Companion (Doctor Who)

edit] Companion, in the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, is a term used to describe a character who travels with and shares the adventures of the Doctor. The term is primarily used in Doctor Who fandom; the press and general public often refer to these characters as "assistants". Neither term is frequently used in the series itself, particularly in the classic series (1963-1989). However several characters have referred to the Doctor having a "companion" in the revived series, including Yvonne Hartman in "Army of Ghosts", Martha Jones in "Evolution of the Daleks", referring to Rose, the Doctor's alter ego John Smith in "Human Nature", and the Doctor himself in his invitation to Joan in "The Family of Blood". The Doctor usually introduces companions as his friends. He almost always travels with between one and three companions; the only exception in the television series is the serial The Deadly Assassin, in which he travels alone. In most Doctor Who stories, the companion provides a surrogate with whom the audience can identify, and furthers the story by asking questions and getting into trouble, or (especially in later stories) by helping or rescuing the Doctor.

On occasion, characters have functioned as companions to series villain the Master, among them Chang Lee, Chantho and his eventual wife, Lucy Saxon, whom he calls his "human companion".