Talk:Companion (Doctor Who)

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[edit] Sarah Jane note

Doesn't this note from the article contradict itself:

"Sarah Jane Smith is the only companion so far to have served at least two full seasons with two different Doctors each. Sarah joined the Third Doctor in the first story of his final season (The Time Warrior) and left in The Hand of Fear, the second story of the Fourth Doctor's third season."

If she joined in the Third Doctor's final season, she can't have been in two full seasons with him, surely? Percy Snoodle 15:09, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

You're absolutely right. It makes no sense. I copied that from List of Doctor Who supporting characters. It might have originally been meant to say that she served a full season with one Doctor, then a full season with another (adding up to two full seasons) — but that's not the way it reads. And since Rose did the same thing, it's not really noteworthy, is it? I've removed it from this page, and I'll remove it from the list of supporting characters too. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 05:34, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Well, it rather depends how you count the Christmas special. Is it the concluding story of one season, or the beginning of another? In terms of production, it's probably best thought of as the beginning of a season. But it "feels" to me as a viewer more like the conclusion of the series that precedes it. Most obviously, Doctor Who didn't start, as Sarah Jane Adventures did, with a Christmas pilot. Secondarily, though, both Christmas specials to date have happened immediately after story preceded it. Thus, they feel like conclusions rather than introductions. If you take that view, then Rose didn't, in fact, serve two full seasons, but only nearly did. CzechOut 21:53, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jackie Tyler

In the Episode Army of Ghosts Jackie travels in the TARDIS from the park near her flat to the Torchwood institute 'accidently' because Rose and the doctor forget to show her the door. I know this sounds wrong, but is the fact she traveled in the TARDIS that one time grounds enough to have her as a 'companion' or is there some sort of rule saying it has to be more then once 'or' backwards or forwards in time. I don't particually want her to be acclaimed a companion but I'm not sure about this at all.--Wiggstar69 22:35, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

In my mind, to be a companion you have to have either had one significant journey in the TARDIS - that is going off-world or through time... not a contemporary Londoner to another part of London, or a space-traveller being taken for a very brief jaunte through space. Or you have been the Doctor's main and more-or-less only support throughout one adventure, which is why I personally see Grace and Donna as companions and not Jackie, Lynda or that woman in The Satan Pit. --GracieLizzie 11:53, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for filling me in, now I'm sure, but I was worried for a second.--Wiggstar69 13:36, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, that's my view. Different people have different opinions and the companion one can be a contentious one in certain-fan circles. As the article mentions, some people don't include Liz Shaw or the Brig others are far more inclusive.--GracieLizzie 13:44, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

I for one certainly think Jackie has done more than other people who are undisputed companions, and am shocked that the WikiProject is showing such uniform resistance to the idea of calling a spade a spade. CzechOut 21:44, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sara Kingdom

Wouldn't it be appropriate to note Sara Kingdom only as a disputed companion? She was considered by the producers as a possible companion briefly before casting, but ultimately Marsh was only contracted for the one story. It wasn't, i gather, a situation like, say, Tegan or Nyssa, where they had this extension clause that kept getting activated. Marsh was never in it for anything other than the one, admittedly long, recording block. Plus, the BBC's official website doesn't name her as a companion. On that basis alone she's surely contestable, isn't she? CzechOut 07:08, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

This is already in the article, under the "Disputed companions" section. --Brian Olsen 15:21, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, but the article is inconsistent in how it deals with those companions mentioned in sections 3 and 5. If we're going to include Sara in sections 3 and 5.1, why is Chang Lee only in section 3? Why isn't Jackie in section 5.9 and 5.10? Disputed companions aren't handled consistently across the WikiProject. Maybe it would be a good idea to include all disputed companions in brackets or italics when put into lists across the Project? That way the Project is being neutral, yet helpfully noting controversy, in its handling of these "special case" companions. CzechOut 13:00, 28 March 2007 (UTC)