The First Doctor
The Best Companion(s): Ian Chesterton & Barbara Wright There have been a number of duos (or trios) in Doctor Who history and but each companion could be argued separatelyall except Ian and Barbara. These two belong together and it would be impossible to choose one without the other. Like modern companions, Ian and Barbara were the human window into the Doctors world. What I liked about these two is that for all their reservations over the Doctors actions (they were never afraid to question him) and they desire to return home to their own time, they became quite fond of the Doctor and his granddaughter Susan (and her replacement Vicki). And more importantly, they immersed themselves in the wonders of the universe. As teachers, they used their historical knowledge to provide a genuine perspective on historical events to the Doctor, demonstrating their value as companions on the Tardis. And they reviewed everything with a critical eye, making the genuine effort to understand what was happening, rather than take it at face value. There was a genuine warmth to William Russell and Jacqueline Hills performance, making them believable and engaging, even when faced with the overbearing gruffness of the Doctor or larger than life aliens such as the Daleks or Koquillion or Zarbi. Barbaras finest moment was adopting the role of the reincarnated Aztec god Yetaxa, playing a dangerous political game with the Aztec priest Tlotxl. Ian too played a strong role in this story, fighting the warrior Ixta and rendering him unconscious with his thumb! But its in
The Dalek Invasion of Earth where they show their worth to the Doctor; Barbara joining the rebels and making the frantic journey across the abandoned street of London with Jenny and Dortmun; Ian playing a dangerous game onboard the Dalek saucer and then journeying into the mine shaft with Larry to defuse the Dalek bomb. Intelligent and heroic, Ian and Barbara set the tone high for future companions to follow.
The Runner Up: Steven Taylor
Ill admit, I havent seen enough of Steven (some of his biggest moments seem to be lost in the great BBC cull) but what I have seen, and more importantly what Ive read about, suggests that Steven is a worthy companion indeed. He stowed away onboard the Tardis after the events on the planet Mechanus at the end of
The Chase. A future spaceship pilot, Steven proved his mettle in the dramatic events of
The Dalek Master Plan and
The Massacre. (Both stories that are mostly if not all lost see
my previous article for more thoughts on that) Steven was also the first male companion to travel alone with the Doctor, preceding Jamie by a couple of years.