Doctor Who © BBC

The Companions

 


The Eight Doctors

1 - Susan, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Steven, Katarina, Sara, Dodo
2 - Polly, Ben, Jamie, Victoria, Zoe
3 - The Brigadier, Liz, Sgt. Benton, Jo, Captain Yates
4 - Sarah Jane, Harry, Leela, K-9, Romana, Adric
5 - Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough, Kamelion, Peri, Mel, Ace

Polly
Arrival: The War Machines Departure: The Faceless Ones

PollyPolly was the secretary of Professor Brett, the inventor of WOTAN, the computer responsible for building the War Machines, which would have taken over the world without The First Doctor's intervention. The outgoing Polly quickly befriended Dodo Chaplet, and was able to cheer up seaman Ben Jackson, who repaid the favor by rescuing her from WOTAN. Polly and Ben's journeys in the TARDIS were accidental, as they entered the ship to return Dodo's key just as The Doctor prepared for takeoff (The War Machines). After an adventure in 17th century Cornwall, she and Ben were with The Doctor when the Cybermen attempted to take over Earth, and were the first companions to witness the miracle of regeneration (The Tenth Planet). They remained with The Doctor during the early part of his second incarnation, and Polly, though often frightened, and frequently being relegated to making the tea, enjoyed her time with The Doctor, and became especially fond of Ben. The two of them left The Doctor when they found that their travels had brought them full circle, back to the very day they stumbled into the TARDIS (The Faceless Ones).

Ben Jackson
Arrival: The War Machines Departure: The Faceless Ones

BenBen
was a sailor without a ship, assigned to a temporary shore posting when he first met Polly and Dodo in the Inferno nightclub. He responded quickly to Polly's efforts to bring him out of his shell, and found himself involved with The First Doctor's struggle against WOTAN. Ben often questioned things he didn't understand, most notably The Doctor's regeneration. He was fond of Polly, though he considered her a bit posh, and quickly tagged her with the nickname "Duchess". He was protective of her, and of The Doctor, initially because of the old man's frailty, and after his regeneration, because of his scatterbrained approach to the problems they faced. Though he enjoyed his travels, Ben was glad to return to his own time, and to the relative peace and quiet of the life of an ordinary seaman.

Jamie McCrimmon
Arrival: The Highlanders Departure: The War Games

JamieJames Robert McCrimmon
was a young Scottish piper caught in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden when he met The Doctor, Polly and Ben. After helping them free his friends from the clutches of the English, he stayed with them to guide them back to the TARDIS. The Doctor, perhaps fearing for Jamie's safety, invited him aboard (The Highlanders), and Jamie soon became a seasoned adventurer. Although confused a bit by technology, he adapted quickly and seemed to suffer few effects of what is often described as "culture shock". Jamie was The Doctor's longest-serving companion, remaining with him until the end of his second incarnation. While fond of Ben and Polly, he seemed more comfortable with Victoria Waterfield, whose own time was not so far removed from his, and Zoe Herriot, a tiny girl whom he felt quite protective of. Jamie and The Doctor had a relationship marked by good-natured teasing, although their association sometimes had its dark side, as when the young man threatened to leave when The Doctor was apparently helping the Daleks in their latest plan (The Evil of the Daleks). Jamie accompanied The Doctor on several missions for the Time Lords, encountering The Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri Brown (The Two Doctors), and battling the Cybermen on Planet 14 (The Invasion). The Time Lords erased his memory of these events, and did so again after The Doctor was brought to Gallifrey to stand trial for his interference. Jamie was allowed to remember his first adventure with The Doctor, and was returned to his own time, where he almost immediately became involved in a fight against an English soldier (The War Games). His final fate is unknown.

Victoria Waterfield
Arrival: The Evil of the Daleks Departure: Fury from the Deep

VictoriaVictoria
was the daughter of Edward Waterfield, whose time travel experiments brought him to the attention of the Daleks, and led to his death (The Evil of the Daleks). The Doctor had promised that he'd look after Victoria, and while he and Jamie did their best to protect her, it's safe to say that Victoria wasn't cut out for a life of adventure. She was frequently scared out of her wits by the likes of the Cybermen, Yeti, and Ice Warriors, and took a break to study graphology (The Two Doctors). It seems likely that she decided during this period that she wanted to settle down in a safe place. Following their next adventure, in which The Doctor defeated the menace by using the sound of Victoria's amplified screams as a weapon, she chose to stay behind, much to the sorrow of The Doctor and Jamie (Fury from the Deep).

Zoe Herriot
Arrival: The Wheel in Space Departure: The War Games

ZoeZoe was the parapsychology librarian of a space station, who helped The Doctor and Jamie in a battle against the Cybermen, and then stowed away in the TARDIS (The Wheel in Space). She was qualified in many scientific fields, as the result of a photographic memory coupled with the advanced learning techniques of her era, and often teased The Doctor by comparing their intelligence scores. She had little practical experience, however, and learned a great deal during her time with The Doctor. Sadly, however, most of this knowledge was lost when the Time Lords erased her memory of all but her first adventure with The Doctor before they returned her to her own time (The War Games).

 
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