Someone from the past, male or female, (or preferably one of each, at least one from the past) who isn't particularly 'feisty' and who talks in whole sentences.
Seeing as the BBC canned By Any Means, Shelley Conn would be a good choice - attractive (which seems to be a must these days), and can play feisty characters as well as handling sensitive & comedic moments.
Aged 37, so not too young, of Sri Lankan descent (so ticks another box), and has appeared as one of the leads in Steven Spielberg's ill-fated Terra Nova tv series, so could travel well in overseas markets (i.e she would not be a total unknown in the US)
I thik because we've had five primary female companions from modern day earth (Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy and Clara) and four of them being from London, a historical female companion would actually be a nice change of pace and I think they can be as interesting and identifiable as present day people. I think it wouldn't hurt the show to try it and as I suggested a few posts back, throw in a modern male in the second half of Series 9, though not as a love interest.
The show runners seem reluctant to go there though.
I believe in the early planning stages of Series 3 they had the companion as a Victorian maid before RTD went with Martha and Moffat certainly considered having Victorian Clara as the main companion before going with 21st Century Clara.
So maybe both RTD and Moffat do think the audience needs a companion from the present.
Sylvester McCoy's last companion, Ace, came nearest to busting the stereotyped female companion.
Funny, even more so because the companion before her was Mel (don't even have travel that far back in time, see?). Besides, in the classic series most companions were human looking (even if they were from different worlds in the past/present/future). Also, it is funny that the whole hype of making the companion the mystery was basically copied from Ace.
Maybe they feel that parts of the audience can relate better to the present day (or maybe they feel that it gives them greater scope)?
Odd-stuff as diverse as "Call the Midwife" and "Vikings" show modern viewers
have no problem identifying with people in history. So why can't we have
a companion from the 1950s, the Dark Ages, or some other historical period?
Odd-stuff as diverse as "Call the Midwife" and "Vikings" show modern viewers
have no problem identifying with people in history. So why can't we have
a companion from the 1950s, the Dark Ages, or some other historical period?
Because a 1950s character in a 1950s series knows how their world works. Given that the companion's role in Who is often exposition, first you have to give that character information that brings them up to 2010s knowledge level, before they can then relate info to the viewer.
For example, if the Doctor comes across a transmat device, he can say to Clara, "it's a matter transporter" and the audience pretty much knows what he's talking about. If he did the same to a character from the 1920s, he would have to explain it as, "a thing that instantly transports you across time and space when you stand on it", which doesn't take much longer, but is cumbersome and repetitive for the viewer.
Because the series is made for a 21st century audience by 21st century writers, it's written in 21st century English - and the easiest way to translate that is through a 21st century companion.
The alien thing is sort of similar - although Strax is fairly well acclimatised to human culture by now for example, we'd be constantly reminded about how his outlook is different to humans. Although, given the work Moffat has put into presenting previously villainous species as being more than just monsters but real interacting cultures, I suppose now is a more likely time than ever.
Philip Olivier as Hero Y.7 from Planet X in the year 2040. - Meets Hero in the year 2040 where he lands on Planet X and Hero begs The Doctor to allow him to travel with him. (Series 9, Episode 1 - Episode 13)
Preeya Kalidas as Jasmine Kapoor from Lahore, Pakistan in the year 1940. - Jasmine attracts The Doctor's attention when he lands in 1940's Pakistan. They meet in the Shalimar Gardens and she insists on helping him. (Series 9, Episode 4 - Episode 13)
Philip Olivier as Hero Y.7 from Planet X in the year 2040. - Meets Hero in the year 2040 where he lands on Planet X and Hero begs The Doctor to allow him to travel with him. (Series 9, Episode 1 - Episode 13)
Preeya Kalidas as Jasmine Kapoor from Lahore, Pakistan in the year 1940. - Jasmine attracts The Doctor's attention when he lands in 1940's Pakistan. They meet in the Shalimar Gardens and she insists on helping him. (Series 9, Episode 4 - Episode 13)
Honestly, she's a brilliant actress and played Toshiko in TW really well. Would love to see her playing a different character.
Maybe an American (without the off-putting Peri accent). I'd like to see a male take on the lead companion role too, with a female having a minor part.
Although it hasn't been confirmed, word is that Jenna will be leaving at Christmas, and that means we will be seeing a new face in the TARDIS!
Who would you like to see?
What sort of companion do you want next?
Don't think so. The only 'source' of this 'word' is a story in the Mirror which is clearly ripped off from wildly speculating fan forums. There is no basis in any verifiable fact whatsoever.
