The BBC’s Doctor Who series prepares to move into a new era, with a new Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and new(ish) showrunner, the returning Russell T. Davies.) But before the new Doctor appears, the long-running series plays an important part in the broadcaster’s 100th anniversary. The Power of the Doctor, which airs October 22nd, marks the final appearance of the 13th Doctor Jodie Whittaker. As part of the special, two of the most popular companions from the 1980s return to the series. Making their first appearance in over 30 years, Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) return to meet the Doctor one more time.
Air Hostess to the Stars
1981, London, England, Earth. Meet Tegan Jovanka, a young Australian woman. She is outspoken, at one time she described herself as a “Mouth on legs” She is opinionated, and argumentative, especially in defense of her friends or when she feels someone is being taken advantage of. She is slow to trust but extremely loyal to her friends.
While visiting her Auntie Vanessa in London before beginning her new job as an airline hostess, her car gets a flat tire en route to the airport. Attempting to get help from an antiquated roadside phonebox, Tegan actually stumbles into the Fourth Doctor’s TARDIS. Unlucky for her, the Master is also on hand, attempting to trap the Doctor. Her aunt and a local peace officer fall victim to the Master and his shrinking death ray. Tegan is caught between the Doctor and the Master as they battle it out for the fate of the entire universe. A battle that ends with the Doctor’s death. Tegan witnesses his regeneration into his fifth form. (All from the 18th season finale, and Tom Baker’s swansong, Logopolis).
Brave Heart, Tegan Jovanka
Unwillingly at first, she travels with the newly regenerated Doctor (Peter Davison) alongside fellow companions Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), hoping he can get her back to Heathrow Airport and her job. The Doctor sees in her the strength to be a leader and coordinator for the suddenly crowded TARDIS. As time goes on, she begins to enjoy the adventure of exploring the universe and stops asking the Doctor to get her home.
Tegan goes on to travel with the Fifth Doctor longer than any other companion. She stays with the Doctor through good and bad times. Tegan gets to visit Gallifrey, the Eye of Orion, and meets friends like the Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith, the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, and even the Doctor’s first three regenerations. Tegan also faces loss and tragedy more than most companions. She gets possessed by the Mara, a psychic force of evil… twice. In the 25th century, she faces off against the Cybermen in a battle that leads to Adric’s death (Earthshock). She leaves the Doctor shortly after, only to meet him and Nyssa shortly later, and rejoins them in the TARDIS. But all good things come to an end. And like many things in the Doctor’s universe, Tegan’s time with the Doctor ends with the Daleks.
“It stopped being fun”
Eventually, the amount of death and destruction one sees when traveling with the Doctor becomes too much. Even for the strongest of companions. And rarely does the TARDIS crew run into more death than when the Doctor faces off against the Daleks. One such encounter in London in 1984 pushed Tegan to finally leave the Doctor. There, in an abandoned warehouse, filled with debris and the victims of the latest Dalek attempt to conquer humanity, Tegan Jovanka bid farewell to the Doctor. She told him “My Aunt Vanessa said when I became an air stewardess, if you stop enjoying it, give it up.” Sad to leave, but unable to continue on, she watched the TARDIS fade away.
The Series Returns, But The Companions Don’t
When Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, they were very deliberate in not acknowledging too much of the show’s history. Just the basics: the Doctor is an alien, a Time Lord. He travels through time and space in a machine called a TARDIS. He protects Earth from aliens and monsters. Other than that, we did not hear much about the events and characters from the original series. That is until 2006, and the return of Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) in the episode “School Reunion.” Her appearance there proved so popular, that she was spun off into her own show, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Why didn’t they continue to bring back other characters? Maybe they didn’t want to overwhelm new viewers with over 26 seasons of homework to go over. Maybe the BBC was a little embarrassed by the shody-looking special effects of the show? Who knows. But since its return, the series has only rarely returned to the specific characters and events of the original series, and the return of Ace and Tegan Jovanka mark only the second time a classic companion has returned in the Doctor Who series.
