Talk:Companion (Doctor Who)

Archive

As this page seemed too long (I have had real problems editing it), and there was a lull in the discussions before the Christmas special, I've created an archive for the old discussions. Edgepedia (talk) 09:30, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Eighth Doctor

What about the Chinese dude? 75.165.106.238 (talk) 16:29, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

That was Chang Lee. For most of the episode he works with the Master against the Doctor, though the Master (or the diamonds) convinced him that the Doctor was the bad guy. If the series had been picked up, then I believe Chang Lee would have joined Grace and the Doctor.Parmadil (talk) 00:47, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

Astrid in Companion Deaths?

I know Astrid's position as a Companion is disputed, but should she be included? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.232.157.117 (talk) 21:24, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

The BBC have called her a companion, and she's listed as such on the Doctor Who website. Edgepedia (talk) 21:28, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

The BBC loosely uses "companion" because it's an identifiable term with the show. As a marketing gimmick, it's understandable. However, it's not correct. This is even acknowledged in the episode count for Donna Noble, which notes fifteen appearances but only fourteen as companion. Her guest turn on "The Runaway Bride" does not count. In that episode, she was just a guest character. The same goes for Astrid Peth, Jackson Lake, Rosita, and Lady DeSouza. They were no more companions than the Castellan who helped Tom Baker in "The Deadly Assassin" or Lynda with a "y" a companion to Christopher Eccleston in "The Parting of the Ways." They were guest characters who provided a similar function, but were not actually companions in the long-standing tradition of the show.

My understanding of a companion is someone who is ends up traveling with the Doctor on the Tardis for some amount of time, usually because they were asked. In that regard, the Tenth Doctor's companions would be Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, and Donna Noble.

Astrid Peth, Jackson Lake, Rosita, and Christina deSouza should all be delisted as companions of the Tenth. They were guest stars, and the term "companion" was applied in loose fashion. They were guest stars only, no more, no less.

Couldn't agree more with the above comment, by including all these supporting characters as companions you are watering down the term. Sorry but this article is just plain incorrect unless names like Astrid, Adelade and Rosita are removed. I can see room for argument on folks like the Brigadier but honestly can't see any validity in including one-off supporting characters. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 07:30, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Number of Stories as a Companion (Table)

The column for number of stories or episodes as a companion seems a little hard to follow. Polly, for example, is cited as appearing in 9 stories total, but then it's clarified that she appeared in 3 with one doctor and 7 with the other. I can gather that this is due to the character being present for a regeneration scene from one Doctor to another, but is it really necessary to count such stories twice when the new Doctor does not even have significant screen time (and really, does nothing in the story except lie there) in the story? So does The Tenth Planet really count as a serial for the Second Doctor? It doesn't appear to over at List_of_Doctor_Who_serials, and based on this it seems reasonable to argue that Polly should only be counted as appearing in 6 stories with him. In any event we should probably make the designation of stories to Doctor incarnations more consistent across pages. But in which direction? Ansate (talk) 23:06, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree, there is absoultely no reason to list Polly as being a companion to the second doctor in "The Tenth Planet", or any other companion who is present at a regeneration. It is confusing, especially to the casual reader, and quite frankly nonsense. It is also confusing to list a companion's last story as the story in which the Doctor regenerates, such as listing Sarah Jane Smith's last story as "Planet of the Spiders", and then listing her first story in the next table as "Robot". Perhaps as this article is about the companions we can change the table to be in the order of companions rather than Doctor, with a column stating which Doctor the companion travelled with?? Paul75 (talk) 03:40, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

This would be, I think, a preferable arrangement. Phil Sandifer (talk) 05:51, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

I've done a test in the sandbox - comments? Eleventh Doctor (talk) 11:21, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Wait, I'm confused, and maybe I'm just using the sandbox incorrectly but-- what was changed? Ansate (talk) 00:19, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

It's better, but the numbers are still a bit off - 19+ 1 = 19, 4+2=7 etc etc. It is this that is the most problematic I think. Paul75 (talk) 02:41, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

I've tried to make it less complicated, but replacing the things after the number of stories with notes at the bottom (Like "also appeared in...". I didn't change the numbering for that test, but you could just count the regeneration story as one (which it is). I do agree that it's a little silly to count it as two stories because it happens to be with different Doctors - as on most occasions the new or previous doctor is there for two seconds. Eleventh Doctor (talk) 14:44, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

On a related note (table related), can someone please change Jack's first episode to "The Empty child"? Or, alternatively, if you want to go for "first episode as a companion", you could list "the doctor dances". Either way, it's not "Utopia" for his first. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.172.111.82 (talk) 22:06, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Unsourced Companions, Excluded Companions

I see no citations for the inclusion of Adam Mitchell and Jackson Lake as companions. I'm also skeptical of the inclusion of Rosita, who, although I see press sources for her, all of them are pre-transmission sources, which means they're publicity pieces that are not based on what happens in the episode. I don't think those are useful for establishing companion status - I'd like to see something post-transmission that refers to her as a companion.

Also, although the UNIT folks are "disputed" companions (A claim that is utterly unsourced), the BBC does list Benton, Yates, and the Brigadier as companions, and the John Nathan-Turner Companions book also lists the Brigadier. Excluding these from the table while maintaining far more dubious companions is ridiculous. Phil Sandifer (talk) 05:50, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

We had that discussion already, see Talk:The Next Doctor and Wikipedia talk:Wikiproject Doctor Who (and the archives). I doubt we need to start that all again... SoWhy 21:28, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

I am inclined to agree with Phil Sandifer on this one. Pre-transmission sources should not be used at all, a good example is the pre-transmission publicity surrounding The Next Doctor which claimed David Morrissey was a future incarnation of the Doctor and virtutally had him as the 11th Doctor. Perhaps a table of "one off companions" is needed, especially for the new series??? But I agree this is a subject which will never be settled as it has far too many elements and strong arguments for both sides. Paul75 (talk) 00:38, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

On top of that, I see nothing resembling consensus for the "Rosita is a companion" viewpoint - I mostly see one editor shouting down others, using the pre-transmission sources as evidence, which, as I've pointed out, are kind of rubbish. And the WikiProject discussion mostly amounted to a general consensus that we shouldn't be using companions at all in the infoboxes, instead going with either credit order or recurring characters. So, you know, I'm really not seeing much for SoWhy's position here.

This also does nothing to explain why companions who have reliable sources noting they are companions are not on this list. Phil Sandifer (talk) 03:44, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

Ok, I admit that I conceded on Rosita because I didn't want to get involved in another debate about fan beliefs vs production details. But you have a point in that a more direct quote from Davies et al would be better than a pre-transmission source (even a published one at that). As for the other "companions" with "reliable sources" who aren't on the list, that requires a little critical thinking and academic discretion. A case in point, JNT's companions book lists the Brig but Barry Letts only mentions Liz, Jo and Sarah as companions in the various documentaries. Using a little critical thinking, Letts probably had more authority during his tenure than JNT who came later. Anyway, that's what peer review is for. DonQuixote (talk) 20:12, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

That's just open POV, though, to give Letts priority over JNT and the BBC now. Still best to put them on the list with footnotes than exclude them entirely. Phil Sandifer (talk) 02:07, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

It's not open POV in that Letts was in charge of production at the time, so he with the help of Terrance Dicks decided what was going on in the show. Anyway, I forgot about The Five Doctors which was JNT's production, where the Brig was clearly meant to be the 2nd Doctor's companion. So JNT held authority during that. The point is that we can't just add people to the list because we wish them to be companions (or exclude them), but rather we have to prove via reliable sources that the character was meant to fill the companion role by the production team. A case in point, we can quote Davies where he created the companion of Adam solely for the purpose of the Doctor kicking him out. Or another one is where Katarina wasn't working out as a companion so they killed her off and replaced her for one serial by Sara Kingdom...before killing her off. Etc. DonQuixote (talk) 03:42, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Well, my problem is that authorial intent is still a POV. If a reliable source labels the character as a companion, then companion they are. Phil Sandifer (talk) 15:51, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

To reiterate the key points, critical thinking and peer review. That's why I support moving away from "definition" (since it's prone to POV and OR) towards "history of the programme". Based on the latter, there's no "authorial intent" ambiguity since much of the production is well documented and have been well-researched by DWM et al. This article, as it is now, is about half-and-half. DonQuixote (talk) 20:16, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Well, but picking only "history of the programme" is still a POV over, for instance, fan perspectives. Phil Sandifer (talk) 01:28, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Picking "official canon" over, for instance, fan fiction is POV too. DonQuixote (talk) 16:24, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Only if the fan fiction has somehow become a reliable source. Phil Sandifer (talk) 21:17, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

(deindent) Just like to point out that most fan perspectives are not reliable sources in the sense that we can't cite random fan A for article B. DonQuixote (talk) 13:09, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Pick one method of inclusion and stick with it. The BBC website has a list of companions for the classic series and for the new series (under "Companions"). If you you go with people's opinions it will never be resolved because people have different criterias for what makes a companion 129.215.149.99 (talk) 15:13, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

You've hit the nail on the head. If it's based on opinions, then it'll never be resolved. That's why I'm for moving the article towards "history of the programme". DonQuixote (talk) 20:16, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

I think the BBC list of companions is a good base to use, although it is problematic in that it doesn't list Sara Kingdom, yet does list Astrid Peth. I'd be inclined to go the opposite way, and it is likely Peth has been added to the list purely because of the publicity the actress can give the show and the BBC website. It's such a difficult issue and I am struggling with coming up with a suitable answer. The only suggestion I have is having a list of companions, and then a list of either "Disputed companions", or "Other Companions" which could include the Brig etc, and another list of "One off companions" which could feature Astrid, Sara etc. Astrid Peth's Wikipedia entry describes her as a "one-off companion". Paul75 (talk) 00:23, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Or we could include both Kingdom and Perth. I mean, my feeling is this: when a post-transmission reliable source lists a character as a companion, we include them on the table. When a post-transmission reliable source offers what attempts to be a comprehensive list of companions (the JNT book, the BBC), and that source excludes a character, we footnote it with a mention of that. Phil Sandifer (talk) 01:28, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

• Calling Mickey Smith a companion is like referring to the Doctor's genitalia as a companion. You could take that to the bank.  :)Smokefree (talk) 06:45, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

Why is it that if the Doctor happens to be traveling on his own in a given episode then whoever helps him out in that episode is considered a companion? I would consider somebody like Lynda in Bad Wolf to be far more companion-like than Adelade for example. Sometimes the Doctor is just alone and we should leave it at that, not try to make companions out of everybody he happens to run into when flying solo. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 07:19, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Rejigging

I have removed all companions who are cited as companions entirely based on pre-transmission sources. Simply put, these do not seem to me reliable sources for this, as discussed above - it is impossible to identify a character's role in a story that nobody has seen yet. Such sources seem to me to be engaged, at best, in a very sort of loose talk that does not make a distinction between "companion" and "second lead after the Doctor" in a story. Until either the episode has aired or a character is clearly announced as a regular who will be traveling with the Doctor, sources of this sort are not reliable. Note, for instance, that Rosita and Jack are still excluded on the BBC's companion list (while Astrid is included).

