10) D84 (The Robots of Death): An unlikely and obscure choice who could have joined The Doctor on his travels. Despite being a one-tone speaking robot, D84 had the charm, intelligence, curiosity, and can-do-attitude that would have made him the perfect companion to join The Fourth Doctor in the TARDIS. He would have provided an interesting take on the companion, being the first robot in the show (before the lovable K9 appeared) and would have provided some sought-after juxtaposing imagery to the barbaric, attack-now speak-later, and sometimes tribal Leela. Having a walking talking robot roam about Victorian London for The Talons of Weng-Chiang would have provided some problems, but the first robot companion for Doctor Who was literally with grasping distance, its just a pity poor ‘dumb’ D84 had to die though.
9) Cameca (The Aztecs): The first love The Doctor ever had on the television series. Cameca stole The Doctor’s heart, and the very some heart was shattered when The Doctor ‘had’ to resume his travels in time and space. With a sweet personality, and calming attitude, she would been a great match to The First Doctor’s sometimes out-of-control temper and could have provided a grandmotherly figure to Susan. There is also some great intelligence behind the Aztec character, and it would have been nice to see the first ‘historical’ companion join The Doctor sooner. Sadly, The Doctor had to leave Cameca behind; but the bond between them would surely never diminish.
8) Bellal (Death to the Daleks): The diminutive subterranean Exxilon may be short on stature, but he has an abundance of attributes that would have made him a worthy companion. He’s a rational thinker and has some basic understanding of science and technology. He would have been a good pairing with The Third Doctor, the two got on quite well with each other during their brief period together. He asked a lot of questions, followed The Doctor to the umpteenth degree and genuinely took an interest in areas that were previously unknown to him. You must admire his willingness to stay on his boring planet and help his people prosper after their ordeal with The Daleks.
7) Richard Mace (The Visitation): The distinguished theatrical actor esquire was an integral part during The Doctor’s visit to seventeenth-century England. He got involved in the adventure, and seemed to grasp the science behind trickery, illusions, and magic; he also showed great levels of open mindedness; he genuinely believed that beings from other worlds may in fact exist. He had a charm; a characteristic often missing from companions, and The Doctor seemed to like him as a friend. He was given the chance to join The Doctor, but sadly declines the offer, which brought the curtains down on Richard Mace’s time on the show.
6) Will Chandler (The Awakening): The young, innocent, and often naïve ‘kid’ from seventeenth-century England seemed to take it quite well that he was plucked from his home timezone and hurtled some 300 years into the future. He remained calm in several moments of peril and had levels of courage when facing certain doom. He had an almost ‘empty’ mind to be filled with knowledge and education, and probably would have loved seeing strange creatures and monsters every other adventure. Like most boys, he had to be back home by a certain time (literally), and The Doctor had to follow tradition and return the youngster home before curfew.
5) Mags (The Greatest Show in the Galaxy): Although the she-wolf did make some audio drama appearances, her tragic backstory gives her some freshness compared to other companions; she is almost the mirror iamge of Ace in some respects. She’s got a great personality, helpful abilities and talents, she faced her fears and phobias head-on, and can take care of herself giving the right opportunity. The Seventh Doctor took a great liking to her, and together he and Mags would have made an almost unstoppable pair. The sisterly bond between her and Ace would also have been a likely outcome. Duty sadly called and she remained behind with future goals already set in motion.
4) Laurence Scarman (Pyramids of Mars): The amateur scientist certainly impressed the The Fourth Doctor, and in turn he stole the audience’s hearts and desires to be a companion too. He was an incredibly brave man, having to deal (but not acceptingly) that his beloved Brother was dead and was infact possessed by a being with untold levels of power and strength. He got a rare trip in the TARDIS to a devasted Earth in the 1980s, and he took seeing his home world reduced to a barren crater quite well. Whilst he was stubborn at the best of times, he would have provided unique opportunities when it came to male companions, he and The Fourth Doctor could have been fraternal brothers, the pair could have seen a lot about them in the other.
3) Professor Litefoot and Mr Jago (The Talons of Weng-Chiang): The famous Victorian duo with their heroic antics and quick thinking, would have been a great pairing to the no nonsense Fourth Doctor. They work well on so many levels, and managed to get themselves out of spots of bother, by working together, something many companions failed to do during their prospective times with their Doctors. Both intelligent and resourceful in their own fields, they never shied away from danger, and they even managed to save a few souls without The Doctor’s help. The Doctor would have been so proud. A scientist and a showman, what better could have come out of the pair? It’s a shame an already highly impressive companion had to steal the spotlight, with the potential quartet of main characters, being divided into two.
2) Isobel Watkins (The Invasion): The hopeful photographer and full-on adventurer formed a believable sisterly bond with Zoe Heriot and her childish gimmicks and past times and pleasures would have made her a would-be companion who would have needed reforming and re(education). She was incredibly brave in the face of danger and seemed to revel in the thrill of the adventure. She was a tough nut to crack and could stand up for herself in the heat of the moment. She never backed down with failure and took every opportunity to prove herself in a male dominated world. The opportunity was there, but sadly Watkin’s final flash of brilliance within Doctor Who came with her first and only televised appearance.
1) Samantha Briggs (The Faceless Ones): The famous Liverpudlian sweetheart is perhaps the biggest missed companion opportunity ever. She was tough, strict, stern, resourceful, intelligent, quick-thinking, and inquisitive; attributes that have made up some of the very best companions of all-time. She got stuck straight into The Doctor’s investigations and puzzled together some of the answers that eventually opened the whole case wide open. She took a great liking to Jamie, and some of the feelings were even shared back. She had an almost streetwise attitude and would have been a brilliant replacement when Polly left within the same narrative. Perhaps she was a product of her time, but her stature and place as the best would-be companion will forever be the biggest missed opportunity within the entire history of Doctor Who.
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