ONE OF THE HAPPIEST ACQUISITIONS OF THE PAST YEAR WAS MY PURCHASE OF THE WARNER ARCHIVES DVD OF THE COMPLETE "GHOST STORY/CIRCLE OF FEAR" SERIES.
This practically unknown early-70's horror anthology show was executive produced by horror movie gimmick-meister William Castle and developed by horror icon Richard Matheson; it aired on NBC and, initially, was hosted by Sebastian Cabot puttering around the famous Essex House. This was during the Fall of 1972. Oddly enough, over the New Year break, the program was completely overhauled: the name of the programme changed to from "GHOST STORY" to "CIRCLE OF FEAR" with new opening titles and the swift disappearance of Cabot and the Essex House. In the New Year winter of 1973, the new "CIRCLE OF FEAR" seemed to display a slight increase in quality as there seemed to be a higher ratio of good stories to clunkers. The absolute best episode of the entire series is the one I'm watching today: "EARTH, AIR, FIRE AND WATER". Directed by Alexander Singer and written by science fiction great Harlan Ellison and legendary Star Trek scribe D.C. Fontana, this is an absolute fantastic episode. Critic John Kenneth Muir describes it on his blog as "a genuinely upsetting and highly unnerving hour" and "deeply scary in a cerebral way". It is absolutely superb and I'd stack it up against the best horror anthology programmes.
The story concerns a spooky old cavernous store front in which a group of "artistic" ultra-seventies young men and women set up shop to sell their artwork; one woman works with jewels and precious stones, one woman paints, one man sculpts in metal, one man cultivates plants, etc. This free and easy, communal art colony existence is suddenly interrupted when a large chest is discovered fill with a collection of large glass jars; each a different colour. Almost as if hypnotically controlled, each artist reaches for a particular jar and, from that moment on, becomes inseparable from it; to the extent of carrying the jar around with them to the dinner table.
Starting with the jewelry worker (Brooke Bundy - Diana Taylor of TV soap GENERAL HOSPITAL), each person begins acting more and more obsessed with their work -- their appearance slowly alters as they become more and more unresponsive until finally they disappear completely. No one seems to take much notice as they themselves are also becoming more and more obsessed with their own work and jar. It becomes evident that inside each jar is something like a Lovecraftian "old god" who takes a person over to escape their captivity.
The episode becomes more and more creepy as the minutes tick by. The jars themselves are extremely eye-catching props and I'd love to find a whole set of them in some antique store! I'm jealous! I want my OWN jar! Also in the cast is Tyne Daly (later one half of "CAGNEY & LACEY"), Frank Converse, Joan Blackman, Tim McIntire, Scott Marlowe, Oliver Clark and veteran character actor Dabbs Greer.
SURE IT'S GROSSLY OVERPLAYED AND WE'RE ALL SICK OF HEARING IT. That's what happens when something begins so ubiquitous it gets played every single Halloween without fail. However, if you're tired ears can be convinced to listen to it as if it were new and fresh, it's hard to deny the song's iconic status. That's why the fourth inductee into the Batty Halloween Hall of Fame is. . .
MONSTER MASH by BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT
We all know it by heart. There's not much new to say about it. Other than the fact that it took me until the early 1990s to realize the background singers were singing "Tennis shoe"! And when I did I was in my car and nearly drove off the road laughing. So, if you need to hear it once again, it's over there in the box on the right available for another listen. Give it a try. You might just rekindle the song's charm in your heart. Oh, and one more word on a personal note: the album cover up there is NOT the original and NOT on the cover of the cd I own. However, I chose the rather tasty Michael Kaluta cover because this was the LP version of the "MONSTER MASH" album which was owned by a friend of mine who sadly committed suicide when he was 16. I can't ever see this album cover without thinking of him.
HEY, IT MUST BE CANNIBALISM DAY HERE ON THE COUNTDOWN.
This Halloweenie episode is taken from the shamefully neglected NBC series FEAR ITSELF created by Mick Garris in 2008 as a sort-of continuation of Showtime's MASTERS OF HORROR series for commercial television. An Angel clued me in to this series earlier this year since I'd never heard of it. However, the complete series (it only lasted one season - shame on you NBC) has some really REALLY great episodes in it. This is one of the best.
