Doctor Who: Does the Companion Need to be Relatable?
By David Hill
One of the primary complaints about the Twelfth Doctor is that he is hard to relate to. Should that be the role of the companion in Doctor Who, to give fans a character that they can relate to in their personal lives?
There are a number of reasons as to why people enjoy Doctor Who. The journeys through time and space, the sense of adventure, getting to see the different creatures, and even the different interactions between the characters are among the numerous reasons as to why the show has become so beloved throughout its history.
It also helps that there is a degree of relatability in the show. While the companions are putting their lives on the line and are facing constant danger, we can relate to them. They work, and have lives of their own outside of their adventures with the Doctor. Of course, it also helps that they resemble large numbers of people on Earth.
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Is that relatability why there tends to be a pattern in the selection of companions in the revival of Doctor Who? Since 2005, the long term companions have mostly been females, with the occasional boyfriend tagging along. They were all human. And yet, that was not always the case, with K-9, Nissa, and Romana, amongst others from Classic Who, bringing more of an alien and a robotic presence to the show.
So why has that changed over the decades? In a way, it almost feels as though the revival of Doctor Who has become a slave to a formula which is believed to be necessary in order to keep expanding the fan base — as opposed to taking advantage of the show’s virtually limitless possibilities and finding a way to be more imaginative with the storylines.
In doing so, it feels like Doctor Who is missing an opportunity. After all, one of the main themes of the show involves inclusion. By putting a different species, for example, in the role of the companion, they could continue that theme. With the talk of making the show more diverse, and more representative of how the United Kingdom looks in regards to their demographics, maybe it is time, in addition to that, for Doctor Who to break the well-worn pattern and have alien beings in a more prominent role on the show.
Next: Series Ten to start filming in two weeks