Jackie Tyler, World War Three
They say you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family – and some of the Doctor’s companions would travel to the other end of time to avoid a family reunion. From Jackie Tyler to Lavinia Smith, we have seen some formidable on-screen relatives since 1963 – starting with the Doctor himself. Here’s a list of them – formidable or not.
Some of the companions’ family members have popped up on screen, and there have also been many mentions of relatives that have never appeared.
Vicki – Her mother died in 2493 on Earth, while her father was murdered by Bennett on the planet Dido. (The Rescue)
Dodo – She had a great aunt who she claimed wouldn’t miss her. (The Massacre)
Victoria – Her father claimed she looked just like her late mother at the same age. (The Evil of the Daleks)
The Brigadier – he finally married Doris, but it’s implied the Brig was previously married, to the mother of his daughter, Kate. (The Power of Three)
Jo Grant – Jo’s uncle pulled some strings to get her the job at UNIT. (Terror of the Autons)
Tegan – Her father owned a farm in Australia – which was hardly the Outback, according to Auntie Vanessa. (Logopolis)
Peri – She and her stepfather were on holiday with her mother, who had taken up with a Mrs van Gysegham. (Planet of Fire)
Mickey – Mickey’s mum couldn’t cope after he was born and after his dad ‘wandered off’ he was brought up by his gran. (Rise of the Cybermen) His mum obviously remained a part of his life, as Rose worried about how she would tell her that Mickey had died during the Auton invasion. (Rose)
Captain Jack – Jack’s brother, Gray, appears in an episode of spin-off series Torchwood, though he’s never mentioned in Doctor Who.
Lady Christina de Souza – Christina’s aristocratic father lost the family fortune after investing his money in the Icelandic banks. (Planet of the Dead)
Captain Adelaide Brooke – During the Dalek invasion of Earth in 2009, Adelaide Brooke’s father went to search for her missing mother. She never saw her parents again. (The Waters of Mars)
Amy and Rory – In an unmade, but scripted scene, Rory’s father Brian discovers that Amy and Rory adopted a son, Anthony, in 1946. Arthur Darvill recorded a voiceover for this scene which was featured on the BBC Doctor Who website (www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho).
REASONS FOR LEAVING THE DOCTOR
FOUR
A CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS
‘There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought.’
The Doctor, The Moonbase
Yes, we all love the Doctor, but we love the monsters as well. Welcome to the Who-ology catalogue of Cybermen, Daleks and other foul creatures.
MONSTROUS FIRST LINES
First impressions last. If you want to cut it at the top flight of Doctor Who monsters, that all-important dramatic first line is an absolute must.
THE DALEKS
‘You will move ahead of us and follow my directions. This way. Immediately.’ The Daleks
THE CYBERMEN
‘They will not return. It is unimportant now.’ The Tenth Planet
THE ICE WARRIORS
‘Varga.’ The Ice Warriors
THE SILURIANS
‘Why have you come?’ Doctor Who and the Silurians
THE SEA DEVILS
‘This is our planet. My people ruled the Earth when man was only an ape.’ The Sea Devils
THE SONTARANS
‘Peace. Fear not. I shall not harm you.’ The Time Warrior
THE OOD
‘We must feed.’ The Impossible Planet
THE JUDOON
‘Bo so fo do no cro blo co so ro.’ Smith and Jones
THE SILENCE
‘Joy. Her name was Joy. Your name is Amelia. You will tell the Doctor.’ The Impossible Astronaut
ABSENCE OF THE MONSTERS
Right from the start, BBC executives decreed that there should be ‘no bug-eyed monsters’ in Doctor Who. The success of the Daleks just a few short weeks into the programme proved they had been wrong. While it’s almost impossible to imagine Doctor Who without monsters, a large number of stories feature no creatures at all, bug-eyed or otherwise.
RETURNING MONSTERS
‘You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.’
The Doctor, Remembrance of the Daleks
You can’t keep a good monster down. No matter how many times the Doctor defeats them, some aliens just keep coming back for more.
THE SILURIANS
‘They’re not aliens. They’re Earth-liens. Once known as the Silurian race, or, some would argue, Eocenes, or Homo reptilia. Not monsters, not evil. Well, only as evil as you are. The previous owners of the planet, that’s all.’
The Doctor, The Hungry Earth
Millions of years ago, a race of bipedal intelligent reptiles ruled planet Earth. Possessing technology far beyond that of modern man, the Silurians were capable of space flight and developed sophisticated energy weapons. When a rogue planet was discovered entering the solar system, Silurian scientists predicted that the Earth would be ravaged by its passing. While some Silurians ventured into space in huge arks, the majority of Homo reptilia entered cryogenic sleep to escape the cataclysm. The planet, meanwhile, was drawn into Earth’s orbit, becoming the Moon. The Silurians slept on and, in their absence, the apes they had considered vermin evolved into the human race.
The Doctor first encountered the Silurians when a hibernation nest reactivated beneath Wenley Moor in Derbyshire. Disgusted that the very apes that had ravished the crops in prehistoric times had infested their planet, the Silurians unleashed a biological plague designed to wipe humanity from the Earth.
Other Silurian bases were discovered beneath the London of 1888 and the Welsh village of Cwmtaff 132 years later, the latter sent back into cryo-sleep for another thousand years in the hope that humans will be ready to share Earth when the Silurians are finally revived. Peace between the two species will always be difficult, however. A faction of Silurians led by Icthar attempted to provoke a nuclear war between the humans of 2084 to regain control of Earth. It is currently unknown how many dormant Silurian cities lie beneath the surface.