"SKIN AND BONES" tells the story of Grady, a ranch owner, and a hunting party getting stranded in a blizzard for ten days. After search parties have been called off until the weather clears, an emaciated Grady stumbles into the compound. But where are the other men? It soon becomes clear what happened to them. The frostbitten Grady, with blackened fingertips and earlobes, is put to bed to recover but, despite saying he's hungry, doesn't seem to want to eat any stew. During the night, a horse is slaughtered and ripped apart by . . . some animal? Eddie Bear, a native American ranchhand, tells the family that Grady bears all the hallmarks of being possessed by the spirit Wendigo who enters starving men to save their lives only to force them to turn cannibal to feed the Wendigo's hunger. This episode is filled with excellent make-up and special effects and produces a genuine sense of fear and menace and it's only drawback is that you wish it went on longer. Perfect Halloweenie viewing.
BACK IN THE EARLY 90's, MY COUSIN LORAN AND I WENT TO LAUREL HILL CEMETERY.
I've posted the photos and told a little about it here. As part of my Halloween Countdown, I thought I'd talk up the Halloweenie events Laurel Hill is planning for the entire month of October. Themed ghost tours and other events (such as the showing of the classic 1968 film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD right in the cemetery at beginning right as the sun goes down on October 5th!). Readers in the general area of Pennsylvania and New Jersey may want to drop by for a ghostly tour of a breathtakingly beautiful cemetery and sculpture garden during October! Here is a link to the Laurel Hill Cemetery site with complete details of their October events.
THE THIRD SONG I'M INDUCTING INTO MY HALLOWEEN HALL OF FAME is also a song I first heard on the exact same Dr. Demento Show in 1978 on which I heard David Bowie's "PLEASE MR. GRAVEDIGGER". The song was written by Rupert Holmes (best known for his number one hit single "The Pino Colada Song") in 1971 and recorded by an unknown group at the time. In order to gain some publicity for the group, Holmes suggested that the song be about something which was guaranteed to get it banned from radio play. Agreeing, the group signed a one-song contract with Holmes to create it for them. Holmes took inspiration from the number one song "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford which prominently features workers in a mine and combined it with the 50's hothouse film "SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER" adapted from the Tennessee Williams play starring Katharine Hepburn, Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor; the film featured strong suggestions of cannibalism. Combining these two themes, Holmes wrote the song which is my third inductee into the Batty Halloween Hall of Fame:
TIMOTHY by THE BUOYS
The song deals with a mine cave-in (one of my favourite subjects for a song, natch) in which three miners are trapped. When they are rescued, however, there are only two miners. As the first person singer wails in the chorus: "Timothy? Timothy? Where on earth did you go? Timothy? Timothy? God, why don't I know?" The song made barely a ripple when first released until savvy listeners picked up on lyrics which describe the singer as "hungry as hell" and then, after being rescued, singing "stomach was full as it could be" and "nobody ever got around to finding Timothy" and radio DJ's began to receive multiple request to play the song. After a while, radio stations twigged and banned the song which, after gaining such notoriety, only produced a higher demand. "TIMOTHY" miraculously spent eight weeks on the Billboard Top 40 charts in 1971 reaching as high as #17! Here the gruesome goodness for yourself over in the box in the right hand column. Bon appetite and see you tomorrow for more music.
OVER AT MY AUDIO BLOG, I'M CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN TOO. All this week you can hear the deliriously demented monster surf sounds of that wacky Russian rock and roll band "Messer Chups"!
The perfect sounds for this Halloween! Just click on this link and it'll transport you to the moon's lunar observatory where Dr. Janos Rukh will serve up a trick or treat bag full of Messer Chups madness! But remember . . . it'll only be there for one week. Next week there'll be some more Halloweenie music for your enjoyment.
WHAT COULD BE MORE HALLOWEENIE THAN A SCARECROW?
A scarecrow wandering around murdering people, that's what. And this is what we get in today's Halloweenie episode of SUPERNATURAL: SCARECROW. Our favourite monster hunters Dean and Sam Winchester stumble across a picturesque little town which seems to be adjacent to a road where strangers disappear every year. Alongside the road is an apple orchard with a really creepy scarecrow in it. The town itself is famous for its harvest and its yummy apple pies. Unfortunately, a young couple who had car trouble have disappeared right after leaving town. Is there something the townspeople aren't saying? And does that scarecrow get down off his stake and perambulate? Well, obviously from the picture above I'd say that's a big 10-4, good buddy. And it's left to our pal Dean (with precious little help from Sam, I might add) to sort it all out.
This episode makes particularly good October viewing due to the incredibly sinister and spooky orchard with it's baskets of picked apples and nearly bare tree branches. You can almost feel the autumnal chill in the air as you watch. The ground is carpeted with fallen autumn leaves and a persistent ground fog adds to the atmosphere. Then there's that terrific scarecrow monster makeup which is genuinely scary. All this and a 1967 Impala which I swear I'm gonna marry someday!
