companions

1. After watching all the 7/Ace stories (except the elusive Search Out Space), I was bummed that Ace never got a proper send off. The Cartmel plan had Ace being sent off to Gallifrey to become a Time Lady and the novels she became an intergalactic mercenary. Apparently there's a reference to her in SJA where she's founded a charity named "A Charitable Earth." This is totally lame. It seems like all the companions return to their prior lives, get married, or get killed. Ace was set up to break that pattern. It'd be cool if she returned during the new new season as a game changer.
2. Why did the Doctor reject Lady Christina? He's hung out with thieves in the past, so why not her? I'd like to see her return as well. She would definitely be an action companion. Or having been rejected by the Doctor, mayhap she could become the companion to the new Master? It'd be neat to see him with a sidekick he's not involved in killing.
3. As much as I love pretty human companions, I'd prefer the next one to be something different like a Silurian or a cyber-converted alien. He should share space travel with some new species. The Doctor's personality is established by now so we don't really need a human POV character anymore.

"Search Out Space" is an extra on the Survival DVD.

As for "The Cartmel Plan" as you call it, that would be "Thin Ice" written by Marc Platt (DWM for some reason called it "Ice Time" and that title stuck with a lot of fans, but it's incorrect). McCoy & Sophie just recorded it for Big Finish, and it will be released in April. It contains the whole "Doctor enrolling Ace in the Prydonian Academy" ending and a proper send off to Ace. Cartmel actually had nothing to do with it. He was writing the next story, "Crime of the Century" which would have introduced the next companion Raine, who is a burglar very similar to Lady Christina. "Crime of the Century" will also be a Big Finish audio, despite Cartmel having re-written it into the NA novel "Cat's Cradle: Warhead".

rdks wrote:

"Search Out Space" is an extra on the Survival DVD.

As for "The Cartmel Plan" as you call it, that would be "Thin Ice" written by Marc Platt (DWM for some reason called it "Ice Time" and that title stuck with a lot of fans, but it's incorrect). McCoy & Sophie just recorded it for Big Finish, and it will be released in April. It contains the whole "Doctor enrolling Ace in the Prydonian Academy" ending and a proper send off to Ace. Cartmel actually had nothing to do with it. He was writing the next story, "Crime of the Century" which would have introduced the next companion Raine, who is a burglar very similar to Lady Christina. "Crime of the Century" will also be a Big Finish audio, despite Cartmel having re-written it into the NA novel "Cat's Cradle: Warhead".

Are Big Finish plays part of canon? Just wondering since there's been lots of conflicting stories about how Ace left the Doctor.

DoctorOlly wrote:

Are Big Finish plays part of canon? Just wondering since there's been lots of conflicting stories about how Ace left the Doctor.

That's up to you. They're certainly part of my canon, since it's the original actors.

As for the conflicting stories of Ace leaving, Big Finish is doing this one because it was the one originally planned had the series not been cancelled. The next season (27) was already written and in pre-production when the show was cancelled. Big Finish obtained the rights to scripts and are releasing them this spring/summer. They did the same last year for the 6th Doctor (since an entire season had been written when the show was briefly canceled - when it came back the scripts were abandoned and Trail of a Timelord was hastily thrown together).

It would still be cool to see her reappear after she became a Time Lady (maybe with the Cheetah virus).

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

2. Why did the Doctor reject Lady Christina? He's hung out with thieves in the past, so why not her? I'd like to see her return as well. She would definitely be an action companion.

3. As much as I love pretty human companions, I'd prefer the next one to be something different like a Silurian or a cyber-converted alien. He should share space travel with some new species. The Doctor's personality is established by now so we don't really need a human POV character anymore.

I'm there with you on 2. I thought she would have made a great companion. Didn't like the plot too much, but really loved her character and how she was written. I just got the feeling that since it was an isolated special, chances of her becoming a regular were slim.