I have also added companions who appear in reliable sources. That includes the UNIT characters, who are clearly indicated as Companions on the BBC site. I have footnoted these characters noting that other sources that attempt to present comprehensive lists of companions exclude them.

Finally, I have changed the column headers to simple "first" and "last" appearances, so as to do away with the "appearance as a companion" debate. Since this is an immensely fungible concept, it is far easier to simply just go with the unequivocal claim. Phil Sandifer (talk) 06:12, 9 March 2009 (UTC) Phil Sandifer (talk) 06:12, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

I've also stopped referencing Dimensions in Time, which if I recall is not canon. I do so because that prevents us from starting down a slippery slope that involves referencing audio adventures and novels and the like. Phil Sandifer (talk) 06:22, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

OK. Got the UNIT characters added, and renumbered the list. I still need to go in and clean a few other things up, and check some sources on Nyssa (everything I can quickly find treats her as a companion in Traken) to see if she should be re-ordered. I am, however, exhausted, and going to do the rest of the work tomorrow. Phil Sandifer (talk) 06:42, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

Thanks Phil, I unequivocally applaud your sensible approach and think the edits you have made have been brilliant. Well done. I foresee a battle ahead however....unfortunately Paul75 (talk) 10:07, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

One little caveat with UNIT, from a production standpoint, is that with further research (such as interviews with Letts and Dicks) reveals that they're in the same class as Jackie Tyler. DonQuixote (talk) 11:30, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

So we footnote the ambiguous status of them. But we can't just ignore the reliable sources that include them. Phil Sandifer (talk) 14:55, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

We can't ignore the sources (particularly the primary sources) that don't include them either. In academia, the practice is to go with what the majority of the sources state whilst mentioning (in a footnote or a section of its own) what the minority of the sources state--particularly if we're going to include something interpretive with something that is factually well-documented. DonQuixote (talk) 13:18, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

And for none of the four disputed companions do we ignore any sources. But for a table, which does not lend itself to subtle treatments of disputed companions, I think we're better served by having all the companions that are considered as such by major reliable sources, with footnotes explaining the odd inclusions. Simply put, I think the perspective that Benton, Yates, the Brigadier, and Kingdom are not companions is done less violence by their footnoted inclusion than the perspective that they are is done by their wholesale omission from the table (which in turn means that information like actor, number of episodes, and first and last appearance is excluded from the article). Phil Sandifer (talk) 14:26, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, it's bad practice to be completely inclusive (that is, listing everything from one source that's omitted from another source). Personally, I really don't care if the Brig et al are added, but I really care when they're added for the wrong reason. To repeate my mantra from Talk:Keeper of Traken, it's "multiple sources vs single source". DonQuixote (talk) 21:43, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Tables don't lend themselves to gray area decisions. It comes down to, for me, what is more useful for a reader. Clearly all four characters are deemed companions according to a reliable source. The question is, do we include useful information like their actors, stories they appeared in, etc, and also include a footnote that the issue is disputed. The problem with removing them is that it simply removes information that's useful to readers. Because some sources don't include it. And that doesn't wash. The claim is verifiable. It's cited to a reliable source. The best that can be said is "not every source includes this." It's not as though the JNT book goes out of its way to slag Benton and Yates It just doesn't mention them. The idea that omission is being used as a statement as definitive as inclusion is already problematic. And yet we appear to be strangely allergic to including relevant information, even with a footnote clarifying the situation.

That's what bothers me here - we seem to have a preference for the exclusion of useful information sourced to reliable sources over the inclusion of it. Saying nothing is viewed as preferable to thorough coverage of the issue. That's bewildering to me. Phil Sandifer (talk) 21:51, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

OK, this is just bullshit. Cherry-picking sources? I've footnoted the exclusion of Benton and Yates! I've acknowledged that it's a borderline case! What exactly do you want? What more sources are relevant here? I've checked, at this point, two comprehensive lists of companions. One includes the characters, one excludes two of them. Are there actually reliable sources that contradict the BBC website here? Or is it just other sources that leave them off the list without comment? That's the basis for removing information like the actor, a list of appearances, etc? That's preferable to including that information with an explanation of the liminal status of the companions? That's nuts! You're opting, actively, for being less helpful to readers! How is that useful? Phil Sandifer (talk) 21:56, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

 Administrator note Remember that a given fact does not become more verifiable if more sources link to it. When weighting colliding sources, one must always be able to judge which sources are more reliable than others, based on the source's past reliability and connection to the subject. As for this issue, I am hereby warning you both, Phil Sandifer and DoQuixote, and everyone else who might get involved into this dispute, to not revert this article again until consensus can be reached. I suggest you invite WP:WHO members to discuss this issue. Any further revert before there is consensus will be treated as revert-warring and sanctioned. Regards SoWhy 21:58, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

In general, removing verified information because "I just don't like that source very much" (which appears to be the extent of the objection) is treated as vandalism, not as edit warring. The treating of idiocy like "no, you're cherry picking sources, you should be using these sources I like that I'm not saying what are, and that you're already acknowledging" as on an equal footing to "here is a neutral presentation of facts cited to a variety of sources" is why our fiction articles are steaming piles of shit. I would hope that you would not sanction users for taking a hard line against such foolishness. Phil Sandifer (talk) 22:03, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

(Content-wise) I have to agree with Phil here; If two sources conflict is such a way that one companion simply isn't mentioned in one source, it is no ground to discard the other source. If both sources are reliable, we use them both; We do not get to favor (or discard) one over the other. — Edokter • Talk • 01:25, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

That might be correct or not. But removal of content because of such disagreement is not vandalism but a content dispute and revert-warring because of it is subject to WP:EW and WP:3RR (see WP:VAN: "Any good-faith effort to improve the encyclopedia, even if misguided or ill-considered, is not vandalism"). Vandalism implies a bad-faithed attempt to disrupt Wikipedia, not a good-faith attempt to disagree with sources. DonQuixote's point of view might or might not be correct but there is no indication whatsoever that he is doing it (...) in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. So one thing is to be "right", the other is to edit-war about it. The latter should be avoided even if you are "right". Regards SoWhy 07:09, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

A comment on the administrator's note: that's true! Just because multiple sources link to something doesn't make it verifiable. On the other hand, just because one source mentions something, that doesn't make it verifiable either. We have to consider all the sources, and particularly not just one at the expense of all the others.

And a comment to Phil, that's not my position at all. It's not that I like or dislike the source in question, it's the fact that you like the source in question and you're giving it preferential treatment over all the others without just cause. I'm saying that you shouldn't confine yourself to a single source.

As to when two sources conflict, yes we should mentione both. However when there are more than two sources with the majority saying one thing and a minority saying another, the practice has been to go with the majority whilst mentioning the minorty (which had already been done in the previous version of this article)--of course, keeping in mind that "going with the majority" does not mean "counting the number of sources". That is, we have to be a little critical when citing sources, not just in terms of reliability but also in terms of what is being said and how are they saying it. DonQuixote (talk) 14:31, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

"Just because multiple sources link to something doesn't make it verifiable." Please come back when you have a rudimentary understanding of policy kthxbye. Phil Sandifer (talk) 14:58, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Er...yeah. Reading comprehension, lack of. Verifiability includes (which, BTW, does not mean "is composed exclusively of") checking multiple sources. DonQuixote (talk) 16:12, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Which has been done here. Phil Sandifer (talk) 16:37, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Right, and a majority of the sources don't consider them companions whilst only a minority do. DonQuixote (talk) 12:40, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

As far as I am concerned, the BBC make Doctor Who, they invented Doctor Who, they OWN Doctor Who. Whatever they say on their official website goes. Not the word of a producer who may only stick around for a few years and was responsible for maybe a handful of companions. And certainly not the word of The Sun, Radio Times or any other publication.Paul75 (talk) 07:48, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

If you can prove that the person(s) responsible for the website had an official authoritative position, then you've made your case. Otherwise, you're just generalising from one website to the entire institution. DonQuixote (talk) 14:31, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Actually, I just had a thought (yep, a little slow in that area sometimes), but what exactly does "The BBC" mean? Think about this, are we referring to the Official Classic Doctor Who Website?...or an official BBC production such as Thirty Years in the TARDIS?...or a documentary on an officially licensed DVD?...or an officially licensed book by a contemporary producer (JNT's book)?...or production documents?...etc. Anyway, food for thought. DonQuixote (talk) 16:12, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

The BBC is the organisation that hires the people that make Doctor Who, and various other media relating to Dcotor Who. As such, they are quite authorotive as a source. As for what to include as our sources, that should be quite simple: We include all sources that state who is a companion. One source should be enough to include the companion, even if otherd seemingly contradicts it by not listing or including them. — Edokter • Talk • 16:50, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

But the point is that "the BBC" isn't really a source since they hire other people to compile and release these things for them. It's the various projects themselves that are the sources. So saying "the BBC" is rather ambiguous. As for including all sources, examine the article Joseph Merrick--especially how he's not referred to as "Joseph aka John" but rather just "Joseph" and the discrepancy in the sources is mentioned within the article. DonQuixote (talk) 12:40, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't have to prove who is responsible for the BBC Doctor Who website, that is a ridiculous statement. Whoever produces the website is doing so under authority from the BBC. Therefore, whatever is on the official BBC website is pretty much incontrovertible fact in the eyes of the BBC (who, as stated, own Doctor Who and are really the only ones who can make the rules) Paul75 (talk) 11:26, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

You're giving all authority to a website which is just one of many officially produced projects, some of which contradict one another. The question is, can you prove that the website has more authority than, say an officially produced documentary? DonQuixote (talk) 12:40, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Pre-transmission sources

Please could someone direct me to the discussion regarding pre-transmission sources? I cannot see why those I cited, (BBC press releases, comments from Russell T Davies and/or the BBC's Radio Times), for forthcoming companions in the 2009 specials, Lady Christina de Souza (Michelle Ryan), Adelaide (Lindsay Duncan) and Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins), are not considered valid? Wolf of Fenric (talk) 19:37, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

From comments above, I can see nothing supporting exclusion of official BBC sources. I admit earlier edits adding Rosita relied quite heavily on pre-transmission sources such as newspaper reports, which on reflection were questionable citations, but for those I mention above, the sources are reliable and so a blanket 'no pre-transmission sources' seems inappropriate. Sources should be judged on their individual strengths. Wolf of Fenric (talk) 22:19, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

One further point is there is set precedent for this on Wikipedia. Rose, Captain Jack, Donna and Martha were all confirmed as companions prior to transmission. Wolf of Fenric (talk) 22:26, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

It is a trickier matter with one-off companions, I think, in part because it's basically new territory. I'm more OK with official BBC sources, because if I recall the BBC is legally prohibited from foilers. Phil Sandifer (talk) 22:41, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Future Companions

I've created a "Future Companions" which I feel is the more appropriate way to present cast information on yet to be transmitted episodes. This is common practice with other long running series on Wikipedia such as EastEnders and The Bill. In all honesty, I think it is very dangerous to establish as fact something that has not even happened yet. No actor or character should be labelled as a companion until the episode airs. Partly because plot twists and pre-transmission publicity can distort what the BBC and the media report (David Morrissey is the 11th doctor), but mainly because we do not know what is going to happen between now and broadcast. Without meaning to sound callous, Bernard Cribbins, David Tennant or Lindsay Duncan could die, the BBC could be blown up, or someone could steal every second of footage ever filmed of Doctor Who and destroy it. Not likely, but you never know. That's why I prefer to make the distinction between "already happened" and "planned to happen". Okay, rant over, interested to hear your views. Paul75 (talk) 11:31, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Disputed companions section

I am finding this section very troubling, as it contains practically no citations whatsoever. Additionally, it gives air to fan concerns, something which we as an encyclopedia should never do, unless we have citable information. I find the willingness to include uncited, speculative information very disturbing.

