Doctor Who: 10 Things We Actually Know About The Doctor's Family

"You know, you act like such a lonely man. But look at you. You've got the biggest family on Earth!"

So said Sarah Jane Smith when she and the Tenth Doctor parted ways in the Series 4 finale. And you know what? She's right. Just look at the big dysfunctional blended family that flies the planet Earth home at the end of the episode!

The idea of the Doctor choosing their own family goes back way further than even this. What's the first thing the Doctor does after leaving Susan behind at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth? He adopts a new granddaughter-type figure, in the form of space orphan Vicki.

This chimes with the two things Doctor Who repeatedly establishes: one, that the Doctor is alone; and two, that the Doctor shouldn't be left alone. It therefore stands to reason that they would choose their own family, via the companions they invite onboard the TARDIS.

The revelations that the Doctor was adopted and doesn't know where they came from give this idea a greater weight. It allowed the Doctor to relate to a foundling like Ruby on an emotional level, a connection we've rarely seen between Doctor and companion.

True family? It's the friends that the Doctor's made along the way. Yes, even Adric.