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We finally know when Doctor Who's upcoming spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea will air! And the news brings lots of good things... and some bad ones too. Here's Ellie with the latest!
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00:00Recently, we looked at 10 actors who could play the next Doctor, so naturally the next step is to cast
00:05their co-star.
00:06The Doctor may have the privilege of having their name in the show's title, but the companion is just as
00:12important, all the more so in the revival where they're practically co-leads.
00:16There's only one rule for our picks here. They have to be viable names that I can actually see agreeing
00:22to the role, so no Hollywood actors or global superstars here.
00:27Though that's not to say that some of these wouldn't be a huge deal for the show to sign.
00:31Also, in order to really dial in on why each person on this list would be a great fit, and
00:37also because it's fun, I'll be pitching a rough character outline that would suit the actor, along with the Doctor
00:42that I believe would compliment them best.
00:45So, with that in mind, I'm Ellie for WhoCulture, and here are 10 actors who could play the next companion.
00:51Number 10. Samara Weaving
00:54Samara Weaving has built a career out of playing badasses, becoming a staple of the horror-thriller scene with the
01:00likes of Ready or Not, The Babysitter, and Guns Akimbo.
01:03She excels at playing snarky, chaotic characters, often with a glint of mischief and a penchant for violence.
01:09For some time, I've been hoping for a companion that is less of a traditional hero, with a rougher edge
01:14that the Doctor could help to smooth out.
01:16Weaving's characters tend to verge onto the reckless, self-serving side, which is precisely the shift in energy we need
01:23for the show right now.
01:24Not easily impressed, and somewhat of action, not words. Irritable, but pragmatic and competent.
01:29This would be the chance for a character more akin to River Song, the best character, or Jack Harkness, to
01:35step into the full-time spotlight, something fans have been asking about for some time.
01:39I also reckon Weaving would nail portraying a companion from the far future, or a different planet altogether, an archetype
01:46that's really dropped off in the Revival, and has been reserved for secondary companions only.
01:51Now here's the vision. A hacker type from the far future with criminal ties, few moral scruples, and quick temper,
01:58paired with a measured mentor figure Doctor that might indulge her tendencies more, while providing some interesting moral discussion.
02:05A McCoy type, for instance. If we'd ever got a War Doctor series, I can also see this type of
02:11companion being a good fit as well.
02:13Number 9. Rose Matafeo
02:16Rose Matafeo's profile has been steadily rising for many years now. The British viewing public might recognise her best for
02:23her stint on Taskmaster, but she's got some pretty solid acting work under her belt too.
02:27Namely, Starstruck, a rom-com she co-created and starred in where she played Jessie, a character with the wit
02:34and wonder that's a staple of any Doctor Who companion.
02:37She even played a pretty prominent role in the second Moana film, and has most certainly expanded her repertoire beyond
02:42just comedy.
02:43Matafeo feels like a great fit for the show. She can sell a joke, land a moment of sincerity, and
02:48look utterly at home amid nonsense that the show so frequently churns out.
02:52As a companion, she'd slot right into that sarcastic but kind-hearted every-woman niche that Donna Noble and Bill
02:59Potts occupied in the past, but with some added Kiwi flair.
03:02And let's face it, we really don't have enough non-British companions, which is a trick the show might be
03:07missing in this modern era of worldwide streaming.
03:10So the vision here, a bubbly, modern-day woman with a chaotic but everyday life, who's not afraid to call
03:15the Doctor out and lend some levity to the situation, paired with a Doctor-like tenant that can banter with
03:21her and match her mad energy.
03:238. Phil Wang
03:26Phil Wang hasn't done a whole lot of acting yet, but he's clearly looking to push into it more, most
03:31recently appearing in Wonka and Three Body Problem.
03:34He feels like a Doctor Who companion waiting to happen. His comedy, for which he's best known, has seen him
03:39hone a persona that's both sharp and endearingly self-deprecating.
03:43The perfect, bumbling intellectual with a heart of gold, who's constantly tripping over his own words and landing himself in
03:49trouble.
03:49This sort of bashful charm is a great fit for the show. He's the type of character who would spend
03:54an entire alien invasion politely apologizing for getting in their way,
03:58then accidentally save the day by doing something sensible no one else thought of.
04:01I imagine he'd serve a similar place in a TARDIS dynamic as Rory, the lovable and underestimated fool with a
04:07quiet bravery,
04:08and would perhaps be best served in a TARDIS trio to bounce off a more traditional companion.
