Doctor Who: The Five Best Companion Introductions In NuWho
From Donna to Amy, and Clara to Rose, who had the best first adventure in NuWho?
One of the core elements of Doctor Who, throughout both the classic era and the reboot, is the relationship between The Doctor and his or her travelling companion.
Eras of the show have flourished or failed based on the strength of these relationships, so how these relationships began can be of vital importance. For example, the Third Doctor and Liz Shaw got off on a bad foot. The chemistry was never quite there, so some of the early stories in this era suffered as a result. In contrast, the Third Doctor and Jo Grant, while opposites on the surface, were a perfect fit.
Many of the classic Doctors' companions joined the series in simple ways, like Sarah Jane stowing away, Leela being invited along, or Tegan joining the Tardis crew accidentally when she mistook the Tardis for a real Police Box. However, since the beginning of the revival in 2005, Doctor Who has been introducing new companions in more creative ways.
With the Thirteenth Doctor's newest companion, Dan Lewis, set to make his debut in Series 13, let's take a look back at some of the best companion introductions in NuWho.
5. Rose Tyler
Where the original series premiere, 'An Unearthly Child', introduced the world of Doctor Who through companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, NuWho began its first episode, 'Rose', by following Rose Tyler, a teenage shop assistant destined to travel with The Doctor.
When the Mannequins in Rose's store come to life and attack, she is rescued by the mysterious Ninth Doctor. Rose takes it upon herself to investigate The Doctor, and soon, she becomes caught up in The Doctor's efforts to thwart an invasion by the Nestene consciousness, which controls the plastic robot Autons. Once she learns that The Doctor's ship, the Tardis, can travel through time as well as space, she accepts The Doctor's invitation to travel with him, and the rest is history.
Rose became the first companion seen by a brand new generation of Whovians, and remains a firm fan favourite to this day. Had Rose's character flopped, NuWho may very likely have died off before it even got started.