My initial problem is whether this is an actually a real aspect of the subject that is worthy of mention, or is instead largely the by-product of a bunch of Whovians burning the midnight oil at the fan-forums. Their concerns are do not fulfill our criteria for inclusion, and should be considered of absolutely no consequence here. Ask yourself if a regular reader would give a fig what qualifies as a Companion, or if there is a real, burning need to dispute who is a Companion or not. I am guessing the average reader doesn't really care. As for the Whovian fanboiz, they have their endless stream of fan forums. Fan wonk is worthless here.

As the BBC and various other citable sources that meet our criteria for inclusion are out there, I am thinking that this situation needs addressing post-haste, as this section (and article) have an impact on other Who-related articles. First of all, we need absolutely rock-solid sources on what does and does not constitute a Companion. It cannot be up to us to suss it out, as that requires us to make evaluative and interpretive decisions, and constitutes synthesis.

I'd like to get some feedback, but I am placing the section here for citation work. Please do not re-add it unless the material can also be added with citation that meets our criteria for inclusion. (removed material that has since been readded by another editor)- Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 07:00, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

A lot of that information is cited as you can see... so removing that information is not uncontroversial; removing cited information is a no-no. You can also not work on the text here and then copy it back to the article; that constitutes a copy-paste move which breaks our GFDL licence. any editing must be done within the article. So I ask that you put the information back. — Edokter • Talk • 12:19, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

I strongly disagree that we should not give air to fan concerns. WP:NPOV, in fact, seems to me to demand that we give active air to fan concerns.

The larger problem is that there is inconsistent sourcing on companions - the UNIT companions and Sara Kingdom being two chief examples. Phil Sandifer (talk) 13:06, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

To Edokter: I didn't say that there weren't any citations. I said there weren't enough to act as mortar to the rest of the musing speculation that composes the section. Additionally, I am curious as to precisely which part of GDFL says we cannot remove sections to the article discussion for citation-work and copyediting. Please feel free to point it out, verbatim. That aside, the remaining concern is that there doesn't appear to be an actual concern over this debate, and that it exists largely within the fan community as the fuel for the fan forum flame fests.

To Phil: The problem with a that argument is that the need to give a neutral weighing of fan concerns does nto and cannot be allowed to override the encyclopedia's need to reliable sourcing and verifiability. As blogs, fan forums and fan-sites are largely disallowed, there is a limit in what can be written abut them. Unless a fan goes on a shooting spree over the precise shade of the Tardis' color, most reliable sourcing is going to bypass the feckless flailing of the fans,

And I agree completely that the inconsistent sourcing of companions is a problem; we need to identify (and support through reliable sourcing) that which makes a character a companion. Until we do that, a lot of the rest of this is cruft. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 20:27, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

We cannot move sections or articles to be edited, and later move them back, as that will break the text's history. The exact part of the GFDL is GDFL article 4 section B. That is the reason we do not allow copy-paste moves. So any copyedit or modification must do done on the article. So I will restore the text, and we can work on it there. Removing the entire section was overkill, and as I said earlier, a no-no. There is no problem on removing uncited text, but it is expected of editors to apply their editorial skills to leave correct information intcat. — Edokter • Talk • 22:00, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Okay, I am looking at the specific area you have identified:

"List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the Document (all of its principal authors, if it has fewer than five), unless they release you from this requirement."

I am not seeing the caveat about removing sections to article discussion to perform citation work.

That said, are you referring to possible breaks in citation caused by named citations (not sure if that is the name for a citation that is re-used within the same article)? I am not seeing such happening here, as the section is fairly self-contained, citation-wise. Until this is ironed out, let's leave things as they are for now, and not have yet another back and forth kerfuffle. I want to make sure I understand your theory and motivation against removal. I am not saying you are wrong; I am simply saying that I don't clearly see your argument against removal. Wile some citations are good, they in themselves aren't solid enough to bind the entire section together. If we find ourselves in agreement to re-add the section, it will be drastically modified to remove the uncited speculation and OR conclusion. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 22:13, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm not against removal per se. And I'm also not talking about the citations. The article (and all other) are required by the GFDL to be atrtributed to their authors (that is us). To do so, all edits must be recorded in the article's history. The only way ensure that, is to edit the article itself. Doing it here and then placing the text back is not GFDL complient and constitutes a 'copy-past move'. See also the preamble for Wikipedia:How to fix cut-and-paste moves. — Edokter • Talk • 22:51, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

There are two things wrong here; 1) your proposed way of copyediting breakt the history, and I as an admin have to prevent that at all cost. Therefor I am restoring the information. 2) You are removing more information besides the contested information, and I also explained that is a no-no. So I will restore it again, so you can do it right this time, by removing only the uncited information. I will go through the content and make some edits that will show you how to deal with this situation. Realise this is not a content issue, but a GFDL complience issue. We cannot edit the article on the talk page. Can I have your word you will not remove cited information again? — Edokter • Talk • 23:00, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Also, per WP:BRD, it was not wise to remove the content again. This could have turned into a nasty edit-war again with a likelyhood of someone being blocked. So please try to assert some basics here: Bold, Revert, Discuss. And second, no removing of cited information. — Edokter • Talk • 23:24, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Fine, as you don't need yet another block (and I don't need the headache of reporting you yet again), we'll try it your way - I can see you're at your 2^nd revert already. The point of removal was to trim out the garbage and speculation while keeping the cited info. As the usertalk page also has a history, the removed info would show up in the history. Additionally, the removed information cannot really be supported on its own, but could be added in at a later date with citations.

After you have completed your 'in use', I'll look over it again, Understand that if it doesn't have a citation, it wont be able to remain. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 23:38, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

(←) Understand that the changes must be explicitly recorded in the article's history, not the talk page history; editing the article here is out of the question and I would certainly not have been blocked over this, as GFDL complience is a given and is uphold above all else. To add, your removal of cited information is also definite ground for blocking, as that constitutes vandalism. So basic rules: edit the article, discuss here, and only remove uncited information. I am reitterating this because your comments do not show you understand what I have been telling you. This is not a content dispute; this is me as an admin telling you to comply to our copyright policies. — Edokter • Talk • 00:36, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

I wasn't commenting on your likelihood of being blocked over GFDL; it would more likley come from you being blocked for yet again edit-warring in the article - I thought that was clear, sorry if that was unclear. Frankly, I don't care where it is edited, so long as the edits follow the rules, are cited and have consensus (in that order). You've been given notice that if you add uncited info, it will be removed. As you are an admin, I am sure you will be able to comply. Thanks in advance. Let's move on, before you say/do something to get yourself de-sysopped. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 08:12, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Removing cited information = vandalism. And restoring vandalism isn't blockable. It falls toward the editor that wants to remove content to remove only that part which is uncited. That is the least that can be expected from a wikipedia editor. If you can not be bothered to filter out that information yourself, then don't take it out at all; in ohter words: do not leave the dirty work to others. — Edokter • Talk • 11:50, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Were you unclear on the whole 'let's move on' premise, or were you just seeking the last word? Let's move on, please. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 18:26, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Just a comment...there are two ways to approach this. 1) Treat this article as a definition of a companion, in which case there's the liability of becoming unencyclopedic. 2) Treat this article as a history of "the companion role" in the programme and fandom, in which case the citations are justifiable. What I'm observing is that these two things are sometimes being used interchangeably, resulting in some muddling of goals and intentions as is the case above. DonQuixote (talk) 12:58, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Seeing as there isn't a surfeit of references defining what a companion is, I am not sure a section on it is really that important. To that end, I've reframed the section; I've moved it earlier in the article and re-titled the section "What is a companion?" While there are citations, we need more citations from anyone who has specifically defined what classifies someone as a Companion: is it the act of traveling in the Tardis, listing in opening credits or recurrence in the series? I think that, for the sake of the article, these questions need to be addressed - and without the fannish trappings. We cannot cite blogs, fan forums and their ilk; we need citable references that meet our criteria for inclusion. There have been dozens of books published on DH; there must have been a definition made in one of them.

I think that, in the absence of the aforementioned citations, the article has used equal parts OR and broadcast history to paint a number of guest stars as Companions who perhaps shouldn't be. Towards the end of populating the article, we have been given multiple tables of who when and where different companions popped up for different Doctors. Very little of it seems reliably sourced as to companion status. - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 18:26, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Comment added 10/07/09

The BBC loosely uses "companion" because it's an identifiable term with the show. As a marketing gimmick, it's understandable. However, it's not correct. This is even acknowledged in the episode count for Donna Noble, which notes fifteen appearances but only fourteen as companion. Her guest turn on "The Runaway Bride" does not count. In that episode, she was just a guest character. The same goes for Astrid Peth, Jackson Lake, Rosita, and Lady DeSouza. They were no more companions than the Castellan who helped Tom Baker in "The Deadly Assassin" or Lynda with a "y" a companion to Christopher Eccleston in "The Parting of the Ways." They were guest characters who provided a similar function, but were not actually companions in the long-standing tradition of the show.

My understanding of a companion is someone who is ends up traveling with the Doctor on the Tardis for some amount of time, usually because they were asked. In that regard, the Tenth Doctor's companions would be Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, and Donna Noble.

