Ranking 70's Doctor Who Companions | Doctor Who Tier List

0:00 Welcome back to my series where I'm ranking every single Doctor Who companion. And today we're going to be talking about the 1970s. We're talking John Perwe to almost the end of Tom Baker. We're not going to be talking about Tom Baker in the 80s. We'll be talking about that next video. So the 70s of Doctor Who, you know, I think this is one of the heights of Doctor Who's history. I don't think it was a controversial statement, you know, and I think the big reason for that is, you know, John Perwe and Tom Baker both had really long runs. So, you had a lot of time to get to know these doctors, get to know these companions, and it just was a really great time to be a Doctor Who fan, I think. I don't know. I wasn't alive yet cuz I'm just so young and youthful. Oh. So, anyway, let's This era

0:46 also had, I think, some of the most iconic Doctor Who companions as well. So, I'm really looking forward to talking about them today with you. So, first up, let's talk about a companion that technically debuted in the 60s. We're talking about the Brigadier. Instantly, the Brigadier is up the top. His role in the show completely changed the idea of what a companion could be. And his character still has ramifications in the show to this very day with his character's daughter, Kate Stewart. You know, she's in charge of unit. you know, there's still references to his character. You know, he appeared alongside most of the classic series doctors and you know, Nicholas Courtney also played Brett Vion in the Dark's Master Plan. So, in a way, he kind of

1:31 met the first doctor, too, if you think about it. And if you count dimensions in time, he also met the sixth doctor. I do not count it, but it's good if you do. Maybe it's not good. I don't know. And the reason I put him in the 70s tier and not the 60s, even though he was in the Web of Fear and the Invasion, is because this is when he becomes like a full-time companion. You know, he's around a lot. He is associated with John Pery's Doctor for me. So, that's why I put him here. I love his relationship with the doctor. He's very much like, I am from the army. This is how we do things. And the doctor has someone to yell at. You know, the doctor is anti- authority. and the brigadier is the most authoritative person around. So to have that dynamic makes for really great television and

2:16 Nicholas Courtney is very suave and very sexy and you know I like him. He's like a really likable character and I think that's down to Nicholas Courtney's performance. And I think there's something about the Brigadier. It's like it doesn't matter which doctor he comes up against. He's exactly the same. And you know he settles in and he's so used to the doctor changing his face that it becomes like nothing to him and he's just like yep that's the doctor. this doesn't make much sense to me. I have no idea what's going on, but I still like this guy and I believe in him. I trust him because he gets us out of every bad situation every single time. So, and I like that the brigadier as a character doesn't really believe what's going on. You know, he's skeptical, but he also knows that the doctor is someone to trust. And I think that's what makes him interesting compared to a typical

3:02 companion who seems to kind of believe the doctor whatever the doctor says, you know, especially when we get to the new series. You know, there's not much criticism of who the doctor is as a person, whereas the brigadier is more than happy to tell him that he's wrong. Next up, we have Liz Shaw. I put her straight to the great category. Similar to Zoe, the doctor has met someone who's sort of an equal. you know, she's a scientist and she's happy to have those difficult conversations with a doctor, but there is a real sense of affection. You can tell that the two really like each other and you can tell that they're having a great time figuring things out as a duo and not the doctor is in charge and Liz is second. It feels like they're on equal playing grounds, especially at the beginning of her tenure. as it goes

3:47 on, she sort of plays assistant scientific adviser, whereas at the beginning, it felt like they were both the scientific advisers. And I think it's really tragic that we never got a proper departure for Liz because I think she's one of the third doctor's greatest companions. And the fact that we didn't get a proper one feels like her era never really got the closure that it needed, especially because season 7 tonally is so radically different to everything else that happens in John Perwee's era. So, it would have been nice to say goodbye to Liz or even, you know, pop in to Liz and see where how she's going at Cambridge. You know, just a little something something, you know, just a little something. Love her. She's great. Next up is Joe Grant. Love Joe

