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When the return of companions Tegan Jovanka and Ace to Doctor Who was confirmed in the trailer at the end of ‘Legend of the Sea Devils’, a certain section of the show’s fandom – for want of a better term – lost its nut. Newer viewers less familiar with 1980s Doctor Who however, could be forgiven for feeling slightly mystified by this mass hysteria. So with that in mind, here’s a handy guide to what makes Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred’s characters such icons of the show.

Shaking Up the Tardis Status Quo

As if she had been plucked from an entirely different genre of television, much like Donna Noble would many years later, Australian flight attendant Tegan Jovanka shook up the Tardis status quo like never before. Given how integral a companion’s home life is to the modern era of Doctor Who, it’s of note that...

Since hitting screens in 1963, Doctor Who has gone from televisual titbit to cultural phenomenon to institution to something approaching a secular religion. It’s older than Star Trek and Star Wars, if not quite as world-renowned; it’s younger than The Twilight Zone, yet more frequent, and frequently successful, in its iterations. True, Doctor Who spent many long years in the wilderness, but then so did Jesus, and things turned out okay for him. You know… eventually.

The show owes its laudable longevity to a series of happy accidents, shrewd moves and fortuitous casting decisions in its formative years, not least of which was the radical re-casting of the main character after William Hartnell became too unwell to continue; a bold gambit that could just as easily have soured the audience and sunk the show as cemented its status as a pop culture behemoth. Thankfully – as well we know – the...

It has been nine years since Elisabeth Sladen, known to millions of “Doctor Who” fans as Sarah Jane Smith, passed away. Now, Whovians finally have a chance to say goodbye as former “Who” showrunner Russell T. Davies released a 15-minute audio epilogue for “The Sarah Jane Adventures,” the spinoff series that featured the beloved Tardis companion.

Narrated by Jacob Dudman, who has played the Doctor in several audio dramas, the epilogue reveals that Sarah Jane had died alongside Sladen. All of her friends from Bannerman Road are there at her funeral, including Clyde Langer, Rani Chandra, and her adopted son Luke. Her funeral is also attended by two fellow companions of the Doctor, Jo Grant and Ace, played once again by Katy Manning and Sophie Aldred.

Also Read: 'Doctor Who': 13th Doctor Will Face the Daleks in the Next Holiday Special

Tommy, Clyde and Rani were all allies...

To keep Whovians entertained while we’re stuck indoors during this period of quarantine, Doctor Who creatives past and present have been sharing new content online, with many of them featuring the return of fan favorite stars. The best of the lot, though, has to be this new video – released today – which finally wraps up beloved spinoff show The Sarah Jane Adventures in the most emotional, satisfying way.

First of all, in case you aren’t aware, Sja followed classic companion Sarah Jane Smith’s adventures after her life with the Doctor. It had a successful five season run from 2007 to 2011, and was only brought to a premature end when leading lady Elisabeth Sladen passed away. The series never got a proper conclusion, then, but creator Russell T. Davies has now brought together various familiar faces to give it a finale at long last.

The 13-minute video, titled “Farewell, Sarah Jane,...

Terrance Dicks, one of the most prolific contributors to sci-fi series Doctor Who, has died at the age of 84.

Dicks had a long association with the BBC drama and wrote for the series between 1968, when he was hired as a script editor, through to 1983, when he wrote 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors.

He had a close working relationship with Doctor Who producer Barry Letts and also worked on Doctor Who stage plays as well as Doctor Who audio drama Comeback, which was one of the first spin-offs to involve companion Sarah Jane Smith in a significant capacity.

In addition to Doctor Who, he worked on soap opera Crossroads, created BBC sci-fi drama Moonbase 3 and wrote for Space: 1999 before overseeing the BBC strand that produced period adaptations of Oliver Twist and Vanity Fair between 1985 and 1988.

A slew of writers, including those in the Doctor Who universe, paid tribute to Dicks.

Companions have left the Doctor on their own accord or met a much more tragic end.

Some stories we saw on screen, some we didn't.

Doctor Who: 19 Times Bad Wolf Connected the Doctor and Rose Tyler

Here are some Doctor Who companions and characters we believe should have another go in the Tardis, or perhaps healm their very own spin off! Spoilers, they aren't all investigative journalists with robot dogs. 

