New Doctor Who Companion Named

As usual, the BBC have the story that the Doctor’s next companion has been cast. Freema Agyeman, who we saw in a different minor role in Army of Ghosts, will play Martha Jones in the new series, which begins filming in the summer.

Of interest is that the article notes that she will not be appearing in this year’s Christmas episode, saying instead that there’s another surprise planned for that. Who wants to bet on setup for Torchwood the series, or the return of another old companion?

Unfortunately this sounds like they’re continuing with the single female companion thing. Two companions would give a nice different dynamic and the opportunity to take the series further, I think.

21 replies on “New Doctor Who Companion Named”

  1. Multiple companions
    One of the biggest problems with the old series was finding things for the multiple companions to do. I know Davison has said in interviews he hated having 3 companions for that reason. Honestly, some stories for the current series seem to have issues with finding enough plausible things for one companion to do, do we really need more people running around?

    That being sais, things seemed to go okay while Adam was around, or Jack for that matter, but consider how useless Mickey was in episode 4 this season.

  2. now now

    Unfortunately this sounds like they’re continuing with the single female companion thing.

    Some of us enjoy the eye candy :D
    I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

    • Re: now now

      Unfortunately this sounds like they’re continuing with the single female companion thing.

      Some of us enjoy the eye candy :D
      I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

      Same actress, different character.

      I’m not complaining about the eye candy, but is it always going to be the Doctor and a young woman in a flirtatious relationship?

      • Re: now now

        I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

        Same actress, different character.

        Well, yeah, but it’s not like she was a minor character we saw last season or something, she was in the penultimate episode of the season. We know they’re just actors but come on. They probably should have got somebody else for the penultimate episode, or used some latex to make her look different or something.

        • Re: now now

          I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

          Same actress, different character.

          Well, yeah, but it’s not like she was a minor character we saw last season or something, she was in the penultimate episode of the season.

          Parralel universe hottie maybe?

        • Re: now now

          I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

          Same actress, different character.

          Well, yeah, but it’s not like she was a minor character we saw last season or something, she was in the penultimate episode of the season. We know they’re just actors but come on. They probably should have got somebody else for the penultimate episode, or used some latex to make her look different or something.

          Hey, it happens. By your ruling Morden would have had to have been played by someone else on Babylon 5. The actor is one of B5’s bridge crew in the pilot. Come to think of it they could have used him in another role with some latex, but they didn’t and he pulled off the new role quite well. Here’s hoping this girl will do the same.

          I was personally still hoping for Madame Pompadour (sp?) because of the extra year tacked on to her age from that episode. She would have been great.

          • Re: now now

            Hey, it happens. By your ruling Morden would have had to have been played by someone else on Babylon 5. The actor is one of B5’s bridge crew in the pilot.

            Well, be fair. Guerra was an almost invisible incidental character in the original The Gathering, where Agyeman got some serious, well-lit center-of-action face time in this episode. Plus, a lot more time passed between the first airings of The Gathering and Chrysalis.

            By the time Morden showed up, almost none of the casual viewers of the show would remember him for sure without checking. Unless there’s some serious makeup unvolved I’m pretty sure most viewers will recognize Agyeman right away.

            Or maybe Agyeman made more of an impression on me because I find her a lot more attractive than Wasser, I don’t know.

            But you’re right, it happens – I’m particularly tired of the same several actors being used time and time again on Law & Order (,etc.) – they’re always the guilty party, so it destroys any mystery as soon as they’re on-screen.

            • Re: now now

              But you’re right, it happens – I’m particularly tired of the same several actors being used time and time again on Law & Order (,etc.) – they’re always the guilty party, so it destroys any mystery as soon as they’re on-screen.

              Law and Order had one of the biggest callbacks of an actor from a supporting to a lead role in my opinion. The actor who plays the DA on Criminal Intent origianlly was a guest start as a really sleazy villian on the original show.

              I’m betting that for Who, this is the episode where they "found" the actress to play the next companion.

              • Strak Trek

                Law and Order had one of the biggest callbacks of an actor from a supporting to a lead role in my opinion.

                Majel Barrett Roddenberry
                She was first officer in the Menagerie, a nurse in the rest of ST:TOS, the voice of all starfleet computers, and Deanna’s mom!

                The Black Angry Vulcan of Voyager was killed by Picard, and piloted the enterprise in ST:VI.
                And the replacement doctor in Next Gen was a blind alien-pilot-wrangler in TOS, etc.

                • Re: Strak Trek

                  Law and Order had one of the biggest callbacks of an actor from a supporting to a lead role in my opinion.

                  Majel Barrett Roddenberry
                  She was first officer in the Menagerie, a nurse in the rest of ST:TOS, the voice of all starfleet computers, and Deanna’s mom!

                  The Black Angry Vulcan of Voyager was killed by Picard, and piloted the enterprise in ST:VI.
                  And the replacement doctor in Next Gen was a blind alien-pilot-wrangler in TOS, etc.

                  In short: Actors enjoy working and like making money and will take roles in order to make money, and to hell with all us greasy Internet nerds. :)

                  RELAX PEOPLE KTHX

          • Re: now now

            I’m a bit confused that his next companion is someone he just killed though…

            Same actress, different character.

