Once you’ve watched his classic ranking, don’t forget to check out Seán’s modern companion ranking too! ruclips.net/video/GBqbLYfTyzM/видео.html No prizes for guessing who’s dead last…
16:24 outside of the story line Mary Tamm had recently got married and found she had fallen pregnant, the good old BBC couldn't have a Romana with child nor couldn't be seen as sacking her for this reason thus running a story to the press stating she felt that the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed further, needless to say she didn't work again for another 9 months. Shame she was my favourite Romana by far. R.I.P. Mary Tamm.
Well, if you watch the next episode Nyssa and Tegan try to convince the Doctor to go back in time to save Adric just before the crash happens. The Doctor refuses to break the first law of time and do something so dangerous and selfish. So you could technically argue that was the Doctor refusing to save him. Although the “make of that what you will,” is certainly unnecessarily questioning of what clearly was the correct decision.
@@hollybigelow5337 I subscribe to the theory that you cannot change the past, whatever you do just becomes part of the result (no killing baby Hitler, or saving JFK). So, there was nothing that could be done to save Adric. It's just a way for the BBC to get rid of an actor, and cut payroll anyway.... ;-P Look at things through the BBC eyes, and everything is explained (regenerations, etc.).... ;-P
It wasn't lost on me that the writers made sure that Adric's death accomplished nothing. The ship was meant to crash all along; luckily for the viewers, Adric chose to stay on board
@@hollybigelow5337 I felt like he never could save Adric though. For instance, look at Amy and Rory when the weeping angels get them. He clearly liked both of them but he can't save them because of that time travel rule.
Listing Ian and Barbara as one entry is an odd choice. Counting both Romanas as one I understand, but Ian and Barbara are literally different characters.
I think its because Ian & Barbara were the first two companions of DrWho; they came into the TARDIS together and left together, so in a way it makes a lot of sense to list them together.
My introduction to Doctor Who was decades ago as PBS aired episodes with the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith. I thought Elisabeth Slade was GORGEOUS back then and that era is imprinted on my mind when thinking of Classic Who. When "School Reunion" aired and I saw the scene of her coming down the stairs with Headmaster Finch, I yelled out, "Holy s*** it's Sarah Jane!" She was instantly recognized as the beauty from my youth that got me interested in Doctor Who, and she once again filled that role FLAWLESSLY! It was a gift to the old time fans to bring her back into the fold. Tennant's Doctor recognizing Sarah and getting that lump of excitement in his throat while she was unaware of her regenerated friend in front of her. Sarah hiding in a room as Krillitanes screeched and ending up standing in front of the TARDIS. The classic Doctor Who theme playing as she backs out of the room stunned then sees "John Smith" as The Doctor. So sad to lose Elisabeth Sladen in real life, it was wonderful we got to see her in that role as SJS and that a new generation of Whovians got to see her too.
@@corneliuscrewe677 Sarah Jane with Three was where I came into the time-stream and they're both still my favourites to this day (tho some of the Doctors in the New Who were splendid characters too).
Sarah Jane (or just “Sarah” to the fourth Doctor) had that continuity within the series. Longest-running companion in terms of number of series/seasons she was in (three and a half), but then came back for K9 and Company and The Five Doctors. Then she returned in the new series and eventually got her own show. No other companion returned on TV in Doctor Who itself, but she did it several times. That’s why she’s the best. Plus Liz Sladen and Tom Baker got on so well that their partnership was hard to beat.
I think Sarah Jane is overrated. Sladen was a good actress, and created an endearing character, but too often the writing failed her. She was supposed to be a strong feminist but frequently fell into the role of the helpless sidekick who screamed and needed to be saved. I'll take Zoe, Leela, or Romana I over her any day of the week.
@@Mickey-kr4ci Truth! We at least got acknowledgement of the Brig's passing from 11, but nary a mention of "my best friend" dying from any of the Doctors. Even Kate.
Sarah-Jane actually travelled with Harry Sullivan in Genesis of the Daleks, not Stephen Taylor. It’s a long video though, so I understand the gaffe. Excellent video, although I would swap the order around a little. Naturally Sarah-Jane to be number one.
When people say that classic companions scream, run away and act cowardly, you show them Leela and Liz and Ace. Liz was EPIC! To me, if you follow Victoria's storyline she has a personal arc of finding a new family. Dodo was shoe-horned in because the production of S3 was pathetic and they could never find someone who could last long. If Nyssa was part of the new series, the whole master-parent thing would have had it's own story. Vicki is super underrated.
Jo did a fair bit if screaming but also rescued the Doctor a few times, had a set of skeleton keys, could stand up to The Master and destroyed the last Daemon.
Liz Shaw is probably the worst victim of timing. She needed to travel in the Tardis to really shine as The Doctor's equal. We'd later see companions who could stand up to the Doctor intellectually or by demeanor more successfully later on with Romana, Donna, River, Clara, and others. But stuck on Earth in a lab, there wasn't much for Liz to do.
@@carlhallowell3421 The timing was her own doing. Caroline John was written off the show because she got pregnant - something I'm sure she doesn't regret - and she chose to leave. Hard to say if the show runners would have kicked her off anyway, but she never gave them the chance.
Sarah Jane Smith was my doctor. I grew up watching her show, and had seen pretty much every episode multiple times before I started watching actual Doctor Who. She isn’t just the best classic companion, she’s the best companion full stop.
@@adriansherlockdamondark.1094 Yea Adric was cool. I think the Doctor admired his mathematical excellence, and was quite possibly one of the few companions that could understand what the heck the Doctor was talking about.
She was originally written to be very capable and similar to Emma Peel of the Avengers (yes, a couple years before Mrs Peel existed), including her outfit. Then the producers found out Carol Ann Ford was really good at screaming, and decided to make that Susan's dominant trait.
Just a note: The Brigadier first met the Fifth Doctor in Mawdryn Undead, not The Five Doctors. Still a pretty good list, even if my personal order would be a bit different.
Tegan should be WAY higher. She was the first to see what The Doctor was becoming-The Oncoming Storm--and she was the first to call him out on it. In effect, for all the "Brave Heart, Tegan", she was the first companion to be the Doctor's conscience. Much like we see with Donna in The Runaway Bride. She was also one of the longest serving Classic Who companions.
This is a brilliant observation, I love it. I hadn't considered this, but it makes 100% sense, and I'd have no problem buying it as a direct influence to the modern era.
yeah, but she also was willing to abandon Nyssa, the Doctor and Adric in Four to Doomsday. she stole the TARDIS to help earth, yes, but leaving them there like that was cold. she had her great moments, of course. i don't hate her, or anything, but i just can't forget that.
@@philadelphiawhovian5641 let's be honest though, Tegan has always been more fight than flight. Out of all the companions, she was one of the few to take initiative in some pretty extreme ways, like how she stole the Tardis because she wanted to warn earth. She stole a truck to save the Doctor and Adric from some g-men. She gave the Doctor Omega's location against threat of death. And she pretty much volunteered to fight the Cybermen in place of the more cowardly guard. Also her first reaction to seeing the Master was to throw a knife at him. Seriously, Tegan was just too passionate and would kill for her friends
Ace will always be my favourite classic companion because she could hand herself and was like the doctor's partner in crime while also learning from the 7th doctor. Plus she wasnt screaming all the time and wasnt being kidnapped by the villain constantly. The 7th Doctor and Ace were like a prototype 9th Doctor and Rose without the love undercurrent and i think that makes it them better
Call yourself a Doctor Who fan? "Traken" was always, on the show, pronounced as TRAH-ken, not TRAY-ken. Sounds to me like you didn't watch it much at all. This was an important time as the Master came back from a decomposing lump by taking over Nyssa's father's body (Anthony Ainley) - on Traken.
Ace -- a sixteen-year-old rebel who invented Nitro-9 (blowing up several space-ships), took down an entire squad of Cybermen with a slingshot, and was responsible for two Dalek deaths and two Dalek maimings without any prior experience (before taking down yet another in Power of the Doctor), and that's just the start of her long list of notables. Due to 7th Doctor being a manipulative schemer and anti-violence advocate, Ace is his proverbial weapon when no other option presents itself. "It's never fine to blow stuff up. Sometimes, sadly, it's the only solution".
Peri & Tegan deserve to be much higher than they are. Peri was a brilliant companion & despite a rough start she had a great relationship with the 6th doctor and one of the most tragic endings. I think people chose to disregard the companions of the 5th/6th doctors & it's a shame really.
I wasn't really a fan of Peri. After all of the complex female companions in the past that directly affected the stories they were a part of, Peri didn't really do anything but freak out and run away. Plus, her fake American accent was incredibly grating.
