7 Doctor Who Spin Off Characters That Need To Be In The TV Series

3. Frobisher

The run of Sixth Doctor comics in Doctor Who Magazine contained much to eulogise. One of the best ingredients in the strip was the Doctor's ever helpful but clumsy companion Frobisher the Whifferdill. Frobisher was a shape changing alien who, for personal reasons, decided to remain in the form of a penguin the majority of the time. To check out Frobisher in a recent adventure, look no further than IDW's 50th anniversary comic strip Prisoners of Time. Even though Frobisher is enormous fun and still popular with fans, could he be brought to the small screen? Well, Doctor Who often shows people or things transforming from one shape to another, readily proving that Frobisher's occasional lapses from his penguin state could be achieved on a tight budget. The penguin form itself could be realised using a number of economical methods. For close or medium shots, a "practical" model could be rigged up - it wouldn't need anything as complicated as feet and the arms and face would only need to accomplish a small range of motions (penguins aren't famous for their wide variety of facial expressions, after all). Admittedly, for long shots, a CGI Frobisher would be needed, but much of this animation could be reused in different scenes with only minor tweaks. Once the basic CGI model was established, the animation could become a relatively straightforward process. With amortising expenses in mind, the best way to make Frobisher cost effective might be to feature him in several episodes. What's more, the story possibilities that come with a shape changer aboard the TARDIS are almost limitless. No more would the Doctor need to fear being surrounded by angry locals - with the Whifferdill at his side, the Doctor could simply ask his penguin chum to transform into a giant ferocious creature to scare them away. Colourful transmogrifications aside, fans need to see Frobisher in all his penguin glory on screen because, basically... penguins are cool.