            Well, yeah, but it’s not like she was a minor character we saw last season or something, she was in the penultimate episode of the season. We know they’re just actors but come on. They probably should have got somebody else for the penultimate episode, or used some latex to make her look different or something.

            Hey, it happens. By your ruling Morden would have had to have been played by someone else on Babylon 5. The actor is one of B5’s bridge crew in the pilot. Come to think of it they could have used him in another role with some latex, but they didn’t and he pulled off the new role quite well. Here’s hoping this girl will do the same.

            I didn’t watch babylon 5 so I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I am not opposed in general to reuse of actors. One of my favorite supporting cast actors in Star Trek series played numerous aliens, all of which are different characters and some of which only differ by skin color. Tim Russ played a rather emotional human in one of the movies and was fine as Tuvok. This girl would not bug me in the least if she had been in one of the earlier episodes of the season, or last season.

            I was personally still hoping for Madame Pompadour (sp?) because of the extra year tacked on to her age from that episode. She would have been great.

            It would have been, yes.

        • Re: now now

          Well, yeah, but it’s not like she was a minor character we saw last season or something, she was in the penultimate episode of the season. We know they’re just actors but come on. They probably should have got somebody else for the penultimate episode, or used some latex to make her look different or something.

          Yeah, it annoys me a bit, but it was during the shooting they thought she might have good chemistry with Tennant. So they sneaked her in later in the night for some test shoots to see if it worked out. At that stage they probably neither that the budget or inclination to reshoot it with someone else.

  3. Here’s hoping…
    I’m hoping for Sarah Jane for the Xmas episode, whether or not it’s another damned Torchwood episode.

  4. AIn’t over till it’s over
    I’d like to point out that I have NOT given up hope yet and I am STILL in the race to be the next companion. I urge the creators/writers/producers of Doctor Who (who surely read this forum) to reconsider.

    As posted before, I would be a much better companion than, well, anyone else. I would be the geeky companion who figures out how to improve the TARDIS, etc. And I’d have a light saber.

    As a show of good faith, I offer – COMPLETELY free of charge – an improvement to the show that will make it instantly more classy.

    Change the name from "Doctor Who" to "Doctor Whom"! NO CHARGE, GUYS! See how cool I am? Call me!

    • Re: AIn’t over till it’s over
      The second Romana on Doctor Who was played by an actress who’d already appeared on the show, though they offered an explanation for the similarity. Harry Morgan appeared as an insane officer on M.A.S.H. before appearing as Colonel Henry Blake. Mark Lenard appeared as a Romulan before he became Spock’s father.

      Law and Order…. As someone has already mentioned, one easily loses track of actor reuse.

      It’s just what happens on television. At least you guys get to see the series. Canada has been without Who since the Christmas episode.

      • Re: AIn’t over till it’s over

        Harry Morgan appeared as an insane officer on M.A.S.H. before appearing as Colonel Henry Blake.

        Horse Hockey! That’s Col. Sherman T. Potter!

        Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (played by McLean Stevenson) was the commanding officer for the first few seasons of the series.

        Mark Lenard appeared as a Romulan before he became Spock’s father.

        Well, that’s different. Those Vulcanoids all look the same to me anyway.

        • Re: AIn’t over till it’s over

          Harry Morgan appeared as an insane officer on M.A.S.H. before appearing as Colonel Henry Blake.

          Horse Hockey! That’s Col. Sherman T. Potter!

          Arrgh! Thanks for the correction.

  5. Maxil
    Surely the biggest precedent for this is Colin Baker appearing as Maxil in the Peter Davison story The Arc of Infinity then being cast as the Sixth Doctor.

    I’m rather hoping the big surprise for Christmas is the Brigadier! They’ve had cybermen, daleks, UNIT itself, K9…

    • Re: Maxil

      Surely the biggest precedent for this is Colin Baker appearing as Maxil in the Peter Davison story The Arc of Infinity then being cast as the Sixth Doctor.

      I’m rather hoping the big surprise for Christmas is the Brigadier! They’ve had cybermen, daleks, UNIT itself, K9…

      Bigadier Winifred Bambera please!!

      The thing with that is, I haven’t figured out how UNIT fits into a timeline where Torchwood exists. UNIT seemed to have a much more sensible attitude toward alien events on Earth – watch it, frown at it, attempt to blow it up, run away and call for the Doctor. Torchwood seem convinced they can do everything themselves and have a bit of a power trip problem.

      But then Torchwood are solely British – it’s quite possible that UNIT don’t even know about them.

    • Re: Maxil

      Surely the biggest precedent for this is Colin Baker appearing as Maxil in the Peter Davison story The Arc of Infinity then being cast as the Sixth Doctor.

      I’m rather hoping the big surprise for Christmas is the Brigadier! They’ve had cybermen, daleks, UNIT itself, K9…

      whatever they do i just hope they don’t bring back ace. she was annoying…

      • Re: Maxil

        Surely the biggest precedent for this is Colin Baker appearing as Maxil in the Peter Davison story The Arc of Infinity then being cast as the Sixth Doctor.

        I’m rather hoping the big surprise for Christmas is the Brigadier! They’ve had cybermen, daleks, UNIT itself, K9…

        whatever they do i just hope they don’t bring back ace. she was annoying…

        Looks like I was barking up the wrong tree looking to the show’s past for The Surprise.

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