In my version of Earthshock Adric manage to crack and disable the cybermens control on Briggs freighter and steers it from hitting the prehistoric earth restoring the original history where the earth collided with the meteorite then stay with Fifth Doctor and Nyssa and Tegan
@@misss.o.j. in my version of Doctor Who The Daleks master plan: Katarina of Troy and Bret Vyon, Sara Kingdom survived and stayed with the first doctor and Steven Taylor
@@mekhimays9599 Well yours is better then 🍀❤💖🙌🏻 and I can't wait to see all the Doctor's episodes, I haven'tnseen many of Troughton's or Pertwee's, and I don't see why any companion has to die if we have creative Time solutions!!!!
I don't have a problem with Sullivan. His character existed when the Fourth Doctor was going to be an old man again like Hartnell. He was there to do "young man stuff". When they hired Tom Baker, Sullivan became kind of pointless, so he drifted off.
Harry was always one of my favourite companions... so wonderfully unflappable, he just took everything in stride and remained utterly positive. I really enjoyed his character.
adric did NOT die trying to save the human race (and kind of doing so) just for everyone to call him whiny and annoying !!! i've watched all of season 19 (my favourite) and adric did often play the villain, but unknowingly, which did make me feel for him. he's also meant to be a teenager. i will defend adric til i die ! >:)
For me it's: Leela, the Brigadier, Jamie, Romana I, Zoe... Harry Sulivan... Sarah Jane? Or something like that. I like Elisabeth Sladen's performance, but despite moments of pluck and initiative for Sarah Jane, she was forced into role of a helpless female too many times (screaming and needing to be saved), and that just gets boring. I understand why people like her as a companion, but the idea that she's the very best out of all of them never made any sense to me.
Adric had some problems, but he also had some interesting ideas in his character background, was frequently helpful to the plots, and had a powerful exit. I have trouble ranking him below Mel (one-note and inconsistently written), Kamelion (cool idea, but never really worked out), or Katarina (one-note and just in a few eps).
Good list. For Adric it wasn't that the doctor didnt want to save him, he couldnt the Cyberleader had shot the tardis console and damaged it. Whats funny is that when Peter says the line "the consoles damaged" you can clearly tell he's trying his best not to laugh and his voice goes a bit funny because of it. Now i would of had leela higher up on the list , defo in my top 5 . Oh and leela is a human. other than that spot on. I just wish new who would stop having companions from modern times its getting boring. It needs something like leela or jamie. Someone from the past or distant future where they join the doctor to learn etc. Every companion now becoming pretty much the same. The only 2 that stand out really is Donna and Graham.
I disagree. For me it's Clara and Graham. Really Graham was the only good companion of the modern Doctor. I agree though that we need companions that aren't from modern times however. We need to see another Jamie or another Adrick. I don't mean those characters in specific. Also I'd like to see The Time Meddler again seeing as he's a Timelord that got stranded on Earth so he would be the last of the Timelords now that The Doctor is supposedly from a celestial/immortal universe; unless that is of course The Rani, a Time Lady, wasn't on Gallifrey when The Master destroyed it. It seems the BBC completely forgot about The Time Meddler, The Rani, the original K-9 and the Gallifreyans outside of the big city whom aren't Timelords themselves. I'd like to see an episode where The Doctor goes back to the outskirts of Gallifrey's capitol and finds an old building where the original K-9 was assembled into a super computer that operates the whole facility and end with The Doctor finally returning K-9 to its owner as promised.
@@vintagetails1030 if Clara had left when she was supposed to in series 8 xmas special I would of agreed, but series 9 just ruined the character for me. I would love for the time meddler to return on screen.
@@oneofmanyintheworld he was alright but he so whiney, kinda perfect example. I just find it funny that Peter just couldn't keep himself from laughing in that last scene before the crash
Sean dude. Leela was human. she was Leela of the Sevateem hence Survey team. also the fifth Doctor met the Brig in Mordren Undead and Steven Tailer never met Sarah Jane
@@NicholasKaufmann no problem :-) glad I can help. But you do wonder sometimes. I mean they do do great content however you would think that they would as you say fact check a bit closer
Hey! Dammit, that is on me. I take responsibility for this! And in particular, Steven Taylor - ugh, I knew he wasnt in Genesis, that's a complete mind fart on my part!
@@sean.ferrick hey dude :-) no problem. I hate pointing out errors and inconsistencies in peoples videos. So don’t think that I was trying to troll or cause offence. :-) It’s all good I just wanted to let you know and also those fans who might be wanting to start the show :-) just out of curiosity what is your opinion on the current era of the show? I.e. Jodi Whitaker and Chibbs. also Romana is in the time war too. she ends her time trapped by Rassilon but i'll let you find out how. :) also Zoe has resolution in the companion chronicles
@@BlindTimeLord not at all, no offence taken and thank you! For the current Who, I do like how ambitious it is. It takes a lot to say they're going to shake everything up, I appreciate that a lot. I think it has stumbled, but so has every era you know? Thanks again!
Oh Sarah Jane...thinking of her fills me with joy and sadness. I knew she had to be #1. I think I was 8 or 9 when I first saw Doctor Who and I fell into a crush with her as much as any little kid could have. It never stopped, when she rejoined 10 I literally wept with joy, she defined everything a companion at their best should be. Ms. Sladen you are always missed by myself and millions of other. RIP ...
you forgot bret vyon and sara kingdom for the first doctor, they both died in the same serial, the dalek's master plan. then there were captain mike yates and sergeant john benton for the third doctor when he was stuck on earth. of course we can never forget k-9.
I’m sorry but Adric should’ve been way higher in my opinion. Especially when compared to Kamelion who was only in like what 1 serial and couple of episodes. Like I knew Adric died and I shedded a tear when his death came.
One of those ask twenty people and you'll get 22 answer type lists, and I won't say anyone is wrong. Thank you for sharing yours. As always, thank you so very much for your video.
Is all the mispronunciation deliberate trolling? There’s just so much. Vislor Turlough was never known as ‘Vislor’, everyone called him Turlough. Nyssa “of Traken”? Rose of Earth? Also, it’s pronounced Trar-Ken (like Dalek). Please get someone to present who’s actually watched it.
You have your own TARDIS. You must choose one classic companion to help you and be with you forever. Who would you choose? 1. Romana 2 Beauty brains and a TimeLord. You can't top that
Great video - particularly love the little additional bits of canon you add in. No list is ever going to be agreed by all fans but I do agree with most comments here that there are a couple of odd choices, most notably Ian and Barbara treated as one but Ben and Polly as two, and Kamelion over K9 is a bizarre choice, but a great video nonetheless!
Leela is my #1, K-9 too as they kind of go together. Sara was written a little too much as a Lois Lane sometimes, but iconic of course. Harry was great and left too soon I thought.
why does everyone hate turlough so much!? hes one of my favs. he brakes the companion template in the best way possible in being an alien who started as a villain! u should admit hes atleast good isnt he?
Thank you, I agree! I like Turlough and think he should get much more credit for being so different and for having an interesting character arc. Plus, Mark Strickson, the actor who plays him, is an incredibly cool guy.
Turlogh has a rough introduction, that he's an alien is not make that clear. And he under used for the next few storys, Terminus has him sit in an air vent for most of it.
I definitely would have ranked Turlough higher. Although, I do admit that my hormones could be a factor-I was a teenage girl when I saw him rescue Peri in the ocean off Lanzarote, and he was smokin’ hot!
Also, Vislor is his title, not his first name... as I recall from Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma he was actually of a noble caste sent away to Earth as punishment. Not necessarily his fault, though; the ruler hated all Clansmen.
Yep Sarah Jane hands down. I grew up through the seventies. John pertwee was my earliest doctor. Tom baker to me is still the doctor and Sarah Jane the companion. What amazed me was when she turned up in the tenth doctor and the Sarah Jane adventures, she’d hardly changed. Sarah Jane, always remembered Elisabeth Sladen.
We must be a similar age! Pertwee was my first Doctor but I took more to Tom Baker, but it took a bit of time to adjust. When Sarah-Jane turned up, I loved her immediately! Partially because my middle name is the same (only with a Y in it lol). It's funny how kids pick up on things like that.
Another great vid, BUT…. Nyssa of “Trayken”? No. “Weng Chee-ang”? No. If you’re going to present a 25 minute video about all this stuff that you seemingly know so much about, please learn to pronounce names and references correctly. Also, Leela travelled “primarily with the fourth Doctor”? “Primarily” suggests she also travelled with another Doctor. She didn’t.
By far, I feel Peri had the most traumatic experience with the Doctor. From getting strangled to getting abandoned by the Doctor on Thoros Beta to having her mind annihilated to save Kiv. Imagine how terrifying that would be. Yeah, I know the Inquisitor says she was saved and there are EU stories with her post-Mindwarp. It undercuts the tragedy of her storyline. How did she avoid becoming a complete mess? Anyway... My head canon says she died.
From what I saw, her death was hard to imagine. Either die from a Cyberman... or die and take the Cyberman out with her. Actually, she saved the Doctor. Sure at her expense.
I kind of disagree about Jamie having romantic feelings for Zoe. I think he definitely had some romantic feelings for Victoria, but I always saw his and Zoe’s relationship as more like an older brother and sister.
