I still want Nancy back as a companion, and I always will.

For what it's worth, I would like to have seen the character Joan Redfern become a regular companion. Bringing more maturity to the show and perhaps sparing us from the nonsense at the end of the last series.
Any excuse to see more Jessica on tv.

Joan was an excellent character for the stand alone story she was in, but I don't see her as being companion material - she fell in love with John Smith, not the Doctor.

Personally I think Donna bought a degree of maturity to the role of companion.

Sally Sparrow would of made the perfect companion to the Doctor

As much as I liked Sally, I have to disagree.

I'm very keen for the next companion not to be a young woman from present day London.*

Enough already, time for something different. Preferably someone without any family ties, or at least none we see. I understand that RTD wanted to try that with Rose, but enough already.

I want a boy, or an alien, or three assistants, or an 18th century Scottish piper; anything different.

The only way they could slightly shake things up with Sally, is for her to bring Larry along too. Which would at least negate any sexual tension between companion and Doctor.

To quote Caitlin Moran (again):



Personally though, I'd like to see a bigger change.

*unless it's me

No, its not you.

I did like Sally alot, I like the personality of the character and couldve seen her as a good companion for the Doctor as long as there wasnt any wishy washy googly eye making at the Doctor.

Failing that, it would be nice to have another episode with her in it, I did like Catherine as Donna, much more than I did with Martha as Donna challenged the Doctor.

It seems the general consensus prefers a female partner to him having a male companion/s, besides I know I was annoyed everytime Mickey tried to get on the act between Rose and the Doctor, maybe that was just me.

Maybe a father and daughter act? Who knows!

Couldn't agree more. But then, I thought her story was done with Doomsday.

And it wasn't 'cold weather' Billie, you'd just forgotten how to do it.

*applause*

Yes. Move along now. If the Doctor gets space-raped by another petite blonde under 24, we should take up arms and kill the writers before it comes to "Teh Red Shoe Tardis". Nobody fancied the Doctor this much before. I guess that's the lovely sexy power of whatsisface and his complete control over teh chicks lolz. I agree with Moran - a shake-up is needed.

Unless of course Zoe can be the assistant. Or Michael Cera. They could do this father/son bonding. Awww.

Personally I'd quite like to see the Doctor without a companion for a bit.

I'd see this as an option but he gets molested by women everywhere. A companion at least keeps the randoms at bay - imagine a plot getting spoiled because Tennant gets dry humped by some gothic schoolgirls. From what I hear, they follow him around waiting for such an opportunity.

Or is that Russell Brand? I forget. Maybe they should team up. It would be like when Father Ted fought the old ladies in love with Eoin.

I don't think it would work (at least over a series). You'd have the Doctor thinking aloud for whole episodes or establishing new temporary relationships as he did with Kylie at Christmas. The "assistant " has always been used partly as an exposition tool and in recent years, a reason to travel the universe. It's also good to have someone he can "bounce off" and develop a relationship with. To have him as a loner would also be somewhat out of character.

What about a sexy Viking called Thorvald Hotlegs or a man made entirely from lettuce? They could also get a magic child who won't eat his greens and becomes an ethical companion to Lettuce Man.

Okay - I'll stop now.

The Doctor doesn't necessarily need a regular companion, Donna didn't really feature in Midnight after all, and the last two Christmas specials have worked - to varying degrees - with "guest" companions.

For next years specials I think they will be able to get away with not having one, but for a regular series I'd agree with Sostie that they really need someone there for the Doctor to play off.

As for who the next regular companion should be, I must admit that I would like to see Sally Sparrow return, but really they do need to keep moving forwards and not keep revisiting old ground.

I'd like to see a small group join the Doctor, a couple perhaps, or possibly just the Doctor and a male companion for a while (provided he isn't a) gay and mooning over the Doctor all the time, and b) Adric Mark II).

I agree with Zoe that they really need to get away from the single girl from London template for a while.

I'll go for my stock answer on such subjects. Team him up with an orangutan.

Has the Doctor ever had a lone male assistant? Has he ever been without the company of a female humanoid?

As I recall they male companions have always been teamed with a female companion, but I may be wrong.

When the Doctor was an old man they needed someone to get in punch ups and kick down doors. Girls weren't allowed to do that in the sixties.

Unless they were Emma Peel. And then it was still burly men in bad wigs.


