Steven Moffat on the new Doctor Who companion and why most companions are female

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Steven Moffat on the new Doctor Who companion and why most companions are female

Doctor Who returns this fall, and with this second half of the season, we’ll see companions Amy and Rory leaving the TARDIS and a new companion come on board. In a recent interview, writer and director Steven Moffat gave some clues on what we should expect from the new companion and insight on why most of the Doctor’s companions have been female.

Steven Moffat, grand master of things Who, recently spoke with Doctor Who Magazine about what it takes to be a companion, and in the process teases a few things about the TARDIS newcomer, Jenna-Louise Coleman. Just how different will she be from companions we’ve seen in the past?

I’ll answer you in the show about how it’s going to be different. But because it is going to be different. It’s going to be a shock, I think. In terms of the companions all being ‘the same’—that’s not as phony or artistically crap a thing to say as it sounds.

What is the base group of people who would run away with the Doctor? They’re all going to be a bit mad. A bit dislocated. Not happy with where they are. Are they yearning for outer space? They’re going to be people who feel like they can take on the Doctor, who’s quite an intimidating sort of person. So, they’re going to be feisty—they’re going to be all those things. He sort of defines the people who are going to travel with him. The distinction comes very much from the various actors and actresses. So, you know, they’re the ones who create the differences between them. But you are always going to have the same sort of person, just because it’s the same man choosing them, and it”s the same person being chosen.

Moffat also touched on why the Doctor usually picks attractive, young, female humans for his companions,

I think the function of a companion is pretty simple. I don’t think that’s very difficult. It’s just a question of who credibly is going to agree to go in the TARDIS? Who’s going to do it? Is it going to be a mother of 15 children? No. Is it going to be someone in their 60s? No. Is there going to be a particular age range? I mean … who’s going to have a crush on the Doctor? You know, come on! It’s more than a format. It’s evolved from good, dramatic reasons.

Via