04:13So the vision here is a white-collar worker in an underappreciated desk job that stumbles into chaos and manages
04:19to save the day,
04:20and might just become the most important person in the universe against all the odds,
04:24paired with a more nurturing Doctor like Matt Smith who could help him realize his full potential.
04:30Number 7. Denise Gough
04:33Few actors command a room quite like Denise Gough.
04:36Right now, she's probably best known as Andor's dead Ramiro,
04:40a relentless and self-righteous Imperial officer who can be genuinely terrifying at times.
04:45What's most impressive about Gough's performance, though,
04:47is the fact that she's able to inject such a cold and often cruel character with a surprising amount of
04:51humanity and relatability.
04:52She strikes a similar balance of steely detachment and vulnerability as Yennefer in the video game adaptation of The Witcher,
05:00bringing life and depth to a character who, on paper, could so easily read as fairly blunt.
05:05Off-screen, Gough has a different personality entirely, one that's brimming with mischief and quirkiness,
05:10an ingredient I reckon would round her out very well as a companion.
05:13Gough would bring a no-nonsense energy to the TARDIS,
05:16the sort that cuts through the technobabble and moral posturing,
05:19not entirely dissimilar to a full-time companion version of The Waters of Mars Adelaide Brook,
05:24but with the charm of Sarah Jane Smith.
05:26This would be a character brimming with intensity, be that a seething anger or a quiet sadness.
05:31She could even play a more duplicitous companion with her own motivations,
05:35a modern-day attempt at doing a Turlo-type arc, but properly this time.
05:39So The Vision is a distinguished unit scientist, secretly reporting back on The Doctor's movements.
05:45I see her best paired with a zany incarnation that can press her buttons and maybe occasionally force her to
05:50crack a smile.
05:51One cut from Tom Baker's cloth.
05:53Number 6, Jamie Dimitriou.
05:56Jamie Dimitriou has built an entire career out of playing confidently incorrect morons.
06:02In Staff Let's Flats, his turn as the well-meaning but incompetent estate agent Staff was a masterclass in oblivious
06:08enthusiasm.
06:09There's an unconventional blend of ego and endearing innocence to most of his roles
06:13that would make him an interesting departure from New Who's companion archetypes.
06:17A more traditional laddish companion who serves as the Doctor's best mate,
06:21the sort of bloke who thinks he's there to help the Doctor save the day,
06:24when in reality he's the one being quietly supervised.
06:27We're aiming for a similar dynamic to Eleven and Craig here,
06:31although with 100% less James Corden.
06:34Dimitriou is a bit of a rising star,
06:35having secured a mid-sized role in Barbie, similar to Shooty Gatwa.
06:39He's at the sweet spot of fame right now.
06:41He obviously has the comedy chops,
06:43and his characters with their oblivious honesty often find themselves offending the wrong people,
06:48but never in a way that feels cruel.
06:50As a companion, he'd be a return to the grounded, working-class vibes of RTD1.
06:55In stark contrast to Rose, however,
06:57this would be a man who doesn't understand half of what's happening,
07:00but pretends to, and gives it his all anyway.
07:02So here's the vision, a council worker who absolutely loves his job,
07:06falling into an unlikely buddy cop drama as he saves the universe,
07:10while repeatedly failing to get the Doctor down the Red Lion for a pint.
07:14This needs to be a chalk-and-cheese bromance,
07:16so I'd pair him with a crotchety old Doctor like Hartnell,
07:20who would despise him at first, but Thor with time.
07:23Number 5. Bill Bailey
07:26Bill Bailey might just be the ideal oddball companion for the Doctor.
07:30Over the years, he's built a career playing quirky, intellectual types in shows like Black Books,
07:35as well as being a long-term staple of the UK panel show scene on shows like Nevermind the Buzzcocks
07:41and QI,
07:42where he's not just shown off his quick wit, but also his intelligence and general geekiness.
07:47His stand-up already leans into the surreal and absurd.
07:50For example, he once reimagined the Doctor Who theme as Belgian jazz.
07:54Bonus points here, as he's a massive fan of the show as well, so that's always a plus.
07:58He's also appeared in the show before, but no one remembers the Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe,
08:02so I reckon we'll get away with that one.
08:04I imagine him as a full-on sci-fi geek companion,
08:07brimming with references and quick to make meta-comments about predictable plotlines and grandstanding villains.
