The Sci-Fi Fanatic BIG 10: Doctor Who Companions

Queue the James Bond theme.  Alright, they may not be Bond girls, but the Doctor's companions hold their inestimable own as an iconic part of British science fiction thus queue the Doctor Who theme. And speaking of Doctor Who Companions recently as noted in the investigation of Doctor Who, Series 1, Episode 4 and 5, Aliens Of London and World War Three, we have companions and lots of them.  I was moved to deliver you the very best of Doctor Who Companions while reading a 2008 SFX Doctor Who special.  While putting the finishing touches on my latest look at Doctor Who Series 1, and ironically enough a fairly extensive additional commentary on the dynamic relationship of the Doctor and his companion or companions, it seemed a perfect opportunity to look back at those famous women and even some men.

We first look at the SFX Doctor Who Companions list as voted on by readers and by popularity. So if you find yourself scratching your head a little, don't blame me.  I'm just the messenger and giving full credit to SFX for compiling their own fine list.  The Sci-Fi Fanatic BIG 10: Doctor Who Companions list will follow.



35. Dr. Grace Holloway [Daphne Ashbrook].



34. Sally Sparrow [Carey Mulligan].



33. Lucie Miller [Sheridan Smith].
32.  Erimem/ Erimemushinteprem [Caroline Morris].
31. Astrid Peth [Kylie Minogue].
30. Frobisher.
29. Dr. Elizabeth Shaw [Caroline John].
28. Dr. Evelyn Smythe [Maggie Stables].
27. Polly [Anneke Wills].
26. Victoria Waterfield [Deborah Watling].



25. Ian Chesteron [William Russell].
24. Fitzgerald Michael Kreiner [Matt Di Angelo].
23. Donna Noble [Catherine Tate].
22. Nyssa [Sarah Sutton].
21. K-9.



20. Susan Foreman [Carole Ann Ford].



19. Harry Sullivan [Ian Marter].



18. Mickey Smith [Noel Clarke].



17. Josephine Grant a.k.a. Jo [Katy Manning].



16. Vislor Turlough [Mark Strickson].
15. Zoe Heriot [Wendy Padbury].



14.  Barbara Wright [Jacqueline Hill].



13. Perpugilliam Brown [Nicola Bryant].
12. Charlotte Elspeth Pollard a.k.a. Charley [India Fisher].
11. Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart a.k.a. The Brigadier [Nicholas Courtney].



10. Tegan Jovanka [Janet Fielding].



9. Leela [Louise Jameson].
8. Romanadvoratrelundar a.k.a. Romana I [Mary Tamm].
7. Captain Jack [John Barrowman].



6. Jamie McCrimmon [Frazer Hines].
5. Romanadvoratrelundar a.k.a. Romana II [Lalla Ward].
4. Dorothy McShane a.k.a Ace [Sophie Aldred].



3. Martha Jones [Freema Agyeman].
2. Rose Tyler [Billie Piper].
1. Sarah Jane Smith [Elisabeth Sladen].

This would be my list. Drum roll please. These are my favorite Doctor Who Companions based entirely on fond memories, nostalgia, male hormones and some semblance of rational thought. I give you the official Sci-Fi Fanatic BIG 10: Doctor Who Companions.



10. Romanadvoratrelundar a.k.a. Romana I [Mary Tamm] or Romana II [Lalla Ward].  Both Tamm and Ward offered their own unique personalities to the role of Romana.  The late Mary Tamm was a gem of a time lady in her own right.  Ward brought the humor with her then soon-to-be husband Tom Baker [1980-1982].  Tamm appeared in just six (6) episodes for Season 16.  Ward was highlighted for twelve (12) episodes in Season 17 and 18.  Both appeared opposite the Fourth Doctor.




