It was 1977. The Fourth Doctor, played by the toothy and scarf-clad Tom Baker, was wandering through a Victorian-style house in the serial Horror of Fang Rock. Beside him wasn't a time-traveling warrior or a scientist, but Leela—a "savage" from a far-future tribe. This specific era of Doctor Who often gets lumped into a broader category fans call the lady's companion episodes, a stretch of television that defined what it meant to travel with the Doctor for decades.
Some people think the "companion" role is just a trope. It's not. It is the engine of the show.
Honestly, if you look at the DNA of the series, the Doctor is basically a static character. He (or she) arrives, knows everything, fixes the problem, and leaves. The growth? That belongs to the human. Specifically, the women who stepped into the TARDIS during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. These episodes weren't just about screaming at rubber monsters. They were about the shifting social dynamics of Britain, seen through a sci-fi lens.
The Evolution of the "Lady's Companion" Archetype
In the beginning, we had Carole Ann Ford as Susan. She was the Doctor’s granddaughter. Then came Barbara Wright, a history teacher who actually stood her ground. But when people talk about the lady's companion episodes, they are usually reminiscing about the Sarah Jane Smith era or the transition into the 1980s.
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Sarah Jane, played by the incomparable Elisabeth Sladen, changed everything. She wasn't just a sidekick. She was a journalist. She had a job. She had opinions.
Before her, many female companions were written to be "damsels." They tripped over twigs. They twisted ankles. They screamed while a Dalek glided slowly toward them at three miles per hour. Sarah Jane shifted that. In episodes like The Time Warrior or Genesis of the Daleks, she acted as the moral compass. When the Doctor held two wires together, wondering if he had the right to commit genocide against the Daleks, it was the companion's presence that made the scene work. Without that human perspective, the Doctor is just a weird alien doing math.
Then came the 80s. Things got weird.
We got Tegan Jovanka. She was a flight attendant who just wanted to get to Heathrow. Seriously. That was her entire motivation for half a dozen serials. It brought a gritty, frustrated energy to the TARDIS that we hadn't seen. She wasn't "honored" to be there; she was annoyed. This era of the lady's companion episodes reflected a more cynical, fast-paced world.
Why "The Caves of Androzani" Matters So Much
If you want to understand the peak of this dynamic, you have to watch The Caves of Androzani. It is frequently voted the best Doctor Who story ever. Why? Because the entire plot is driven by the Doctor trying to save his companion, Peri Brown.
Peri is often criticized for being a "damsel" character, mostly because of how she was costumed and written in other serials. But in Androzani, the stakes are visceral. There is no universe-ending threat. There is no Master trying to take over the galaxy. It’s just a girl dying of spectrox toxaemia and a Doctor who refuses to let her go.
The episode is frantic. It’s dark. It’s basically a war film.
It proves that the companion isn't just a plot device to ask, "What is it, Doctor?" They are the reason the Doctor stays kind. Without a companion, the Doctor becomes the "Time Lord Victorious"—arrogant, cold, and dangerous. We saw this later in the modern era with David Tennant, but the roots are all in these classic episodes.
The chemistry between Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant in that final serial is palpable. It’s desperate. When the Doctor gives her the last of the bat milk to save her life, sacrificing his own regeneration, it cements the companion’s role as the most important person in the room.
Shifting Roles and the "Scream Queen" Label
People love to point out the screaming. Yes, there was a lot of it.
But look at Jo Grant. Katy Manning played her with a sort of clumsy brilliance. In The Sea Devils, she’s escaping cells and climbing down ropes. By the time she leaves in The Green Death, she’s joining a protest and falling in love with a scientist to save the planet. That is a character arc. You don't get that in many 1970s procedurals.
The term "lady's companion" feels a bit archaic now, doesn't it? It sounds like something out of a Jane Austen novel. In the context of the show, it was a title of necessity. The BBC needed a way to ground the high-concept sci-fi. They needed someone the audience could relate to.
- 1960s: The "Daughter/Ward" figure (Susan, Victoria).
- 1970s: The "Professional" (Liz Shaw, Sarah Jane).
- 1980s: The "Rebel" (Ace).
Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, deserves a whole book. She carried a baseball bat and blew up Daleks with "Nitro-9" explosives. She called the Doctor "Professor." She was the precursor to the modern "strong female lead." In episodes like The Curse of Fenric, we see her dealing with trauma, family history, and her own burgeoning power. The lady's companion had officially become the protagonist.
The Production Reality Behind the Scenes
It wasn't always easy for the actresses.
The pay was often lower than their male counterparts. The filming conditions were brutal. Think about Louise Jameson (Leela) filming in a leather loincloth in the middle of a British winter in a damp quarry. That’s dedication. Or Janet Fielding (Tegan) having to deliver techno-babble while running away from guys in green bubble wrap.
There was a specific formula to these episodes. The companion would usually get captured in Part 2. By Part 3, they’d find a way to escape or help the Doctor from the inside. It was predictable, sure. But it worked because the actresses brought genuine heart to the roles. They made you care about the "monster of the week" because they were terrified of it.
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The Problem With Modern Perspective
We tend to judge 1970s TV by 2026 standards. That's a mistake.
Was the writing sometimes sexist? Yeah, definitely. There are lines in the Third Doctor era that make you wince. He tells Jo Grant to "be a good girl" more times than I can count. But if you watch the episodes closely, Jo is often the one actually solving the peripheral puzzles or keeping the peace with UNIT.
The "companion" wasn't just there to be rescued. They were the bridge between the audience and the infinite. When the TARDIS doors open onto a new planet, we don't look at the Doctor; we look at the companion's face. We see their awe, their fear, and their curiosity. That’s our way in.
Common Misconceptions About Classic Companions
Most people who haven't watched the classic era think the companions were all the same. They weren't.
Take Romana. She was a Time Lady. She was actually smarter than the Doctor (or at least more academically qualified). In episodes like City of Death, she’s the one doing the heavy lifting while the Doctor is being... well, the Doctor. Their relationship wasn't a mentor/student dynamic; it was a partnership of equals.
Then you have someone like Zoe Heriot from the 1960s. She was a human from the future with a computer-like brain. She could out-calculate the Doctor's own navigation systems. These weren't just "ladies" waiting to be saved. They were experts, warriors, and geniuses in their own right.
How to Revisit These Episodes Today
If you’re looking to dive into the lady's companion episodes, don't just start at the beginning and watch in order. You’ll get burnt out by the slow pacing of the 60s.
Instead, go for the standouts.
Watch The Ark in Space. It’s claustrophobic and gross. Sarah Jane is at her best there. Then skip to The Talons of Weng-Chiang. It’s controversial now for its casting choices, but the dynamic between the Doctor and Leela is fascinating. He’s trying to "civilize" her, and she’s basically having none of it.
Finally, watch Ghost Light. It’s a late-period Seventh Doctor story. It’s confusing, surreal, and entirely focused on Ace’s psychological development. It’s arguably the most "modern" the show ever felt before the 2005 revival.
The legacy of these episodes isn't just nostalgia. It’s the blueprint for everything that came after. Rose Tyler, Amy Pond, and Clara Oswald wouldn't exist without the foundations laid by the women of the classic era. They proved that you could be vulnerable and brave at the same time.
You've basically got sixty years of history to catch up on.
Start with the ones that focus on the character, not the alien. That’s where the real magic is. The lady's companion episodes are essentially a history of how we view heroism. It started with a girl in a forest and ended with a girl with a bat, and the universe was better for both of them.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to explore this further, here is how you should actually approach it:
- Check the "Target" Novelizations: If some of the older episodes are too slow to watch, read the books. They often add internal monologue for the companions that the TV budget couldn't show.
- Listen to Big Finish Audios: Many of the original actresses (like Sophie Aldred and Katy Manning) returned for audio dramas. These stories give their characters much more agency and depth than the 70s TV scripts allowed.
- Watch the "Behind the Sofa" Specials: Available on the Blu-ray sets, these feature the original cast members watching their old episodes. It provides incredible context on what was actually happening on set.
- Identify the "Departure" Episodes: The best writing for companions usually happens in their first and last stories. Focus on these to see the full arc of their character development.
The show isn't just about a blue box. It’s about the people who have the guts to step inside. That’s the real story.