08:13Likely a little bitter, but with a lovely spirit ready to be reawakened as he lives his own adventure.
08:18It's absolutely crazy that we've not had a companion cut from this cloth to date.
08:22It seems such an obvious path.
08:24So the vision here is a washed-up punk rocker working in a comic store,
08:28living vicariously through old sci-fi comics, who finds himself becoming the star of his own story.
08:34He needs to be paired with a cheery Doctor who can cut through his grumpiness and anarchistic mindset.
08:39One who delights in sharing the wonders of the universe with him.
08:43Someone like Jodie Whittaker would be absolutely perfect.
08:46Number 4. Holiday Granger
08:49Holiday Granger is perhaps best known for playing Lucrezia Borgia in The Borgias
08:54and Robin Ellicott in BBC's Strike series, both deeply cunning and inquisitive characters.
09:00In Strike, Granger plays a private investigator that could easily be picked up
09:04and dropped into Doctor Who with no edits required.
09:06Robin is the kind of character who notices details others miss,
09:10asks the right questions, and has the toughness to face danger head-on.
09:14Opposite Tom Burke, she's the beating heart of a heroic duo,
09:17often picking up the charm while Strike's titular character is busy brooding.
09:21This show has that Doctor companion dynamic in spades,
09:24and is about the best audition tape you could get for a TARDIS duo.
09:28The Borgias sees Granger play a slightly more manipulative character,
09:32having evolved from a somewhat naive young girl
09:34to someone who will do whatever it takes to see her family remain on top.
09:38It's this versatility that makes Granger one of Britain's most underrated actors,
09:42and Doctor Who feels like the perfect fit.
09:44She'd be a safe but strong choice for the show,
09:47with the quintessential companion energy giving us an insightful and intelligent sidekick
09:51who isn't afraid to challenge the Doctor.
09:54If you're looking for a Clara Oswald type, you couldn't do much better.
09:57So what's the vision?
09:58An investigative journalist, if it ain't broke don't fix it right,
10:02who feels more like the Doctor's equal than his assistant,
10:05paired with a conflicted and cerebral Doctor like Capaldi,
10:08who she can anchor when needed.
10:10Number 3. Celia Imri
10:13Celia Imri would shatter expectations as a Doctor Who companion
10:17simply by existing in the TARDIS.
10:20Historically, the show has leaned towards younger companions,
10:23leaving the older, wiser perspective largely unexplored.
10:27We've had Wilfred Mott,
10:28but the Doctor has yet to travel with an older woman on a regular full-time basis.
10:32Imri brings everything you could need from that portrayal,
10:36a commanding presence and a prim and proper persona,
10:39tempered by a cheeky twinkle,
10:41the kind of warmth that seeps through even the sternest expression.
10:44Plus, if her stint on Celebrity Traitors is anything to go by,
10:47this woman is a total oddball and a comedic delight.
10:50I'm imagining Adelaide Brooke's rigid morals,
10:53combined with Wilfred Mott's quiet humanity and wholesomeness.
10:56Plus, she's just a phenomenal actress.
10:58In her brief appearance on Doctor Who in The Bells of St. John,
11:01she delivered one of the series' most quietly heartbreaking moments of New Who,
11:06as her deliciously evil Miss Kislet is reverted to the mind of a little girl,
11:10having lost a vast portion of her life to the great intelligence's mind control.
11:14Seriously, that scene is bleak.
11:16Her extensive career, from Calendar Girls to the best exotic Marigold Hotel,
11:20and most recently the Thursday Murder Club,
11:23demonstrates her blend of authority, charm and whimsy.
11:26She's a bit of a national treasure these days,
11:28but still within reaching distance for the show.
11:30So The Vision is a retired MI6 agent with a forensic mind and a love for crochet.
11:36Unassuming, but capable of clobbering you with a handbag if you step out of line,
11:40she'd fit a snappier, more verbose doctor,
11:42capable of bickering with her like a married couple one moment,
11:45but also bonding over juicy gossip and general moaning about manners.
11:49Colin Baker, as old 6C, would nail this.
11:522. Amy Lou Wood
11:55Amy Lou Wood is currently one of television's most popular young actors.
12:00After her breakout role as Amy Gibbs in Sex Education,
12:03she's gone from strength to strength,
12:05with a prominent role in White Lotus
12:07and an acclaimed performance in Toxic Town opposite Jodie Whittaker.
