10½ Best Male Companions In Doctor Who History
4. Ian Chesterton - William Russell
The Original, you might say and still one by which current companions are measured. For the humble schoolteachers stumbling into the impossible box were the first to experience the bigger-on-the-inside meme, the first to question the Doctor's motives, the first to act as mouthpiece for an audience that to this day knows remarkably little about this mysterious figure.
Indeed, in similar fashion to the companion-centric story arcs so familiar to the series since "Rose," it may be argued that only in the days of Ian and Barbara was classic "Doctor Who" so much so. Out of necessity, then, Ian in particular served as relatable figure though braver than the average mid-20th century citizen might have been.
One of the many notable nods to "Doctor Who" history came in one of the very first shots of the 50th anniversary bonanza "The Day Of The Doctor." Panning past the Coal Hill School sign, there it was for the audience to see: "Ian Chesterton, Headmaster." Fans of the "Sarah Jane Adventures" spinoff surely universally appreciated Sarah Jane's mention of Ian in the episode "Death of the Doctor," saying that "rumor has it have never aged. Not since the 60s."
A gift from the TARDIS? Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.