Next Who Companion: Our Candidates
Now that speculation over who’ll play the 11th Doctor is over the press have turned their attention towards the all important role of his new companion. Over the next weeks and months everyone under the sun will probably be linked to the role with Rachel Stevens, Kelly Brooke and Lilly Allen already featuring amongst tabloid speculation. So we’ve decided to draw up a list of possible candidates for the future Doctor’s companion, some of whom have already featured in the show.
Now that speculation over who’ll play the 11th Doctor is over the press have turned their attention towards the all important role of his new companion. Over the next weeks and months everyone under the sun will probably be linked to the role with Rachel Stevens, Kelly Brooke and Lilly Allen already featuring amongst tabloid speculation. So we’ve decided to draw up a list of possible candidates for the future Doctor’s companion, some of whom have already featured in the show.
Sally Sparrow: Carey Mulligan
Sally Sparrow appeared in the Doctor-lite episode Blink in which she was stalked by a group of “Weeping Angels” who wanted the keys to the Tardis from her, she had accidentally acquired them. 
Through messages on DVDs, as extra’s, Sally comes into contact with The Doctor who warns her that the Angels are coming to get her and she mustn’t allow the Tardis to fall into her hands. The one-off character was hugely popular with fans who hoped she would return in the 4th season as the Doctor’s new companion; Donna Noble [Catherine Tate] took on that role though. Fans would be delighted to see Sally back though and she’d been a good side-kick to the Doctor; strong, witty, intelligent, feisty and a fighter.
Jenny: Georgia Moffet
The daughter of Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison, Georgia Moffet is no stranger to the world of Doctor Who. Not only growing up as “the Doctor’s daughter” the actress also guest-starred in season four in an episode entitled the “Doctor’s Daughter” in which she played…..the Doctor’s Daughter. Of course she was only produced by cloning some of the Doctor’s cells but that still makes her part of him and Jenny did survive, last seen flying off to explore the Galaxy – following her father’s footsteps. Having Jenny return as the companion would echo the early days of original Who when Susan [Carol Ann Ford] travelled with her grandfather, The Doctor. And it also opens up lots of possible storylines as the 11th Doctor tries to relate to a daughter he never intended to have.
River Song: Alex Kingston
Professor River Song, archaeologist, made her Who debut in the brilliantly scary Silence In The Library/Forest of the Dead having arrived at the biggest library in the universe as part of a survey 
team to find out what happened a 100 years before, when the library sealed itself. At the library she bumps into her old friend The Doctor only he doesn’t recognise her yet…because he hasn’t met her yet. There were lots of hints as to the true nature of their relationship but just hints, nothing concrete. All we do know is sometime in the future the Doctor meets River again and she does some travelling with him but all the time he knows her final fate. Once again lots of dramatic possibilities as the Doctor travels with a woman he knows will sacrifice herself, in the future, to save his life.
Michelle Ryan
Former EastEnders actress who most recently guest-starred in several episodes of fantasy series Merlin and known in American for her leading role in the “reimaged” Bionic Woman. Since leaving EastEnders Ryan has made a name for herself thanks to her work mainly in genre shows such as Merlin, Bionic Woman and Jekyll. Appearing in soap won’t necessarily work against her as Freema Agyeman, who played companion Martha Jones, had her big television break on the “glam” version of Crossroads. Interestingly Ryan previously auditioned for a role in Who, as a companion, but Agyeman was eventually cast. As Ryan is known stateside as well, whereas Matt Smith isn’t, her casting could help secure viewers in America.
Jemima Rooper
Rising star Jemima Rooper has had a long and varied career, starting off with children’s television but progressing to more mature roles. Probably best known to Sci Fi fans for her role as lesbian ghost Thelma in both seasons of Sky One’s supernatural series Hex. Television viewers of a certain age will also remember her for her role of Nicky in all four seasons of T4 drama As If, which was produced by the same team as Hex. The actress also appeared in BBC3 drama series Synchronicity, again by the same team as Hex/As If, 
and also the Brit film Kinky Boots. Most recently she had the leading role in ITV’s Lost in Austen about a modern-day woman finding her way into the pages of her favourite novel, Pride and Prejudice. Hex was something of a success in America so Rooper is already partially known in America but her success in the UK would be a bigger plus for producers seeking to cast a new companion. Her wide range of roles means Rooper is an actress who can play anything, do anything and is probably one of the country’s hottest talents.
Mitch Hewer
Best known for his role of Maxxie in the first two seasons of Skins, the character of Maxxie was hugely popular with the young gay audience and Doctor Who also appeals to the gay market. Hewer was also in ITV’s big flop Britannia High but we’ll brush over that. Casting a man as the new companion would buck the trend as only Captain Jack Harkness [John Barrowman] has been a significant male companion since the series returned in 2005. A male companion would also raise interesting storylines in regards to the Doctor’s relationship with him, would it be a friendly relationship or a father/son style relationship?
Zoe Tapper
Like Jemima Rooper, Zoe Tapper is a rising star and also appeared in Sky One’s Hex, only in the first 
season though, as “it girl” Gemma. Tapper has been very busy this year clocking up appearances in a number of high-profile shows such as Survivors and Demons, both of which appeal to Sci Fi fans. Tapper is also an actress with a good range of roles behind her and would make a good enough companion. However, if Demons is re-commissioned by ITV then her availability might be tricky for the producers and with a second season of Survivors on its way Tapper looks set to have a busy year ahead of her.
You can read our Rising Stars profile of Jemima Rooper HERE >>
And Zoe Tapper HERE >>