NOW IT'S TIME TO INDUCT THE SECOND SONG INTO THE BATTY AWARDS HALLOWEEN HALL OF FAME. Today it's a song I first heard on the Dr. Demento Show; it was the annual Halloween episode of 1978 and this next stunned me because it was a previously unknown-by-me song by an artist I was very familiar with. And it perfectly captured the Halloween vibe. The second inductee into my Halloween Hall of Fame is. . .
PLEASE MR. GRAVEDIGGER by DAVID BOWIE
From David Bowie's self-titled 1967 album, this song derives from the earliest of early Bowie eras. This was before he found his style and was doing singles which frankly sounded like Anthony Newley records. This album contains novelty and bubblegum pop songs like "The Laughing Gnome" and "Love You Til Tuesday". However, lurking somewhere amongst all this rather forgettable fluff is the magnificence that is "PLEASE MR. GRAVEDIGGER". No instruments. Just Bowie singing a cappella while he digs a grave in a thunderstorm. Part Halloween hoot and part murder ballad, the song is both funny and a little disturbing. Give it a listen over in the box to the right.
MY FIRST HALLOWEEN VIEWING FOR OCTOBER IS, RATHER APPROPRIATELY, AN EPISODE OF DOCTOR WHO. It IS the 50th anniversary, you may recall. I think I might've mentioned it once or 100. Oddly enough, it's not from the classic series but one of the newest episodes from the current season: "HIDE" from 2013's Series 7b.
Certainly the best episode of that half-season after "THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR" season finale, "HIDE" is basically DOCTOR WHO's take on the Shirley Jackson-penned book/1963 classic film "THE HAUNTING". We've got the older "ghost hunter" professor type and the nebbish female psychic empathy. There's, of course, the huge old haunted house complete with cold spots and ghostly writings of "Help me" on the wallpaper. Throw in a bit of "THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE" with the psychic/ghost detecting apparatus and also the fact that said female psychic empathy is rather dishy in a buttoned-down sense. And finally, throw in a lot of Tobe Hooper's "POLTERGEIST" for the episodes final act and you've got a nice little spookfest for the Doctor and Clara to bounce around in. Also, I can't help but notice a rather nice tribute to the Tom Baker era of DOCTOR WHO by placing the story in 1974: Tom Baker's first year in the role which also featured, under the aegis of Philip Hinchcliffe, quite a lot of horror-themed episodes. Quite a nice bit of viewing for the first of October!
AND SO WE BEGIN.
As stated, all month long I'm going to induct 31 "halloweenie" songs into my own "Horror Hall of Fame" in conjunction with the Penguin Awards. So which song is the first recipient of the Batty Award? Well, for the first inductee I chose one of the perennial classics - a song which sooooooooooooo conjures up the meaning of Halloween for me that I thought it only appropriate for this inaugural honour. This is a song which the Rev. Marc Time (of the late, lamented Oregon radio show "SUNDAY MORNING HANGOVER") has called the greatest Halloween song of all time. While that statement can be endlessly debated, the song's worthiness cannot. And so, the very first inductee into the Batty Awards Halloween Hall of Fame is . . .
IT'S HALLOWEEN by THE SHAGGS!
The Wiggins sisters - Dot, Betty and Helen - hoisted their classic album "PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD" on an unsuspecting humanity in 1969. They have been described as "...sounding like lobotomized Trapp Family singers" by Rolling Stone magazine and "better than the Beatles" by Frank Zappa. Kurt Cobain thought they were brilliant and Cub Koda described them best when he said "There's an innocence to these songs and their performances that's both charming and unsettling. Hacked-at drumbeats, whacked-around chords, songs that seem to have little or no meter to them ... being played on out-of-tune, pawn-shop-quality guitars all converge, creating dissonance and beauty, chaos and tranquility, causing any listener coming to this music to rearrange any pre-existing notions about the relationships between talent, originality, and ability. There is no album you might own that sounds remotely like this one." Nary a Halloween goes by without hearing this song. "IT'S HALLOWEEN", with Helen drumming in a seemingly different universe than the song her sisters are singing combined with Dot and Betty's dime store-sounding guitars and charmingly direct and unvarnished harmonies seem to me to conjure up visions of a porch on Halloween. The sisters are performing the song on their porch in the flickering light of a jack o'lantern while the trick or treaters toddle up to fill their pillow cases with candy. The crisped and sere leaves blow to and frow and a black cat listens on the porch rail. This song epitomizes what Halloween means to me and for that reason I am inducting it into my Halloween Hall of Fame. Give it a listen over in the box on the right hand column . . . and tune in tomorrow for the second inductee!
