Ranking Doctor Who’s modern day companions

Jackson Lake

Jackson Lake is another one of those secondary Doctor Who characters that isn’t quite a companion, technically speaking, but who has a significant enough adventure with the Doctor that they belong on this list anyway. Thanks to a Cyberman infostamp that scrambled his brain a bit, this 19th-century mathematician believed – at least for a little while – that he was a Time Lord. He even referred to himself as the Doctor, since the infostamp that zapped his brain contained plenty of information about the Time Lord and his long history fighting the Cyberman race. He even had – after a fashion – his own TARDIS and sonic screwdriver, though they looked very different from the versions of those things we know today.

Part of the reason this ruse works – and, admit it, you thought for a second that this guy could maybe somehow be legit – is that Jackson seems like such a Doctor-esque figure in his own right. Kind, smart, and caring, he clearly embraces the idea of helping others and saving the world. Of course, he turns out not to be a Time Lord in the end, as we all knew he probably must. But the believing that he might be, even if only for a moment, is half of what makes this character so much fun.

Of course, since we’re including Jackson Lake on this list, we probably need to give a shoutout to Rosita, his brave and loyal companion who seemed kind of like an alternate version of Rose Tyler, if you squint. They’re charming together, enough so that no one would mind if we saw another bizarre adventure with the two of them and their TARDIS/hot air balloon.

Best episode: A gimme, since Jackson only appeared in the 2008 holiday special “The Next Doctor.” But, as Christmas specials go, this one was actually pretty good, featuring a trip to nineteenth century London, a Cyberman invasion, and a Godzilla sized Cyberman King. David Morrissey is fantastic as Jackson, so good that you may find yourself almost hoping that the Tenth Doctor has accidentally crossed into his future timeline and we’ve met the next regeneration a bit early. Yes, the giant CyberKing is ridiculous and Miss Hartigan is the epitome of an over the top villain, but this is an old school style Doctor Who romp that’s bittersweet even as it satisfies. (Much like David Tenannt’s entire final run of special episodes, of which this installment is a part.)