Doctor Who: 10 Best NuWho Recurring Characters
4. Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins)
Episodes: Voyage of the Damned, Partners in Crime, The Sontaran Stratagem, The Poison Sky, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth, Journey's End, The End of Time parts 1&2
First appearing in Voyage of the Damned as a newspaper salesman stubbornly staying in London despite multiple alien invasions, Wilfred Mott was revealed to be the grandfather of companion Donna Noble in the Series 4 opener, Partners in Crime. Kind, caring and an all round loveable chap, Wilfred Mott was always supportive of his granddaughter which bought him a lot of fans among those who felt Donna was one of the best companions of all time.
He also really respected who the Doctor was and what he was doing. A lot of the time, viewers could get the sense that Wilfred sympathised with the ancient Time Lord and his loneliness. Even if he couldn't understand all the decisions the Gallifreyan made, there was an inkling that he understood that they had to be made.
This made him an excellent foil for the Tenth Doctor when the two were paired together to take on the Master in The End of Time. Their central relationship was the emotional core of the story and easily one of it's strongest and most relateable aspects. And even when the odds were against him, Wilfred didn't give up saving lives, a heroic quality which merits him a place here.