Astrid Peth, Jackson Lake, Rosita, and Christina deSouza should all be delisted as companions of the Tenth. They were guest stars, and the term "companion" was applied in loose fashion. They were guest stars only, no more, no less. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 136.167.171.85 (talk) 15:06, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, but the people who cast the companions, and people who publish reliable media, have a higher authority than you. Sorry about that. DonQuixote (talk) 15:07, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

Sorry but exactly what source are you referring too here? The BBC press office who wants to drum up publicity for a show by attaching an actor's name to it and using a catchy word that casual fans are familiar with? I couldn't disagree more that 'The Sun' or whatever tabloid is a higher authority than somebody who has been a fan of the show for years. If, for example, the Doctor was traveling with Rose and happened to run into Adelaide in an adventure, would there be any argument at all? Just because the Doctor is flying solo people come up with these ridiculous arguments for including guest-stars like Adelaide in this list. So that should be a litmus test for these 'one-off companions.' Would you define them the same way if the Doctor were not flying solo at the time? The whole plot of 'Waters of Mars' revolves around the fact that the Doctor DOESN'T have a companion to help or hinder his actions. Putting Adelaide in the list couldn't be more wrong and makes this article worthless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 04:02, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

The point is that you don't have any authority, fan or not. All the things you stated are your opinions about what a fan should be. Sorry, I have my opinions too and they're no more valid than yours. As for sources, see references for The Waters of Mars. DonQuixote (talk) 15:42, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

The article already explains that the definition of companion is ambiguous. As this ambiguity is already stated, then if the BBC says someone is a "companion", then they are.--Jeffro77 (talk) 17:27, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

To chime in here, while I agree that Adelaide is not very important in the scheme of things, if the BBC has called her a "companion" then she is, as far as Wikipedia is concerned. Even if 100% of fans think they're wrong in doing so... because the BBC is a more "reliable source" than legions of individual fans. There are areas of ambiguity where other characters have not been specifically named as such, and are considered companions retroactively, but it in this case, they have done so. As a fan, do I think they're wrong to equate her with Rose, Adric, etc? Sure. But this isn't the Really Important Secondary Character (Doctor Who) article. I wish it was, honestly. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 21:14, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

So apparently some press release written by who knows who, geared at a mass audience, can re-define the meaning of companion and trump the plot of a story? Ok if those are your standards, then enjoy your little private (incorrect) page. Don't expect anybody who has watched the show for more than five minutes to ever use it as a resource then. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 23:34, 27 December 2009 (UTC)

If you can provide a reliable source that contradicts this, then it will be amended. Otherwise, it's correct as-is in terms of real-world information (ie production). DonQuixote (talk) 05:04, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

OK, in the Doctor Who confidential about Waters of Mars, RTD says that he was trying to show that The Doctor needed a companion to stop him. He also alludes to this in other interviews about the show. So he is in fact saying indirectly, "The Doctor does not have a companion in this story." Is that source good enough for you? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 09:27, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't think so, he did not say that directly (or what you put in your edit summary), and we have two sources saying directly that she is. Edgepedia (talk) 10:56, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

I really don't know how much higher a source you can have then the guy who wrote the episode in question. But if you all think that press releases which simply used a recognizable term in order to attract the attention of casual fans trump that, there is nothing I can say or do, I'm tired of wasting my time trying to make your page more accurate. If somebody else who has spare time wants to officially cite the many interviews RTD did on this subject saying the Doctor had no companion in this episode feel free. It would be hard to convince the editors of this page that the sky is blue. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 09:42, 22 January 2010 (UTC)

The sky is sometimes red. Here's my citeable source: Rayleigh scattering.

Anyway, I'll check out DW:Confidential, but as Edgepedia said, "he did not say that directly (or what you put in your edit summary)"...so I might independently reach the same conclusion (or not). DonQuixote (talk) 13:27, 22 January 2010 (UTC)

Thought I would check in a year later to see if the people who edit this page can finally see that Adelaide is not a companion after being a little further removed from the episode. NOPE, they're still clueless here, with apparently no interest in using common sense or making this article accurate because of some BBC press release, with no consideration for the actual content of the episode in particular or the history of the show. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.90.222.247 (talk) 23:41, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

How to mark a specific section as unreferenced?

I cannot seem to find the specific template... - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 18:42, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

{{Unreferenced section}} (or you can use {{unsourced-section}}, which a bot will quickly change into the former). John Darrow (talk) 20:30, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

Thanks, bt they didn't seem to work as well as "{ {unreferenced section|date=May 2009} }" (spacing mine) - Arcayne (^{cast a spell}) 20:53, 6 May 2009 (UTC)

The tl| at the beginning in my previous comment's markup is how you get a rendered page (such as this talk page) to show what a template link looks like, without it actually inserting the template. If you are trying to actually insert the template, copy what that link looks like rendered (e.g. two open braces, the template name, two close braces) rather than the source with the tl| in it. John Darrow (talk) 00:14, 7 May 2009 (UTC)

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

Stale

 – I have closed this RFC on the basis that the resultant discussion is a long dispute mainly between two editors. I suggest a different process such as wp:3O is more appropriate. If another RFC is raised then it should be in a new section and expressed as a simple positive neutral question such as "Is the Brigadier a Dr Who companion?".—Teahot (talk) 12:55, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

An editor has taken it upon himself to remove the Brigadier from the list of companions, despite him being clearly and reliably sourced as such on the official BBC website [1] [2]. To prevent this from turning into an edit war, I would like to ask for an editor consensus on his inclusion. I would argue that if the BBC consider him to be a companion, then so do we. magnius (talk) 17:16, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Can you please assume good faith. This article went against everywhere else on Wikipedia, so I changed it. A consensus was not required. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart cites the BBC considering him a companion, but also designates that he isn't. This has clearly been decided on previously, and so a consensus is required to change that. It's hardly my fault no one picked up that the Brigadier, Yates and Benton should not have been there for months.

Is it possible that "everywhere else on Wikipedia" has been incorrect in the way that he has been regarded. I repeat that the BBC list his as a companion, so he should be considered one on wikipedia...unless you are trying to assert that the BBC do not know what they are talking about, in which case they become an unreliable source! magnius (talk) 18:09, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

I said nothing of the sort. As I have stated, if there is to be a shift in the Brigadier's status across wikipedia, it should a) be sought on the project page as it covers more than just this article and b) gain a consensus. Maybe the other articles are wrong. So go to the project page, get a consensus and change it everywhere rather than having characters considered in different ways in different articles. I am fairly impartial in the matter. What you fail to grasp is I was not pushing any sort of viewpoint with my edits, merely restoring this article to be in-line with the characters' currently considered status in Wikipedia. Which, if any discussion on them does occur, is how it should be until a consensus is reached. Articles should be made to agree with each other ASAP, without gaining a consensus for every little change. If you think that these three people should be considered companions, go to the project page and discuss. In the meantime, blatant contradictions should never be permitted. I'd prefer it if you actually read and considered what I'm saying now rather than recycling the same already-countered points again and again. U-Mos (talk) 18:59, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

The argument in question - that there are multiple reliable sources identifying the characters as companions - seem to apply perfectly well to other pages. This approach to removing sourced content is absolutely ridiculous, and borders on the actively disruptive. Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:10, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Seriously now. If you're not going to read what I say, don't bother replying. If you think the Brigadier should be a companion, fine, there are sources and it's a totally fair argument. It should be discussed on the PROJECT PAGE because it would have to be changed ACROSS THE PROJECT. It cannot be changed in one article and none others! That's why I removed them, not because I disagree with the sources, or even that they are companions, but because there is no consensus and it disagrees with every other article considering these characters. U-Mos (talk) 19:14, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

You are assigning a policy-making weight to the project that does not exist. "The overall WikiProject hasn't signed off on it" is not a reason to remove sourced information. If the WikiProject believes itself to have the authority to remove sourced information by decree, that is something that is going to need to be settled via dispute resolution and probably ultimately some arbcom bans.

Otherwise, consistency between articles is not as big a deal as fealty to sources. "Other articles do not match this one" is not a reason to remove sourced information. Period. Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:28, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Furthermore, I just looked at the Brigadier, Benton, and Yates articles - all three acknowledge that the characters are often viewed as companions! There isn't even an inconsistency issue! Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:31, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

This comment astounds me. They aknowledge their viewing as companions, but they are not designated as such in Wikipedia. That is how these sources have been chosen to be used. To change this, there needs to be a consensus! What's so hard to understand? Look at "Template:Thirddoctorcompanions". Look at episode articles. Change all these articles or none of them. That's the choice you have. And get a consensus before making major changes! One source (yes a good source, but that is still a point for discussion) is not a reason to overhaul a great deal of pages without even discussing! U-Mos (talk) 19:41, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

You are removing sourced information for a reason having nothing to do with any policy, engaging in misleading edit summaries, and misrepresenting what other articles say. This is unacceptable. Desist immediately and seek consensus for your changes. These changes got consensus months ago, and at this point the onus is on you to find a reason to defy reliable sources. Continuing to remove sourced information is, at this point, vandalism. I am not going to sort through your other changes for validity - you're the one burying disruptive changes with misleading edit summaries in the midst of long chains of edits to make reversion difficult. You may reinstate any changes that do not remove sourced material yourself. Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:45, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Right, I've said what should be said repeatedly, you've ignored it and for no apparent reason have suddenly decided to resort to cheap (and largely false) accusations, patronism, arrogance and generally counter-productive behaviour. I don't think this conversation is going to go much further, do you? If you're not going to do me the courtesy of addressing my points and explaining exactly why you wish this article to disagree with the rest of the project with apparently no attempts to change any other article to match, there's very little point in this section even existing. U-Mos (talk) 19:52, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

The more relevant question seems to be "why does the fact that other articles do not reflect these sources mean that we should remove sourced content from this article?" I mean, "other articles fail to adequately reflect published sources" is not a valid reason for much of anything beyond fixing those other articles. Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:57, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

And now claims of bad faith... assuming good faith is policy, I know that for fact, so please follow that rule. I'm going to write this in capitals in the hope that it finally sinks in: I DO NOT NEED CONSENSUS BECAUSE I AM RESTORING THE CURRENT STATUS ACROSS WIKIPEDIA, REMOVING EDITS THAT SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED CONSENSUS AND DID NOT IN THE FIRST PLACE! If you disagree with this, please respond rather than reverting or indeed resorting to more threats/accusations, which I find very insulting. U-Mos (talk) 19:56, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

The edits reached consensus months ago. When your argument consists of shouting in all caps that you do not need consensus and that it's OK to ignore reliable sources, it's probably time to go have a nice little nap and come back later. Phil Sandifer (talk) 19:57, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

