ENTRY POINTS

Five of the More unusual companion debuts

Romana “The ribos operation”

(1978)

usually – though not always (see also Dodo, Adric) – the Doctor chooses who travels with him. but snooty Time lady Romana is foisted upon him by the White Guardian (a sort of personification of universal order) to assist in his quest for the Key to Time. Tom baker looked about as happy with the situation as the Doctor was…

Turlough “Mawdryn Undead”

(1983)

Seemingly a human schoolboy but actually an exile from the planet Trion, Turlough joined the TARDIS crew as an assassin – recruited by the evil black Guardian, on a promise of being returned home. Thankfully the cowardly custard never quite had the gumption to brain the Doctor with a rock.

mel “the trial of a time lord”

(1986)

The bonkers thing about the Sixth Doctor’s first encounter with bonnie langford’s Mel is that we never see it! Instead, she’s introduced in footage of a future adventure, presented as evidence in his trial. Five episodes later the two mangle the timeline by going off in the TARDIS before they’ve actually met!

Amy “The eleventh hour”

(2010)

The post-regenerative Eleventh Doctor tucks into a “delicious” meal of fish fingers and custard with Amelia Pond when she’s just seven, then royally screws things up by returning to take her away in the TARDIS 12 years later instead of the promised five minutes. It’s no wonder she turned out such a mardy-arse.

Clara “The bells of saint John” – Probably

(2013)

First seen in “Asylum Of The Daleks” (sort of), except not really, and again in “The Snowmen” (sort of), except not really, because later she jumps into this column of light which… look, it’s all a bit complicated, and explaining it properly would probably require a series of flowcharts on overhead projector slides. ian Berriman