3. Sometimes I think the BBC will never get out of the mindset that they don't need a human POV companion. I'd be happy if they just gave him a companion that could give him a run for his money intelligence wise again (hello, Zoe, Liz, Romana, Nyssa...), a true alien would be even better. If they go alien, I think they would still dumb it down so you still have someone the Doc has to explain things to (gotta love the lowest common denominator approach to the audience), and of course go off and get into trouble so the Doc has to save them. Again. And Again.

I would imagine Lady Christina never had a chance because Michelle Ryan had no interest in it. I think she would have been a very interesting companion. And I would nominated her for the hot companion thread!

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

3. As much as I love pretty human companions, I'd prefer the next one to be something different like a Silurian or a cyber-converted alien. He should share space travel with some new species. The Doctor's personality is established by now so we don't really need a human POV character anymore.

I would love something like this. Kroton would be great! I always thought Chan-tho would have been cool!

Does Michelle Ryan really not want a recurring part? Her career hasn't really taken off so that she couldn't make time for it. She's worked with Moffat before on Jekyll.

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

Does Michelle Ryan really not want a recurring part? Her career hasn't really taken off so that she couldn't make time for it. She's worked with Moffat before on Jekyll.

Who knows, just a guess, but at the time, there was no series, just a few specials left, so it isn't like the role had much of a future.

There's supposed to be a classic companion returning in Neil Gaiman's episode. Shall we place bets on who?

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

There's supposed to be a classic companion returning in Neil Gaiman's episode. Shall we place bets on who?

Intriguing... hmm.. even though I would love to see Liz, they've done too many of the 3rd Doc already.

Heh, my vote would go to Peri, so they can refute that alleged marriage to Ycarnos

If Ace ever returned to the show to make her Cartmel masterplan or the New Adventures growth into TV canon, should Sophie Aldred reprise her role or should they recast her with an actress that could emulate her circa 1987?

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

If Ace ever returned to the show to make her Cartmel masterplan or the New Adventures growth into TV canon, should Sophie Aldred reprise her role or should they recast her with an actress that could emulate her circa 1987?

It isn't like Sophie has ever distanced herself from the series. I would hope she would, I like the tough,time traveling Ace from NA, I would love to see her meet up with 11.

Yeah, I gather she read and loved the NAs back in the 90s. She often commented on how she enjoyed seeing the charater develop in the novels.

I think the problem with Lady Christina is the same problem with why they never brough Jenny (the Doctor's daughter) back. She is too strong a character. Before Amy Pond, most companions needed saving. they didn't fight, think, or talk their ways out of situations.

It's great for a one-off story (I loved the Planet of the Dead), however, having the companion save the day all the time really makes the main character (the Doctor) look lame (Amy Pond). Don't get me wrong, I would love to see some returns: Lady Christina, Jenny, even Martha and Mickey. However, a true companion needs to learn and grow, and even get stronger. If they are strong enough to save themselves, why do we even need the Doctor around? (Amy Pond).

Doctor Who has had plenty of strong & competent companions: Jamie, Leela, Ace, Romana, Rose, Jack, River, Rory, Martha, Amy. A companion should contribute to resolving the conflict. If all they do is get themselves captured, what's the point of getting to know them? The Doctor could kidnap any schmuck & throw them out as an expendable decoy while he does all the work. The Doctor is a really a living Deus Ex Machina so having a companion that can do their share of day-saving is useful to distract viewers from The Doctor's nigh-omnipotence.
Amy does grow as a companion. She's obsessive because she gets a taste of the fantastic as a child but then loses it just as quick. This adds to her abandonment issues from being orphaned & she compensates for it with narcissism. By taking her along, Amy is able to experience her fantasy life firsthand. This leads her to help people beyond herself & makes her less self-centered by realizing how much she loves Rory. In the end she's able to fit comfortably back into the real world. He saves her from becoming the the mad embittered lonely woman we saw in The Girl Who Waited. It's kind of like the Doctor apologizing for how he treated Martha (emotionally neglecting her & letting her fend for herself in dangerous situations she's not prepared for.)