I'd like refer you back to my "fucking patronising" point from before. Not helping. I've read the above section; there is no consensus, just a lack of response. And if there is some consensus you can point me to, then change every article it concerns across Wikipedia, not just this one. U-Mos (talk) 19:59, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Patronizing seems like the preferable position to swearing wildly and declaring that you don't need consensus. You're really bordering on "complete nutter" at the moment. If I hadn't looked at your edit count, I'd assume you were a crazed new account that should just be blocked for 24 hours for disruptive lunacy. Instead, I'm left wondering why an experienced editor has suddenly come unglued and decided that when one article cites a reliable source and some others don't, the problem is the article with better sourcing, not the articles that are lacking sourcing. Phil Sandifer (talk) 20:02, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Ignoring this latest barrage of largely exaggerated personal attacks, I say again: then change every article, not just this one. I won't revert, I won't even comment; I only changed this one because it went against so many other good articles. All or nothing; no in between point. U-Mos (talk) 20:06, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Erm... what policy, exactly, mandates that an editor who adds reliably sourced information is obliged to exhaustively do so in every article in which it might be relevant? Or, for that matter, mandates that inconsistencies among articles should be resolved via reversion to the most common information instead of by paying attention to the sources used? Phil Sandifer (talk) 20:08, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

The policy of common sense, and common decency, and actual wishing Wikipedia to be the best it can be. At least report on the project page, otherwise it will be another 4 months of this article quietly contradicting what remains the standing point across Wikipedia. That's not a good position, you must recognise that. U-Mos (talk) 20:10, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

I recognize that other articles seem to be ignoring reliable sources. I see no evidence that this article is the one that is the problem. Phil Sandifer (talk) 20:22, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Once again, I never said it was. But for such a major change it needs to have a consensus from the project before it is made. U-Mos (talk) 20:24, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

The project has no authority relevant to the matter. It is not empowered to declare that articles are allowed to ignore reliable sources. Should it believe itself to be thusly empowered, as I said, it is a matter that will require the arbcom. Phil Sandifer (talk) 20:30, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

I'd really appreciate it if you stopped leaping to these conclusions. I never said it had such power. I am aware of this reliable source. How to use a source is another matter. How the Brigadier's article uses it, to say he is sometimes considered a companion, is that wrong? Of course not. That is where the project comes in, and adding the UNIT people therefore requires a consensus. I can't comprehend why you are so resistant to the idea of actually discussing this matter where more people can see it. U-Mos (talk) 20:38, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Doctor Who#The Brigadier/Yates/Benton - companions?. I have created this section so the situation can be resolved properly. I think further talk would be better placed there, as the designation of companions is a project-wide discussion. U-Mos (talk) 20:54, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

Future Companions (2)

I have reverted the page to bring back the future companions section. As I wrote elsewhere on this page, until the episodes actually air we cannot say with any authority that the listed characters will be companions. This is a future event and anything could happen between now and then. Karen Gillan may be killed by a bus tomorrow - she won't be a companion then. I think it is far more accurate to keep the characters as "Future Companions" because that is exactly what they are - characters who appear in a future episode, not ones that have already appeared. Paul75 (talk) 04:56, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

All true, but verifiability, not truth. We literally have sources from the BBC calling them companions, so they are. If Karen Gillan is killed by a bus and series 5 filming to date is scrapped, she can be removed. If they're properly sourced, there's no issue in them being there. U-Mos (talk) 13:11, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

To clarify, I believe the past consensus was to use BBC pre-transmission sources (since the BBC is legally prohibited from foilers), but not to use general media pre-transmission sources (since, say, the Guardian has not viewed the episode, and so is not making a judgment of the character's status as such). Phil Sandifer (talk) 13:14, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

I wasn't aware of this past consensus, but I certainly agree with it. To be good enough they'd really have to be BBC sources, or reputable sources quoting people from the BBC. And we have that with Adelaide, Wilf and Amy. U-Mos (talk) 13:34, 25 July 2009 (UTC)

The fact is, they are still FUTURE companions. The episodes have not aired, so how can they be considered COMPANIONS? We are talking about an event in the future, not a undeniable event from the past. I'm sorry, but I see not justifaction for classing a future event as something that has already happened, references or not. Paul75 (talk) 01:11, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

It seems like future companions are a subset of the larger set "companions." Phil Sandifer (talk) 01:48, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

Indeed. We're not claiming it's already happened, but that doesn't mean they're not companions. I have reverted back, as your blanket revert undid alot of the work I have done on the article. I would suggest you go to WP:RfC if you feel the way I am supporting is against policy or could be improved on rather than reverting. If you do feel the need to put this section back without further discussion, please at least take the time to copy your future companions section from here and delete the future companions from the current article, thus keeping the other edits I made. U-Mos (talk) 14:13, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

That;s my whole point - THEY ARE NOT COMPANIONS! Have you seen them as companions yet? It is a future event. How can Adelaide be a Companion of the 10th doctor when they episode hasn't even aired yet? I give up. Confirmed future events are entirely different to confirmed past events. Paul75 (talk) 10:33, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

And Matt Smith isn't the 11th Doctor yet, but we don't list him as "Future Doctor". The article is simply listing companions as they are announced, and it is quite clear to anyone with the vaguest of interest in the subject whether they have appeared, or have yet to appear. magnius (talk) 10:40, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

As I previously learnt at Talk:UNIT#Name should be changed, get over it, fiction should not be treated under the realms of present/future. What happened, is happening, will happen... it's all one. In-universe, yes, these companions haven't happened yet, but out of universe they are companions and should be listed as such. U-Mos (talk) 15:10, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Adelaide Brooke

Just a heads up Adelaide Brooke has been created. I've redirected it to The Waters of Mars, but I haven't just seen a reference that that's her name yet. Edgepedia (talk) 10:40, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

There are one or two tabloids that list the Brooke surname, but nothing usable. magnius (talk) 13:30, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Susan and Romana

I added a bit of text to the section discussing the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords and the implications that has for Susan and Romana. I am not familiar with any evidence of Susan or Romana appearing in Time Lord society after they left the Doctor. One or both could have died in the Time War but I suspect they will be revealed to have survived like the Master. I made mention of the possibility in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.23.115.144 (talk) 02:46, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

Unsourced speculation isn't appropriate for Wikipedia articles.--Jeffro77 (talk) 07:43, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

They're "Time Ladies" anyway ;) —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 17:35, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

Fair enough about the speculative nature of the addition. Shada Ng, that reminds me that a new Time Lady appeared in the episode "The Doctor's Daughter."76.23.115.144 (talk) 02:01, 27 November 2009 (UTC)

Jenny is genetically Gallifreyan, but not necessarily a 'Time Lady'. "A Time Lord is so much more."--Jeffro77 (talk) 09:25, 27 November 2009 (UTC)

River Song

A whole section about River Song, i.e. only River Song is entirely out of place in this article.--Jeffro77 (talk) 22:02, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Do you have a better suggestion? — Edokter • Talk • 22:10, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes. Put it back in the other article per other companions. See previous edits.--Jeffro77 (talk) 22:38, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

The problem with that is that the available information is 99% in-universe; that makes it unsuitable for it's own article. Those companions that do have their own articles, do so because they have much more information relating to production, casting, and so on. Unless we have more sourced information that is not merely plot information, there is no point in having a seperate article. — Edokter • Talk • 01:20, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

In that case, redirect to Silence in the Library. Inclusion in this article is far too conspicuous in the absence of any other individuals dealt with in the same manner here.--Jeffro77 (talk) 09:08, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

That I can agree with. — Edokter • Talk • 12:32, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

Regarding the status of the River Song (Doctor Who) article, I've added to the discussion there, where it's more appropriate: Talk:River Song (Doctor Who)#Notability & Article Status. However, it should be one or the other. Edokter, you seem content to delete mentions in both places, which neither Jeffro77 or anyone else was suggesting. She should be noted in this article, and due to her unique status, she can't be listed as a companion of on-screen adventures with an episode reference, as she hasn't appeared as a companion. However she should be listed. But the info needs to exist somewhere. My vote is for a more concise mention here in this article, with a link to the restored River Song (Doctor Who) article. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 22:32, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

She's mentioned in "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead", so the info does exist somewhere even if it's deleted from here. DonQuixote (talk) 23:31, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

Indeed, and that is maybe the best place to place for the ifnormation. But as I have said before; there is simply not enough sourcable information to maintain a seperate article for River Song. That much has been established in past discussions. Reports that Kingston may return is not enough, as we do not even know she'll return as River Song. — Edokter • Talk • 00:55, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

It's ludicrous that she should not at least be mentioned in this article. She's a "future companion" - this article is incomplete without at least referencing that. As for the issue of whether a separate article exists, please see the discussion on that article - that's a separate issue from this. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 18:02, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

Then that would warrant her inclusion in the table like all the rest of them. However, Wikipedia is not a crystal ball.--Jeffro77 (talk) 00:15, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Like I said, she shouldn't appear like companions who have appeared as such in episodes. This has nothing to do with predicting when she might appear in the series. The idea that she is a "future companion" is already established in existing episodes. "Crystal Ball" has nothing to do with it. Like I said before, the fact that she "claims" to be a companion (and the Doctor believes it) is relevant to note here somehow. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 01:48, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, the idea that the is a future companion has been established. It hasn't happened in the series yet though. There is no need to speculate. Leave it alone until the specials air.--Jeffro77 (talk) 02:04, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

It was IN the series that it WAS established, though, and that's why it needs to be mentioned here. Like I said before, not in the chart of companions of the current Doctor, but by definition she IS a "future companion" as already established. If at some point in OUR future, the character becomes a current companion, of the current Doctor, then we'd list her as such. But those are two different things, and both are worth noting. She doesn't fit into the structure of the article because her situation is unique, and that's why it was a separate section before. Maybe it shouldn't be its own section, but it has to be treated in a special way because of the unique nature of the situation. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 05:15, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Of course, having a special section in the episode articles themselves is treating her in a special way. There is nothing that says that she needs to be in this article. If you like, this article is about "past and current" companions and not "future" companions as such. DonQuixote (talk) 06:53, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

