BBC
With at least one of these iconic companions returning for the Christmas special, we give you five reasons why Ben and Polly were so amazing!
Ah, Ben and Polly. Where to even begin with these two? As I mentioned in my article regarding 5 nods to the Classic Series that were in the Christmas special’s teaser, I was super excited to see Polly show up. I also mentioned that I hoped that Ben would be there with her.
However, I do think that they are a pair of companions that are overlooked more than most. Even when just looking at the Classic Series. And that’s a bit of a shame, because they’re honestly one of my favourite pairings in the Classic Series.
They’re also two incredibly important companions in their own right. Along with being the last companions of the First Doctor, they’re also the first companions of the Second. They’re the first companions to have seen a regeneration! And, quite honestly, they’re absolutely adorable together.
Here are 5 reasons why I love this particular pair.
BBC
‘The War Machines’ – when they met
Their first story together is, if I’m honest, one big reason why I love these two. Although context may have something to do with it.
When I first watched The War Machines, I was nine years old. It had just been released on VHS, and I was eager to see a Hartnell story that hadn’t been seen in decades. When I first watched it, I thought it was ok. A common enough Earth invasion story. Ben and Polly seemed cool, although it was weird to see moments set in groovy Sixties dance clubs.
Many years later, I watched the story in its full context. Before, I had been watching serials randomly, and that’s certainly not a bad way to watch the original series. This time, however, I was watching the entire series in order. And that’s when it finally clicked.
While it was interesting seeing The War Machines‘s plot for what it was – actually one of the earliest stories to depict a modern-day invasion – it was Ben and Polly that really amazed me. You see, there hadn’t really been a pair of companions like them before. Specifically, companions who were young people, in their twenties, and from the modern day.
BBC
They were radically different to the previous companions
Oh, there had been modern companions before, with Ian and Barbara. Who were brilliant, but also in their thirties, and therefore just a little bit more mature. There had been young people as well, particularly Steven, Vicki, Katarina and Sara Kingdom. But all of them were from the future or the distant past.
Admittedly, there had been Dodo, who was also from the modern day. But if I’m honest, she hadn’t been that convincing, overall. Her introduction in the TARDIS was barging in at the end of The Massacre, ruining a huge emotional moment for the First Doctor and Steven, and taking forever to realize that actually, most police boxes aren’t bigger on the inside, or look like spaceships.
By comparison, Ben and Polly were, frankly, the young modern-day companions done right. They were given a whole story before they (accidentally) joined the Doctor on his travels. As a result, they got to be fleshed out so much more.
We learned that Ben was a sailor who cares so much about being at sea, that he’s incredibly depressed about being stuck on shore leave when we first see him. Polly is friendly and usually good at talking to people. The kind of person who can usually be talked into helping her friends out when they need her. In fact, it was being talked into cheering Ben up by a night club waitress, who was so depressed that he was making other customers miserable, that the two companions first met.
BBC
A perfect pairing
I also liked that the two were from such different backgrounds. Ben was a classic cockney Londoner, while Polly was more upper class and well-spoken. As a result, Ben gave her the very affectionate nickname of “duchess”. It’s a great odd couple pairing that allows each one to round the other out.
What made this unusual pairing so believable was that, from their first meeting, you could tell that there was serious chemistry between the two. From their very first story, there’s a lot of great dialogue going back and forth between them. It’s very clear that they care for each other, even in their debut story. Sometimes, that can be unconvincing, but it works here because of both the writing and, more importantly, the chemistry between actors Michael Craze and Anneke Wills.
It’s weird to think that, in the series, at least, the characters were never actually dating or anything like that. They were always depicted as being just close friends. Understandable, considering the characters were stuck on the TARDIS the whole time right after they met. But the whole time they’re on-screen, they clearly care a lot about each other and are very protective.
I look at Ben and Polly as a pairing, not because I don’t think they’re not great individually, but because when they’re together, they really are perfect. It’s not surprising that, in the expanded universe, at least, they ended up getting married.
BBC
Equally great with both Hartnell and Troughton
Obviously, it helps that they’re great characters in their own right, but what I also enjoyed was how well they worked with both Hartnell’s and Troughton’s Doctors as companions.
With the First Doctor, they learned a lot from him, but they also tended to look after him, too. It’s the kind of relationship that could have only worked towards the end of his run, when his body was beginning to “wear a bit thin”. It’s kind of a shame that they were only with his Doctor for three stories on-screen, really.
Thankfully, they also worked well against the Second Doctor, too. In fact, Ben and Polly have quite the distinction of being the first ever companions to see a regeneration for themselves. As a result, they were a great point of view for the audience. It was also great to watch how their relationship began from scratch, even so soon after meeting him in the first place. While they grew to like the First Doctor very quickly, they had initial difficulty trusting the Second, especially Ben. Ben just couldn’t believe that this strange little man was the old geezer he had become so fond of.
"It’s not only his face that’s changed…he doesn’t even act like him!"
However, after defeating the Daleks and when Scottish companion Jamie joined them, they soon formed into a perfect team. Sadly, not many of their adventures together can be seen. With the exception of The War Machines, hardly any of Ben and Polly’s TV adventures have survived intact. Some serials have at least one episode missing, while others are completely lost altogether. It’s a great shame, and is perhaps one of the reasons why this pairing is so often overlooked as a result.
Big Finish
Big Finish
If there is one criticism I have about Ben and Polly’s TV stories themselves, it’s the fact that, after The War Machines, their personal lives aren’t as effectively explored by comparison.
It’s understandable, really. Back in the Classic Series, a companion’s personal life wasn’t really seen much. This was especially true during the Sixties, for the particularly good reason that, since the TARDIS couldn’t return them home, at least not on purpose, their personal lives effectively stopped when they got through those TARDIS doors.
Still, the life they did have was so wonderfully and convincingly explored in The War Machines that it seems more of a shame than usual how the show didn’t explore more of that. So it’s wonderful that the Big Finish audios have explored their characters and histories more effectively. And with the bonus of telling some good stories, too.
The Companion Chronicles have been great for this. Especially for Polly. The stories have really got insider her head, as well as explore what her character got up to after leaving the Doctor. Resistance has her encountering a family member during a vital part of history, while in The Three Companions, we hear how she meets the Brigadier.
Because Michael Craze, the actor who played Ben, sadly passed away almost twenty years ago, Ben had naturally received less of a focus than Polly only out of necessity.
That is, until they cast Elliot Chapman in the role.
A new Ben
Casting a new actor for a beloved character is an incredibly major risk for Big Finish to take. If the audience didn’t like it, it had the potential to put them off an entire range as a result, such as The Early Adventures.
Thankfully, it was a risky move that worked. Chapman clearly has a lot of respect and enthusiasm for the role, while also being a great voice actor. He may not sound exactly like Craze did, but it’s incredibly close. And, with the amazing chemistry that he has with the existing original cast, particularly Wills, it completely sells it. I really have enjoyed Ben and Polly’s audio stories so far, and I’m super excited for their upcoming new season of Early Adventures with the Second Doctor, starting in September.
Next: Time Ladies that paved the way for a Thirteenth Doctor
As I mentioned before, I hope they bring back Ben as well as Polly for the Christmas special. As you can tell from this particularly long article, they really are a pairing that I absolutely adore. I’m always eager for more stories of this pairing, whether they’re on or off the screen. Here’s hoping that we get to hear many more of their adventures.