9. Astrid Peth [Kylie Minogue] or Jackson Lake [David Morrissey].  They were both featured in Doctor Who Christmas Specials for just one (1) appearance each opposite the Tenth Doctor, but they are both that damn good.  Minogue appeared in Voyage Of The Damned [2007] while Morrissey showcased in The Next Doctor [2008].  First, it's Kylie Minogue folks - Come into my world indeed.  Morrissey is simply a gifted actor and has made a big splash in his recurring role in Season Three of The Walking Dead [2012] as the arch bad guy, The Governor.







8. Harry Sullivan [Ian Marter] or Mickey Smith [Noel Clarke].  Smith and Sullivan.  It sounds like a law firm, but does have a nice ring to it.  Although tenures were indeed short and sweet both were particularly memorable for me.  Their performances were natural and first rate.  The Sullivan character, played by the late Ian Marter, was particularly ephemeral, which is why I share the eighth spot with both.  Look for Clarke in Star Trek: Into Darkness and more importantly an upcoming old-fashioned sci-fi, horror thriller called Storage 24.  Clarke, as Smith, always impressed me on Doctor Who and he continues to impress as he matures.  Truth be told Clarke is also a writer on Storage 24 and penned an episode of Torchwood [Series 1, Episode 11, Combat].  Marter appeared in seven (7) episodes during Season 12 and 13 opposite the Fourth Doctor.  Clarke appeared in several entries during Series 1 of the rebooted Doctor Who opposite the Ninth Doctor, but then ten (10) more entries for Series 2 and 4 opposite the Tenth Doctor.





7. Donna Noble [Catherine Tate].  Comedienne Catherine is probably an acquired taste.  My family has generally seen most of her Catherine Tate shows/specials and have generally been pretty amused by her talents.  She brings a very different kind of companion to the mix and for that she should be embraced.  She appeared in sixteen (16) entries opposite the Tenth Doctor.




6. Clara Oswald [Jenna Coleman]. Clara is quickly rising on my top ten list. She, along with Matt Smith, and now Peter Capaldi, has delivered a companion filled with grace and beauty and the kind of bouncy spunk that once made Sarah Jane a favorite. I expect quite a year between Clara and Capaldi as the Doctor.





5. River Song [Alex Kingston].  There is something incredibly sexy about talented actress Alex Kingston as River Song.  She was a terrific character component for Doctor Who and equally enjoyable as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on ER throughout Seasons 4 through 11 and Season 15 of that incredibly long-running series [1994-2009].  She appeared on 160 episodes of ER giving her the seventh slot for most appearances.  For Doctor Who she appeared eleven (11) times opposite the Eleventh Doctor in Series 6.





4. Leela [Louise Jameson].  Louise Jameson was wild, literally, as Leela.  I loved her.  Of course, I'm really terribly nostalgic about Leela.  She arrived in my hey day of Doctor Who viewing.  for me, Elisabeth Sladen and Louise Jameson were the tandem of sexy science fiction for me.  When Sladen was replaced by Jameson there was no backlash from this young lad.  I immediately embraced the wild child and easily accepted her as a natural fit for the Tom Baker Doctor Who years.  In fact, Baker and Jameson never shared the chemistry as relationships go that Baker shared with Sladen, though they do have a healthy respect for one another today.  Regardless,  perhaps the energy between the two worked incredibly well for her run on the show as she remains one of my all-time favorites.  The excellent Jameson appeared in just nine (9) episodes during Seasons 14 and 15 opposite the Fourth Doctor.




3. Amy Pond [Karen Gillan].  Karen Gillan will indeed be missed by many, but the gorgeous Scotch red head was a pistol. Plus, there isn't much better than a smoking hot red head. Gillan infused much of the chemistry and success of the Eleventh Doctor's adventures with her own special presence. She was first glimpsed in Series Four, The Fires Of Pompeii with David Tennant. Peter Capaldi guested in that same episode. Both Gillan and Capaldi would one day prove essential to the Doctor Who legacy. Gillan starred in thirty-three (33) episodes opposite the Eleventh Doctor.