WELCOME, FOOLISH MORTALS . . . TO THE COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN.
As I've often said before, Halloween for me is a state of mind and exists 365 days of the year; the actual 31st of October is more like a formality. But since that day is the nexus around which all our spooky gallivanting will circle, I'd like to start off with a little nostalgia from the misty past of my childhood. And many of these childhood memories tend to focus around my grandparents' huge old Victorian house in Pennsauken where I would usually stay weekends. For years, my grandfather would take me to the Pennsauken Mart where there was a store which sold tons of comic books (with the covers torn off) for something like "five for a dime" or some ridiculous price like that. This is where I first developed an addiction to comic books - specifically DC and Marvel superhero comics. However, years before this, when I was very small, the first comix I read were things like ARCHIE, MAD HOUSE GLADS, Disney and Looney Tunes funny animal comics, Gold Key/Whitman comics (like my beloved OCCULT FILES OF DR. SPEKTOR) and those Charlton horror comics - many of the titles you will see below in this vintage advert.
Many of these comic books I would get when my grandmother and I would walk all the way down Westfield Avenue to Thor's drugstore. It was here I also picked up my treasured Black Jack gum and those "You'll Die Laughing" horror trading cards (which I just may be posting some of shortly). My cousin Loran and I used to joke about the short-lived Charlton comic book HAUNTED LOVE which combined romance comics with the hugely popular gothic horror genre spurred on by the success of the DARK SHADOWS TV show. Years later, we both obtained copies of HAUNTED LOVE #1 and it was a coup, I can tell you! There is just something extremely nostalgic which gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling about those old Charlton horror comics (and the Gold Key/Whitman ones too, I might add). You either know what I'm talking about or you'll NEVER know. I can't explain it. You just had to be there. But, if I can get my meager faculties together, I just might be able to post an entire story from one of those issues - in fact, one of my favourite horror comic stories of all time which appeared in Charlton's GHOSTLY HAUNTS mag. Stay tuned to this Halloween Countdown for further developments. . .
AS THE AUTUMN WIND BLOWS COLDER AND THE LEAVES ON THE TREES TURN GOLDER, WE BEGIN TO THINK OF OCTOBER AND THE JOYS OF HALLOWEEN.
As such, I am once again going to throw caution to those autumn winds and participate in the ever-growing "COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN". For those out the know, the Halloween Countdown celebrates Halloween by posting something spooky every day of the month of October. I did my first one . . . oh . . . I don't remember how many years ago when I stumbled across John Rozum's blog and was inspired by his. Now, Rozum and fiends have gathered together all the participating bloggers in the trick or treat bag that is the COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN blog - listing every single blogger who will be participating this year. And there are hundreds so the treats are plentiful! Click on the link in red above or else click on the Cryptkeeper badge over on the right and it will take you there.
Now for my umpteenth time doing this, I wondered what I could do that would be a little different AND which I could accomplish despite my beleaguered mental exhaustion and very little free time. As previous years have had me sometimes watch a horror movie a day and post about it, I thought something a little different would be for me to watch one or two Halloweenie TV episodes a day and post about them. My strategy will attempt to follow a path of watching one episode of a straight horror TV show (i.e. something from BORIS KARLOFF'S THRILLER, NIGHT GALLERY, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, etc.) and pairing that with an episode of some other show's Halloween episode (we all remember the many ROSEANNE Halloween episodes . . . something like that). So, if there is a particular Halloweenie-type TV episode you would like me to watch and blog about, please feel free to nominate a candidate in the comments; I can't promise I'll be able to watch it (since I might not own a copy) but I'll do my level best to try to watch it if possible.
In addition to that, while only this blog will be officially participating in the Halloween Countdown (leaving my other 3 blogs to go their merry way), I will also be co-opting some audio posting (from my audio blog "BATHED IN THE LIGHT FROM ANDROMEDA") and will post some audio on THIS blog every day. And here's what you will hear here. Ahem. Veteran readers will recall my annual Penguin music awards; well, the Halloween Countdown is debuting something similar in the month of October. In conjunction with the Penguin Awards, we now present the Batty Awards! This award will be given to a song per day in October which we will be inducting into the Cerpts Halloween Hall of Fame. Only those songs which are so monumentally associated with Halloween for me and which have proven themselves to be perennial classics will go into the Hall of Fame. So every day in October, we're going to induct a classic Halloweenie song and you will be able to listen to it in the box over on the right hand side of this blog. That's 31 songs in the Batty Awards inaugural year for the Cerpts Halloween Hall of Fame. Now THAT'S what I call a Halloween celebration!
