I've Got a Friend Who Specializes in Trouble

What a solid month of 'Doctor Who' blogging needs most is an audience!

Like the Doctor himself, what good are antics across space and time without someone to stand beside you going "Cor! Blimey! What's all this, then?"

In William Hartnell's era as The Doctor, that was Susan, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Steven, Katarina, Sara, and Dodo. (We'll ignore John and Gillian here and leave Ben and Polly for later. If you count the novels and comics, the first doctor had 19 companions! When did he find time to meet all those historical figures with such a crowded TARDIS?)

SUSAN FOREMAN- "The Unearthly Child" Teen telepath from the Doctor's planet. Posing as a London student while stranded in 1963, Susan attracted the attention of her teachers by living in a junkyard with her Grandfather (The Doctor). Susan was uncannily good at math and science, but had all the charming naivety of the homeschooled. She came up with the name TARDIS. The first companion, she was also the first to depart via the cliche of falling in love virtually offscreen. The Doctor dropped her off in the 22nd Century to marry the Dalek Resistance fighter David Campbell.

IAN CHESTERTON & BARBARA WRIGHT- "The Establishment" Susan's science and history teachers, kidnapped from 1963 by the Doctor to ensure their silence regarding his whereabouts. Ian does the heavy lifting and dances like a '60's science teacher. Barbara is the wet blanket. They reached home at last in 1965. In fan lore they married and their son John became a famous '80's rock star.

VICKI PALLISTER- "Space Orphan" Rescued from the crash of the spaceship UK 201 on planet Dido in the 25th Century, Vicki replaced Susan in the screaming teen department until she fell for a guy named Troilus, changed her name to Cressida, and lived out her days Ancient Greek style in the 12th Century BC.

STEVEN TAYLOR- "Handsome Astronaut" 23rd Century combat pilot Flight Red Fifty was stranded on planet Mechanus for two years with only a stuffed panda to talk to until the Doctor happened by for a replacement Ian. After many adventures Steven left to whip the unnamed planet of the Savages into shape.

KATARINA- "Zealot of Zeus" Temple handmaiden during the Trojan War who came aboard the TARDIS while saving Steven from a spear wound. She believed the Doctor to be Zeus, and died still trying to serve him. She activated an airlock in the year 4000, killing herself and the criminal Kirksen who was holding her hostage.

SARA KINGDOM- "Future Cop" Space Security Service Agent from Mars Colony 16 in the 39th Century. Sara had a powerful intellect, and the strength of ten men. After being duped into killing her brother, she joined the Doctor to battle the Daleks across time. She was horribly aged to death in the Daleks Time Destructor.

DOROTHEA 'DODO' CHAPLET- "Hop-On Hip Chick" Short one unskilled teen to shriek at things, Steven and the Doctor adopted Dodo in 1966 London. She was dumped back there abruptly without a farewell. She apparently left to recuperate from robot mind control and gave her TARDIS key to her friend Polly. Depending on what fan lore you like she was murdered in the 1970's or still doing fine in the 1990's. You be the judge!

What horrible fates with befall the companions of the future? Tune in every Saturday night until the end of time!