7 Doctor Who Spin Off Characters That Need To Be In The TV Series
They've paid their dues.
As every Doctor Who fan knows, there are so many spin off stories from the audio ranges, radio shows, books, comics and web casts that the mind fairly reels. It can be hard to keep track of it all but buried in this vast expanse of multi-media adventures are some truly great characters that could successfully make the transition to the TV programme. One of the most fondly remembered off-screen characters is Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer. This chainsaw-wielding madman with a passion for slicing Daleks in half started off in a backup strip in Doctor Who Weekly before finally graduating to the lead comic strip. Fans liked him so much, Daak starred in the New Adventures novel Deceit (well, sort of - spoilers: he was a clone). He even made a brief cameo appearance in the recent episode Time Heist (above) which no doubt elicited howls of delighted laughter from comics fans quick enough to spot it. But Daak is perhaps too violent for a family audience, fun though he'd be. Naturally, many favourite characters have already come to the end of their story arcs. Since their tales are done, bringing them to the screen would be purely an exercise in nostalgia that could only be appreciated by the minority who knew of their spin off tales. Companions like the Eighth Doctor's friend Fitz Kreiner, sadly for book fans, fall into this category. Much as these assistants are missed, bringing them back wouldn't help the production team craft a powerful, moving adventure story. Other more suitable allies and foes can be found in the endless tracts of non-TV Doctor Who fiction. Some of these characters would make great companions for the Doctor and some would provide worrying times for the Time Lord. Some have even inspired characters in TV episodes already - the Eleventh Doctor's travelling companion, Handles, was a nice nod to Kroton, the Cyberman with a soul. Here are seven characters, some of them nice and some of them not so nice, who would add some vital element to a TV episode - whether it be comedic relief, unique methods of assisting the Doctor or ways of adding depth to the Doctor's character. Let's start with one of the most powerful allies the Doctor has ever had...