Ok this is more of my wish list for season 5 companions, it would be my wish list for season 4 but I know that season 4 is already in the works. The Doctor’s companions are a very important part of the story telling in Doctor Who, and this has never been more true since the re-launch when we met Rose. I like Rose, I miss her character, but now that she is gone I really don’t want her to come back; so I partly hope that the rumors about her return are not true. I just think with the romantic tensions between her and the Doctor, especially with them so expressed, that there really is no where for these characters to go. The only two options would be to advanced their relationship further or end it; and I don’t think I like either options.
Ultimately, the Doctor needs to have companions that best can help tell the kind of stories you want to tell. This is one reason why I am looking forward to the Donna Noble character returning because it is a move away from the on going story line for the companions where they are “in love” with the Doctor like Rose and Martha. Hopefully Donna will add a dimension we have not seen a lot of when relating to the Doctor and allow the show’s writers and producers to tell some stories that would not have worked as well with Martha or Rose. Though I suspect Martha will be a much different character when she returns mid 4th season so that should be interesting too.
With all that said, the characters I would really like to see traveling with the Doctor for a season or so are Sally Sparrow and Larry Nightingale from the episode “Blink”. I have heard a lot from fans about a desire to see Sally Sparrow again, the performance Carey Mulligan was extremely good in “Blink”. Face it, the Doctor only appeared in like 5 minutes of the episode so Mulligan’s performance had to carry the whole story line; and not only did she carry the episode but it is probably one of the best episodes since Doctor Who returned to television. But, I would also like to see Finlay Robertson return as her boyfriend Larry Nightingale. I thought his chemistry was good with Carey Mulligan and he is a male character, besides the Doctor, that I think fans could relate to.
I also like the idea of having two companions, I think it adds more opportunity to build character dynamics. This is one reason why I enjoyed Captain Jack in season 1 and 3; he provided another really likable character for the other two to play off of and this added a lot. In addition to this because Sparrow and Nightingale are a couple it would move the story lines away from the romantic tensions we have seen so far in the first three seasons between the Doctor and his companions. Again, I really liked the romantic tensions, but we have already seen these stories and the stories need to at least take a break from this idea or they will loose their effectiveness. This is not to say that Larry could not feel threatened by the Doctor as competition for his girlfriend, even if there was absolutely nothing going on between the Doctor and Sally. Or, you could even have Sally feeling slightly left out when Larry and the Doctor get all excited about tech geeks stuff. Perhaps the Doctor would partly try to live vicariously through the love and relationship of Sally and Larry after resigning himself the fact that he can not live that kind of life. I am sure there are all kinds of angles the writers could explore between the dynamics of these three characters.
Anyway, I would really love to see Sally Sparrow and Larry Nightingale travel with the Doctor for a time. They are established and proven characters that would give the Doctor something different to relate to since the re-launch of the show. I just don’t want to see the Doctor with another young female companion where there are romantic tensions; they have already told that story, and told it well. I really do think Sally and Larry are strong characters that would help keep moving the show in new directions. Doctor Who is too good of a show to start rehashing its newest innovations so soon; when it comes to the companions I want to see something we haven’t seen yet in the new Doctor Who and I think that Carey Mulligan and Finlay Robertson can give it to us.
Oh yea...one last thing... Don't Blink!
14 comments:
I would've loved to see Carey Mulligan as a regular in "Doctor Who", too, in preference to Catherine Tate in all honesty.
I think the series needs to move away from romantic attachments altogether, as there are already numerous shows dealing with this, and return to good old-fashioned adventure stories in which it's more important for the Doctor to defeat the monster/enemy than it is for him to fall in love!
Oddly enough the "Rose returns" rumours have surfaced again recently in the Press. I agree there isn't really anywhere else for her character go and if she does come back it would seem to be more of a publicity/ratings exercise than anything else. That said, with hindsight I now think that Billie Piper is a better actress than Freema Agyeman so she could make a decent stab at it (a decent storyline and script would of course help...) Don't know if you were aware of it but Sarah-Jane, K9 and Captain Jack are all rumoured to be returning in the Season 4 finale too!! My God!! How will they squeeze 'em all in?
In spite of my reservations about the character of Donna Noble, I think you're right, James - at least she isn't saddled with the "mooning after the Dr" characteristic that blighted Rose and Martha. A refreshing change!
Personally I am tired of RTD coming up with Earth girl companions to join the TARDIS. Yes, so it's a point of identification for audiences, but I think it's high time we had an alien companion for the sake of variety and difference. Chantho from last season would have been excellent (shame she got killed).
However I do like your suggestion about Sally and Larry returning as companions. Carey Mulligan in particular was excellent in "Blink" and has much better range as an actress than Ms Agyeman. Oooh miaow!
I agree Time Warden that we need to return to good old-fashioned adventure stories rather than watching the Doctor’s companion’s swoon over him.
And I like Old Cheeser;s suggestion that the Doctor could travel with an alien companion. This could be really great if done well. One thing we have learned from shows like Star Trek and such that use alien characters is that sometimes these “aliens” can be the most human of all the characters on the show.
It's true - nothing wrong with some emotion being brought into Dr Who and I like the fact that in the 2000s version they acknowledge relationships and even sex which is much more realistic, HOWEVER! The unrequited love for the Doc thing that we've seen via Rose and then Martha has just been exhausted. We do need more concentration on the adventure side of things.
Yes you're right with your aliens comment.
And erm, if you visit the BBC website you may well see an update on the "Rose" story...
Aaaaawwww, me wants Sally Sparrow as companion too!! *____*
Hope she come back one day.. maybe not in the season 4, there will be already too much returns ;)
Anyway, I know about a non-canon novelisation of an adventure of Doctor Who, featuring Sally Sparrow. You can read this thing if you search Sally Sparrow in Wikipedia. The title is a thing like "My Christmas Holiday" and the events are setted after Blink. Sally shares and adventure in Instanbul with the Ninth incarnation of the Doctor (and THIS doesn't explain why Tenth doesn't have memory of her)..
Thanks Mark, I'll go check that story out.
Peace,
James
Actually that's not a novelisation, it's the original version of the story that Steve Moffat wrote for the first Annual. It'a a short story about a girl named Sally Sparrow (that's not "our" Sally Sparrow) that meets the Ninth Doctor in a way similar to the one used later in "Blink". You can find the short story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/blink_annual.shtml
Thanks for clearing that up and for the link Francesco.
I also have heard that their was some real good "Sparrow and Nightingale" fan fiction out there. Kind of like spin off stand alone detective stories. I'll see if i can find it.
Peace,
James
I'd love to see Sally Sparrow as a companion !!! Mine preferably, just don't tell my missus !!!
Oooh, thanks for the explanation about that not!Sally Sparrow story, Francesco (LOL, glad to meet you also here XD) now I've understood ;)
LOL @ the Sparrow & Nightingale fanfics XD can't wait to look for them, even though I think they'll be setted in an AU perspective..
How about bringing back a companion from the classic series of Doctor Who. Say, Ace, one of the companions of the seventh doctor? Just a suggestion.
Frankly, my 12 year old daughter, an avid Doctor Who fan, wants the Doctor's 'daughter' Jenny to be his next companion. Sounds good to me :)
Frankly, my 12 year old daughter, an avid Doctor Who fan, wants the Doctor's 'daughter' Jenny to be his next companion. Sounds good to me :)
i agree with candymack's daughter jenny should be the companion but i don't think it would work
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