Just started watching the Troughton Era today and just noticing how much better Ben and Polly seem to be as characters opposite Troughton's Doctor as opposed to Hartnell's. Off course, as happened in the 80's, it may have been Ben and Polly were brought in early with Troughton in mind but they didn't really seem to gel properly with the First Doctor in the same way as Ian and Barbara had done at the start. As they were younger this would be a good reason why that didn't happen but also regarding Hartnell's difficulties off-set at the time the tension probably didn't help either.

That started me thinking of companions who worked and didn't work with their respective Doctors. I have mentioned many times before that Peri was much better suited to the Fifth Doctor than the Sixth, it just seemed to work in the short time they had together, just a shame it took another two years before they got the chemistry right just between her and the Sixth Doctor. Also loved the humour between the First Doctor and Ian at times, that was good as well.

Looking at companions that worked, well everyone knows about the 4th Doctor and Sarah, but I thought the 2nd and Jamie, 3rd and Jo and Nyssa and the Fifth seemed to go well together as did the 7th and Ace. In the New Series I know this isn't a popular view but always thought the 10th and Rose and again with Donna worked a treat though it seemed to lack a certain something with Martha.

Off those that didn't work, away from companions brought in early ahead of a regeneration, I always thought the 3rd Doctor and Liz just didn't go well together at all. Maybe if Liz had lasted another Season it may have done, but it just seemed to match Season 7 in being cold and very clinical at times. And in hindsight, after the great chemistry with the 4th Doctor, Sarah's friendship with him seemed a bit off as well.

In the New Series I never thought the 9th and Rose worked that well as he was shouting at, and patronising her most of the time though it improved towards the end of Series 1.

Anyway, these are very much my own opinion, which I know others will disagree with. What other Doctor/Companion worked well for you and which didn't in your view?

Sylvester McCoy and bonnie Langford did not work for me though she was perfect for Colin baker. McCoy and Sophie aldred were perfect together.

Eleven and Handles really worked

Fifth and Susan in the five doctors didn't work

I thought 9 and Rose worked very well, better than 10 but that's a standard disagreement. It'd like to have seen Tegan with 4 or 6 as 5 was too nice to have to put up with her nagging and they would have been interesting. In fact any of the others might have shut her up a bit more.

Agree Peri worked better with Five as the relationship with Six really irritated me in Season 22! Jamie with Two/Ace with Seven...seemed to be a particular chemistry there which really worked for me.

SJS worked better with Tom's Doctor and in the 'Crowded TARDIS' period I'd say the Fifth Doctor/Tegan/Turlough trio had an interesting dynamic.

As for C21, think Rose worked better with Nine. Liked all the combinations with Eleven, but no-one has yet topped Ten and Donna for me...yet. Just loved them together.

This.

Sophie Aldred was fantastic as Ace, despite being given some ridiculous lines

What do you mean, "ridiculous lines" , you bilgebag?!

Nothing ..... Professor!

I don't think many of the Doctor's male companions have really worked full stop. The dynamics have always been better with the female ones, in my view.

Saying that, Bonnie Langford with Sylvester McCoy was just an awful combination.

Also, it always seems that the companion trans-regeneration never works as well with the new Doctor (actor) than they did with the old one.

I disagree ... Turlough was a great addition to the show in the 80s

...and Adric worked better with the 5th Doctor than the 4th

definite mis-match with ten and martha. She chased after him like a love sick puppy while he just put up with her and pined for rose. when she left(full time, end of series 3) he didn't even seem particularly bothered

If that's true then I really feel for clara. Actually come to think of it I thought rose worked even better with 10 than 9, so not alway's the case

Sarah Jane worked better with 4 than 3.

No 4 worked well with Harry, I thought.

I disagree a bit that the male companions haven't worked. Ian was by far the best male companion and as I said at the top he shared a lot of humorous moments with the First Doctor, but at other times, right at the beginning, he often put the then, more hostile Doctor in his place. Overall though, there was a certain chemistry there that Hartnell didn't have with anyone else.

