10 Doctor Who Characters More Important Than You Realised

City of Death's Duggan is one of those great Doctor Who supporting characters who deserved to become a full-time companion.

His punch-first, ask-questions-later attitude was a perfect counterpoint to the intellectual and ponderous Fourth Doctor and Romana 2. In fact, it's mind-boggling that Big Finish hasn't reunited Tom Chadbon and Tom Baker for adventures with a random collection of classic monsters.

As well as being perfect companion material, this blunt instrument of a detective is also the most important person in creation.

At the very end of City of Death, Duggan knocks the villain Scaroth out on Earth, 400 million years ago. This beautifully-timed punch is enough to ensure that Scaroth's ship still explodes, providing the spark that will eventually create all life on Earth.

The solution to the complicated time travel plot being a simple punch to the jaw is the sort of comic juxtaposition that makes Doctor Who so unique.

And because writer Douglas Adams throws in about ten brilliant story ideas into each of his scripts, it's easy to miss just how important Duggan is to the entire planet.