Plus we're going to have all the usual Halloweenie fun and fright you've come to expect from the Halloween Countdown each year. So I hope you enjoy the month to come. Even though I've constantly said that Halloween is 365, I'm still fond of making the Halloweenie month of October something special here at the Land of Cerpts and Honey. Hope to see you there.
AFTER RANKING MY FAVOURITE DOCTORS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I FINALLY BRING YOU THE PROMISED RANKING OF MY TOP 20 FAVOURITE COMPANIONS. But, in order to keep you in suspenders, I'll be presenting the companions in reverse order starting with number 20.
20. LIZ SHAW - The brilliant Liz Shaw was scientific advisor to U.N.I.T. when the Doctor was unceremoniously exiled to Earth by the Time Lords. At the start, she was slightly bemused by this strange Doctor person who was assigned to her but she soon learned to appreciate his talents. However, the Doctor soon took center stage and Liz would depart after only a short time because she was a little too talented herself to be the Doctor's "test-tube passer". Caroline John played Liz Shaw from the 3rd Doctor's first story "SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE" in January 1970 until to the epic "INFERNO" in June 1970. She returned for the 20th anniversary extravaganza "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983 and for the 30th anniversary fiasco "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993. Caroline John died in 2012.
19. HARRY SULLIVAN - Another U.N.I.T. member, Harry gave the Tardis an actual, proper medical doctor. Harry's old-fashioned demeanor, Royal Navy background and insistence on calling Sarah Jane Smith "old girl" made for a charming if slightly bumbling companion who was always good for lifting spirits when they were low and thumping monsters when the need arose. Ian Marter played Harry from the 4th Doctor's first story "ROBOT" in December 1974 through to "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS" in September 1975. Marter briefly returned for December 1975's "THE ANDROID INVASION". And to show you in what high regard Harry was held by the Doctor . . . Harry, to my knowledge, is the ONLY person who was ever allowed to wear the Doctor's scarf; Harry can be seen wearing the famous Tom Baker scarf as he, Sarah Jane and the Doctor trudge through the cold and damp Scottish underbrush in "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS". Ian Marter died in 1986.
18. ZOE HERIOT - 21st century astrophysicist Zoe Heriot always claimed to be smarter than the Doctor and who's to argue? Except the Doctor, of course, who always refuted it. However, her exceptional braininess did not mean she couldn't handle herself; Zoe was a master at hand-to-hand combat and often tossed muscle-bound villains around like dolls. Wendy Padbury played Zoe from the Cybermen invasion of her space station in "THE WHEEL IN SPACE" of April 1968 until the Time Lords dumped her back in her own time without the memory of her time spent with the 2nd Doctor (in his final story) at the end of "THE WAR GAMES" in June 1969. Zoe sort-of returned in "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983 but only as a naughty illusion created by the villain.
17. RORY WILLIAMS - Someone we expected to be a sideline character in the 11th Doctor's first story "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" would quickly become a regular companion. And, as often happened in "New Who", a character who at first seemed rather inconsequential would grow to become a formidable, heroic companion in his own right time and time again. With a heart as big as the inside of the Tardis and the lovability of a puppy dog, Rory the Roman proved himself to be a stand-up guy. Arthur Darvill played Rory from "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" in April 2010, off and on until "THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN" in September 2012.
16a. ROMANA I - Sweet sixteen on my list of companions, of necessity, must be shared between two actresses as Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar would regenerate her appearance during her time in the Tardis. When the 4th Doctor was charged with his quest to recover the Key to Time, the White Guardian assigned Romana to help him out. Another companion who regularly referred to herself as smarter than the Doctor (with the Gallifreyan test scores to back up her claims), Romana brought unheard-of glamour to the old Blue Police Box. Mary Tamm played Romana I from "THE RIBOS OPERATION" in September 1978 until "THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR" in February 1979. Mary Tamm died in 2012.