2. Rose Tyler [Billie Piper].  Billie Piper was a firecracker and reinvigorated Doctor Who along with Christopher Eccleston and Russell T. Davies and company.  Her contribution shouldn't be understated.  She was full of life and a truly bright spot during that darker Series 1 with Eccleston.  She's also incredibly hot.  Piper really brought the modern beauty to the Doctor Who beast and featured in a whopping thirty-five (35) episodes opposite the Ninth and Tenth Doctors in Series 1, 2 and 4.  You can see that modern beauty in Secret Diary Of A Call Girl [2007-2011].




1. Sarah Jane Smith [Elisabeth Sladen].  I have such immense fondness for the late Elisabeth Sladen, a real lady.  She brought such charm and sweet beauty to Doctor Who.  She was a delight in my childhood.  She may be the most celebrated too.  Who else deserve their own show?  She brought her unique personality to The Sarah Jane Adventures [2007-2011] before her untimely passing in April 2011.  Sladen holds an impressive resume appearing in six (6) episodes of Season Eleven opposite the Third Doctor, thirteen (13) episodes during Season 12 through 14 opposite the Fourth Doctor and four (4) episodes during Series 4 opposite the Tenth Doctor.  Of course, we can't forget the infamous one-off K9 And Company [1981].  Sladen left a tremendous mark on the legacy of Doctor Who and for me personally which is why she gets the number one spot.




Admittedly, I tend to lean heavily on my formative years but a proper viewing of Doctor Who in its entirety will continue to shape this list. This is a dynamic thing and may change so revisit from time to time. Martha Jones has since been replaced on my list with Clara Oswald. Upon further investigation of Doctor Who I found the Martha Jones character to be flat, generally lacking in spark despite being a pretty face. Jones would easily rank among my least favorite companions at this point.



In the end, they may not be OO7 James Bond girls, but these ladies of Who are just as iconic for the geek set and certainly as memorable.

The Sci-Fi Fanatic BIG 10: Sci-Fi Vehicles

Cool.  My decision to finally give you the official BIG 10 Sci-Fi Vehicles is solely based upon one factor and one factor alone. This list is based strictly on COOL. The cool factor translates into two things: A. Do my eyes dance? B. Can a vehicle be molded into a toy and can it be flown through the sky between my hot little fingers? These are the key operating factors my friends. Here is my reasonable list of the best Sci-Fi Vehicles under the header of The Sci-Fi Fanatic's BIG 10 Vehicles. This is a complement to a list I posted spotlighting Sci Fi Now's list.

10.  Lotus Esprit a.k.a. Wet Nellie. This will no doubt top a more specific BIG 10 Sci-Fi Car list.  Nevertheless, the always gadget-heavy James Bond OO7 autos make for a world of escapist wonder.  Although not officially an air vehicle, this beautiful, white Lotus Esprit did go airborne off the end of that dock in The Spy Who Loved Me [1977].  It also glides splendidly through water as an impressive underwater submersible.  The Wet Nellie as it was referred by M16 was fitted by OO7's weapon's man Q.  It came equipped with bulletproof plexiglass, harpoon and cable reel, missiles and missile launchers, propellers and rudders, mine dispenser and limpit mines, ink jets, mud jets, cement jets, and finally a telescopic periscope with a 360 degree field of vision.  Did I mention it was fast?  0-60 in 6.8 seconds with speeds up to 138 mph.  It was matched only by the Lotus in For Your Eyes Only [1981] as a close second.  All of this and the fact it has been a Corgi die-cast release kicks off the countdown.  Mind you, this is also one of the few classics that could potentially be purchased and driven and owned sans gadgetry.  It's still a dream of mine friends.







9. The Argo.  My gosh who didn't love the transformation of a Japanese Yamato for this science fiction classic.  In America, we received Space Battleship Yamato [1974-1975] in the form of Starblazers [1979-1984] and The Argo.  Who wasn't thrilled by the whistle of the firing wave motion gun!  I ran home everyday for a dose of wave motion.  Never succumbing to the purchase of a bootleg copy of the 2010 Japanese film, I look forward to the release of its live action film counterpart hopefully in 2013.  Not to mention the animated series arrived in reboot form in 2012 with Space Battleship Yamato 2199.  I managed to pick up one of the Bandai Soul Of Chogokin GX-57 die-cast ships for the Fancave.







