10 Doctor Who Characters Who Almost Had Different Endings
9. Leela's Abrupt Departure Was A Last-Minute Decision
Doctor Who companions usually get a grand, often emotional end to their stories, perhaps paying off an arc that has been building up throughout the series.
But Louise Jameson's Leela? Nah. She was unceremoniously dumped on Gallifrey.
This is because the scripts for this serial - The Invasion Of Time - were created at the eleventh hour, after plans for a different story fell through. Despite these difficult circumstances though, producer Graham Williams and script editor Anthony Read were able to knock out a pretty good serial, but it wasn't smooth sailing, and they did struggle with one particular plot point: how to deal with Leela.
Even though Jameson had already told the creatives that she would not be returning for the next series, Williams was convinced that he could change her mind. As a result, he didn't even bother developing a proper sendoff for Leela, because he assumed that Jameson would stick around a bit longer.
Spoiler alert: she didn't.
As a result, audiences were left with a hastily cobbled-together exit in which Leela randomly decides to stay on Gallifrey. Jameson actually wanted Leela to be killed off instead, which definitely would've been far more entertaining to watch!