If so, then the wording of the article needs to change. As it appears now, it defines the term "Companion" in such a way that does not limit it in such a way as you are suggesting. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 14:19, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Er...no. Wikipedia policy suggests real-world info rather than in-universe. The history of the programme is everything until now and not future stuff (ie WP:CRYSTAL). River has not been a companion in the programme. DonQuixote (talk) 18:23, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Of course you are correct, and I've never disagreed with that. But the fact that it's established IN the programme ALREADY that she is a "future companion" (NOT the same thing as someone who will be a companion in a future EPISODE) then that fact is absolutely relevant, and not "crystal ball" in any way. We have references to the future all the time - remember, this is a show that's always been about time travel. What happens in future episodes is irrelevant to this conversation entirely. Even if the character NEVER shows up again, or is even mentioned, in a future episode, she is still a character who is established in the program to have travelled with the Doctor, in the Tardis, and on more than one occasion. If that's not the way you want companion to be defined, then that's why I say it needs to be reworded. Otherwise, it needs to be mentioned somewhere in the article that there has been a character, who at the very least "claims" to be what is by its very definition a "companion" (though there's no reason to assume she's lying.) That fact has been established, and to ignore the existence of that fact is to make this article incomplete. That's all I'm saying. There's no reason to restore the lengthy summary her character had before when there's a whole article about her, or to list her in any "chart" of episodic companions. —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 21:30, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Ok, you're confusing definition with description. Wikipedia, by its very nature, cannot define anything. Only the production team can define who a companion is. All this article can hope to accomplish is to describe the usual chracterstics of all the companions to date. All that stuff you mentioned (traveling in the TARDIS, etc.) are descriptions of common characterstics of the companions that the Doctor Who production team have defined. DonQuixote (talk) 22:31, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Well then, if you like, just replace "description" where I said "definition" and what I'm saying is still valid.—Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 23:34, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, it's not as simple as that. The production team defined the companions. This article described them to the point where it described common, though not universal, characterstics of those companions. You seem to think that those characteristics universally define companions. Swapping the two words just don't cut it. DonQuixote (talk) 01:10, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

The first paragraph of this article is in direct contradiction to what you're saying, and, again, perhaps this needs to be reworded, if you disagree with what it says, though that's a separate issue entirely. But even if we operate under your production-team-must-define scenario, she's been referred to by the production team already as a "companion-to-come" as noted in a reference in this article for over a year (until it was recently deleted), which was the primary justification for the inclusion of the "River Song" section in this article (which, I agree was overly lengthy, especially when a separate article exists). Thus, the character fits all aforementioned criteria, and I maintain that a mention in this article (which is a special note outside the organizational structure which outlines current-episode-companions) should remain.—Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 20:42, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

You do know that the intro is a short summary, right? The details themselves are mentioned in the article proper. Anyway, you're missing the point, the point is that she's not a companion yet, and she hasn't been a companion, from a production standpoint or in-universe standpoint or whatever. Based on that, she doesn't belong in this article. Using the "definition" (or "criteria") of a companion to try to include her in this article isn't justifiable either based on the fact that the "definition" is based on the listed companions (dogs being brown doesn't mean that brown things are dogs).

Anyway, the fact that the section has been removed and that there is contention indicates that it's not 100% sure thing that she should be included. DonQuixote (talk) 15:50, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Summary, or not, if it's not accurate, then edit it. That's all I'm saying. Personally, I think it's fine, but you seem to disagree. Also, the short mention of River Song as a "companion-to-come" has not been removed as you say, and there's no reason I've seen from you or anyone else that justifies its removal, as it's fully referenced. ... Seriously, no offense, but... WP:DEADHORSE—Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 21:49, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Whether or not I think it's fine is irrelevant. The point is that you can't use the "criteria" to define new companions. That's original research. Yep, dead horse. DonQuixote (talk) 14:28, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Agree about the River issue being a moot point now, but to address the side point about the definition (er... description, sorry) of a companion (which is, after all, the purpose of the article)... Phrases in this article such as "The term is primarily used in Doctor Who fandom" and "There is no formal definition of what makes a companion" and "The definition of who is and is not a companion becomes less clear in the newer series" seem to contradict with your supposition that "only the production team can define who a companion is," which, unless I missed it, is not something that appears in this article in so many words. What I'm suggesting is that if you're recommending that as a criteria for how this article is to be edited, as you have above, then perhaps the article itself should be edited to reflect that, and allow a consensus to form around those edits. Just wanted to make sure you understood what I was getting at as far as that goes. Thanks. :) —Shada Ng (talk | contribs) 20:19, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

(Deindent)"The term is primary used in...fandom" is probably wrong since newspapers have used it since Vicki (see documentary on The Rescue DVD). As to editing this article away from fandom and towards programme history...Wikipedia is a work in progress. Someone will probably get around to it (ala the main Doctor Who article). Anyway, dead horse, walking away from this. DonQuixote (talk) 15:53, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

It certainly appears that there is sufficient information at River Song (Doctor Who) to warrant that article, so this discussion is now irrelevant. Feel free to remove the 'special treatment' from Silence in the Library, so long as the River Song article remains intact. Please do not restore the River Song section to this article.--Jeffro77 (talk) 09:02, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

Rosita-Jackson-Adelaide mixup

What's going on with the Rosita, Jackson Lake, and Adelaide Brooke pages. They had their own pages once. Now they are gone. I know they are disputed as companions, but then why include them on the companion list at all?

If you won't include those three, why include Astrid Peth as she helped out the Doctor? I personally believe that they should all have pages, and as they are classed as companions on the companion entry on the episode guides; they should be companions. If anyone is not a companion it would be Adelaide as she really didn't go along as a companion in a companion way. But she was desribed as "The Doctor's most strong-minded companion yet". But I guess until another sort of 50 years of Doctor who book comes out featuring the episodes and the various companions, we won't have a definate reference for pages. But still if you don't consider Rosita-Jackson-Adelaide as companiosn, why have them under the Tenth Doctor's companions or on The Next Doctor and The Waters of Mars's pages in the first place. -- Fresh101 (talk) 07:08, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

In my opinion, this is nothing with them being classed as companions, it's all to do whether there is sufficicent real-world information for there to be an article. Some characters (Jenny (Doctor Who) springs to mind) create a buzz in the media and there's a lot of information available about the casting of the actor, the creation of the character etc. Just repeating the plot for a character that has appeared in only one episode does not create a good article and readers are best served by a redirect to the episode article. The state of the articles before redirection (Jackson Lake, Rosita and Adelaide) were all poor with no real world information. Edgepedia (talk) 15:10, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

I guess you have a point with Rosita, Jackson, and Adelaide. Compared to someone like Wilfred Mott; who isn't in many episodes and appears as a "companion to the tenth Doctor" only in The End of Time. They wouldn't create a good article at the moment. Unless more canon material is produced; then an article would just be repitition of the plot. But If their characters are in a "50 years of Doctor Who" book (which I'll love to get - 2013) then I believe they deserve a page. I guess we'll have to find more information like behind the scenes stuff, and so on. But until then I take your point. Fresh101 (talk) 07:34, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

2nd Eleventh Doctor companion?

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.

Centralised discussion here. ╟─TreasuryTag►co-prince─╢ 13:15, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

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This appears to be the only site on the Internet making any reference to there being a second companion for Matt Smith. The BBC is listing only Amy Pond, all the Doctor Who news pages and gossip sites are listing only Amy Pond, and there's no reference to him on the Tardis Wikia either. I'm just saying. 68.146.81.123 (talk) 12:36, 22 March 2010 (UTC)

As of Vampires of Venice (May 7 2010), Rory joins the Doctor and Amy for subsequent adventures. A lot of news and spoiler sites lists him as the Eleventh Doctor's second assistant. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.131.156.124 (talk) 01:56, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

If there's "a lot", then you can surely cite one reliable news source when adding him to the list. DonQuixote (talk) 04:16, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

I apologise, I thought that since the episodes in which he joins the Doctor and Amy had already aired that I didn't need another source other than the episode itself to confirm his status as a companion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.131.156.124 (talk) 07:43, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

You need a reliable secondary source, all we can say from the primary source is that Rory has travelled in the TARDIS. WP:PRIMARY is clear on this point. The second reference of this article is also worth reading. Edgepedia (talk) 07:52, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

Apologies, I was a too quick with the above statement. However, the Daily Star is not generally considered a reliable source (too much gossip), and the link you provided did not use the word companion. This has already been discounted at Talk:The_Vampires_of_Venice#Rory_.3D_companion_.3F. Edgepedia (talk) 08:00, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

If this BBC page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sch0s) says that Rory travels through time and space with Amy and the Doctor, and travelling through time and space with the Doctor is the basic definition of a companion, is he considered a companion? Note that the BBC page about Amy Pond doesn't use the word "companion" either. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.131.156.124 (talk) 08:26, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

The answer is that (Travels in the TARDIS) => (Companion) is an interpretation of the primary source, see WP:PRIMARY. See also ref [2] of this article, if that helps. There are two secondary sources for Amy Pond ([4] and [5]) as companion in her article. Edgepedia (talk) 09:45, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

Ok, I understand. Although I'm still unsure what constitutes a reliable source or not (appartently, not the daily star). What about this one? http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/291731 which mentions Rory as a companion? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.131.156.124 (talk) 17:52, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

I would't say that is a reliable source. They could just be assuming that he is a companion, same as other people, in itself it's original research. I think we can only really accept an official BBC source. magnius (talk) 22:22, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

But then again, the BBC itself does tend to play fast and loose with the term "companion", using it to as a marketing ploy to describe guest stars in specials even though in the primary source itself they do not fit the criteria (travel in the Tardis with the Doctor). Objectively, Rory is more of a companion than Astrid or Rosita. So shouldn't he be added even though no BBC article use the term "companion", or alternatively, shouldn't Astrid, Rosita, Jackson Lake, Christina and Adelaide be removed?--66.131.156.124 (talk) 02:43, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

Please read WP:PRIMARY. However, to answer your question where did you get your criteria from? To quote from another thread "Lots of people have travelled in the TARDIS, they're not all companions. Jackie in Army of Ghosts, the two younger crew members in Waters of Mars ..." There are a lot references calling Astrid Peth a companion, including the BBC website [3]. The big problem here is there is no generally accepted defintion of companion, and wikipedia can't make one up. All we do is take the reliable sources and summarize them. It seems to me that the new producton team has a different idea of what a companion is than the previous one - but this only my opinion and therefore can't appear in the article. Edgepedia (talk) 07:01, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

How about this interview? The actor talks about how great it is to become a companion. It isn't official BBC, but it's non-primary source which is far more reliable than just an opinion site. strdst_grl (call me Stardust) 08:09, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

I also found this article claiming a third companion later in the series. Is this enough? strdst_grl (call me Stardust) 08:12, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

Their source seems to be the Daily Star, so hardly a reliable source really..but if consensus is to allow it I have no obection. magnius (talk) 11:30, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

I don't see the problem with listing Rory as a companion - if Adam and Mickey can be listed as companions, I don't see why Rory can't. He's travelled with the Doctor for two episodes so far, and has appeared alongside Amy helping the Doctor in a third - this is more than Adam Mitchell, yet he's listed. He is also set to appear in two of the books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Nuclear-Time/dp/1846079896/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274534518&sr=1-9 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Kings-Dragon/dp/184607990X/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274534518&sr=1-8

Character's don't usually appear on the covers unless that have some sort of companion status... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.222.237.62 (talk) 13:27, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

"Don't usually" means sometimes do, rendering your arguement a little contradictory and redundant. magnius (talk) 14:14, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

I think the "don't usually" bit was just a writing quirk. Characters who aren't companion or the Doctor don't appear on the novel covers. However, the novels aren't usually considered canon so it is debatable weither or not they can be used to confirm Rory's companion status. I think though that the interview qualifies as a good source. Besides, it is consensus among the fandom that Rory is a companion (you see a lot of threads on digital spy, for instance, that mention Rory being one). Anyway, it's such an innofensive issue, adding him won't cause any trouble.

