Doctor Who companions - III

Continuing with my new series of commissions of the companions from Doctor Who (voted "best SF series ever" by me ^^), painted by

With this painting, we come to the end of the 1st Doctor's era with Dodo Chaplet, Ben Jackson, and Polly Wright.

I am aware that Polly's surname being Wright is not considered canonical by all, as it has only been mentioned in media outside of the TV series itself (like Vicki "Pallister"), but I think it sounds, well...right. Ben was a good solid physical character, continuing the tradition of the male companion playing the hero because the Doctor wasn't young and fit enough to do so himself (a role which pretty much ended after Jamie...).

Dodo was a rather short-lived companion compared to most (aside from the likes of Katarina and Sara Kingdom), only appearing in about 4 and a half stories before she was rather ignominiously written out (she goes for a rest halfway through "The War Machines", and never shows up again, sending a message via Ben and Polly that she was staying behind instead). I don't see why she was so unpopular... but it sure doesn't help that nearly half of Dodo's episodes are missing (11/18 exist).

Doctor Who of course belongs to the BBC.

I - Ian, Susan and Barbara
II - Vicki, Steven and Katarina
III - Dodo, Ben and Polly
IV - Jamie, Victoria, and Zoe
V - Sergeant Benton, The Brigadier, and Captain Yates
VI - Dr Liz Shaw and Jo Grant
VII - Sarah-Jane, Harry, and Leela
VIII - Romana I, K-9 mks. I & II, Romana II
IX - Adric and Nyssa