However, I'm up for some speculation...
Whenever Jenna leaves - and I hope it isn't for quite some time - how about a mother and son combo? Son - late teens, early twenties eye candy: Mum - forty-ish (Keeley Hawes / Belinda Stewart-Wilson perhaps?).
Honestly, she's a brilliant actress and played Toshiko in TW really well. Would love to see her playing a different character.
Maybe an American (without the off-putting Peri accent). I'd like to see a male take on the lead companion role too, with a female having a minor part.
I like Naoko but she's too known as Tosh. If I were going for actresses who've previously appeared in a Whoverse show, I'd go with the likes of Amara Karan or Emma Campbell-Jones, who could play new characters.
I'd like a non-British companion too, especially if there's two companions, there's no reason why one of them couldn't be either historical, from another planet/country, etc.
I can't see a main male companion happening. It'd be a bit too Sherlock but I do think after Clara/Danny, it might be a good idea to have a female/male companion duo who don't get romantically involved with each other.
After some discussion on Tumblr, I've decided that I want a group of over the top individuals to be in the TARDIS. I would love to watch Doctor Who and think "What the hell am I looking at?" when I see the main characters.
Anyone see "Guardians of the Galaxy"? The five leads of that movie are very unlikely characters to be the stars of anything, yet that movie killed because it was such a diverse cast.
Give me a Irish nun from the 1400's. Give me a cyborg cop from Japan six-hundred years from now. Five me a six-six alien made of rock.
The bookies need to look a bit further than the cast of "Game of Thrones" and previous companions!
Agreed. That list is pathetic.
I don't suppose any of the younger cast members from Game of Thrones can be in the running at all if they are still contracted to the show (apart from Rose Leslie).
Honestly, she's a brilliant actress and played Toshiko in TW really well. Would love to see her playing a different character.
Maybe an American (without the off-putting Peri accent). I'd like to see a male take on the lead companion role too, with a female having a minor part.
I assume Chris Addison is there because of a certain Mr Tucker? And Rebecca Front? Oh dearly me. Funny list of complete cobblers as per. Karen Gillan? Sandra Dickinson??
Having said that, Rebecca Front is brilliant! She can appear in the show any time she likes. And yes, I know about....ah, won't spoiler stuff. Just in case.
Anyway,I've heard from an insider/source that Richard Herring is a shoo in.
But that is a fallacy. It worked for classic who so it can work for nu who. Heck once Tom's Doctor traveled with Romana who was a fellow Time Lord and she even regenerated once before she left the Tardis. So don't give me the old the audience need a human companion to bridge with the Doctor nonsense, unless your suggesting society has got to the point where it has to have a human companion to be able to sympathise/understand the Doctor which I think is pretty unlikely.
Yup. Romana and Tegan and K-9 and Kamelion. (Ok, the last one sucked, but the others were great.)
How about Karen Gillian and Haley Joel Osment. No flirting, no romance, just three travelers like back in the 20th Century. It would be great. Osment could even be an alien from somewhere.
Because a 1950s character in a 1950s series knows how their world works. Given that the companion's role in Who is often exposition, first you have to give that character information that brings them up to 2010s knowledge level, before they can then relate info to the viewer.
For example, if the Doctor comes across a transmat device, he can say to Clara, "it's a matter transporter" and the audience pretty much knows what he's talking about. If he did the same to a character from the 1920s, he would have to explain it as, "a thing that instantly transports you across time and space when you stand on it", which doesn't take much longer, but is cumbersome and repetitive for the viewer.
Because the series is made for a 21st century audience by 21st century writers, it's written in 21st century English - and the easiest way to translate that is through a 21st century companion.
But in the past, the show was able to have characters from non-technological
societies (Jamie and Leela) and they were able to accomodate them without
slowing down the dialogue with explanations. No reason why they couldn't
have another such companion-they could have the Doc explain stuff off-screen,
and this could be reflected in the companion's dialogue ("Oh, this is one of those
"smart phones" people use now! ;-) ).
I assume Chris Addison is there because of a certain Mr Tucker?
Although he does appear in the cast list for the final two episodes (as published in the DW feature in next week's Radio Times, so it is not a spoiler)
Comments
River Song
Ace
Jenny Flint
Aged 37, so not too young, of Sri Lankan descent (so ticks another box), and has appeared as one of the leads in Steven Spielberg's ill-fated Terra Nova tv series, so could travel well in overseas markets (i.e she would not be a total unknown in the US)
The show runners seem reluctant to go there though.
