10 Biggest Feuds In Doctor Who History

The original companion Susan Foreman was played by Carole Ann Ford, debuting in the very first episode An Unearthly Child. While there was little information available to Ford and William Hartnell, they attempted to have as much together on-set as possible, including re-recording takes by pretending to swear.

However, Ford quickly tired of the role. Writer Anthony Coburn added the information about Susan being the granddaughter of the Doctor, simply to remove any strangeness about an old man travelling with a young, female companion. This, Ford felt, diminished the role even further. She had been told that she would be like The Doctor, more of an action hero and telepathic. She claimed in an interview that she only once was able to use telepathy because she nagged the producers so much.

When asked about how she felt about her exit, she responded by saying that at the time, she wouldn't have cared either way. She said that, by that point, she was desperate to leave and that the producers were wasting her time. Other acting opportunities were passing her by while she was stuck as the damsel in distress.

She did however return for The Five Doctors special. although there were issues with the script almost immediately. The producers did not want to include a reference to her being his granddaughter, as they did not want audiences to imagine him having sex and fathering a child. Foreman recalls screaming with laughter at them until the scene was rewritten.