They should try out a male assistant perhaps. Either Brian Blessed or the cartoon cat from the Paula Abdul video.

Or Cathy Gale.

I think there have been examples of companions to play the 'Mike Gambit' role of door-kicker for a more mature gent or the Wesley Crusher-style Adric, as Raven mentions. I haven't seen enough classic series stuff to tell. Maybe a lone young boy would give the wrong signals nowadays.

Girly companions spring to mind from my youthful watching of the show - like Peri. It seems to be the most common form.

Actually, on second thoughts, bring back Ace.

Ace was one of my favs.

Didn't Colin Bakers Doctor have a male companion and that was it? I'm pretty sure he did, at least for the Two Doctors story with Thornton.

You are indeed. Jamie travelled with the second Doctor by himself, Adric with Doctor number four and Turlough with Doctor Five.



It would certainly give fans of slash fiction something to get their teeth into.

I think a single male companion could work though.

ETA:



Troughton!

Yes and No, Colin Baker was teamed with Peri and Troughton was teamed with Jamie (as above!).

I really should read through the threads before posting, I blame work.

We posted at the same time, my post wouldn't have been there when you started yours!

It was a half-remembered guess, I have memories of Jamie mooning after female companions.

I've far from seen every episode though, I'm no geek.

I've met Frazer Hines many times. He was hanging around Lincoln for most of my childhood.

I was stalked by Frazer Hines . . .

Jamie was in the TARDIS at the same time as both Victoria and Zoe (apt), but there were change over periods around the two when he was with the Doctor by himself.

SPOILER WARNING!

Cast news for the specials next year.

As much as I liked the character, Tate shouldn't return. It will be good to see Simms back as the Master though, provided they actually have a decent story for him this time around . . .

Veteran actor Bernard Cribbins will also be back to play Donna's grandfather Wilf.


If true then woop!

Yeah, that's good too!

Just if you're interested...

...The Master was originally supposed to pop up briefly at the end of Journey's End, effecting twirling his moustache (if he had one) and saying "Mmmmwwhahahaha! I'm not dead after all!" before disappearing and embarking upon another meglomaniacal scheme for universal domination.

This was apparently scrapped either because Simm was unavailable or they thought that there was too much going on in an already overstuffed story.

So there you go.

Kev W

Yes luv, of course . . .

Well, as piss-poor excuses go, it's a good'un...

Funny, cold weather normally make me LOSE my voice and doesn't freeze-dry my lips

Tennant keen on 'Dr Who' film.

SPOILER WARNING!

Sun casting rumours.

You need to click on the spoiler link on Outpost Gallifrey, but if true the last name mentioned is pretty interesting!

ETA:

Davies wants Zeta-Jones for 'Who' film

and

Brand: 'I want to be The Doctor'.

I hope not!

Lets hope not!

And I thought Davis wasn't going to have anything to do with Doctor Who after the specials?

For anyone that is interested, the Doctor Who exhibition at Earl's Court has been extended to November 9th.

RTD has a book on Who coming out later this month, and The Times has published some extracts here: Doctor Who's secrets revealed, by Russell T. Davies.

It sounds like it could make for an interesting read, but I'm not going to fork out £30.00 for it!

Davies' choice for next Doctor

He's a wonderful actor, but terribly young.

I agree, there's fresh-faced and there's fresh-faced, give him another ten/fifteen years and it might work.

It's not a bad exhibition ... just not quite what I'd expected.

Oh hey!! That actuall means I could see it when I go down.. I doubt we'll have the time and I don't think you'd want to see it twice but the option IS there!

Spoiler Warning!

Davis Times Interview Part Two.

This contains some pretty big spoilers about the up-coming Christmas episode, and one that will almost certainly leave Zoe going "Squeeeeee!!"

Squee!

This was my fav bit.

"and then I find myself with two gay boys who work as researchers in Parliament, and they're gorgeous, but it turns out that they're with the Shadow Secretary of Something. I'm thinking, would I sleep with a Tory?"

Seconded!

My favourite bit was Moffat saying:

“Another thing: I've started. I've written the first few pages of my first episode. Couldn't stop myself. It was like incontinence. Well, hopefully not completely like incontinence. But anyway.”

Hmm.

Davies: 'I'd return for Who film'.

The title of the Christmas special has been confirmed as The Next Doctor.

A false ploy no doubt, much like The Doctor's Daughter. Something for the press to piss themselves over.