Let's spare a thought for the rollercoaster ride that actress Lalla Ward went through when cast as Romana's second incarnation. Brought in because she managed to get on with the increasingly difficult force of nature that was Tom Baker in the late 1970s, she not only quickly established a rapport in the rehearsal room but in the boudoir of Paris when the co-stars got a bit more friendly filming City of Death. Part of the delight of their on-screen partnership is that you can see a pair who really like being in each other's company. For a show that was increasingly self-aware and comedic, Ward's obvious intelligence shone through making Season 17 one of the most fun to watch. The banter between the two Time Lords, now firm friends and travelling companions, coupled with the irrepressible K-9, sparkles despite the limitations of the budget. Like the best companions, Romana can hold her own. She rarely screams and can be as Doctorish as Clara any day. It's also fascinating to watch the way the partnership develops in Season 18, the pair's relationship already in turmoil with Ward realising too late that just because Tom looked like Doctor Who, he was a far more fallible person. For chunks of State of Decay, Baker would not even look at his co-star, even on screen, and this brings a poignancy to her eventual departure. Though not as overt as NuWho arcs, Romana goes through the emotional wringer just as much.
Writer of The Blog of Delights, a review site covering film, TV, cult TV, books and audio. Fan of Dr Who, Bond, X-Men and Marvel. Also the writer of e-book 'Fictional Legends: Doctor Who - the TV Adventures' for Collca.