Jamie McCrimmon: The Highlanders to The Invasion of Time Victoria Waterfield: Evil of The Daleks to The Hand of Fear Zoe Heriot: The Wheel In Space to The Hand of Fear
@phantomquartz0586 in my version of Doctor Who The War Games: Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom went back to the year 4000, and Ben Jackson, Polly Wright back to 1966 by the Time Lords while Jamie McCrimmon and Victoria Waterfield, Zoe Heriot stayed with the Doctor during his exile
Nice to see that Sarah Jane Smith was listed as the number one companion of classic Who. Actually even if you included new Who she still would be number one. No other companion even came close to how close she became to the time lord without romance or infatuation playing a role. Out of all the companions Sarah Jane Smith was the one missed by The Doctor the most and as stated was the only companion whom The Doctor actually acknowledged as his best friend. The feeling was mutual for the fans as well for the late Elizabeth Sladen who portrayed Sarah Jane Smith in both classic and new Who.
Sarah-Jane, Jo and Leela were all I saw and found all three entirely delightful. The Colonel was a great addition to the shows as well. Thanks for the vid.
The aunt the Master killed was Tegan's. If the Master was responsible for killing any of Nyssa's family members besides what happened to her father then it would be Nyssa's stepmother. (just correcting that since Nyssa and Tegan were in the same timeframe it can be easy to mix up).
Not counting Rose and Rory from NuWho, who are in my top 5 list of favorite companions of all time, mine are, from most favorite: Dorothy "Ace" McShane, Jamie McCrimmon, Sarah Jane Smith, Leela of the Sevateem and Brigadier Aleister Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (although he's more of a friend than companion). Did you know it was Jamie, not Sarah Jane, who was with the Doctor the longest? Jamie was in more episodes, if we're just looking at classic DW. I'm sure others have said this, but Sarah Jane's traveling with Dr Harry Sullivan in "Genesis of the Daleks", not Steve Taylor.
Including Chameleon and not K-9 is criminal. K-9 had a longer tenure on the TARDIS team than almost any other companion. You also forgot Sarah Kingdom. If you count Katarina, you need to count Sarah Kingdom.
Just as a teen age boy growing up, Nyssa was always my number one companion.... I get the love for Leela, but something about Nyssa was always my favorite.. After saying that, the fact is that Sarah Jane is hands down number one, classic, new who, period. If you are going to include Lethbridge then he's number two and again it doesn't matter new who or classic, he covers the field. After that, as a guy who grew up mostly with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th doctors... I might disagree with some of the list (ace at number two is truly wrong, Leela or Romana would go there for me personally or heck Tegan)
Turlough was great and one of the best. He deserves to be higher. He had one of most complicated relationships with the Doctor and it's really fascinating.
Nice to see you Shawn on 'another' channel! And I love the list and agree on the rankings as I started watching Doctor Who in 1971 With The 3rd Doctor and MET the 5th Doctor at a Doctor Who Con in Miami in the Mid 70s!
There are some missing in your list: Benton, Yates and K-9. And Romana's two incarnations are of course two counts. And Grace Holloway isn't a Classic Doctor Who companion, she appeared in the 1996 TV movie which was between the classic and the modern show.
Were Ben and Polly just names they used instead of John and Jane Doe? Because it seems like they were just stand-ins for "male companion" and "female companion" when they didn't know which actors were going to be around. They had no distinguishing characteristics or personalities at all, other than acting constantly annoyed. This vid sums it up perfectly: Polly was the one who accepted Patrick was the doctor and Ben was the one who was skeptical. That was the beginning and end of their character arcs. Which, to be fair to Ben, the doctor didn't just look different, he had a different personality, seemingly little memory of being the doctor, and kept referring to the doctor in the third person.
Oh dear...you guys REALLY need to check the facts of the fiction of ''Doctor Who''. SO many mistakes, not just little ones either!!! (Also, Liz Shaw at number 20???? She was WAY better than that! :) )
Technically, if you were to include K-9, you'd need to do it thrice: 1) K-9 MKI, left with Leela; 2) K-9 MKII,; Romana"s in e-space; and 3) MKIII left with Sarah (The Five Doctors). And you ignored Chang Lee (1996 movie) & Sara Kingdom (Daleks' Master Plan) entirely.
I really expected to see "Sara Kingdom" on here, just in general, but particularly after seeing "Katarina." It's kind of odd to omit "Kingdom" since they both died in the same story/battle with "The Daleks"...
Chang Lee wasn't his companion, he was more like the Master's lackey. Sure, the Doctor says bye to him at the end, but other than that all he did was get the Doctor killed, rob him, and then almost help the Master steal the Doctor's regenerations.
Give me back companions like Jamie, Leela, Ace, Sarah Jane, and Romana in New Who. Modern attractive girls that fall in love with the Doctor got stale long long ago. Give me a Tardis group of all the same gender male or female that has no romantic side story. Give me companions from the past who are filled with wonder as they travel. Give me someone from the future but has a hard time interacting with people from the past due to cultural differences. Give me just a straight up alien species companion for all the humor that would bring when returning to modern earth. Just for gods sake get off the modern day earth girl love fest. (Oh and actually develop them as characters too)
I mean Rose and Martha are the only modern companions that were attractive girls who fell love with the Doctor. Well ok River Song too, but she's not young and not entirely human.
@@crazypomp927 Amy practically tried to rape the Doctor in her second episode then had a love triangle subplot going until her wedding. Clara had to be told by the Doctor after he regenerated that he wasn’t her boyfriend. Though I do see this as more meta to the audience to get them over the whole older Doctor rather than younger attractive ones. Still there were plenty of instances of Clara seeming to be at the least very attracted to Smiths Doctor.
@@HogW1ld385 When 12 tells Clara he's not her boyfriend, recall the dialogue that follows. Clara says she never thought he was he was her boyfriend, and the Doctor says, "I never said you did." The Doctor incorrectly viewed himself as being her boyfriend of sorts (minus the sexy time), and his statement was his own admission that he shouldn't have viewed their relationship that way. Clara's exchange with Madame Vastra earlier in that episode also established very firmly and clearly that Clara did not have romantic feelings for The Doctor.
@@crazypomp927 Bad word choice on my part saying “had to be told”. But there were many instances of Clara seeming to be attracted to Smith and even flirting. Ex: calling the TARDIS a snog box in Bells of St John, admitting she “ran off with a man from space because I really fancy” (covers mouth and looks at Doctor embarrassed) while in the truth field on Trenzalore. As for her denial to Vastra and the Doctor don’t forget that part of Claras character is being a control freak so it’s very in character for her to have been lying to them about not being attracted to him to try and keep control and not admit her fault in liking him.
I honestly like Mel not going to lie Also though Liz was pretty nice, just didn't last that long I think Peri was nice, however everything else was just... Wrong Nyssa is also incredibly underrated WHY IS TEGAN THAT LOW WHY IS GRACIE ABOVE LEA
I’ll always be totally in love with Tehran, I cannot lie. She was put through hell and came back for more. But I’ve wondered, when she wakes up screaming, how long would it take for me to help her get settled down?
Excellent list and great summation of all the classic DrWho companions. Pretty much agree with the ratings, although I'd probably put Harry Sullivan in the top 10, because from ROBOT through TERROR OF THE ZYGONS I feel Dr#4, Sarah Jane and Harry were one of the greatest TARDIS teams ever. Can't argue with Sarah Jane as top companion. Even though I liked the Jo Grant / Dr#3 match, truthfully, Sarah Jane was the best companion for Dr#3, and by far the best companion for Dr#4. Some say Liz Sladen's SJS is always rated so highly because she was simply lucky to come along at the genuine golden age of DrWho in Seasons 11,12,13, & 14. In my opinion FWIW, the presence of Liz Sladen as SJS is one of the main reasons that Season's 11,12,13 & 14 were the golden age of DrWho!
Brilliant. I think you managed that list to near perfection. I was there for episode one of Doctor Who and have loved every episode since (with a few notable exceptions). Totally agree with your top 3. I absolutely adored Sarah Jane but also loved the feistiness of Ace.
Sarah Jane traveled with Harry Sullivan in Genesis of the Daleks. Whatever others may think I actually liked Adric. He, Nyssa, and Tegan were my first true companions as the 5th is the Doctor when I really started watching. So to me those 3 have a special place for me as does Peter Davison as the 5th. Harry is another of my favorite companions. It really is a matter of opinion I think and everyone's list will be somewhat different. But that's what's cool about the Doctor. We can all have our favorite and worst but it's all in good fun. I don't know if this has been done by your channel but I'd love a list of the actors and actresses that are still with us. I was heart broken when Elisabeth Sladen passed away. I recall, too, that Ian Marter passed away years ago...far too young. I read he, Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen were good friends and he really was a kind man.
Sara Kingdom? I know she only lasted one story, but The Programme Guide, Terrestrial Index and Universal Database from the late 1980s considered her a companion.
