APRIL 2009

This is the latest in the BBC Books line of programme companions that started back in 2005 with Monsters and Villains. Rather than aliens or spacecraft, Steve Tribe’s latest volume covers the Doctor’s various travelling companions throughout the history of

the show. As with all these books, it’s a slim but fact-filled affair, and, above all, beautifully illustrated. And again, like its fellows, it has more to offer younger and newer fans of the show than it does the die-hards, simply because so much of it is known to us already. Still, there are some extra titbits that are news to me – Rosita from The Next Doctor has the surname Farisi, for example. Nonetheless, most of the enjoyment for an old hand comes from seeing all eras of his favourite show brought together in a single volume.

Stretching right from Susan Foreman up to the latest companion, Lady Christina de Souza, this is as up-to-date as it can be. As well as covering each companion’s character in depth, the book acts as an overall story guide to the show, the only one I know of covering both the classic and revived series. An ongoing narrative details each storyline, albeit necessarily briefly, woven in and out of the various characters’ personal histories. Alongside this, each story is briefly summarised with a box-out detailing broadcast dates; writer; number of episodes; Doctor-companion team; and main villains. The only issue with this approach is that the episodes are clumped together seemingly as to how best it looks on the page, rather than specifically by companion, which could be a tad confusing for those having a quick browse at the coffee table – for example, it looks at first glance as if Sally Sparrow appeared in Utopia, simply because this is listed beneath Blink next to her picture. Generally though, the approach is an easy one to follow, with the stories separated into sections by Doctor. We even get a title for the previously nameless 2005 Children in Need special – it’s apparently called Born Again.

Naming the book Companions and Allies allows the inclusion of various characters that

are not generally considered as companions, which saves potential fan arguments – the Brigadier may not really be a ‘companion’ of the Doctor, but no one could argue that he’s

not one of his staunchest allies - and, rightly so, he gets a three page section. Box-out sections detail lesser, but still significant, characters, from Jago and Litefoot to Richard Mace. There are still some odd decisions, in my view – nobody can ever agree as to whether Katarina and Sara Kingdom are companions, but relegating Adam to a minor box-out whilst giving full status to Francine and Tish Jones seems a little strange. Each main entry begins by breaking down the character’s first and last appearances, before telling a little about the actor who played them and something of the creative process behind the character’s conception. Understandably, the latest series get the most attention, with a

great deal of information on Rose, Donna and Martha, and with characters such as Jenny and River Song getting such large boxed sections they may as well have their own full page entries.

The book is as excellently presented as its predecessors. Only the early pages are a little below par, inevitably considering the quality of the images available from the early 1960s. Nonetheless, the main images have been colourised – something that will likely make them more palatable to the kids, although I’d have preferred original monochrome – and there are occasional colour screen snaps of some of the earliest stories. All in all, another fine pack-age for casual and serious fans alike.

Copyright © Daniel Tessier 2009

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