Steven was a worthy successor to Ian and thought he worked well with The Doctor as well, especially in The Dalek Masterplan where he and The Doctor had not one but two deaths to deal with. Following him, you really can't say the Jamie/2nd Doctor dynamic didn't work, it was hilarious!

Later male companions were perhaps not as good but Turlough initially was, then once his initial story was over he got locked up a lot.

As for your other point, think I already said at the top about Ben and Polly getting on better with the 2nd Doctor than the 1st. SJS has already been mentioned. Nyssa and Tegan definitely worked better with the 5th Doctor than the 4th. Otherwise you are right to a certain degree because I've already mentioned Peri and Mel was better with the Sixth than the Seventh imo. However, more times than not it actually works.

Tegan... just shut the filch up woman. I don't think whining, unhappy companions ever work with any Doctor.

Adric: just plain crap, both as a character, and as a portrayal by Matthew Watherhouse.

Katerina: the production team realized almost immediately that having a character from so far back in history was a mistake.

Dodo: I can't imagine her saying any word other than 'toffee'. Far too mockney.

Aside from these few instances, the companions have generally been generic enough to fit with more or less any Doctor.

I totally agree about most of the male companions though. In the early days of the show the Doctor was an ambiguous and non-action character so a heroic and physical male lead was needed, and there were great characters like Ian Chesterton and Jamie McCrimmon. Since Pertwee that role was redundant and all of the subsequent male companions have been pretty superfluous. Generally bearable enough in their own right but just unnecessary. Rory was a particularly egregious example, his purpose in the vast majority of scripts was to either create an emotional high point for the main companion, Amy Pond, or to deliver at times excruciating exposition ('that's an Appollo astronaut... coming out of the lake?!').

I don't think Sarah Jane works with Pertwee — she's a faint echo of a very different programme that hasn't been made yet.

Agree. The great (because he is) Philip Hinchcliffe admits one of the few things he got wrong in his time on Who was to let Ian Marter go so early on. The chemistry between him, the Doctor and Sarah was truly wonderful and oh too fleeting. What was it, only six stories? At least another season, and across those great stories to follow would have been great (and a lost opportunity).

I know a lot of people (guys) like Zoe, but I found her a smart arsed geek who enjoyed patronising Jamie and even the Doc (how dare she!), so for me this 3 way relationship was nowhere as good as the 4th Doc, Sarah & Harry.


What about the forth Doctor & Romana? Oh, and don't forget K9!

Harry, Sarah and the Doctor were great together. You could delegate some of the rough stuff to Harry and he was likeable enough to get away with asking so many daft questions. Should have stayed a lot longer.

The really sad think about Harry is that he can't come back for a second spell - he'd be great opposite Ten or Eleven. But it's not too be.


Personally I thought Ten was at his best opposite Donna although I don't dislike Martha like some do.

One series is a clear indication that Martha didn't work.

I've been working my way though the Regeneration box set and somebody should try a drinking game with Time and the Rani, Every time Mel screams, you must have a shot of Jager.

Agreed.

I agree that Harry wasn't really used that well and the way he was brought back in The Android Invasion only to predominantly play a Android Duplicate didn't do the character much justice either, he didn't even get to say another goodbye! I always liked the way The Doctor just doesn't trust Harry regarding anything practical, it was so funny!

As for the Fourth Doctor and Romana, it worked better with Lalla Ward(when they weren't falling out off screen!) so yes, that was good. Mary Tamn it was different but it was getting there in The Armageddon Factor with the chemistry which seems a shame as she then left.

On a separate note, one pairing that shouldn't work but does is Tegan with the First Doctor in The Five Doctors. Now I know it was Hurndall and not Hartnell in the role but for some reason, the two seemed to get on despite her annoying him several times with her attitude. The fact Tegan had mellowed by this point helped as well. Not sure if it would have worked on a permanent basis but for that story it did. I think Tegan actually showed him some respect which she didn't for the Fifth Doctor at times.

4th doctor Romana second incarnation.
7th doctor Mel
4th doctor Adric
4th doctor Nyssa
4th doctor Tegan
5th doctor Peri
1st doctor Vikki
1st doctor Ben and Polly
10th doctor Rose
10th doctor Martha
11th doctor Clara