Good point. "The Dalek Masterplan" was a twelve-part serial. and she & Kartiana's only appearance was in this storyline (not to mention they both DIED in this story)!
I love Harry Sullivan! He was on the show when I started watching (on PBS in the early 80's), and, as a young teen, I was lucky enough to meet Ian Marter. He was a lovely man.
Sarah Jane Smith - Best Companion of Classic Doctor Who Sarah Jane Smith - Best Companion of New Doctor Who (School Reunion) Sarah Jane Smith - Best central character of a spin-off series named after her. Remember the Jo Grant Adventures? The Ace Adventures? The Tegan Adventures? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? No, didn’t think so. Elisabeth Sladen - I fell in love with you as a young lad and years later, I remained in love with you for the iconic portrayal of Sarah Jane Smith. Rest in peace, sweet lady.
ok, I started watching this and made it 3 minutes before I'm going to give up. The doctor didn't refuse to save Adric he couldn't, and while I didn't like Adric, he is a way better companion that Dodo or Camelion. But then Camelion was taken over by the Mara? Is that an extended universe book that I missed as the only person who was taken over... TWICE... by the mara was Tegan, not Camelion, he doesn't even show up until after the second Mara episode. Love the videos, but please, do your research better.
Isn't it "Kamelion"? I've never seen a Dodo episode but I would definitely put Adric above Kamelion. (Apparently, one of the two people responsible for developing the animatronics died, so the reason for the failure is tragic - but it was still a failure.)
Thank you! Who voted on this? Why do people hate Adric? I really liked the character and would put him at 15! (I found Peri Brown annoying!) Plus Susan Forman should be up higher! I stopped watching the show ... so i guess I only saw Ace for a while and did not like her. For me she would be below Adric!
Kamilion ranked higher than Adric? Adric is not has bad as everyone makes out. He had a good story arc as his personality improved through his travels. He made mistakes but also redeemed himself a few times. He was brave. Kamilion wasn’t actually a companion though, right? He was just something the forgot about in the broom cupboard then he came out for his last outing before expiring (shrinking)
Thing about Kameleon is that tragically the man who built him died in a boating accident and took the secrets of how the robot operated with him. Very sad (and shortsighted not to have a backup plan but I suppose you can’t really say “what happens if you die?” in the middle of a negotiation). For me the absolute pits was Dodo. No disrespect to Jackie Lane but the producers cared that little that they had her doing different accents in different stories (easier to pick out now that we have them on video) and the interesting events you describe at the end of her life actually didn’t happen on screen, they were in books - the character actually left in the middle of The War Machines, went to stay with a family to recuperate by being taken over by Wotan and then Ben just explains she’s not coming back before he and Polly get into the Tardis. You really get the feeling that by that stage it was all about contractual obligation as far as the producers were concerned - get an episode out of the door and forget it.
i've never watched classic who so hearing about how unique the companions used to be is so fascinating. one of my biggest complaints about the show now is that all the companions seem to just be modern-day humans when there are so many more possibilities.
It may be a little hard to get used to in the beginning (with the black and white, and many last episodes being audio and pictures) but classic who is very worth it. It's so fun seeing the old effects, and the first time the various enemies appeared. Definitely gave me a bigger appreciation for the doctor. He was way less broody and more like a fun grandpa
Once you’ve watched his classic ranking, don’t forget to check out Seán’s modern companion ranking too!
ruclips.net/video/GBqbLYfTyzM/видео.html
No prizes for guessing who’s dead last…
If it makes you feel any better about Dodo, I think she was a Clara duplicate.
16:24 outside of the story line Mary Tamm had recently got married and found she had fallen pregnant, the good old BBC couldn't have a Romana with child nor couldn't be seen as sacking her for this reason thus running a story to the press stating she felt that the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed further, needless to say she didn't work again for another 9 months. Shame she was my favourite Romana by far. R.I.P. Mary Tamm.
Who ranked this nonsense
Get off gallifrey.....Who Wrote this Romana Was Chosen by The White Guardian in time to assist the Doctor to find the Key to Time
He didn't refuse to save Adric, he failed to save him. Big difference.
Well, if you watch the next episode Nyssa and Tegan try to convince the Doctor to go back in time to save Adric just before the crash happens. The Doctor refuses to break the first law of time and do something so dangerous and selfish. So you could technically argue that was the Doctor refusing to save him. Although the “make of that what you will,” is certainly unnecessarily questioning of what clearly was the correct decision.
@@hollybigelow5337 I subscribe to the theory that you cannot change the past, whatever you do just becomes part of the result (no killing baby Hitler, or saving JFK). So, there was nothing that could be done to save Adric. It's just a way for the BBC to get rid of an actor, and cut payroll anyway.... ;-P
Look at things through the BBC eyes, and everything is explained (regenerations, etc.).... ;-P
It wasn't lost on me that the writers made sure that Adric's death accomplished nothing. The ship was meant to crash all along; luckily for the viewers, Adric chose to stay on board
@@hollybigelow5337 I felt like he never could save Adric though. For instance, look at Amy and Rory when the weeping angels get them. He clearly liked both of them but he can't save them because of that time travel rule.
Listing Ian and Barbara as one entry is an odd choice. Counting both Romanas as one I understand, but Ian and Barbara are literally different characters.
Especially when Ben and Polly are listed seperately...? Bizarre.
Ian and Barbara weren't a separate entity for the Doctor.
I think its because Ian & Barbara were the first two companions of DrWho; they came into the TARDIS together and left together, so in a way it makes a lot of sense to list them together.
listing both Romanas as one is an odd choice as well, I think they are quite different to one another.
@@S1G1L I came to say this.
My introduction to Doctor Who was decades ago as PBS aired episodes with the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith. I thought Elisabeth Slade was GORGEOUS back then and that era is imprinted on my mind when thinking of Classic Who. When "School Reunion" aired and I saw the scene of her coming down the stairs with Headmaster Finch, I yelled out, "Holy s*** it's Sarah Jane!" She was instantly recognized as the beauty from my youth that got me interested in Doctor Who, and she once again filled that role FLAWLESSLY! It was a gift to the old time fans to bring her back into the fold.
Tennant's Doctor recognizing Sarah and getting that lump of excitement in his throat while she was unaware of her regenerated friend in front of her. Sarah hiding in a room as Krillitanes screeched and ending up standing in front of the TARDIS. The classic Doctor Who theme playing as she backs out of the room stunned then sees "John Smith" as The Doctor. So sad to lose Elisabeth Sladen in real life, it was wonderful we got to see her in that role as SJS and that a new generation of Whovians got to see her too.
Sarah Jane was my girl, too, the first companion I ever saw on Doctor Who.
@@corneliuscrewe677 Sarah Jane with Three was where I came into the time-stream and they're both still my favourites to this day (tho some of the Doctors in the New Who were splendid characters too).
Well Said. GODSPEED Sarah Jane
Nah, you can't just put Ian and Barbara together in the same spot. Ian was alright, Barbara was iconic.
I liked both of them.
Sarah Jane (or just “Sarah” to the fourth Doctor) had that continuity within the series. Longest-running companion in terms of number of series/seasons she was in (three and a half), but then came back for K9 and Company and The Five Doctors. Then she returned in the new series and eventually got her own show. No other companion returned on TV in Doctor Who itself, but she did it several times. That’s why she’s the best. Plus Liz Sladen and Tom Baker got on so well that their partnership was hard to beat.
Jamie was in more episodes though and I'd argue that him and Troughton's Doctor had a far better relationship
Jamie returned in The Two Doctors, and had a much better relationship with his doctor
Tegan and Ace just returned recently. And Jo Grant returned in Sarah Jane’s show.
I think Sarah Jane is overrated. Sladen was a good actress, and created an endearing character, but too often the writing failed her. She was supposed to be a strong feminist but frequently fell into the role of the helpless sidekick who screamed and needed to be saved. I'll take Zoe, Leela, or Romana I over her any day of the week.
Sarah Jane smith, the ultimate companion forever and always. RIP Elisabeth Sladen ❤️
She was totally worthy.
I didnt even know she had passed😔 she still looked so young
@@favJ-qq2ef that’s why her spin-off show disappeared so quickly.
She was my favourite female companion. Jamie was my favourite male companion.
Dude, I'm a grown man, don't make cry.
We all loved Sarah.
sarah janes "funeral" never fails to make me cry, no matter how many times i watch it.
Yes. Incredibly sad.....
Where does it appear?
@@Zick-ThingS-Col ruclips.net/video/F8sU45ax2Hs/видео.html
Part of why I hated the 50th, is not just the lack of past doctors and companions, but no celebration of Sarah Jane's life.
@@Mickey-kr4ci Truth!
We at least got acknowledgement of the Brig's passing from 11, but nary a mention of "my best friend" dying from any of the Doctors. Even Kate.
She’s not just the best classic companion. She’s the best doctor who companion of all time.
