Why Every Classic Companion Left Doctor Who
27. Peter Purves - Steven Taylor
Peter Purves joined Doctor Who in the closing episode of The Chase, becoming a de-facto replacement for both Ian and Barbara. Indeed, Purves has complained about Steven playing the Barbara role in early serials like Galaxy 4. Despite this, Purves stayed with the show for a year, and the character became more of an individual as time went on.
When producer John Wiles was replaced by Innes Lloyd, the decision was made not to renew Purves' contract, meaning that he left Doctor Who at the end of The Savages. Purves struggled to find work in the period after leaving Doctor Who, something he's put down to the bad luck brought about by stealing the Toymaker's Trilogic game!