--66.131.156.124 (talk) 17:53, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

Magnius - Way to take me literally... No, non-companions don't appear on the covers of the BBC approved novels. Captain Jack, who was a companion, didn't even appear on the cover of the ones he was in, so I'd say Rory definitely counts. And he's now appeared in his fourth episode, and will be in next weeks as well. How many episodes does he have to travel with the Doctor to be considered a companion? The show itself should be enough, you don't NEED a 'reliable secondary source'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.222.237.62 (talk) 18:24, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

I certainly understand the need for secondary sources to confirm information put on the wiki. However, just because the BBC hasn't bothered to explicitly name Rory a companion, it does not make a special term for him such as "someone who travels in the Tardis with the Doctor and shares adventure with him but cannot be called a companion". Besides, it's not as if we'll ever get a reliable second source that outright states "Rory is NOT a companion!" even if he turns out to be an alien from planet Fnarg. While you're right that the term companion has become synonymous with "anyone the BBC wishes to promote" in recent years, the former definition "Travel in the Tardis to help the Doctor" should still stand. --66.131.156.124 (talk) 21:48, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

Unfortunately that's not a definition--it's a description. That is, it's description of the rôle rather than a definition of the part. DonQuixote (talk) 00:09, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps that is a description, if only because the definition itself has been ambiguous in recent years, even though it is accepted in the fandom that Travel in the tardis for more than 1 adventure = Companion. However, I feel you're starting to nitpick at little things without adressing the points we try to raise. We have provided secondary sources that identify Rory as a companion, and even though you find them unreliable (because they're spoilers or rumours), the articles themselves match with what we know in the primary sources, so even though the articles would not be valid before the primary sources confirm them, wouldn't they be valid now? And, it's not as if we'll ever see reliable sources that say "Rory is not a companion", even if he turns out to be an alien from planet fnarg. Also, in fandom it is accepted that Rory is a companion. In light all of this, I think he should be added to list. If someone turns up with the means to prove he isn't a companion after all, we'll simply take it down.

...Wow, this is the most I've ever debated on such an unimportant issue.--66.131.156.124 (talk) 19:03, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

If it is so unimportant, why are you adamant that he should be included in the list without a reliable source? Anyway, if you find something that precisely defines what a companion is, then you've proven your point, otherwise it's merely a description of the companions thus far. Fan "definitions" aren't reliable in-and-of-themselves. DonQuixote (talk) 04:41, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

If you look at the issue under this light, you are right. We cannot find a BBC article that outright states "Rory is a companion", most likely because Arthur Darvill is not a big name and therefor does not warrant big publicity. I would have thought that the numbers of other articles found, even if they are not from the BBC, would have sufficed, especially since they match what we know in the primary source (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/120299/Doctor-Who-to-have-two-new-assistants/). However, looking at the companion's page itself, I find there are a number of listed companions without secondary sources provided (Jackson Lake, Cassie, Jimmy, Mickey, Adam). I would like to know why that is.--66.131.156.124 (talk) 07:26, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for pointing those out. Mickey was announced by DWM and Davies specifically said that Adam was a companion. Jackson Lake, if I remember correctly, was announced as the first one-off companion (can't remember where, but I think it was a David J Howe book). They were referenced at one point, don't know why the references were removed from the article. Anyway, you're probably right about Cassie and Jimmy, unless someone can correct me on that one. DonQuixote (talk) 13:22, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

You should try and find put those references back in, especially considering how controversial Jackson and Rosita are. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.131.156.124 (talk) 16:07, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

How about this http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/characters/TARDIS - the official BBC Doctor Who page. If you click on characters link, it says "Read all about the Doctor and his companions" - Amy, River, Rory and even Churchill are listed. Does this count? It does specifically say companions, even though I wouldn't agree that Winston is (although he may very well be a future/past companion, like River). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ladylovedisdain (talk • contribs) 16:15, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

Shannon Sullivan's website, A brief History of Time (Travel) which has been extensively accepted as a reference throughout wikipedia pages on Doctor Who has also listed Rory as a companion. See http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/11doc.html AlexanderJBateman (talk) 12:53, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Please help to keep discussion in one place. Thanks. ╟─TreasuryTag►co-prince─╢ 13:15, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Roses first appearance with tenth doctor

Technically its not the Children in Need special.

Its Parting of the Ways, since he regenerates in that episode and is seen with rose in that episode. Goku1st (talk • contribs) 08:13, 25 March 2010 (UTC)

That isn't a Tenth Doctor episode. U-Mos (talk) 16:48, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Whats the definition of a 'Tenth Doctor episode'? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ladylovedisdain (talk • contribs) 15:56, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

Doctor/Companion format

" in stories on other planets the Doctor and Jo became a two-person team with a close, personal bond. This pattern, the Doctor with a single female companion, became a template from which subsequent episodes of Doctor Who rarely diverged."

"Rarely" is subjective, but I'd say that this format didn't become the norm until the Sixth Doctor. Four travelled with both Harry and Sarah Jane for an entire season plus one serial and he usually had K-9 as a companion in addition to Leela or Romana. Five also frequently had more than one companion. In the new series, Nine travelled with Rose and Jack together for two episodes and Ten travelled with Rose and Mickey for a time. While Wikipedia seems to consider Rory's status as companion debatable, he is currently traveling with Eleven and Amy, making a three-person team.71.190.81.108 (talk) 19:26, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

Yes, now source it and we are set. magnius (talk) 19:34, 23 May 2010 (UTC)

What are you asking me to source? I'm not suggesting any changes in the existing text, I'm saying there's a fundamental inaccuracy in what's there based on information that's already on Wikipedia, most of it on the page itself. Bringing it up here seemed like a better idea than removing the section and I don't know how I'd change it short of doing that. 71.190.81.108 (talk) 20:17, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

The Current Doctor Who Website

At the official website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw - if you mouse over the section 'Characters' it states 'Read all about the Doctor and his companions' - if you click on it it then leads to information upon The Doctor, Amy, Churchill, River Song and Rory. This seems to me to be the equivalent of the companions tab on the prior site which was accepted as evidence for the BBC regarding somewhat contentious figures such as Lady Christina. AlexanderJBateman (talk) 06:38, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

But Churchill isn't a companion. Hopefully... Damn that BBC for making things so ambiguous--66.131.156.124 (talk) 07:28, 24 May 2010 (UTC)

Rory's Position

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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I've closed this section to save repeating the same arguments because Rory's status as been and been discussed at Talk:The Vampires of Venice#Rory = companion ? Please read the arguments there and if you have a new source, please join the discussion. Edgepedia (talk) 07:15, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

So what is it exactly that is refraining Rory being in the lists of companions? Such characters as Micky and Captain Jack appeared in recent series for only a handful of episodes travelling with The Doctor yet are classed as companions. Emtythe1st 19:36 27 May 2010

Lack of a reliable source. Have you bothered to read any of the discussion? magnius (talk) 18:57, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

The Doctor Who website says he is... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ladylovedisdain (talk • contribs) 20:06, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

Where exactly? Please provide a link. Edgepedia (talk) 21:24, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

He has traveled with the doctor much longer than some other componions, like Adam in Series 1. —Preceding unsigned comment added by FJVGE (talk • contribs) 11:53, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

So? Still needs a reliable source or you can't add him. Adam is sourced, Rory, not. magnius (talk) 12:15, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Where is Adam sourced? 188.221.79.22 (talk) 20:33, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Does that mean I should not have added him to the list of dead companions? Sorry! Thetictocmonkey 19:36, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Rumour is that Rory re-appears in the finale, how the crack comes into things is somewhat different. hence a 'presumed death' is better

Rory is sourced, look at the official website for a start. He was a companion and until this is acknowledged this list is inaccurate. I'm sorry, but it is. Look: [4] —Preceding unsigned comment added by DrPatrickSpiller (talk • contribs) 22:54, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

This has been debated ad nauseum. The discussion always goes like this: Rory is a companion because: it is the consensus in fandom, it is abundantly clear in the primary source, articles mention him being a companion or an assistant (such as the daily star, which even though are rumours or spoilers, are in this particular case dead on), the BBC website lists him in characters and companions. On the other side we have Rory is not a companion because: the BBC hasn't released an article explicitly stating it (which is not surprising, Arthur Darvill is not Kylie Minogue. And this isn't a much awaited special either).

I believe that has gone beyond doubt. And at this rate you'll just keep getting bothered by the fandom because of your rigidity. I understand why such adherance to the rules is important in important or ambiguous articles, but in this case I feel it is unnecessary, especially considering the amount of evidence we have provided. Let us simply add him with a "citation needed" like you did Jackson Lake, or let us cite the BBC doctor who website.--66.131.156.124 (talk) 01:22, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Rory

I've closed this section to save repeating the same arguments because Rory's status as been and been discussed at Talk:The Vampires of Venice#Rory = companion ? Please read the arguments there and if you have a new source, please join the discussion. Edgepedia (talk) 07:12, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

should rory not be listed as a companion of the eleventh doctor? He has travelled in the tardis on more than one ocasion, I would say that that gives him companion status. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.174.192.0 (talk) 19:58, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Read the discussion above. magnius (talk) 20:16, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Ummm.... the article itself defines a companion as "someone who travels in the TARDIS and shares in the Doctor's adventures". How does Rory not fit the criteria of the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.164.65.106 (talk) 23:25, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

This is still a topic under debate. Cease your unilateral closing off of dicussion or you will be reported. 68.33.34.2 (talk) 22:46, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

other non sourced

Added "cn" for Adam (no source at all), Mickey (who I think was added on the principle of being in the tardis), Jack (same pretty much) and re-appearances in Jounrey's End - which I actually remember for the discussion were only addeed because they appeared as companions before with no source that their reappearance made them a companion again in those episodes. Eleventh Doctor (talk) 20:53, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Sourced all bar Jackson Lake, still looking. magnius (talk) 21:05, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

which I didn't add by the way (it was already there) - also there's still the thing about whether being a companion once automatically means you're one whenever you return (which is the only reason that those in Journey's End are counted as being one in that story) Eleventh Doctor (talk) 21:24, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

