a different perspective of Dr. Who's companions.

Long time fan here. The last few winters I've gotten into binge watching the old shows i like. Just started watching the "new" version of Dr Who again, first season with Eccleston. While it has always seemed that he brought along some human for simple companionship, I suddenly found my self thinking while the 7th episode was starting, that he was actually putting his companions through an apprenticeship. Obviously it is a fictional series, but my imagination is staggered and jealous of the idea of being in the right place and time when that blue box shows up. Imagine how wonderous it would seem, but how horrible it would be, to take over the reins from the old man.

originally posted by: ThickAsABrick
Long time fan here. The last few winters I've gotten into binge watching the old shows i like. Just started watching the "new" version of Dr Who again, first season with Eccleston. While it has always seemed that he brought along some human for simple companionship, I suddenly found my self thinking while the 7th episode was starting, that he was actually putting his companions through an apprenticeship. Obviously it is a fictional series, but my imagination is staggered and jealous of the idea of being in the right place and time when that blue box shows up. Imagine how wonderous it would seem, but how horrible it would be, to take over the reins from the old man.

Impossible, the only apprentice with any hope would have to be from Gallifray, no ordinary Human could cut it or regenerate with out the Galliferian gene's.

a reply to: ThickAsABrick

While I think apprenticeship is a little far off the mark, I do believe that The Doctor takes persons who have interesting fates, and shows them the universe in ways which help them prepare to meet their destiny with the greatest chance of success.

UNIT, for example, the Earths first line of defence against alien threats, would probably not exist if it were not for the actions of The Doctor, and his interactions with the British military over the years of his life.

Also, I think his behaviour toward the humans he has met and the companions who have accompanied him, has been demonstrably educational. He has shown them worlds they would never have otherwise seen, shown them an entire level of reality which they would have no knowledge of but for his involvement with their lives. Sometimes those lives are incidental at first, a person simply present in a space and time which was pivotal to the continuity of space/time itself, such as Amy Pond, who was a little girl who lived right next to a crack in reality, and of course Rory Williams, the feckless bum who would eventually become her true love once she had grown up... Sometimes the threat to, or saviour of space/time is actually a personage, such as in the example of Clara Oswald, who is also bound in fate to the Doctor himself in some perculiar ways, a woman who lives in every one of the Time Lords regenerations, was present when he stole the Tardis as a very, VERY young fellow indeed, and for every major moment since, for reasons having to do with timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly stuff.

In any case, his reason for having these people around him may differ from person to person, but his behaviour toward them is always suggestive of an educational experience. He wants people to walk the world who know a measure of the universe entire, perhaps to bring balance to a hopelessly broken and imbalanced world, or perhaps to prevent it sliding backward ever further into darkness.

a reply to: ThickAsABrick
He doesn't need an apprentice, because he is always replaced by a new version of himself.
The companions are there because the personal relationships have always been half the point of the story.

a reply to: ThickAsABrick

just my opinion - but the " companion " always offered a " something " the doctor lacked

oh - and TBH the companions are raley my favorite


in no particukar order :

captain harkness

the ` osgoods `

the immortal viking girl [ CBA to google ]

are more interesting than the companions

the companions are a trope of the series - granted - the new itterations are far superiour to the origionals

and yes - i do like clara and amy - but - they are still a trope - just with added twists

a reply to: TrueBrit

Thats a very astute analysis.

Amy Pond and Clara Oswald are my two favorite companions.

Oddly however, the most recent Doctor isnt a personality Ive been able to warm up to.
Is he well received in the UK?

a reply to: TonyS
Look on Youtube for videos of "Malcolm Tucker", which was his previous role.
(They cannot possibly be shared on ATS).
I think his Doctor Who is seen as a mellowed and friendlier contrast with his Malcolm Tucker.

a reply to: TonyS

I think he gets received well by people who spent the time and watched the older Doctors as well as the post Eccleston era ones.

He reminds me at some points of Patrick Troughton, and at other times of Tom Baker, while retaining a furious energy that is entirely his own.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Who would you say has been the "best" doctor?

I will show my age and have to state that Tom Baker, for me at least, nailed it.

originally posted by: corblimeyguvnor


Impossible, the only apprentice with any hope would have to be from Gallifray, no ordinary Human could cut it or regenerate with out the Galliferian gene's.

Not quite true. Rose Tyler became god-like when she absorbed the TARDIS' core, and gained seemingly infinite powers, including dissolving an entire army of Daleks to save the Doctor. Donna Nobles accidentally became half-timelord when the Doctor's hand regenerated into a full Doctor, reading and writing Donna's genes to get a template.

Add to that Romana, a companion which actually was Gallifreyan.

a reply to: TonyS

Tom Baker was the first to actually define the Doctor's general conduct.

Hartnell was too grumpy, Throughton was too much scared all the time, and Pertwee was way too James Bond-like (and spent most of his time without the ability to use his TARDIS, which made it kinda boring for a Time Travel show).

a reply to: TonyS

If I had to pick, yes, I would go with Tom Baker, just for the sheer eccentricity of his performances, leave alone their raw quality!

I always thought the companion was there to ask the questions the viewer can't. Otherwise the doctor would never explain anything, he'd just show up, fix things, and leave.