12:11She may be punching above the weight of Doctor Who a little bit,
12:14but she'd certainly get eyes on the show.
12:16Wood possesses a warmth, vulnerability and innocence
12:19that's wrapped up in a very natural, very relatable delivery.
12:22On top of that, as seen in Sex Education, she's wickedly funny.
12:26She's an actor that manages to be endearing and compelling in pretty much every role,
12:31and I can see her absolutely nailing the companion role,
12:33be that flipping out at her first alien world
12:36or bombarding the Doctor with the questions no one ever asks.
12:39She's got an energy and spontaneity that would inject a sense of fun
12:42that the show has been failing to capture of late.
12:45She'd be a cross between Rose Tyler and Bill Potts,
12:48a character that perhaps doesn't think much of her own intelligence,
12:50but has that human insight that so often spots things the Doctor doesn't.
12:54So the Vision is a young, modern-day woman who floats through day-to-day life,
12:59job to job, feeling as if she hasn't found her rhythm.
13:01We need a Doctor who's a little lost themselves,
13:04so the two can find purpose together.
13:06It needs to be an incarnation with emotional baggage,
13:09but also one that can match Wood's funny and bubbly energy.
13:12So it's got to be Eccleston, hasn't it?
13:14Before we get to number one, I want to add a bonus entry right here,
13:19and that is Bella Ramsey.
13:21Probably best known for their role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones
13:25and Ellie in The Last of Us,
13:27they've showcased a talent for playing intense and mature characters
13:31at such a young age.
13:33But at the same time, their appearance gives off a real sense
13:36of childlike innocence and curiosity
13:38that I think would lend itself very well to Doctor Who,
13:41Something that the modern era in particular has really been lacking
13:44is a companion that isn't human,
13:47and I think Bella Ramsey would be a great fit
13:49to portray a companion that is from a different planet,
13:51who is constantly inquisitive and asking questions
13:54about the world that the Doctor is showing them.
13:57So my vision here is a young alien character
14:00who the Doctor stumbles across and at first tries to dismiss,
14:03but eventually takes under his wing
14:04and almost becomes a father figure towards.
14:07I'm thinking this needs to be a Doctor with a softer demeanour
14:10but also an awkwardness at this newfound parental responsibility.
14:14I'm thinking something like Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor would be a good fit.
14:18And now, number one, Charlotte Ritchie.
14:21Charlotte Ritchie is impossible not to like
14:24in pretty much everything she does.
14:25She's best known for her roles in Ghosts and Call the Midwife,
14:29where she balances warmth, curiosity and humour.
14:31She has a naivety and wonder about her
14:34without undercutting her character's intellect or competency,
14:37while simultaneously imbuing her performances
14:40with a very human awkwardness.
14:42All of these are traits that would translate beautifully to life in the TARDIS.
14:45She'd be a very positive and optimistic presence in the TARDIS,
14:49excitable and always seeing the best in people and in the Doctor too.
14:53Ritchie has actually appeared in Doctor Who before,
14:55spending most of resolution with a Dalek on her back.
14:58She might be better known for her comedy acting,
15:00but she's done more than her fair share of high-stakes, more serious work too.
15:04And she's certainly got the emotional range.
15:06Like I mentioned earlier,
15:07we've not seen nearly enough companions from other eras.
15:10And in the case of Ritchie,
15:11she has energy that's perfect for a companion from the past
15:14that's blown away by the smallest facets of modern life,
15:18not to mention experience in period dramas.
15:20So the vision is an early 1900s schoolteacher
15:23with a strong duty of care and a genuine desire to help others.
15:26To get the most out of a character like this,
15:28she needs to be paired with a Doctor that she can pull out of the dark
15:31and help to find themselves.
15:32You need a restrained Doctor here
15:34to balance and complement the relentless happiness of their companion.
15:37So I'm thinking McGann to double down on those Edwardian vibes.
15:41Early Time War 8th Doctor with all that trauma and denial
15:44would be an ideal fit.
15:46And that concludes our list.
15:48Now, if you have a suggestion for who should be the next companion,
15:51then please do let us know in the comments down below.
15:54And as I mentioned at the beginning,
15:55we do have a video of 10 potential actors to play the 16th Doctor.
16:00So do check that out as well.
16:02In the meantime, I've been Ellie for Who Culture
16:03and in the words of Riversong herself,
16:05goodbye, sweeties.
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