Doctor Who: 10 Most Embarrassing Classic Series Companions

6. Dodo Chaplet

Jackie Lane's character, Dodo Chaplet, is usually eclipsed by the other companions of the First Doctor. Fans remember Ian, Barbara, Susan and Vicki much more readily than Dodo. Even Ben and Polly, who travelled with the First Doctor for only a short time before his body wore a bit thin, seem to be held in higher regard. First appearing at the very end of 1966's The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve and exiting off screen halfway through The War Machines from the same year, Dodo featured in only 6 televised stories in all. Along the way she took in the sights on the ark (yay!) and saw some gunfighters (boo!), but all in all, she failed to set the world on fire. Let's be honest, Lane was sacked halfway through a story, and that's not the sort of thing that happens very often in Doctor Who. Lane always came across as cheerful and happy but the producers felt her character wasn't working out. And if viewers felt there was an element of school play acting in her performance from time to time, well... perhaps they were not entirely wrong. Let's move swiftly on. It's best not to intrude on private grief.