8. The Copperhead/ Black Boa.  These two beautifully designed ships hail from the underrated Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [2001] film.  The ambitious, computer-animated motion capture, science fiction film bore no resemblance to the video game and somehow failed to draw notice.  But these two vessels are stunning.  Bandai released a plastic toy version of this Copperhead puppy, but as far as I know, sadly, there has never been anything for the Black Boa ever committed to mold officially.  I must tell you, this is like a geek crime.





7. Serenity. This is perhaps one of the most recent science fiction creations to make my list.  Joss Whedon's wonderful Firefly [2002] series, like Star Trek: The Original Series, planted the Serenity as the centerpiece of its browncoat family essentially establishing the ship as a character with intimate detail.  In its short series run the Serenity, Firefly-class vessel, was quickly established as a craft fitted for work, pleasure and living accommodations.  It's simply a welcomed piece of sci-fi perfection.  I don't actually own anything regarding the Serenity, but if I'm not mistaken my best chance to do so is a replica in the form of a Christmas ornament.  I best get a move on. But seriously, is that the best we can do?





6. Jupiter II/ The Chariot.  Flying saucers really didn't get more perfect than the lived-in accommodations befitting the Jupiter II on Lost In Space [1965-1968].  Each episode was a pleasure with the Jupiter II as homebase.  More often than not it wasn't flying but I was just as happy to see them go in and out of that ship like it was a house - a two floor Colonial.  Fantastic!  In fact, it was a bit like the Tardis in that ship.  The Chariot, part of the Jupiter II, was an equally impressive space version of the snow cat.  I loved that treaded wonder vehicle!  I don't actually own anything from this series.  There have been plenty of models made available and they are out there.  I did own the Johnny Thunder mini-die-cast set at one time.  I may still.  I'll have to check the Fancave.  They may still be down there but my memory fails me at the moment.  I'll have to send in Robot to check it out.







5. The Phoenix [including G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-4].  The fabulous Phoenix from Japan's Gatchaman [1972-1974] series arrived in a big way stateside as Battle Of The Planets [1978-1985].  The beautifully designed ship from Tatsunoko could transform or transmute into the fiery Phoenix when in an absolute pickle, but the ship in its original form is another for the ages.  I simply adore its color combinations and sleek design.  The ship was also fitted with four separate amazing vehicles for each of the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman members.  While they are all incredible I will admit as a young man I loved Keyop's G-4 space buggy.  It's still something special, but Jason's G-2 was also a favorite and remains the one to own if I had to pick.  It's another car, but it's absolutely sick.  In fact, I'm actually thinking about painting it for my latest watercolors creation.  As far as the Phoenix, I have a few Japanese die-cast versions of this one from Fewture, Bandai and others.  I've also hand painted a few resin kits as pictured.  I have a few garage kits to do.  Each is truly a magnificent delight.  But I need to stop buying them. I really must. Note to self: Stop buying the die-cast Phoenix and other Gatachaman collectibles!











4. Battlestar Galactica.  I'm not going to quibble between the new [2004-2009] and old [1978] series, because, quite frankly, I love both the Battlestars. They are amazing warships with distinct design differences.  I have a few die-cast representations of both in miniature form as part of the Titanium series and I have one larger version of the new Battlestar from that same series.  Both the whale-like classic and the new offer design perfection. Of course, who doesn't love the Vipers and the Cylon raiders.  I am partial to the original Cylon Raider.