1. Luke Smith: K9 and Co Luke Smith: Sarah Jane Smith's adopted son in The Sarah Jane Adventures. Grown from DNA by the Bane, he's not fully human and would be a big target for aliens on his own. He shared adventures with Sarah Jane and his mates, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer and Rani Chandra in the spin-off show, which was sadly canceled after the untimely death of Elizabeth Sladen. He has the brain of a million humans and...

A shocking rumor has been doing the rounds of late: according to some sources, Chris Chibnall – who only just joined the series – could be stepping down from his post as Doctor Who‘s showrunner due to a fallout with the BBC. The story goes that he’s set to helm season 12 and then be on his way, with his Doctor Jodie Whittaker likely following him out the door.

Obviously, this is far from confirmed, and if anything, the evidence suggests the exact opposite, as the corporation would surely want to keep Chibnall happy now that the show’s shooting up the ratings board. However, let’s assume that there’s some truth in it. Who would be the best choice to take over from Chibnall and become the fourth showrunner of the modern series of Doctor Who?

Express asked a range of fans this question and they supplied a few top contenders.

In news that’s arrived as a special treat for fans on Doctor Who‘s 55th birthday, the legendary Tom Baker – who played the Fourth Doctor throughout the 1970s – is returning to the Whoniverse to write a brand new novel starring his own version of the Time Lord. What’s more, it’s based on an old script that he hoped to have turned into a movie.

Scratchman was originally written as a screenplay by Baker and co-star Ian Marter (companion Harry Sullivan) while they were working on the show. The pair had lofty ambitions for their highly-imaginative tale, too, as they wanted the central villain, the titular Scratchman, to be played by horror icon Vincent Price and the grand third act was to have taken place on a giant pinball machine.

Obviously, Baker struggled to find funds to support the project but now, 40 years later, BBC Books has approached...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday.

This week’s question: What is your favorite robot of all time on TV?

Marisa Roffman (@marisaroffman), Give Me My Remote

Obviously, the correct answer is robo-house Pierce Brosnan in the 2001 “Treehouse of Horror” episode of “The Simpsons.” (Rip its British charm unit.) But on a more serious note, I’m having a tough time picking between the excellent team over at “Westworld” (the more obvious choice) and the A.I. that I still miss: Drn (Michael Ealy) from “Almost Human.” On one hand, Team “Westworld” gets to destroy things, cause mayhem, and generally take over the world. On the other, Drn got to solve futuristic crimes and banter with Karl Urban’s John Kennex. I love them all — I welcome our future robot overlords.

Tim Surette (@timsurette), TV.com

There’s...

Doctor Who is coming to a movie theater near you. BBC Studios Americas and Fathom Events are teaming for a one-night-only U.S. theatrical release of Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks, the 1975 movie starring Tom Baker. The never-before-seen 90-minute director’s cut will hit big screens Monday, June 11.

The film will be followed by an exclusive interview with Baker, who embodied the Time Lord for a record seven seasons, from 1974-81. Genesis of the Daleks combines episodes from the iconic sci-fi series’ 12th season, which will be released on home video June 19.

Here’s the movie’s logline: The Fourth Doctor and his companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) are transported thousands of years into the past to the ancient planet Skaro where they are given a mission from the Time Lords to prevent the evil scientist Davros from introducing to the universe the...

What do you get when characters from two or more shows team up? A crossover! Most recently, Supernatural's Sam and Dean got animated and met a certain mystery-solving pup on "ScoobyNatural."

That's not the only cool mash-up of TV series, though.

Let's hop into the Mystery Machine and take a trip through TV history to revisit some of the most memorable small-screen crossovers.

1. "ScoobyNatural" (Scooby Doo and Supernatural) It took 13 seasons, but the Winchester Brothers are finally teaming up with the original Scooby gang in the TV crossover event of the year. 2. "The Stolen Earth" (Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures) The Tenth Doctor calls upon old friends to help save the Earth from the Daleks, including Captain Jack Harkness, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith. 3. "How to Get Away with Scandal" (Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder) Actually titled “Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself” and “Lahey v.