16b. ROMANA II - When she got bored of her appearance, Romana regenerated into a new, gamin-like form. While her earlier incarnation was smooth-spoken, elegant and regal, Romana's newest regeneration was playful and silly enough to match the 4th Doctor's eccentricities while still maintaining her air of Time Lord authority which would one day land her in the post of President of Gallifrey (in the Big Finish audio series). Lalla Ward played Romana (after taking the likeness of another character she played in "THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR") in "DESTINY OF THE DALEKS in September 1979 until sauntering off into misty E-Space in WARRIOR'S GATE" in January 1981. She returned for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
15. JAMIE MCCRIMMON - What gams! The 2nd Doctor met the young Scottish piper during the 1746 Highland uprising and rather unexpectedly ended up as a member of Team Tardis without even trying. Always up for a good thumping, Jamie provided the muscle when the Doctor got into some scrapes; he also became half of a comedy team with the Doctor as the two sometimes behaved like naughty, giggly schoolboys. Former child actor Fraser Hines played James from "THE HIGHLANDERS" in December 1966 until he was also mind-wiped and dumped back in his timeline by the Time Lords in "THE WAR GAMES" of June 1969. He would also (sort-of) return in November 1983 for "THE FIVE DOCTORS" and actually return in "THE TWO DOCTORS" in February 1985 when he and the 2nd Doctor teamed-up with the 6th Doctor.
14. NYSSA - Yet another brilliant companion -- who said all the Doctor's female companions were only there to scream -- Nyssa was one of the more tragic members of the Tardis team. A young scientific genius on the planet Traken, Nyssa's father was murdered by the Master (who piggily took his form) and he planet was destroyed just to tie a bow on the whole mess. Wedged in between the arrogant and snotty Adric and the "mouth on legs", complaining Tegan, Nyssa might be thought to fade somewhat into the background; however she was the companion (in the overcrowded Tardis) the Doctor relied upon constantly and was Peter Davison's idea of "the perfect companion". Sarah Sutton played Nyssa from "THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN" in January 1981 until her rather abrupt and unforeshadowed departure in "TERMINUS" in February 1983. She would also participate in that dog's breakfast called "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
13. RIVER SONG - No spoilers here, sweetie. Suffice it to say that Dr. River Song was an enigmatic archaeologist who periodically encountered the Doctor going in opposite directions of their respective timelines; when the 10th Doctor first encountered River he had no idea who she was while she was meeting him for the final time and evidently had quite a history with him. Spending equal time adventuring and cooling her (high) heels in prison, River Song was a pip. Alex Kingston played River Song from "SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY" in May 2008 until her (presumably) final appearance in "THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR" in May 2013.
12. K-9 - The tin dog! Created by Professor Marius, K-9 tagged along in the Tardis for quite a stint. Still another companion who was constantly claiming intellectual superiority to the Doctor (I'm beginning to think the Doctor is a dope), K-9 was intensely loyal as well as enjoyably snarky towards his Time Lord master with a "talk back chip" apparently on 11. John Leeson voiced K-9 in almost all the stories beginning with "THE INVISIBLE ENEMY" in October 1977 through WARRIORS' GATE in January 1981 (except in the stories between "THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT" and "SHADA" when K-9 was voiced by David Brierley). The tin dog would return in "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993, "SCHOOL REUNION" in April 2006 and "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008. K-9 would also appear in the spin-offs "K-9 AND COMPANY", "THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES" and "K-9".
11. IAN CHESTERTON - The programme's first "action hero", Ian was a science teacher from 1963 London who is kidnapped by the grouchy 1st Doctor into a series of adventures in space and time. The elderly Time Lord wasn't capable of fisticuffs so Ian filled that role admirably; he also became something of a moral compass in the Tardis as the 1st Doctor wasn't always heroic or benign. William Russell played Ian from the very first episode "AN UNEARTHLY CHILD" in November 1963 until the Dalek fun fair "THE CHASE" in June 1965.
10. BARBARA WRIGHT - Really inseparable from Ian Chesterton, Barbara was the other half of the rock solid original Tardis Team of kidnapped 1963 London school teachers of the Doctor's granddaughter Susan. Extremely knowledgable in history, Barbara was a great source of information for viewers of this new and strange TV programme. She also provided some of the most interesting questions in the series i.e. whether or not one can change the pages of history. "Not one single line!" While initially rather timid, Barbara grew into a capable and sometimes brave companion much like the "New Who" group who would come after her. Jacqueline Hill played Barbara from the first episode of the series "AN UNEARTHLY CHILD" in November 1963 until "THE CHASE" in June 1965 when she and Ian happily bounded through the streets of 60's London together. The actress would return (as a different character) in "MEGLOS" in September 1980. Jacqueline Hill died in 1993.
9. LEELA - The noble savage and the Doctor's very own Eliza Doolittle, Leela was a member of the Sevateen: a far-future aboriginal culture devolved from a crashed spaceship crew. Adept with a knife and her lethal Janus thorns, Leela was constantly being reigned in by the Doctor from her violent tendencies as he attempted to "civilise" her. A fearless warrior who seldom looked before she leapt; especially when she suddenly and unexpected stayed behind on Gallifrey after falling in love with a Gallifreyan guard (apparently off screen as there was bugger all plot motivation for it). Louise Jameson played Leela from "THE FACE OF EVIL" in January 1977 until "THE INVASION OF TIME" in March 1978. She also returned for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993.