3. U.S.S. Enterprise. Truthfully, once you get into my Top 5 it's very hard for me to pick the very best ship.  I could easily argue that the U.S.S. Enterprise deserves the number one slot. Our beloved federation ship was the culmination of many designs, but the one Roddenberry and company landed upon is the indisputably brilliant classic.  She's a beauty to quote The Tubes.  I have one Art Asylum plastic replica of the famous bird.  Even more impressive is a Corgi die-cast issued in Japan some years back.  I managed to pick one up a few years ago.  It's unique and slender just like the ship she's based on.  Ships like the Enterprise you simply never tire of feasting the eyes.  And while I enjoy the other franchises and the many variations on the Enterprise, there is no substitute for the original, immaculately conceived by Matt Jeffries and GEne Roddenberry.  It simply takes the breath away.







2. Thunderbird 2 [complete with T4, Recovery Vehicle, The Firefly or other rescue equipment].  Hailing from the land of Margaret Thatcher, chips and all things Britpop, Englishman Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds delivered big on vehicles.  Thunderbird 2 is arguably one of the best designed craft ever could easily go head to head with The Eagle or the U.S.S. Enterprise.  It's that good.  It's that classic. Obviously this International Rescue craft has arrived in a number of plastic and die-cast iterations through the years  and will no doubt continue ad infinitum.  I have since replaced some Matchbox collectibles with even more detailed Japanese Bandai Aoshima die-cast molds.  I have a small one along with the other Thunderbirds and The Mole that are about 3" in length.  More importantly I picked up a giant 15" Thunderbird 2 Bandai Aoshima DX / Deluxe die-cast ship and it's a beauty.  No kidding around, it's the size of a bloody turtle you might find in your local pond.  The details are magnificent.  It's a keeper.







1. Eagle One [all models].  Space:1999 [1975-1977] delivered perhaps one of the great space vehicle creations ever made and lands the top spot thanks to the expertise of one Brian Johnson.  Johnson assembled something of beauty, practical functionality and utter believability.  Brilliant. There are so many models of the Eagle One and this wonderfully designed spaceship throughout the series.  There's medical and scientific, but the base model is indeed my favorite.  Still, the variations on the theme are amazing and I never tire of holding a die-cast Eagle.  I have a few from Aoshima/ Carlton/ Product Enterprise and they are stunning in their level of detail especially when you consider the complexity of design for the Eagle.  And there you have it, two Gerry Anderson-sponsored creations making the top of the heap.







There's much to choose from out there. Blade Runner's Spinner Police cars. That flying police hovercraft from Minority Report as well as that Lexus [if I can't get the Lotus Esprit I'll take that sci-fi-tailored Lexus].  Farscape's Moya. The Event Horizon. The BeBop.  The Hammerhead. The Swordfish. The many classics from Star Wars including the Millennium Falcon or Boba Fett's Slave 1.  Stargate's vast arsenal of spaceships and much more all come to mind.  I even love the Tardis despite walking around the house with a flying British phone box. Actually, I've never done that, but I should. How is that cool?  But if I'm to be honest, the BIG 10 I offer here about sizes up the very best for me.

     

   



A separate, more specific list for Sci-Fi Cars, Robots/ Mecha will be forthcoming.  In the meantime, let me introduce you to my vehicle mechanic.  Yeah, I know.  I know your question is, but can she fix vehicles?  My answer to you is... honestly, who cares!

   

Zombie Fun

As I gently stirred awake for the day over a cup of Joe, I said to my daughter, The Girl Wonder, "The mid-season finale of The Walking Dead is on tonight."  She said matter-of-factly and with a contemporary smile, "That means there's gonna' be a lot of zombies and a lot o' killin'."  Admittedly, the quick remark was both funny and, okay, maybe not right.  You gotta love how kids cut to the chase.  Only out of the mouth of babes. 

When we grew up family entertainment was Little House On The Prairie [1974-1983].  Today, The Walking Dead brings families together.  Yes, the times are a-changing indeed.  I must tell you that our family doesn't seem to have a problem moving between the classics and, well, the kind of fodder in the picture you see above.  Yes, nothing like zombie killing for good old-fashioned family fun.