15 Best Companions In Doctor Who History

9. Sergeant John Benton (John Levene)

Sergeant John Benton was a member of the UNIT team that the Third Doctor worked with during his earthly exile in the 1970's. Benton is the somewhat put upon Sergeant to the Brigadier. He has something of a goofball quality but rises to the challenge when the going gets tough.

He first appeared in The Invasion in 1969 where he ruined the suspense of waiting to see if the Russian missile hit the Cybership by knocking over a cup of tea. Benton then became a regular during the The Third Doctor's run. His appearances petered out during the Fourth Doctor's tenure, too, and he was last seen in The Android Invasion.

By time The Fifth Doctor caught up with the Brigadier in Mawdryn Undead, Benton had retired from UNIT and was running a used car sales-room instead. Just 'cause.