David Tennant’s (first) era ofDoctor Whowas a blockbuster series, bursting with inventive ideas, incredible revelations, and a host of memorable characters. Showrunner Russell T. Davies worked hard to create a universe that was connected, with heroes and villains recurring and interacting throughout the final years of his initial run.
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Some characters only appeared once though. One-time villains or companions-who-never-were, who were just as interesting and well-written as the slightly-more regular denizens of the Whoniverse. These individuals sometimes even drove whichever story they appeared in, stealing the show from the Doctor himself. Below is a list of some one-off heroes and villains who added color and adventure to the Tenth Doctor’s reign.
10Joan Redfern (Human Nature/Family Of Blood)
Played to perfection by Jessica Hynes, Joan Redfern was one of many tragic women to crossthe Tenth Doctor’spath. A warm, caring individual, she was a nurse at Farringham School for Boys. The Tenth Doctor, disguised as human schoolteacher “John Smith,” fell in love with her. Due to Time Lord technology, the Doctor genuinely thought he was Mr. Smith and had no recollection of his true self.
Of course, eventually, the Doctor would return. John Smith was only ever a story, and Joan Redfern was left heartbroken. She was an incredibly strong woman though and dared to confront the Doctor about the many innocent lives lost because of him.
9Sky Silvestri (Midnight)
Sky Silvestri was one of several passengers on a tourist craft visiting the planet Midnight. She’d just paid a visit to her ex-wife and was grateful for the Doctor’s company. But then an unknownsomethingattacks the ship, and allhell breaks loose.
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Lesley Sharpe switches her performance on a dime, imbuing Sky with depth and warmth, before flipping to something hateful, icy, and terrifying when she becomes, for want of a better word, possessed. A tragic figure, taken by something unknowable.
8Mr. Finch (School Reunion)
In a story that saw the return oftwo beloved companionsfrom the Doctor’s past, ‘School Reunion’ needed to make sure that it had a villain big enough to warrant such a return. Cue Mr. Finch, an alien disguised as a schoolteacher, that, in the pre-titles sequence, actuallyeatsa child! A rare occurrence in family television.
Anthony Head brings an icy charm to the wicked Finch. He leers at and taunts the Doctor, while at the same time holding a sort of grudging respect for him. Mr. Finch would finally meet his doom at the hands of the Doctor’strusty robot dog, K9.
7Astrid Peth (Voyage Of The Damned)
Famously played by Kylie Minogue, Astrid couldn’t have been more different from the global megastar who portrayed her. A humble waitress who had never actually set foot on another planet, Astrid, like many who the Doctor meets, just wanted adventure.
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Of course, romance blossoms between the Doctor and Astrid (thisbeing a Christmas special), and of course, it ends in tragedy. Peth makes a sacrifice to save the Doctor, but he manages to scatter her atoms across the universe, granting her wish of traveling the galaxy.
6Jackson Lake (The Next Doctor)
Jackson Lake was another one-time companion to the Doctor but, for a while, he was also the Doctor himself! When the Cybermen attack Victorian England, killing Jackson’s wife and kidnapping his son, he uses their technology to defend himself. An infostamp contains information collectedby the Cybermenover the centuries, and this one just happened to feature details on the Doctor.
The device backfired, and Jackson absorbed all the information on the Doctor, thus believing himselfto be the Time Lord! By the end of the episode, his old memories (and his son) are returned, and he learns that all of the heroism and bravery he exhibited were his own, not the Doctor’s.
5Queen Victoria (Tooth And Claw)
In her only on-screen appearance inDoctor Whoto date, Queen Victoria was wonderfully brought to life by veteran actress Pauline Collins. She imbued the monarch with the gruff, no-nonsense charm one would expect while allowing fans to see a gentler side in some quieter moments.
WithinDoctor Whocontinuity, audiences learn that it was Queen Victoria who set upthe Torchwood organization, paving the way for the spin-off series later that year. There is also a cheeky suggestion that all of the Royal Family are werewolves…
4Adelaide Brooke (The Waters Of Mars)
Taking the role of one-off companion to a solo Tenth Doctor, Adelaide Brooke was commander of an international base on Mars. A strong, driven woman, she’d fought hard to get that position, and was a great foil for Tennant’s aloof Time Lord during an attackfrom a dangerous entity.
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Things took a dark turn by the story’s end though, when the Doctor interferes with history, allowing Brooke to live when she should have perished with the rest of her crew on the base. Refusing the Doctor’s unnerving new power-mad streak, she took matters into her own hands and ended her life. One final act of defiance.
3Jenny (The Doctor’s Daughter)
Artificially created from the Doctor’s DNA on the planet Messaline, Jenny is, to all extents and purposes, his daughter. It takes a while for the Doctor to warm to her.His planet, his race(and perhaps his children and granddaughter) are all gone, and he doesn’t like her attitude to violence.
Jenny is such a bright, enthusiastic creation though – the spirit of the Doctor shines inside her. He is devastated when she sacrifices herself for him at the episode’s end, but the heartbroken Doctor has no idea that she actually survived…
2Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (The Girl In The Fireplace)
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (also known as Reinette) was a magical character from one ofDoctor Who’s most celebrated episodes. Driven by curiosity, she had a genuine connection with the Doctor that eclipsed even that of a (very jealous) Rose Tyler. It’s a very clear case of the two falling in love, with the Doctordesperate to take her with him.
Thanks to the use of a Time Window, the Doctor was a presence throughout Reinette’s life. Unfortunately, he was unable to bring her aboard the TARDIS before she died, resulting in one of the most heart-breaking endings to a Doctor Who story ever. Beautifully tragic.
1Sally Sparrow
The greatest companion who never was? Sally Sparrow was the heart and soul of the Doctor-lite story “Blink,” driving the adventure in the absence of the Doctor. Quirky, curious, and eager for adventure, she carried the story perfectly.
Charmingly realized by Carey Mulligan, Sally is as clever as any of the Doctor’s long-term companions and more than holds her own againstthe Weeping Angels(in their first appearance). Sally Sparrow will most certainly be remembered as one of the all-time great one-offDoctor Whoprotagonists.
