Since the TARDIS first appeared on telly screens via the BBC on November 23, 1963, The Doctor has had dozens of Companions — typically ordinary humans who join the time-traveling alien on wild, wacky, wonderful, and sometimes scary adventures. With “Doctor Who” poised to celebrate its 60th anniversary this fall, and the show about to get a massive revamp courtesy of returning showrunner Russell T. Davies, returning Doctor David Tennant, and NEW Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, there’s no better time — or space — for the Great Pop Culture Debate to determine the Best “Doctor Who” Companion!

Join Host Eric Rezsnyak and Panelists Bob Erlenback, Kara Austin, and Michael Schwarz as they discuss and debate the Top 16 Companions, based on picks from our public poll.

To listen to an extended version of this episode — including our panelists’ picks for the Companions that SHOULD have made the bracket — become a Patreon supporter of the podcast.

The Round 1 match-ups are:

NOTE: We considered Companions who joined The Doctor over the course of the “Doctor Who” television series; we included Classic Who and Reboot Who. We did NOT include Companions from the audio adventures or other media.

Match-Up 1: Rose Tyler (1) vs. Jo Grant (4)

Match-Up 2: River Song (3) vs. Rory Williams (2)

Match-Up 3: Amy Pond (1) vs. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (4)

Match-Up 4: Bill Potts (3) vs. Sarah Jane Smith (2)

Match-Up 5: Donna Noble (1) vs. Yasmin Khan (4)

Match-Up 6: K9 (3) vs. Clara Oswald (2)

Match-Up 7: Captain Jack Harkness (1) vs. Romana II (4)

Match-Up 8: Wilfred Mott (3) vs. Martha Jones (2)

Want to play along at home?

Download the listener bracket here and see if your picks match up with ours!

Looking for more related content?

Check out these other episodes from Great Pop Culture Debate:

Best “Star Trek” Crew Member

Best “Lord of the Rings”/”The Hobbit” Character

Best “Great British Bake-Off” Bake

Also make sure to check out Eric Rezsnyak’s Top 10 List of the Best “Doctor Who” Fashion Accessories!

Have a say in future episodes!

Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in our Topic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in the polls currently open for your votes!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panel: Bob Erlenback, Kara Austin, Michael Schwarz

Producer: Curtis Creekmore

Editor: Jeffery Perry