BLOGBUSTERS A Doctor Who Companion Piece

Hello everyone, welcome to Blogbusters, in which this week a group of our bloggers have crossed oceans of time to answer the one question that burns in the hearts of all Doctor Who fans. Well, the one question that burns there now that the last burning question – “Is the Eighth Doctor canon?” – has clearly been answered.

This metaphor's got away from me. So now, here are this week's bloggers to answer the question:

"Who – or what sort of character – would you like to see as the next Doctor Who companion?

After a little more thought I think I’d like anything that wasn’t an attractive, young, contemporary British girl. I understand why they keep using attractive, young, contemporary British girls; they have demographics to cover and the young girls of Britain need their role models. I get that, but I’d really like to see them mix it up. Have someone from the future or the past, or an alien or a robot. I’d even take a sentient potted plant... Anything that wasn’t an attractive, young, contemporary British girl really.

And if they absolutely, positively have to have an attractive, young, contemporary British girl then have another companion to go along with her; someone from the future or the past, or an alien or a robot, or a sentient potted plant...

That said, history has proven me wrong. Jamie, Leela and Romana were great, after all, and Ace was hardly your typical Who girl. Even so, I tend to think that those sort of characters work better as River Song/Captain Jack style secondary companions. I mainly want to see a normal person have their universe blown wide open! That doesn't mean boring. Ian Chesterton, Sarah Jane Smith, Rose and Donna were all “norms”, and they were great.

Also, and I may be in a minority here, I really like it when the companion’s family gets involved. I loved Jackie Tyler ( so did I! – online ed ). I think the time is right to bring a little bit more of that family dynamic back to the show.

Narin Bahar: Wilf Mott. I'm sick of companions being totty aimed at the stereotypical swooning geekboy. Let's give the Doctor someone with a bit more life experience, who isn't going to hang off his every word in wide-eyed swooning fashion. Plus it's Wilf. Everyone loves Wilf!

If it could just be natural – a growing friendship rather than immediately moving in lock, stock and barrel and being integral to the entire plot – wouldn't that be nice, more realistic and interesting from a plot point of view?

Also the spoilers, think of the children (and me), won't you? I don't want to know Amy is leaving. I don't want to know how or when or anything at all. I like to watch the damn thing and discover for myself; I don't want to see her replacement this far in advance. I don't want to hear all about it months before it happens, as was the case with Christopher Eccleston/Billie Piper/Catherine Tate/David Tennant, etc, etc. Remember when telly used to be able to do that? Don't you miss it, just a little?

Or Glitz. Bring back Glitz.

Alasdair Stuart: Well the fanbaiting answer is Frobisher , obviously, because a shapechanging alien who likes being a Penguin and is the only person to have got on with the Sixth Doctor is pretty much required to turn up in the TV show at some point, right?

My real answer though is slightly predictable; let's go with someone from history and I'm not talking, “What is this modern thing thou dost calleth the internet, foul knave! Quick! Hie me to Westminster!” because that would get dull fast. No, I'm talking about someone from recent history. Someone from the 1960s like Fitz from the novels or better still, someone from the 1980s. Seriously, firstly you have the opportunity to do culture shock comedy, secondly you can play with the change in society between then and now and thirdly you can do interesting time stuff with the fact the Doctor's earlier incarnations, who hung out in that decade a lot, didn't pick them up. Maybe they had a reason...

So there you go, the Doctor Who companion issue solved once and for all. Next week; world peace! Or at the very least the bloggers answering this question:

What's the least geeky thing you're into?

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's broaden our minds! LAWRENCE!

See you in seven

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