Sarah Jane Smith! We will love you forever. Thank you for your own show, besides being the best companion ever.
I so agree with this, having watched both classic and new Dr. Who… no one can beat Sarah Jane Smith.
Totally agree. I was devastated when lovely Lizzie Sladen died.
Was rose Tyler mentioned?
@@BrotherMag nope.
Sarah-Jane actually travelled with Harry Sullivan in Genesis of the Daleks, not Stephen Taylor. It’s a long video though, so I understand the gaffe. Excellent video, although I would swap the order around a little. Naturally Sarah-Jane to be number one.
Thanks; I was gonna mention that mistake as well
I really enjoyed the video of the Doctor's companions. I have watched Doctor Who since the very first episode in 1963. I love DOCTOR WHO.
When people say that classic companions scream, run away and act cowardly, you show them Leela and Liz and Ace. Liz was EPIC! To me, if you follow Victoria's storyline she has a personal arc of finding a new family. Dodo was shoe-horned in because the production of S3 was pathetic and they could never find someone who could last long. If Nyssa was part of the new series, the whole master-parent thing would have had it's own story. Vicki is super underrated.
Agree the issues between Nyssa and the Master could have made for excellent storytelling but they dropped the ball.
Don't forget Romana!
Definitely Sarah Jane - Leela - Nyssa - K9 - Romana (and why didn't you say anything when i wore a scarf to the itech building?)
Jo did a fair bit if screaming but also rescued the Doctor a few times, had a set of skeleton keys, could stand up to The Master and destroyed the last Daemon.
I think Liz Shaw was too ahead of her time - a woman that could stand up to the doctor. I love the stories with her in them.
I agree she should have been ranked higher
Liz Shaw is probably the worst victim of timing. She needed to travel in the Tardis to really shine as The Doctor's equal. We'd later see companions who could stand up to the Doctor intellectually or by demeanor more successfully later on with Romana, Donna, River, Clara, and others. But stuck on Earth in a lab, there wasn't much for Liz to do.
@@OscarOSullivan Liz Shaw is way better than Grace Holloway
@@carlhallowell3421 The timing was her own doing. Caroline John was written off the show because she got pregnant - something I'm sure she doesn't regret - and she chose to leave. Hard to say if the show runners would have kicked her off anyway, but she never gave them the chance.
Sarah Jane Smith was my doctor. I grew up watching her show, and had seen pretty much every episode multiple times before I started watching actual Doctor Who. She isn’t just the best classic companion, she’s the best companion full stop.
Sarah was a Doctor?
I thought leela was human. She was the descendent of the human explorers of a crashed scout ship.
correct
Yeah, one of maaany errors here
Descended from a human survey team she was a warrior of the Sevateam.
I would have rated her a little higher. Not number one but maybe fifth or sixth.
@@floydlamuel4618 she will never touch Jamie or the brig, 4th though!
Adric gave his life to buy time for his friends to escape. People build statues to such sacrifice. You can just suck it.
@@adriansherlockdamondark.1094 Yea Adric was cool. I think the Doctor admired his mathematical excellence, and was quite possibly one of the few companions that could understand what the heck the Doctor was talking about.
Well, Leela was a human. Just not from Earth. Her tribe was descended from an Earth survey team.
yeah, that was literally a plot point in her first story. Some of the research in this vid is a bit.. dubious.
Susan is always 0 to 100. She's either happy or she's screeching and attacking or crying hysterically.
She was originally written to be very capable and similar to Emma Peel of the Avengers (yes, a couple years before Mrs Peel existed), including her outfit. Then the producers found out Carol Ann Ford was really good at screaming, and decided to make that Susan's dominant trait.
Just a note: The Brigadier first met the Fifth Doctor in Mawdryn Undead, not The Five Doctors. Still a pretty good list, even if my personal order would be a bit different.
precisely! thanks
Tegan should be WAY higher. She was the first to see what The Doctor was becoming-The Oncoming Storm--and she was the first to call him out on it. In effect, for all the "Brave Heart, Tegan", she was the first companion to be the Doctor's conscience. Much like we see with Donna in The Runaway Bride. She was also one of the longest serving Classic Who companions.
Tegan was great. The template for Donna but more gritty and loyal.
This is a brilliant observation, I love it. I hadn't considered this, but it makes 100% sense, and I'd have no problem buying it as a direct influence to the modern era.
yeah, but she also was willing to abandon Nyssa, the Doctor and Adric in Four to Doomsday. she stole the TARDIS to help earth, yes, but leaving them there like that was cold. she had her great moments, of course. i don't hate her, or anything, but i just can't forget that.
Tegan was aggravating - always complaining about something and never happy about anything.
@@philadelphiawhovian5641 let's be honest though, Tegan has always been more fight than flight. Out of all the companions, she was one of the few to take initiative in some pretty extreme ways, like how she stole the Tardis because she wanted to warn earth. She stole a truck to save the Doctor and Adric from some g-men. She gave the Doctor Omega's location against threat of death. And she pretty much volunteered to fight the Cybermen in place of the more cowardly guard. Also her first reaction to seeing the Master was to throw a knife at him.
Seriously, Tegan was just too passionate and would kill for her friends
How is Leela at 12, easily one of the best.
Also how did the brigadier qualify as a companion, he was a guest star and the doctors boss for a while.
Ace will always be my favourite classic companion because she could hand herself and was like the doctor's partner in crime while also learning from the 7th doctor. Plus she wasnt screaming all the time and wasnt being kidnapped by the villain constantly. The 7th Doctor and Ace were like a prototype 9th Doctor and Rose without the love undercurrent and i think that makes it them better
Theirs was more a father daughter love, or teacher student love ( the non creepy kind).
They were kind of creepy not Dr. Bashir creepy
@@mshearman715 roflmao
Did you ever watch any of the Baker/Leela episodes? Leela was the original badass partner (ummm companion)
@@kennethbrown1919 only all of them. Ace however, was closer to my own age.
Call yourself a Doctor Who fan? "Traken" was always, on the show, pronounced as TRAH-ken, not TRAY-ken. Sounds to me like you didn't watch it much at all. This was an important time as the Master came back from a decomposing lump by taking over Nyssa's father's body (Anthony Ainley) - on Traken.
Nyssa recognised the Master as her father, and it was in the Master's TARDIS she went to Logopolis.
And it's less notable, but the lady Romana II based her appearance on is Astra of Atrios, not Astrid of Astros
Nyssa's Father was called Tremas. Obviously at the time we never gave it a thought but a bigger clue couldn't be more clear really
@@geoffroi-le-Hook gatekeeping doctor who?
@@andrewdrabble8939 It pains me to admit it, but I never spotted that back then😆 Logopolis was such a gut punch after so many years with Tom Baker.
Ace -- a sixteen-year-old rebel who invented Nitro-9 (blowing up several space-ships), took down an entire squad of Cybermen with a slingshot, and was responsible for two Dalek deaths and two Dalek maimings without any prior experience (before taking down yet another in Power of the Doctor), and that's just the start of her long list of notables. Due to 7th Doctor being a manipulative schemer and anti-violence advocate, Ace is his proverbial weapon when no other option presents itself. "It's never fine to blow stuff up. Sometimes, sadly, it's the only solution".
Peri & Tegan deserve to be much higher than they are. Peri was a brilliant companion & despite a rough start she had a great relationship with the 6th doctor and one of the most tragic endings. I think people chose to disregard the companions of the 5th/6th doctors & it's a shame really.
Quite right.
I wasn't really a fan of Peri. After all of the complex female companions in the past that directly affected the stories they were a part of, Peri didn't really do anything but freak out and run away. Plus, her fake American accent was incredibly grating.
@@Jordan3DS But my god she had a great rack!
@@Jordan3DS but she had a couple of good points
@@paulkroczek4524 What good points do you think she had?
Justice for Adric
In my version of Earthshock Adric manage to crack and disable the cybermens control on Briggs freighter and steers it from hitting the prehistoric earth restoring the original history where the earth collided with the meteorite then stay with Fifth Doctor and Nyssa and Tegan
Amen!!!!
@@mekhimays9599 What a cool Timeline!❤
@@misss.o.j. in my version of Doctor Who The Daleks master plan: Katarina of Troy and Bret Vyon, Sara Kingdom survived and stayed with the first doctor and Steven Taylor
@@mekhimays9599 Well yours is better then 🍀❤💖🙌🏻 and I can't wait to see all the Doctor's episodes, I haven'tnseen many of Troughton's or Pertwee's, and I don't see why any companion has to die if we have creative Time solutions!!!!
How can you have Kamelion on this list but not K9 that makes no sense seeing as K9 was 10 times more of a companion than Kamelion ?
Yes, they are both robots, and K-9 was much more likeable than Kamelion for one
Proof of how forgettable Harry Sullivan is... you called him Steven Taylor at the end of the video
This video could really use some fact-checking.