I seem to remember a long winded debate about Lake at the time, consensus was reached I think, but I can't find a cast iron source. magnius (talk) 21:29, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

That is by no means the only reason those characters are listed as such in JE, that is due to their star billing in the episode, the myriad of sources describing the return of the doctor's companions at the time, and of course this and the other character pages, specifically calling them series 4 companions (as much as I was resentful of Mickey being called thus at the time). I will have a hunt for Jackson Lake sources, I have no doubt they exist somewhere. U-Mos (talk) 11:45, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Sources provided for all but Mr Lake, largely due to the whole "next doctor" ruse pre-broadcast. I don't see the issue with including him though, after all if Rosita is then Morrissey (with star billing) surely is too. I know star billing can't be the be all and end all in light of the end of time, but if an assissting character is given star credit I say that's a strong indication of companion status. U-Mos (talk) 14:17, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Of course, there is no pre-transmission announcement by the BBC because of the nature of the story. There was an RTD interview saying that there would be one-off companions for these specials. We need reviews, lists of companions etc. Edgepedia (talk) 14:22, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

The only source I can find for Mr Morrissey as a companion is this, which unfortunately I doubt is reliable. I am surprised that there doesn't appear to have been a discussion on this at the time. It seems editors focused on sourcing his character name (then sourced as "The Doctor") rather than status before broadcast, and after focus was on Rosita's controversial status and then this episode was largely forgotten about with the understandable excitement around Matt Smith being annouced as the Eleventh Doctor. Of course, unless my memory betrays me very much there are numerous reports of David Tennant acting as Morrissey's "Doctor"'s companion at the start of the episode, but can that be enough to mean vice versa is true? U-Mos (talk) 13:33, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

There is this, which from RTD's keyboard reads: "The Doctor says, “Who are you?” The man says, “I'm the Doctor!” Good scene. The Doctor becomes his companion." Unfortunately that isn't clear who is becoming companion to who. Indeed in the episode itself Tennant's Doctor says "I'm your companion" to David M, albeit in a slightly throwaway manner. Tricky indeed. U-Mos (talk) 13:53, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

• Here's a possible source for Jackson Lake as companion: [5] On the one hand, Wired is clearly an RS. On the other hand, he's not mentioned in the main text, only in the poll and the list of companions after it. That might be good enough, though the fact that it links back to Wikipedia makes it a bit recursive and possibly a self-reference. What do other folks think? —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 17:29, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Does seem quite recursive. Although to be honest, I should point out that I don't really think the case for listing him as a companion to begin with is particularly strong which may prejudice my views. AlexanderJBateman (talk) 17:44, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

I actually quite like that source. The poll choices do not appear to have come from Wikipedia, especially as Rosita is ommitted, with the prose explaining they are there for reference only. It does appear to be an independent source of Lake as a companion to me (although he's only got a single vote, bless him). U-Mos (talk) 17:48, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Rory is a companion

By any definition, Rory is a companion. Yet a certain clique of editors insists on keeping the obvious out of the article out of spite. You people are the reason editing Wikipedia is so unsufferable. I don't have the time or the patience to deal with a group of pedants who continually act like children. 68.33.34.2 (talk) 22:43, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Actually, we're just following wikipedia guidelines. We need at least one reliable source that states that he is a companion, then all this warring and arguement can stop. Finally, we do seem to have a couple, just need a consensus and we can change the articles. magnius (talk) 22:46, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Here's a wikipedia guideline: "If a rule prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it." Can you cease your childish behavior already? 68.33.34.2 (talk) 22:48, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

I agree Rory is a companion. He has more right to be listed here than some of the 10th Doctors companions who only appear in one episode. By that definition there should be hundreds of characters who lend a hand to the Doctor. He has travelled in the Tardis for several episodes; are we not allowed to reference the programme content itself? Of course they don't call him a 'companion' in the show itself so you are looking for some print media in defiance of the obvious. Or has he been written out of existance here as well? Kayakboy (talk) 23:28, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

The real problem is editors who get upset whenever someone who is not them start editing "their" pages. You can spot them by the way they launch into legalistic arguments about whether a source is "reliable" or not and ignore whether the actual argument is *true*. 68.33.34.2 (talk) 00:42, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Thank you Josiah for correcting the article to reflect reality. 68.33.34.2 (talk) 03:00, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Additional source - here 188.221.79.22 (talk) 10:56, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Date formats

U-Mos is correct in this edit summary that I didn't intend to undo his cleanup work. However, one thing that was intentional was my change of the date format from the ugly and rarely used (outside of Wikipedia) YYYY-MM-DD format to the more common and more comprehensible "1 June 2010" format. The article currently uses both formats; WP:MOSDATE says that articles should be self-consistent in this regard, and also says "Where in doubt, defer to the style used by the first major contributor." I was the first major contributor back in 2007, and initially used the YYYY-MM-DD format because at the time it was required in citation templates, and used to be converted for display preferences. Neither of those is the case any more, so I think that the article should use the standard British date format. Anyone mind if I change it back? —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 12:46, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

No problem at all, I noticed that in restoring my cleanup I had undone the date alterations, although unfortunately as they were performed in the same edit they will have to be changed back manually. Was going to tackle said task at some point myself. U-Mos (talk) 13:17, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

I would concur that the "1 June 2010" format is the easiest for me to parse, so would prefer that, assuming there is no technical imperative requiring the YYYY-MM-DD format. AlexanderJBateman (talk) 13:32, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Nope — there's no technical requirement for the YYYY-MM-DD format. I'll make the switch. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 15:26, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Rosita — overcited?

Do we really need eleven citations establishing Rosita as a companion? Surely this can be cut down to the two or three that we consider most reliable. I suggest that we cut this back to just Confidential and the second Daily Telegraph reference. Anyone disagree? —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 16:07, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Following the earlier discussion I was considering removing those that didn't mention 'companion' - i.e. referr to her as assistant. I agree, we don't need that many. Edgepedia (talk) 16:18, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Most of them don't seem to really add anything, I think pruning it back to those two would be fine. I think most of them are also used on The Next Doctor page anyway, which is the place for any detailed analysis of her role that is required. AlexanderJBateman (talk) 16:23, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

No objection here. U-Mos (talk) 16:44, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Done. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 17:24, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Companion classes

OK, I think I've figured out the best way to categorize all these people: Companions, Associate Companions, and Guest Stars.

The companions would be Susan, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Stephen Taylor, Katarina, Sara Kingdom, Dodo Chaplet, Polly, Ben, Jamie McCrimmon, Victoria Waterfield, Samantha Briggs, Zoe Heriot, Liz Shaw, Jo Grant, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Leela, K-9, Romanadveratralundar, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Kamelion, Perpugilliam Brown, Melanie Bush, Ace, Dr. Grace Holloway, Chang Lee, Rose Tyler, Adam Mitchell, Captain Jack Harkness, Micky, Martha Jones,Donna Noble, Amelia Pond and Rory Williams.

The Associate companions would be those who regularly (but not continuously) took trips with the Doctor. So that would be the Brigadeer (did Benton and Yates ever even enter the TARDIS?), Jackie Tyler.

The Guest Stars would be those with a significant role in the programme but not enough to be a companion, for example, none of the actors in the Specials were ever planned for anything more than a one-off. So that would include Astrid Peth, Jackson Lake, Lady deSousa, Adelaide, Rosita and Wilfred Mott.Parmadil (talk) 03:45, 23 September 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Parmadil (talk • contribs) 03:42, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

that would be OR. GraemeLeggett (talk) 08:30, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

OR what?Parmadil (talk) 18:52, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

O(riginal) R(esearch). If you can find a reliable source that says any of the above, then feel free to cite it, otherwise it's OR. 19:10, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

My aplogies for not giving the full expression - the policy is here: Wikipedia:No original research. GraemeLeggett (talk) 19:26, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

So I'm guessing my inclusion of Samantha Briggs as a companion counted as original research too, since I haven't seen anyone else ever suggest it.Parmadil (talk) 15:05, 12 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, if its not been stated in a reputable source, it would. GraemeLeggett (talk) 15:13, 12 October 2010 (UTC)

Hein?

What is going on here ? Why does someones consider jackson lake, rosita and adelaide as companions ? They've done only one adventure with the doctor and did not ask or been ask to go further so why consider them ? This is crazy! It is not becose their names are in the credits that they should be companions ! Mehdioa (talk) 19:00, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

They have been designated as companions by several sources. Check the refs. — Edokter • Talk • 19:07, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

They figured as companions because in these episodes the doctor hadn't companions. But really they aren't companions ! —Mehdioa (talk) 19:31, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

It is not up to us to decide if they are companions or not (see the whole discussion on this page). We can only put here what other sources say, and they say they are companions. — Edokter • Talk • 19:42, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

What sources ?–Mehdioa (talk) 20:35, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

The ones linked to, next to the companion's names. — Edokter • Talk • 22:01, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

Are you kidding me? This is your sources? I want sources like BBC! Mehdioa (talk) 22:21, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

There are, just not for every companion. Others come from news stories, interviews with producers, actors, etc. We source from what we can find and what conforms to Wikipedia:Reliable sources. — Edokter • Talk • 23:37, 17 November 2010 (UTC)

a companion

Guys you really have a problem because you don't now what is a companion ! A companion is somebody who continusely help the doctor, have travelled with him more than a time or have been so good that he has been asked to join the crew ! If he is dead helping the doctor and have been asked to join him so he is a companion ! If he helped the doctor a lot of time and travelled with the doctor one time so he is a companion. So the companion that we should not contest at all are: rose tyler, martha jones, donna noble, captain jack harkness, mickey smith, amy pond and rory williams. Now comes the others, adam mitchell he is a companion, certainely in his second adventure he messed up but he helped the doctor in the first one and had travelled in the tardis for a second adventure. Jackie tyler is a companion, the doctor is not proud of it but it is the case, she helped and supported the doctor a lot of time and travelled in the tardis twice. Wilfred mott is a companion, he supported the doctor a lot of time also and had been able to help him once and to travel with him in the tardis. And we have also lynda moss,reinette, astrid peth and jenny that are companions. They have been formidable, the doctor judge that they could come with him but because they died it ended there but if it didn't happened so they would be with him travelling around the universe. Finally there is Lady Christina de Souza, the gorgeous one and she is a companion.She was so brave, so exellent and even the doctor recognize it. She asked to come but for a specific reason and despite him, the doctor refuses but they formed a wonderful team. So, and in any case, we should consider Jackson Lake,Rosita Farisi and Adelaide Brooke as companions. Jackson and rosita never travelled with the doctor in the tardis and were never proposed or asked to it, adelaide was meant to be dead, the doctor shoudn't helped here but he never asked her to come with him or neither she does so why we want them to be companions ?