4:33 Grant. Love her. Katie Manning is so fun. I think Katie Manning is also one of those actors who brings her own personal enthusiasm into the role. And I think that's why Joe Grant really shines because, you know, she's written as someone to be the opposite of Liz. You know, she's a little bit dsy. You know, she didn't necessarily pass all of her subjects and stuff like that, but she's still here and she's enthusiastic. and her role really becomes I am the assistant to the doctor. She's not his companion, she's his assistant. But as her journey in the show goes on, there is a real sense of love between the two. There is a real connection, even to the point where in her final story, she meets a man who is so similar to the

5:20 doctor, but you know, human and lives on Earth and is more age appropriate. And there is a real connection there because Joey does love the Doctor. Maybe not romantically, but there's traits in the Doctor that she really connects to. And I think when, you know, Elizabeth Slavven sadly passed and the Sarah Jane Adventures was cancelled. A lot of people wanted Katie Manning to step up and take over that role. Not just because she was established in the show already, you know, she made an appearance in an episode or two, but she also has that sense of love and connection that Elizabeth Sllayton gave to Sarah Jane Smith. And I think that's why people wanted her out of all of the

6:05 Doctor Who companions from the classic series to take on that role. And I think she's probably the one that's really qualified to do so. Next up, we have Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elizabeth Sladen. Once again, we have another companion that started off with one doctor and graduated to another one. And her relationship to John Perwee's doctor and Tom Baker's doctor is so different. You know, when she comes into the show in the Time Medler, she establishes herself as this journalist who is a feminist to really stand up for what she believes in. And that's why I love Sarah Jane Smith. She's brilliant. And there's a reason why she is known as one of like the best Doctor Who companions. And there's a reason why Elizabeth Sladen as an actor is so excellent that of course you'd want to bring her back for the new

6:51 series because she is just so good. Because as Sarah Jane's journey goes on, like most Doctor Who companions, she slowly gets written into a two-dimensional companion who gets in danger, screams, and points at things. But Elizabeth Sllayen, because she's such a brilliant performer, takes her scripts and adds something special to it because that's the type of performer she is. She's brilliant. She adds it in those little moments. And I think she's very similar to Morin O'Brien in that sense. I have the exact same feeling about these two actors is that their scripts deolved, but they still managed to give it 110%. They were still looking for ways to make the performance and the character interesting. And you

7:36 especially see it when she's with Tom Baker. You know, their little connection, you know, especially in that departure scene, you know, the way they look and interact with each other. There's a real love there and it feels so genuine. She makes Sarah Jane real and that's the mark of a great actor. She is excellent. And then she goes on to the new series and she is an incredible powerhouse. And I think to say that Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith is one of the best companions ever is not a controversial statement because she is and she will always be up the top of the top for me. Next up is Sergeant Benton. Not for me out of him and Mike Yates. He just gives me the ick. There's something about him. I can't put my

8:22 finger on it. But yeah, he kind of creeps me out. I don't know, man. Yeah, it's not for me. I definitely prefer Mike Yates if we're talking about unit soldiers. Next up, we have Mike Yates. I've put him in the okay category. I'm not a massive fan of his character. The thing I do like about his character is, you know, he's always playing this sweet army guy that gets along with Joe and, you know, we trust him and then as it gets to the end of his era, he turns on unit and becomes someone completely different. And I think that's really interesting, you know, to play with that. But yeah, Mike Kates is fine. He's fine. And that's all I really have to say about that. Next up, we have Harry Sullivan. Harry's fine. I've put him in the okay category. I don't dislike

9:09 Harry, but I don't feel like I ever really had a real connection with his character. And maybe that's because he wasn't on the show for too long. Really, I like that him and Sarah Jane have this playfulness in, you know, his outdated views. And you've got Sarah Jane who's much more of a progressive. And I think that makes for good comedic drama having those two together. Obviously, I'm rooting for Sarah Jane. And maybe that's why I don't like Harry because I think he's a dinosaur. Maybe that's it. I don't know. But he does play the character as a bit of a buffoon and that's what makes him funny and likable because originally he was written as this companion to kind of be the action man. you know, he was trying to play the Ian character because they initially wanted to get an older actor and then Tom Baker came in and obviously Tom Baker is young and fit and could do

