10 TV Characters Killed In Desperate Attempts To Boost Ratings
6. Astrid Peth - Doctor Who (New Run)
Doctor Who had a legendary status when it was rebooted in 2005, but more than lived up to that reputation with the first two seasons starring Billie Piper, Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant.
The characters became so familiar they were almost like an extended family, the stories were exciting and quirky and the show only seemed to go from strength to strength for its first couple years back on the air. Billie Piper's departure in 2006 however marked an end to the high point for many fans.
However when that series came to an end, and Martha Jones proved she was no Rose Tyler, the show decided to go completely crazy to try and find a way of winning back the ratings. A futuristic Titanic spaceship and sinister Angel-robots made up that year's Christmas special, with Kylie Minogue jumping on board as would-be companion, Astrid Peth.
Most New Who fans probably hadn't seen Adric's demise at the end of the Fifth Doctor's Earthshock adventure, meaning that Astrid's sacrifice at the end of the Voyage Of The Damned episode was the first permanent human death they had ever seen in the show.
Sadly, the show continued to struggle to unite its fanbase in the way it had done before following the special and its choices of storylines, actors, companions and tones remain as divisive today as they ever have been.