I don't have a problem with Sullivan. His character existed when the Fourth Doctor was going to be an old man again like Hartnell. He was there to do "young man stuff". When they hired Tom Baker, Sullivan became kind of pointless, so he drifted off.
Was just about to comment this.
Poor Harry. Made me laugh in carnival of monsters.
Harry was always one of my favourite companions... so wonderfully unflappable, he just took everything in stride and remained utterly positive. I really enjoyed his character.
Kamelion gets a spot but K-9 doesn't? I guess I understand but still seems harsh for the robo-pup
Without even watching I bet the list starts with Adric and ends with Sarah Jane Smith.
Yep. And it should clearly run from Tegan to Leela.
adric did NOT die trying to save the human race (and kind of doing so) just for everyone to call him whiny and annoying !!! i've watched all of season 19 (my favourite) and adric did often play the villain, but unknowingly, which did make me feel for him. he's also meant to be a teenager. i will defend adric til i die ! >:)
He was my first crush when I was like 12 so he'll always have a soft spot in my heart.
I mean c'mon. Boy was cute, you gotta admit that.
@@greyladybast true!
Shame he got eaten by a dinosaur 😂🦕
@@joeswift403 Lol, Earthshock Part 5
I loved it when Sarah and the 10th Dr met. It was probably one of those he greatest moments in TV and both actors were amazing in their portrayal
Would have placed Leela at #2 but no-one could have been #1 other than Sarah-Jane. Elisabeth Sladen was a gift to the fans and to the Whoniverse.
Except maybe K-9
Leela is also high on my list as well. Threatening to cut out someone's heart endeared her to me.
For me it's: Leela, the Brigadier, Jamie, Romana I, Zoe... Harry Sulivan... Sarah Jane? Or something like that. I like Elisabeth Sladen's performance, but despite moments of pluck and initiative for Sarah Jane, she was forced into role of a helpless female too many times (screaming and needing to be saved), and that just gets boring. I understand why people like her as a companion, but the idea that she's the very best out of all of them never made any sense to me.
Leeeeela!!!!
@@stuffyouotterlistento1461I feel the same!
Adric had some problems, but he also had some interesting ideas in his character background, was frequently helpful to the plots, and had a powerful exit. I have trouble ranking him below Mel (one-note and inconsistently written), Kamelion (cool idea, but never really worked out), or Katarina (one-note and just in a few eps).
Good list. For Adric it wasn't that the doctor didnt want to save him, he couldnt the Cyberleader had shot the tardis console and damaged it. Whats funny is that when Peter says the line "the consoles damaged" you can clearly tell he's trying his best not to laugh and his voice goes a bit funny because of it. Now i would of had leela higher up on the list , defo in my top 5 . Oh and leela is a human. other than that spot on.
I just wish new who would stop having companions from modern times its getting boring. It needs something like leela or jamie. Someone from the past or distant future where they join the doctor to learn etc. Every companion now becoming pretty much the same. The only 2 that stand out really is Donna and Graham.
I disagree. For me it's Clara and Graham.
Really Graham was the only good companion of the modern Doctor.
I agree though that we need companions that aren't from modern times however.
We need to see another Jamie or another Adrick. I don't mean those characters in specific.
Also I'd like to see The Time Meddler again seeing as he's a Timelord that got stranded on Earth so he would be the last of the Timelords now that The Doctor is supposedly from a celestial/immortal universe; unless that is of course The Rani, a Time Lady, wasn't on Gallifrey when The Master destroyed it.
It seems the BBC completely forgot about The Time Meddler, The Rani, the original K-9 and the Gallifreyans outside of the big city whom aren't Timelords themselves.
I'd like to see an episode where The Doctor goes back to the outskirts of Gallifrey's capitol and finds an old building where the original K-9 was assembled into a super computer that operates the whole facility and end with The Doctor finally returning K-9 to its owner as promised.
Props to Janet and Sarah for carrying the emotional weight of Adric's death scene
Adric is great, if you hate him, you're a monster
@@vintagetails1030 if Clara had left when she was supposed to in series 8 xmas special I would of agreed, but series 9 just ruined the character for me.
I would love for the time meddler to return on screen.
@@oneofmanyintheworld he was alright but he so whiney, kinda perfect example. I just find it funny that Peter just couldn't keep himself from laughing in that last scene before the crash
Sean dude. Leela was human. she was Leela of the Sevateem hence Survey team.
also the fifth Doctor met the Brig in Mordren Undead and Steven Tailer never met Sarah Jane
Thanks, I was trying to figure out how say all this myself! Someone needs to start fact-checking these videos!
@@NicholasKaufmann no problem :-) glad I can help. But you do wonder sometimes. I mean they do do great content however you would think that they would as you say fact check a bit closer
Hey! Dammit, that is on me. I take responsibility for this! And in particular, Steven Taylor - ugh, I knew he wasnt in Genesis, that's a complete mind fart on my part!
@@sean.ferrick hey dude :-) no problem. I hate pointing out errors and inconsistencies in peoples videos. So don’t think that I was trying to troll or cause offence. :-) It’s all good I just wanted to let you know and also those fans who might be wanting to start the show :-) just out of curiosity what is your opinion on the current era of the show?
I.e. Jodi Whitaker and Chibbs. also Romana is in the time war too. she ends her time trapped by Rassilon but i'll let you find out how. :) also Zoe has resolution in the companion chronicles
@@BlindTimeLord not at all, no offence taken and thank you! For the current Who, I do like how ambitious it is. It takes a lot to say they're going to shake everything up, I appreciate that a lot. I think it has stumbled, but so has every era you know? Thanks again!
Oh Sarah Jane...thinking of her fills me with joy and sadness. I knew she had to be #1. I think I was 8 or 9 when I first saw Doctor Who and I fell into a crush with her as much as any little kid could have. It never stopped, when she rejoined 10 I literally wept with joy, she defined everything a companion at their best should be. Ms. Sladen you are always missed by myself and millions of other. RIP ...
😽🙏
So then Donna WASN'T the first companion to forget the doctor? DAMN that busy blew my mind
you forgot bret vyon and sara kingdom for the first doctor, they both died in the same serial, the dalek's master plan. then there were captain mike yates and sergeant john benton for the third doctor when he was stuck on earth. of course we can never forget k-9.
I’m sorry but Adric should’ve been way higher in my opinion. Especially when compared to Kamelion who was only in like what 1 serial and couple of episodes. Like I knew Adric died and I shedded a tear when his death came.
One of those ask twenty people and you'll get 22 answer type lists, and I won't say anyone is wrong. Thank you for sharing yours.
As always, thank you so very much for your video.
Is all the mispronunciation deliberate trolling? There’s just so much. Vislor Turlough was never known as ‘Vislor’, everyone called him Turlough. Nyssa “of Traken”? Rose of Earth? Also, it’s pronounced Trar-Ken (like Dalek).
Please get someone to present who’s actually watched it.
You have your own TARDIS. You must choose one classic companion to help you and be with you forever. Who would you choose? 1. Romana 2 Beauty brains and a TimeLord. You can't top that
K9, Sgt. Benton, and Cpt. Yates are crying in a corner somewhere.
so true!
Benton and Yates were never companions they never traveled with him
@@MephProduction Liz didn't either
@@MephProduction i could be mistaken, but i believe that Benton traveled with the doctor in the Three Doctors. but i could be mistaken. if so, my bad.
@@evildeathcuddles886 Well she was hired as his assistant, the other's were not.
My boys Adric and Turlogh got done dirty here :( Remember as a kid I loves both their characters. Great vid though legends
Great video - particularly love the little additional bits of canon you add in. No list is ever going to be agreed by all fans but I do agree with most comments here that there are a couple of odd choices, most notably Ian and Barbara treated as one but Ben and Polly as two, and Kamelion over K9 is a bizarre choice, but a great video nonetheless!
Sara Jane, Leela and K-9 were and will always be my fav doctor companions. No one else comes close.
Plus ACE and I agree
Leela is my #1, K-9 too as they kind of go together. Sara was written a little too much as a Lois Lane sometimes, but iconic of course. Harry was great and left too soon I thought.
I would have loved to see Paul McGann actually get a season or two, I thought he showed promise
why does everyone hate turlough so much!? hes one of my favs. he brakes the companion template in the best way possible in being an alien who started as a villain! u should admit hes atleast good isnt he?
Thank you, I agree! I like Turlough and think he should get much more credit for being so different and for having an interesting character arc. Plus, Mark Strickson, the actor who plays him, is an incredibly cool guy.
Turlogh has a rough introduction, that he's an alien is not make that clear.
And he under used for the next few storys, Terminus has him sit in an air vent for most of it.
I definitely would have ranked Turlough higher. Although, I do admit that my hormones could be a factor-I was a teenage girl when I saw him rescue Peri in the ocean off Lanzarote, and he was smokin’ hot!
Also, Vislor is his title, not his first name... as I recall from Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma he was actually of a noble caste sent away to Earth as punishment. Not necessarily his fault, though; the ruler hated all Clansmen.
