Doctor Who: 10 Unbeatable Doctor/Companion Duos

1. The Fourth Doctor & Sarah Jane Smith

Even 40 years on, the pairing of Tom Baker and Lis Sladen is still the one to beat. But just what makes this the best Doctor/Companion partnership of them all? It's the coming together of all the factors that create a classic pairing all happening at the same time. Firstly, the show had a dream team behind the scenes, hungry new producer Philip Hinchcliffe finding himself in a creative synchronisation with script editor Bob Holmes. Under their stewardship the show gave us many of the best tales ever, from Terror of the Zygons, Genesis of the Daleks and The Seeds of Doom. Until the revived era, Doctor Who had never been as well written as this. Secondly, Tom Baker and Lis Sladen form an instant professional friendship. They didn't meet much outside of the studio but the pair respected each other immensely, Sladen admiring the energy Baker threw himself into things while he was grateful for Sladen helping guide him, the actress having been on the show a year already. For the character of Sarah, the Fourth Doctor's more freewheeling persona allowed the journalist to form a relationship that was less one of opposition (the feminist versus the patrician) than one of kindred souls. From the moment a cheeky Fourth Doctor offered Sarah a jelly baby at the end of Robot, this was a match made in TV heaven. Finally, here are two of the best actors in Doctor Who's history working together. This is before Tom got a little jaded and started believing his own hype, a time when he was desperate to prove himself and grateful for a paying job. The energy and enthusiasm and sheer acting talent of the pair make this the best Doctor/companion partnership of them all. What did you think of this list? Are there any other Doctor/Companion partnerships that should've been included? Let us know in the comments section below!