9:56 all his own stunts and stuff like that. So, the character of Harry became kind of redundant. He wasn't really needed anymore. So, he does kind of feel like the odd one out, which is why I don't really think about Harry Sullivan that much when I think about Doctor Who companions. But, I think with the role that he was given, he does a great job with it. and I think that he's funny and I like his dynamic with the doctor, but he's just not at the top of the top for me. Next up, we have Leela. Um, love Leela. She's great. I'm not entirely sure what I think about the doctor and Leela's relationship in the sense that the doctor is this refined man who is going to help this poor savage. I don't really love the connotations of that and

10:41 what that's trying to say. But the parts where this dynamic works is when the doctor is trying to stop Leela from being so violent. That part I like, you know, because the doctor is really established as this person who is who abhors violence except when the story decides to give him a big gun and and Leo is someone who is always looking for a fight and that can lead to really great moments and it can be funny but also has good fish out of water scenarios. But what I don't love is the idea that the doctor has to educate Leela. And I don't think it necessarily goes down that road too much. But I don't really love what that's trying to say. But you can tell that Tom Baker doesn't like Louise Jameson. You can

11:28 tell that. And it comes across on screen, especially in an episode like Horror of Fang Rock. Tom Baker seems to be in a real foul mood, but it does add this feeling of like ominous and darkness to the story. So, I think that's why Horror Fan Rock is so great, but you can tell that they they're not really getting along and sometimes their dynamic can feel a bit antagonistic and it can feel a bit off. So, I've put her in the good category even though I think it should be a lot higher cuz I do love Leela. But overall, love Leela. Think she's great. Wish we had more of her, but I'm happy that we did have two seasons. Next up, we have K9. Love K9. So great. this is a companion and a character. You know, having a robotic

12:14 dog in the TARDIS is something that probably shouldn't work, but it just does because it could be seen as a jump the shark moment. You know, how silly the doctor is a talking robotic dog and it could be seen as being too childish. But I don't think it really does feel childish. It feels quirky and fun and silly. And I think it's because Tom Baker as an actor is insane. And the doctor and K9's dynamic just works. And I think it's because, you know, the Doctor is more than happy to tell off K9 at any point. And it's what this era of Doctor Who loved doing was critiquing logic. And you know, it's, oh yes, the numbers say that, but actually in the real world, this happens. You know, that's what Doctor Who in this time period loved critiquing. But let's be

13:00 real, K9 does work as a children's character. And I think a lot of kids would have loved K9. But, you know, I started watching classic Doctor Who maybe in my late teens, and I instantly loved K9. I thought he was great. Love the idea of a robotic dog. So cute, so funny, and his character is just great. And I think it does come down to John Le's performance as K9 as well. He really gives it a sense of personality. Even though K9 is someone who doesn't really have emotions, he still manages to make him feel real, and that's just through a vocal performance. And I think that shows real talent. Next up, we have Romana 1. Mary Tam's Romana is my first proper classic series companion, so she has a special place in my heart. And I

13:45 love the Doctor with Romana, with both Ramanas. I think his performance changes and it evolves and it feels so much more smarter, less silly and refined. Even maybe refined. I don't know. There's something special about the doctor and Ramano's relationship that I just love. I love the idea of having a time lord that is on the same level as the doctor and the type of dialogue is more funny and quick and smart and there's a sense that the show is more grown up in a certain way because it doesn't feel like the doctor is ever talking down to his companion and saying, "Oh, that's over there is this that and the other thing." You know, it's the Romana can step up

14:32 and say, "Oh, that's this." And the doctor's like, "Well, yes, obviously." You know, there's a more funnier dynamic between the two of them. And it makes the writer write the role of companion differently. Even though at points Ramana will fall into the typical companion stereotype, that is less likely with Romana because she is a time lord. So, she wouldn't find herself in certain situations or she wouldn't be asking certain questions. She'd know them. It's a big reason why I would love the Doctor to have a Time Lord companion again. You know, someone on their equal playing field because it makes the dialogue so rich. But I guess it does depend on the type of writer and who's writing it. Can someone really write that type of dialogue? Yeah, I just really love this era of Doctor Who. It's