8. DR. MARTHA JONES - When her hospital was transported to the surface of the moon, medical student Martha Jones aided the 10th Doctor in his tiff with the Judoon. After that, Martha joined him on his adventures as well as harbouring an unrequited love for the Time Lord. Extremely capable first as a doctor and then as an in-demand freedom fighter whose services were sought by U.N.I.T. and Torchwood, Martha Jones is one of the most formidable companions the Tardis has ever seen. Freema Agyeman played Martha Jones from "SMITH AND JONES" in March 2007 until "LAST OF THE TIME LORDS" in June 2007, then from "THE SONTARAN STRATAGEM" in April 2008 to "THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER" in May 2008 as well as subsequent appearances in "THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEY'S END" in June/July 2008 and "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010.
7. BRIGADIER ALISTAIR GORDON LETHBRIDGE-STEWART - Lucky number seven spanned almost the entire series as the leader of U.N.I.T. While only occasionally travelling in the Tardis, the Brigadier was one of the Doctor's most long-serving and valuable companions. Starting first as a colonel, Lethbridge-Stewart was soon promoted to Brigadier in order to head the United Nations Intelligence Task Force in their fight against alien intervention on the planet Earth. Nicholas Courtney played the Brig first in "THE WEB OF FEAR" in February 1968) and then in "THE INVASION" in November 1968 during the 2nd Doctor's tenure. He then appeared in the 3rd Doctor's storylines beginning in "SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE" in January 1970 until the 4th Doctor's story "TERROR OF THE ZYGONS" in September 1975), and then again in "MAWDRYN UNDEAD" (with the 5th Doctor) in February 1983, "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983, "BATTLEFIELD" (with the 7th Doctor) in September 1989 and finally in "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993. He also appeared in THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES story "ENEMY OF THE BANE". Nicholas Courtney died in 2011.
6. JO GRANT - Upon the departure of the brainy Liz Shaw, U.N.I.T. assigned daffy Jo Grant as the 3rd Doctor's assistant during his enforced exile on Earth. Flighty, silly and seemingly rather dim, Jo could also be resourceful, knowledgeable when the occasion called for it and fiercely loyal and brave. Street smarts rather than book smarts for Ms. Grant. Jo was also the victim of the hurriedly-arranged romantic encounter which scriptwriters often used to retire a companion. Katy Manning played Jo Grant from "TERROR OF THE AUTONS" in January 1971 until "THE GREEN DEATH" in June 1973. She would return in THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES story "THE DEATH OF THE DOCTOR".
5. ACE - Accidentally teleported to Iceworld from her hometown of Perivale, troubled teenager Ace would team up with the 7th Doctor and become his quintessential companion. Ace put paid to the misconception of female companions who tripped over things and screamed; she filled her back pack with Nitro-9 and famously beat the snot out of a Dalek with a baseball bat. The ultimate action hero, Ace was perfectly capable of hurling herself through windows or dodging machine gun fire. Ace was the first companion who had her own story arc throughout her tenure which would become de rigeur during the "New Who" years. Sophie Aldred portrayed Ace from "DRAGONFIRE" in November 1987 until the final episode of the classic series "SURVIVAL" in December 1989. She would also return for "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993 and is the one companion of all the rest I most wish would return for "New Who".
4. ROSE TYLER - The first companion of "New Who", Rose was the one to beat. Working in a department store during the invasion of the Nestene, Rose would become the template for the "New Who" tactic of placing the companions center stage with equal importance to the stories as the Doctor himself. Billie Piper played Rose from the first "New Who" story "ROSE" in March 2005 through "DOOMSDAY" in July 2006. She would then return in "PARTNERS IN CRIME" in April 2008 and "THE POISON SKY" in May 2008" and then from "MIDNIGHT" in June 2008 through "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008 and finally in "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010.
3. DONNA NOBLE - The most important temp in the universe. Famously snuck onto the set with a paper bag over her head in a successful attempt to spoil the spoilers, British comedian Catherine Tate shocked the socks offa me by becoming one of my favourite companions and managing to top Rose Tyler on my list! Cheeky, bossy and loud, Donna also had a huge heart and a rich emotional core which made her eventual departure from the Tardis one of the most heartbreaking ever seen. Catherine Tate portrayed Donna from "DOOMSDAY" in June 2006 to "THE RUNAWAY BRIDE" in December 2006; then from "PARTNERS IN CRIME" in April 2008 through "JOURNEY'S END" in July 2008 and finally in "THE END OF TIME" in June/July 2010.
