Because who doesn't love Wilfred Mott!? He is so beloved, in fact, that fans don't even resent him (not even a little bit!) for being indirectly responsible for the Tenth Doctor's untimely demise. At least, if they don't dwell on the formidable fact that, had Wilfred done things differently, the Tenth Doctor would probably still be with us. That's just the sort of person Wilf is, though, and Bernard Cribbins is so damned adorable that nobody could ever find it in their Whovian heart(s) to hold it against him. For too long, anyway. Originally introduced as a one off guest star in the 2007 Christmas Special, Voyage of the Damned, part time news vendor and full time stargazer Wilf became one of the most beloved characters in Doctor Who history when he was reinstated as Donna Noble's grandfather to serve as a recurring character in Series 4. His time to shine finally came in 2009, of course, when he finally stepped aboard for David Tennant's swansong adventure, The End of Time, but his long overdue tenure as the Time Lord's coveted companion was over before it had truly begun when, you know... he got himself locked inside a radiation chamber and the Doctor had to sacrifice himself to save him. It was certainly fun while it lasted, though (impending doom and Master races aside), and fans wouldn't have had it any other way.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