Yep Sarah Jane hands down. I grew up through the seventies. John pertwee was my earliest doctor. Tom baker to me is still the doctor and Sarah Jane the companion. What amazed me was when she turned up in the tenth doctor and the Sarah Jane adventures, she’d hardly changed. Sarah Jane, always remembered Elisabeth Sladen.
We must be a similar age! Pertwee was my first Doctor but I took more to Tom Baker, but it took a bit of time to adjust. When Sarah-Jane turned up, I loved her immediately! Partially because my middle name is the same (only with a Y in it lol). It's funny how kids pick up on things like that.
Another great vid, BUT…. Nyssa of “Trayken”? No. “Weng Chee-ang”? No. If you’re going to present a 25 minute video about all this stuff that you seemingly know so much about, please learn to pronounce names and references correctly. Also, Leela travelled “primarily with the fourth Doctor”? “Primarily” suggests she also travelled with another Doctor. She didn’t.
Yeah, too many bad pronunciations, the sort of thing one hears from Americans, who often think "they discovered Doctor Who".
By far, I feel Peri had the most traumatic experience with the Doctor. From getting strangled to getting abandoned by the Doctor on Thoros Beta to having her mind annihilated to save Kiv. Imagine how terrifying that would be.
Yeah, I know the Inquisitor says she was saved and there are EU stories with her post-Mindwarp. It undercuts the tragedy of her storyline. How did she avoid becoming a complete mess? Anyway... My head canon says she died.
At what time stamp is Peri mentioned. I didn't see her in the video. She was one of my favorites as well
I will imagine that the doctor DOES check in in these people from time to time off screen.
Quite surprised you put in Katarina but not Sara Kingdom. Her death scene was pretty disturbing, yet as a companion she had so much potential.
From what I saw, her death was hard to imagine. Either die from a Cyberman... or die and take the Cyberman out with her. Actually, she saved the Doctor. Sure at her expense.
In my version of The Daleks Master Plan, Katarina of Troy and Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom never died and lived on as companions of the First Doctor
I kind of disagree about Jamie having romantic feelings for Zoe. I think he definitely had some romantic feelings for Victoria, but I always saw his and Zoe’s relationship as more like an older brother and sister.
Totally agree. This guy has either seen no older Who or very little. Fraser Hines may have had wandering hands but Jamie was fairly innocent.
Jamie McCrimmon: The Highlanders to The Invasion of Time
Victoria Waterfield: Evil of The Daleks to The Hand of Fear
Zoe Heriot: The Wheel In Space to The Hand of Fear
@@mekhimays9599 Wasn't Zoe's last appereance in The War Games?
@phantomquartz0586 in my version of Doctor Who The War Games: Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom went back to the year 4000, and Ben Jackson, Polly Wright back to 1966 by the Time Lords while Jamie McCrimmon and Victoria Waterfield, Zoe Heriot stayed with the Doctor during his exile
Nice to see that Sarah Jane Smith was listed as the number one companion of classic Who. Actually even if you included new Who she still would be number one. No other companion even came close to how close she became to the time lord without romance or infatuation playing a role. Out of all the companions Sarah Jane Smith was the one missed by The Doctor the most and as stated was the only companion whom The Doctor actually acknowledged as his best friend. The feeling was mutual for the fans as well for the late Elizabeth Sladen who portrayed Sarah Jane Smith in both classic and new Who.
So true in every way.
Agreed.
A friend yes possibly a secret friend because he didn't even mention her to Rose not even once.
Have you watched any Jamie episodes?
@@jam-the-hologram You mean the Scottish male companion of the classic Second Doctor? Yes...I've viewed some. And your point?
Fun fact, Sarah Jane has met nine incarnations of the Doctor; First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Tenth, and Eleventh.
Good to see Ace and the Brig in the top 3. I also agree that the 2 Romanas are a dead even tie and deserve the top 10 ranking.
The Doctor Who Universe totally blew it when it failed to drop the Tardis at my house and pick me up .
I would have been ‘difficult’
Sarah-Jane, Jo and Leela were all I saw and found all three entirely delightful. The Colonel was a great addition to the shows as well. Thanks for the vid.
The chemistry between Sarah Jane Smith and Tom Baker was out of this world
The aunt the Master killed was Tegan's. If the Master was responsible for killing any of Nyssa's family members besides what happened to her father then it would be Nyssa's stepmother. (just correcting that since Nyssa and Tegan were in the same timeframe it can be easy to mix up).
Not counting Rose and Rory from NuWho, who are in my top 5 list of favorite companions of all time, mine are, from most favorite: Dorothy "Ace" McShane, Jamie McCrimmon, Sarah Jane Smith, Leela of the Sevateem and Brigadier Aleister Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (although he's more of a friend than companion).
Did you know it was Jamie, not Sarah Jane, who was with the Doctor the longest? Jamie was in more episodes, if we're just looking at classic DW.
I'm sure others have said this, but Sarah Jane's traveling with Dr Harry Sullivan in "Genesis of the Daleks", not Steve Taylor.
Kamelion should always be in last place. Unwatchable! Adric had a great death in a great serial that alone moves him up past Kamelion.
Including Chameleon and not K-9 is criminal. K-9 had a longer tenure on the TARDIS team than almost any other companion. You also forgot Sarah Kingdom. If you count Katarina, you need to count Sarah Kingdom.
Just as a teen age boy growing up, Nyssa was always my number one companion.... I get the love for Leela, but something about Nyssa was always my favorite..
After saying that, the fact is that Sarah Jane is hands down number one, classic, new who, period. If you are going to include Lethbridge then he's number two and again it doesn't matter new who or classic, he covers the field. After that, as a guy who grew up mostly with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th doctors... I might disagree with some of the list (ace at number two is truly wrong, Leela or Romana would go there for me personally or heck Tegan)
Turlough was great and one of the best. He deserves to be higher. He had one of most complicated relationships with the Doctor and it's really fascinating.
I would not have put Jo Grant so far down the list. As a young boy I had a crush on Jo, she was probably the second best companion to the 3rd Doctor
Jo was the first Dr Who companion I can remember.
My personal favorite was Ace, but even I would have screamed foul if #1 was anybody but Sarah Jane Smith.
I was surprised by my reaction as a 40 something year old man blubbing like a child the day Elisabeth Sladen's death was on the news.
Nice to see you Shawn on 'another' channel! And I love the list and agree on the rankings as I started watching Doctor Who in 1971 With The 3rd Doctor and MET the 5th Doctor at a Doctor Who Con in Miami in the Mid 70s!
There are some missing in your list: Benton, Yates and K-9. And Romana's two incarnations are of course two counts.
And Grace Holloway isn't a Classic Doctor Who companion, she appeared in the 1996 TV movie which was between the classic and the modern show.
All I can hear is Hartnell saying "CHESTERTON!"
Rumors of Dodo's demise are greatly non-canonical.
Were Ben and Polly just names they used instead of John and Jane Doe? Because it seems like they were just stand-ins for "male companion" and "female companion" when they didn't know which actors were going to be around. They had no distinguishing characteristics or personalities at all, other than acting constantly annoyed. This vid sums it up perfectly: Polly was the one who accepted Patrick was the doctor and Ben was the one who was skeptical. That was the beginning and end of their character arcs. Which, to be fair to Ben, the doctor didn't just look different, he had a different personality, seemingly little memory of being the doctor, and kept referring to the doctor in the third person.
I can't get behind combining both Romanadvoratrelundars into one entry.
Oh dear...you guys REALLY need to check the facts of the fiction of ''Doctor Who''. SO many mistakes, not just little ones either!!! (Also, Liz Shaw at number 20???? She was WAY better than that! :) )
I didn’t particularly like Liz. I thought she was a bit snooty. So, I actually have no problem with her ranking.
Technically, if you were to include K-9, you'd need to do it thrice: 1) K-9 MKI, left with Leela; 2) K-9 MKII,; Romana"s in e-space; and 3) MKIII left with Sarah (The Five Doctors).
And you ignored Chang Lee (1996 movie) & Sara Kingdom (Daleks' Master Plan) entirely.
I really expected to see "Sara Kingdom" on here, just in general, but particularly after seeing "Katarina." It's kind of odd to omit "Kingdom" since they both died in the same story/battle with "The Daleks"...
Chang Lee wasn't his companion, he was more like the Master's lackey. Sure, the Doctor says bye to him at the end, but other than that all he did was get the Doctor killed, rob him, and then almost help the Master steal the Doctor's regenerations.
Give me back companions like Jamie, Leela, Ace, Sarah Jane, and Romana in New Who.
Modern attractive girls that fall in love with the Doctor got stale long long ago.
Give me a Tardis group of all the same gender male or female that has no romantic side story.
Give me companions from the past who are filled with wonder as they travel.
Give me someone from the future but has a hard time interacting with people from the past due to cultural differences.
Give me just a straight up alien species companion for all the humor that would bring when returning to modern earth.