2. AMY POND - How the mighty Rose has fallen; before Donna and Amy, Rose ranked number two. But the mad ginger one has a power that cannot be denied. From the absolute best regeneration episode ever, we immediately loved little Amelia and then fell in love with older Amy. Her Scots fire ensured she took no guff and her thirst for adventure ensured she would be an exceptional companion. With or without Rory, her bigger than life presence threatened to eclipse even the 11th Doctor! Simply one of the most watchable companions ever. Karen Gillan played Amy from "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" in April 2010 until "THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN" in September 2012.
1. SARAH JANE SMITH - The winner and still champion! Undoubtedly the most-beloved companion in DOCTOR WHO history, she was my most beloved companion long before any else told me they felt the same way. First stowing away on the Tardis during the 3rd Doctor's final series, proto-feminist reporter Sarah Jane Smith was determined as well as beautiful. During her golden era teamed with Tom Baker's 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane was the Doctor's best friend and intensely loyal. While initially screaming at a slimy monster, she would then immediately fight it and, if captured, never rest in her attempts to escape and help the Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith as played so beautifully by Elisabeth Sladen is nothing less than the heart of the 50 year old science fiction series. Elisabeth Sladen portrayed Sarah Jane from "THE TIME WARRIOR" in December 1973 until "THE HAND OF FEAR" in October 1976. She returned for "THE FIVE DOCTORS" in November 1983, "DIMENSIONS IN TIME" in November 1993, "SCHOOL REUNION" in April 2006, "THE STOLEN EARTH/JOURNEY'S END" in June/July 2008 and "THE END OF TIME" in January 2010. She also starred in the spinoff series "K-9 & COMPANY" and "THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES". Elisabeth Sladen died in 2011.
And there you have it: my favourite 20 companions. However, allow me to take a minute to list a few honourable mentions -- three excellent companions who only appeared in the Big Finish audio adventures but are no less cherished companions in my heart:
ERIMEM - Erimemushinteperem is an Egyptian warrior princess and the daughter of Pharoah Amenhotep II who joined the 5th Doctor and Peri on the Tardis when it was feared that, since historically she was not destined to succeed her father to the throne, she may be killed during a revolution designed to prevent a woman from becoming pharaoh of Egypt. A leader of armies, Erimem was eminently capable of taking care of herself and has been known to break the arm of a man who pinched her bum! She and Nicola Bryant's Peri (pictured above with their Doctor) made a terrific team (shame Peri was utilized to much better effect in the audios than on the TV series). Caroline Morris first played Erimem in the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio "THE EYE OF THE SCORPION" in 2001.
CHARLEY POLLARD - Charlotte Elspeth Pollard was born the day the Titanic sank into a well-to-do English family. While attempting to get to a meeting with a man in Singapore in 1930, Charley stows away on the Airship R-101 disguised as a male member of the crew when the 8th Doctor turns up in time for the craft's imminent destruction. Against every law of time, the Doctor prevents Charley from dying in the crash by whisking her away in the Tardis. Naturally, there are consequences. Charley fancies herself as something of an Edwardian adventuress and, after a while, admits to fancying the Doctor as well. Many instances of time problems will become evident over the years of audio adventures due to Charley's having cheated death. India Fisher first played Charley in the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio adventure "STORM WARNING" in 2001.
DR. EVELYN SMYTHE - And I've saved the best for last. The very first original companion created by the Big Finish DOCTOR WHO audio line, Evelyn remains the most beloved. She's literally the opposite of everything we've come to expect in a companion; she's getting on towards becoming elderly with the infirmities that come with age, she has a tendency to argue most charmingly with the 6th Doctor (to his chagrin) and she is very VERY fond of cake and hot cocoa. Nevertheless, she is strong in her convictions and brave when the situation arises. A university history professor, she first encounters the Doctor when he crashes her lecture and interrupts it with an incessant electronic beeping. Soon the Doctor is back at her digs being dished up a nice slice of cake when they realize she and all her ancestors are slowly being erased from history. Heading back in time to see what's going on, the Doctor aims for Elizabethan England but instead ends up a little earlier during the reign of Bloody Queen Mary. By the end of the adventure, Evelyn invites herself onto the Tardis to continue adventuring . . . whether the Doctor likes it or not! Their friendly arguments and bickering back and forth are so delightfully written and beautifully acted at to be the highlights of every story. A truly lovable companion!
