time Travel
42. Adam Sherwin (2006-07-05). "Sidekick whose time has come". The Times. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
43. Richard Simpson (2006-07-05). "Doctor Who gets first black assistant". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
44. "BBC Doctor Who Series 4 Characters". Retrieved 2008-07-29.
45. Writer Terry Nation, Director Douglas Camfield (1965-12-04). "The Traitors". Doctor Who. BBC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
46. Writer Dennis Spooner, Director Douglas Camfield (1966-01-29). "Destruction of Time". Doctor Who. BBC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
47. Writer Eric Saward, Director Peter Grimwade. Earthshock. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |seriallink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
48. Writer Peter Grimwade, Director Fiona Cumming. Planet of Fire. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC 1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |seriallink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
49. Writer Philip Martin, Director Ron Jones (1986-10-25). The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |seriallink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
50. Writer Pip and Jane Baker, Director Chris Clough (1986-12-06). The Trial of a Time Lord: The Ultimate Foe. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |seriallink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
51. Writer Matthew Jacobs, Director Geoffrey Sax (1996-05-14). Doctor Who. FOX. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |seriallink= ignored (help)
52. Writer Russell T Davies, Director Joe Ahearne (2005-06-18). "The Parting of the Ways". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
53. Writer Russell T Davies, Director Graeme Harper (2006-07-08). "Doomsday". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
54. Writer Russell T Davies, Director Euros Lyn (2006-12-25). "The Runaway Bride". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
55. Writer Toby Whithouse, Director James Hawes (2006-04-29). "School Reunion". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
56. Writer Russell T Davies, Director Graeme Harper (2008-06-21). "Turn Left". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
57. Morrison, Grant (w), Ridgway, John (p), Perkins, Tim (i). "The World Shapers" Doctor Who Magazine, no. 127–129 (August–October 1987). Marvel UK.
58. Gray, Scott (w), Geraghty, Martin (p), Georgiou, Bambos (i). "Ground Zero" Doctor Who Magazine, no. 238–242 (May 8, 1996 – July 31, 1996). Marvel UK.
59. Bishop, David (1997). Who Killed Kennedy. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-426-20497-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
60. Mortimore, Jim (1996). Eternity Weeps. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-426-20467-0.
61. The Gathering. Writer Joseph Lidster. Director Gary Russell. Big Finish Productions, 2006. ISBN 1 84435 195 5.

See also

• List of Doctor Who supporting characters
• List of companions in Doctor Who spin-offs

External links

• Guide to classic series companions on the BBC's Doctor Who site

• Articles with trivia sections from July 2008
• Doctor Who companions
• Television sidekicks
• Lists of Doctor Who characters
• Lists of fictional sidekicks