Doctor Who: 5 Things To Learn From Classic Series & 5 Things That Are Better

3. Diversify those Companions! The Classic Series Did!

So often, it's sometimes said how in the Classic Series' day, companions were just there to ask the Doctor questions. They didn't really matter as characters, you just put them in their (tight and often revealing) outfits and let the Doctor get on with being glad to have such a nice piece of .... Exposition to respond to them with. Except this is a lie. Admittedly, the program did get lazy towards the end of the Hartnell era. One companion, Polly, never even got a surname! But from Troughton on, the Doctors got a rather diverse and rum selection of companions. This kind of diversity would be nice to see these days. Again, just a list proves this. Let's compare 2 - 4 to 9 - 11. 2nd Doctor's companions: A Naval officer from Swinging London. The Swinging 60's Posh Secretary. A Highlander fresh from the Jacobite Rebellion. A Victorian Girl orphaned by Dalek Armageddon. A Logic Technician off of a Future Earth Space Station. 3rd Doctor's Companions: (I'm not counting UNIT officers) An Attractive Scientist from Cambridge University. A girlish "agent" whose Uncle pulled strings with the UN to get her appointed to UNIT. An attractive Journalist. 4th Doctor: He inherits the Journalist, and also a Naval Doctor seconded to UNIT (Male). A barbarian Girl from an abandoned Earth Expedition in the Far Future. A Robot Dog from the 51st Century. A Time Lady (Two incarnations are seen as she regenerates). An Alzarian from a neighboring Universe (Male). The Last Survivor of the Planet Traken (Female). An Australian Stewardess. Now, the New Series: 9th Doctor: An Attractive Chav Shopgirl. (And briefly, a Time Agent from the 51st Century). 10th Doctor: Inherits the Chav. An Attractive Medical Student. A Bolshy Temp. (I'm not counting one story/Special companions. Even then, I could start some of them "An Attractive ___") 11th Doctor: An Attractive Scots Kissogram that he met briefly in her childhood. Her Nurse Fiance (Later Husband). (I'm not counting Clara, as well.....no one knows what her deal is yet.) So, the thing you have to admit is that it's harder to describe the Classic Series' companion specs in under three words. I did it twice. One of those was Sarah Jane Smith. Which is ironic, as she's easily now the most iconic of all companions from the Classic Series and has the most development - The Sarah Jane Adventures' last series showed you could literally show flashbacks to EVERY period of her life. Another was Tegan Jovanka (the stewardess) who made up for her thin spec by filling her character with a lot of, um, personality.

The New Series limits its pool not only to the present day, but also often to character specs that I could nail in three words. Sometimes less. I know some of these, like Amy Pond and Donna, grow or become much more than they start as. But why? It's a risky message, insisting that the Doctor makes these people more than they were. Why can't they be fully formed or experienced people who SHARE his experiences or help him develop? Jamie, the highlander with the Second Doctor, was his own person from his first story. Yes, he learned things too but often the Doctor needed him as he was just as badly. Show me a new series episode where the male companion consistently has that kind of bearing and exchange with the Doctor. Oh that's right - THERE ISN'T ONE. Jack, Mickey, and Rory were there to either enhance the current female companion or in Jack's case further the plot/provide laughs. (Mickey did become something better - Offscreen, AFTER his time with the Doctor) It's a shame too, because all three male companions were usually more interesting than they were ever given time to show in favour of their respective female. And it's particularly sad because the female companions in the New Series usually get motivation limited to "Is attracted to the Doctor, and is concerned it will go unrequited."

That isn't to say the Classic Series scored well on that front. (Wait for the second half of the list.) BUT, by taking the Doctor off the menu for his female companions' attractions, it put their feelings and development in a place where it could be pushed beyond a doe-eyed, needy potential girlfriend. Most SHARED his experiences, rather than being on some kind of character-enhancing journey that the Doctor could give. Others exceeded his abilities - Zoe was notably smarter than they Doctor when it came to computer puzzles, and Romana - also a Time Lord - was shown to be his equal in her better written stories. And to those who think that the "attraction" angle is at least exploring new territory - The Classic Series did that too - And more notably, they let their companion grow PAST the Doctor. Without her being told to. Jo Grant, companion to the Third Doctor, grew from a wide eyed girl who worshipped and depended on the Time Lord to a girl who through her experiences not only grew to resist the hypnotic power of the Master on her own but also grew past her attraction to the Doctor.... And left HIM sad and alone for once as she found her own love and destiny.

I'm not saying the New Series lacks in its companions' depth. (Again, wait for the second half of the list.) But they could show up more fully formed and have their own mind about things, rather than let the Doctor start and finish their development.