15:19 one of my favorites. I love the Keto Time arc. It just feels so rich in its storytelling and I think it's down to Mary Tan's performance. Also, before Mary Tan passed away, she did a season of Big Finnish audios with Tom Baker and it's one of my favorite seasons of Big Finnish audios ever. I've even animated some of Phantoms of the Deep. I've finished the first episode, but I haven't finished the second, but it's a very slow process. I'm not rushing it like I did with my other ones. I'm taking my time. So, it's really really slick and I'll eventually release it. Um, but not yet. You send Ramana and Terry out into the depths of the ocean. Affirmative. But love, love, love this Tardis team. So brilliant. Next up is

16:07 Ramada 2. This is the final companion that we're going to be talking about in this video for the 1970s. We'll be talking about Adri onwards in the 1980s video. The dynamic between Tom Baker and Lala Ward is electric. Lala Ward clearly sees what Mary Tam did and said, "You know what? I can do something completely different. I don't want to replicate the type of ice queen that Mary Tam did so well. There's no point trying to mimic it." She decided, I'm going to add my own spin to it. And she does it so, so well. And by the time we've got Douglas Adams writing Tom Baker and Laaw Ward together, their chemistry is just incredible. And I think it's one of the best doctor and companion duos the show

16:54 has ever seen. I love that Romana gets to wear more quirkier outfits similar to the Doctor. You know, by this point, Romana has seen how the Doctor travels around in time and space and says, "You know what? That's really fun. I'm going to do that, too." and she really starts to see the joy in traveling in time and space. Whereas the first Romana was still a bit like I'm a time lord. I'm a little bit reserved. I'm not sure about this time travel l. But by the second incarnation, she's like, oh no, this is great. I am loving this. I could do this for the rest of my life. And I think the joy between the doctor and Romana at this point is just so much fun to watch. You can tell how much the actors are

17:39 enjoying it, how much the characters enjoying it until of course, you know, Tom Baker and La Ward's real life relationship started to deteriorate and you could see that on screen. But when they were happy, there is real magic on screen and there's something about this era shines to me. Even though some of the episodes are not the best, there is something about their dynamic that elevates it. So that's the 1970s of Doctor Who. It's interesting looking at this because the first half of the '7s, you know, they're all earthbased companions who are contemporary and their relationship with the Doctor is so human and then by the time we get into Tom Baker, they're starting to move away from that. We're starting to see robot dogs and people

18:24 from different planets and even time lords, you know, it really has a mixed bag of different stuff. And I think that's why this era is so special and is so much fun. Although I love the new series for having contemporary Earth companions, I think there's something special about seeing people from different planets, different worlds, different time periods. And that's why I think these companions are so exciting and so special because they are they are so unique. So looking at this companion ranking once again in this series, the best of the best is if they add something an extra special source, you know, to get that A+ whereas great is an A anyway. You know, those two top those top two rows are like amazing. And I

19:12 feel bad for putting Leela in just the good category, but I think because her character doesn't really develop too much, she sort of does end up in the same place she was where she started. Although she learns a little bit from the doctor, she still has that blood lust that never seems to go. But I think that's what makes Leela Leela, but it doesn't feel like there is a big arc for her. So that's why she's a little bit lower than the rest. But I do love these companions. And I would like to apologize to all the men cuz I've ranked you so low except for the brigadier. What can I say? I hate men. I love women. Um, sorry about it. So what do you think of my ranking? Let me know in the comment section below. Do you agree with my list or am I completely off? Let me know who your

19:58 favorite companion is of this era. Show me your ranking list. Tell me what from to number one to the bottom. Let me know. And next time we'll be talking about the 1980s Doctor Who companions. And I'm going to chuck in the Paul Mcan ones as well, just the movie. We're not talking about audios. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But I want to make this video accessible for most Doctor Who fans who have just watched a TV show because, you know, I think if I included the audio companions, why am I not talking about comics or novels? I should be talking about them, too, shouldn't I? So, I need to restrict it to just a TV show, even though I do love Big Finnish. But yeah, have a nice day, and I'll see you next time. All right, bye. Okay. Don't forget to click below to subscribe to the official Josh YouTube channel.

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