I believe in the early planning stages of Series 3 they had the companion as a Victorian maid before RTD went with Martha and Moffat certainly considered having Victorian Clara as the main companion before going with 21st Century Clara.
So maybe both RTD and Moffat do think the audience needs a companion from the present.
Funny, even more so because the companion before her was Mel (don't even have travel that far back in time, see?). Besides, in the classic series most companions were human looking (even if they were from different worlds in the past/present/future). Also, it is funny that the whole hype of making the companion the mystery was basically copied from Ace.
Odd-stuff as diverse as "Call the Midwife" and "Vikings" show modern viewers
have no problem identifying with people in history. So why can't we have
a companion from the 1950s, the Dark Ages, or some other historical period?
Because a 1950s character in a 1950s series knows how their world works. Given that the companion's role in Who is often exposition, first you have to give that character information that brings them up to 2010s knowledge level, before they can then relate info to the viewer.
For example, if the Doctor comes across a transmat device, he can say to Clara, "it's a matter transporter" and the audience pretty much knows what he's talking about. If he did the same to a character from the 1920s, he would have to explain it as, "a thing that instantly transports you across time and space when you stand on it", which doesn't take much longer, but is cumbersome and repetitive for the viewer.
Because the series is made for a 21st century audience by 21st century writers, it's written in 21st century English - and the easiest way to translate that is through a 21st century companion.
The alien thing is sort of similar - although Strax is fairly well acclimatised to human culture by now for example, we'd be constantly reminded about how his outlook is different to humans. Although, given the work Moffat has put into presenting previously villainous species as being more than just monsters but real interacting cultures, I suppose now is a more likely time than ever.
Preeya Kalidas as Jasmine Kapoor from Lahore, Pakistan in the year 1940. - Jasmine attracts The Doctor's attention when he lands in 1940's Pakistan. They meet in the Shalimar Gardens and she insists on helping him. (Series 9, Episode 4 - Episode 13)
You're hired:)
Honestly, she's a brilliant actress and played Toshiko in TW really well. Would love to see her playing a different character.
Maybe an American (without the off-putting Peri accent). I'd like to see a male take on the lead companion role too, with a female having a minor part.
Don't think so. The only 'source' of this 'word' is a story in the Mirror which is clearly ripped off from wildly speculating fan forums. There is no basis in any verifiable fact whatsoever.
However, I'm up for some speculation...
Whenever Jenna leaves - and I hope it isn't for quite some time - how about a mother and son combo? Son - late teens, early twenties eye candy: Mum - forty-ish (Keeley Hawes / Belinda Stewart-Wilson perhaps?).
I like Naoko but she's too known as Tosh. If I were going for actresses who've previously appeared in a Whoverse show, I'd go with the likes of Amara Karan or Emma Campbell-Jones, who could play new characters.
I'd like a non-British companion too, especially if there's two companions, there's no reason why one of them couldn't be either historical, from another planet/country, etc.
I can't see a main male companion happening. It'd be a bit too Sherlock but I do think after Clara/Danny, it might be a good idea to have a female/male companion duo who don't get romantically involved with each other.
Anyone see "Guardians of the Galaxy"? The five leads of that movie are very unlikely characters to be the stars of anything, yet that movie killed because it was such a diverse cast.
Give me a Irish nun from the 1400's. Give me a cyborg cop from Japan six-hundred years from now. Five me a six-six alien made of rock.
That is something I would love to see.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-who-jenna-louise-coleman-replaced-4069503
The latest betting list has a few odd entries though:
Agreed. That list is pathetic.
I don't suppose any of the younger cast members from Game of Thrones can be in the running at all if they are still contracted to the show (apart from Rose Leslie).
Good choice!
Having said that, Rebecca Front is brilliant! She can appear in the show any time she likes. And yes, I know about....ah, won't spoiler stuff. Just in case.
Anyway,I've heard from an insider/source that Richard Herring is a shoo in.
Cheers
Yup. Romana and Tegan and K-9 and Kamelion. (Ok, the last one sucked, but the others were great.)
But in the past, the show was able to have characters from non-technological
societies (Jamie and Leela) and they were able to accomodate them without
slowing down the dialogue with explanations. No reason why they couldn't
have another such companion-they could have the Doc explain stuff off-screen,
and this could be reflected in the companion's dialogue ("Oh, this is one of those
"smart phones" people use now! ;-) ).