Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC about a mysterious time-travelling adventurer known only as "The Doctor". It is also the title of a 1996 television movie featuring the same character. It is common to see the show's title abbreviated as Dr. Who, even by the BBC, although purists consider this form incorrect.

Companions

The Doctor almost invariably shares his adventures with between one and three companions (the only exception being the serial The Deadly Assassin, in which he travels alone). The idea of the companion is to provide a surrogate for the audience to identify with and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. 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 have even died during the course of the series.

Related Topics:
Companions - The Deadly Assassin - Surrogate

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There are some disputes as to the definition of a companion, but fans mostly agree that at least twenty-nine (including K-9 Marks I and II) meet the criteria for "companion" status in the television series, with others being established in the various literary spin-offs. For further details, see the notes in List of Doctor Who supporting characters.

Related Topics:
K-9 - List of Doctor Who supporting characters

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Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor's companions are young, attractive females, the series maintained a longstanding taboo against any overt romantic involvement in the TARDIS. 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 in real life). 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.

Related Topics:
Fourth Doctor - Romana - Tom Baker - Lalla Ward - Eighth Doctor - Grace Holloway - 2005 - Ninth Doctor - Rose Tyler

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Previous companions have reappeared in the series, usually for anniversary specials. One former companion, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), will guest star in an episode of the 2006 series together with robot dog K-9, their first appearance in the programme since the 20th Anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983).

Related Topics:
Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen - An episode - 2006 - K-9 - The Five Doctors - 1983

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