Just for gods sake get off the modern day earth girl love fest.
(Oh and actually develop them as characters too)
I mean Rose and Martha are the only modern companions that were attractive girls who fell love with the Doctor. Well ok River Song too, but she's not young and not entirely human.
Give us someone not from early 21st Century England.
@@crazypomp927 Amy practically tried to rape the Doctor in her second episode then had a love triangle subplot going until her wedding.
Clara had to be told by the Doctor after he regenerated that he wasn’t her boyfriend.
Though I do see this as more meta to the audience to get them over the whole older Doctor rather than younger attractive ones.
Still there were plenty of instances of Clara seeming to be at the least very attracted to Smiths Doctor.
@@HogW1ld385 When 12 tells Clara he's not her boyfriend, recall the dialogue that follows. Clara says she never thought he was he was her boyfriend, and the Doctor says, "I never said you did." The Doctor incorrectly viewed himself as being her boyfriend of sorts (minus the sexy time), and his statement was his own admission that he shouldn't have viewed their relationship that way. Clara's exchange with Madame Vastra earlier in that episode also established very firmly and clearly that Clara did not have romantic feelings for The Doctor.
@@crazypomp927 Bad word choice on my part saying “had to be told”.
But there were many instances of Clara seeming to be attracted to Smith and even flirting.
Ex: calling the TARDIS a snog box in Bells of St John, admitting she “ran off with a man from space because I really fancy” (covers mouth and looks at Doctor embarrassed) while in the truth field on Trenzalore.
As for her denial to Vastra and the Doctor don’t forget that part of Claras character is being a control freak so it’s very in character for her to have been lying to them about not being attracted to him to try and keep control and not admit her fault in liking him.
I honestly like Mel not going to lie
Also though Liz was pretty nice, just didn't last that long
I think Peri was nice, however everything else was just... Wrong
Nyssa is also incredibly underrated
WHY IS TEGAN THAT LOW
WHY IS GRACIE ABOVE LEA
I’ll always be totally in love with Tehran, I cannot lie. She was put through hell and came back for more. But I’ve wondered, when she wakes up screaming, how long would it take for me to help her get settled down?
*TEGAN!! How many times do I have to override that goddamn spellcheck?!?
Tegan should be swapped with Adric! I despised her and just waited for her to get left every episode.
@@cate5029 nah man, Tegan was really cool!
@@craiganderson7986 hey, did you know Tegan actually met the 6th doctor in a kids charity special? I can give you the link if needed
Excellent list and great summation of all the classic DrWho companions. Pretty much agree with the ratings, although I'd probably put Harry Sullivan in the top 10, because from ROBOT through TERROR OF THE ZYGONS I feel Dr#4, Sarah Jane and Harry were one of the greatest TARDIS teams ever.
Can't argue with Sarah Jane as top companion. Even though I liked the Jo Grant / Dr#3 match, truthfully, Sarah Jane was the best companion for Dr#3, and by far the best companion for Dr#4. Some say Liz Sladen's SJS is always rated so highly because she was simply lucky to come along at the genuine golden age of DrWho in Seasons 11,12,13, & 14. In my opinion FWIW, the presence of Liz Sladen as SJS is one of the main reasons that Season's 11,12,13 & 14 were the golden age of DrWho!
When you put Chad Turlough below literally every other 5 companion, you know you’ve messed up.
It's Vislor Turlough not Chad but I agree, I stopped watching at 2:11
Oh come on! Every list always puts Jamie as the true archetype for companions and is the longest serving. He deserved higher.
When it came to Sarah-Jane I had a tear in my eye. She does deserve to be number 1 on this list.
Brilliant. I think you managed that list to near perfection. I was there for episode one of Doctor Who and have loved every episode since (with a few notable exceptions). Totally agree with your top 3. I absolutely adored Sarah Jane but also loved the feistiness of Ace.
Sarah Jane traveled with Harry Sullivan in Genesis of the Daleks.
Whatever others may think I actually liked Adric. He, Nyssa, and Tegan were my first true companions as the 5th is the Doctor when I really started watching. So to me those 3 have a special place for me as does Peter Davison as the 5th.
Harry is another of my favorite companions. It really is a matter of opinion I think and everyone's list will be somewhat different. But that's what's cool about the Doctor. We can all have our favorite and worst but it's all in good fun.
I don't know if this has been done by your channel but I'd love a list of the actors and actresses that are still with us.
I was heart broken when Elisabeth Sladen passed away. I recall, too, that Ian Marter passed away years ago...far too young. I read he, Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen were good friends and he really was a kind man.
Totally agree with Ace and SJS at the top spots.
Surprised moany old misery guts Tegan isn’t lower down the list!
Sara Kingdom? I know she only lasted one story, but The Programme Guide, Terrestrial Index and Universal Database from the late 1980s considered her a companion.
Missing Sara Kingdom and K-9 is just wrong. I want a recount.
Good point. "The Dalek Masterplan" was a twelve-part serial. and she & Kartiana's only appearance was in this storyline (not to mention they both DIED in this story)!
Sara Kingdom is the companion that was never intended to be a companion. As I hear it now, she was always fated to die at the end of Master Plan.
I feel like we're missing a few companions.
Oh y'bastard, ye did it again. That wee pause before saying Sarah Jane Smith just broke me.
Can we get a fan to present these?
I love Harry Sullivan! He was on the show when I started watching (on PBS in the early 80's), and, as a young teen, I was lucky enough to meet Ian Marter. He was a lovely man.
What, not even one mention of K9? The one companion the Doctor resurrected (well, rebuilt) three times over?
Sarah Jane Smith - Best Companion of Classic Doctor Who
Sarah Jane Smith - Best Companion of New Doctor Who (School Reunion)
Sarah Jane Smith - Best central character of a spin-off series named after her.
Remember the Jo Grant Adventures? The Ace Adventures? The Tegan Adventures? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
No, didn’t think so.
Elisabeth Sladen - I fell in love with you as a young lad and years later, I remained in love with you for the iconic portrayal of Sarah Jane Smith. Rest in peace, sweet lady.
Also: Best central character of a spin-off series named after a tin dog instead of her that never went past the pilot.
ok, I started watching this and made it 3 minutes before I'm going to give up. The doctor didn't refuse to save Adric he couldn't, and while I didn't like Adric, he is a way better companion that Dodo or Camelion. But then Camelion was taken over by the Mara? Is that an extended universe book that I missed as the only person who was taken over... TWICE... by the mara was Tegan, not Camelion, he doesn't even show up until after the second Mara episode. Love the videos, but please, do your research better.
Isn't it "Kamelion"? I've never seen a Dodo episode but I would definitely put Adric above Kamelion. (Apparently, one of the two people responsible for developing the animatronics died, so the reason for the failure is tragic - but it was still a failure.)
Thank you! Who voted on this? Why do people hate Adric? I really liked the character and would put him at 15! (I found Peri Brown annoying!) Plus Susan Forman should be up higher! I stopped watching the show ... so i guess I only saw Ace for a while and did not like her. For me she would be below Adric!
Kamilion ranked higher than Adric?
Adric is not has bad as everyone makes out. He had a good story arc as his personality improved through his travels. He made mistakes but also redeemed himself a few times. He was brave.
Kamilion wasn’t actually a companion though, right? He was just something the forgot about in the broom cupboard then he came out for his last outing before expiring (shrinking)
I definitely agree with your #1 choice! (Yes, I am annoyed that you left off K-9.)
Thing about Kameleon is that tragically the man who built him died in a boating accident and took the secrets of how the robot operated with him. Very sad (and shortsighted not to have a backup plan but I suppose you can’t really say “what happens if you die?” in the middle of a negotiation).
For me the absolute pits was Dodo. No disrespect to Jackie Lane but the producers cared that little that they had her doing different accents in different stories (easier to pick out now that we have them on video) and the interesting events you describe at the end of her life actually didn’t happen on screen, they were in books - the character actually left in the middle of The War Machines, went to stay with a family to recuperate by being taken over by Wotan and then Ben just explains she’s not coming back before he and Polly get into the Tardis.
You really get the feeling that by that stage it was all about contractual obligation as far as the producers were concerned - get an episode out of the door and forget it.
I don't really consider the members of UNIT as companions, and Stewart was more like the Doctor's boss. Generally though, a good list.
What, Talons of Weng-Chiang is one of the best stories ever
i've never watched classic who so hearing about how unique the companions used to be is so fascinating. one of my biggest complaints about the show now is that all the companions seem to just be modern-day humans when there are so many more possibilities.
It may be a little hard to get used to in the beginning (with the black and white, and many last episodes being audio and pictures) but classic who is very worth it. It's so fun seeing the old effects, and the first time the various enemies appeared.
Definitely gave me a bigger appreciation for the doctor. He was way less broody and more like a fun grandpa
Sarah Jane Smith was my favorite. I fell in love with Mrs. Elisabeth Sladen. It really bothered me when she passed away.