Which ‘Doctor Who’ Companion Will Come Out on Top?

Yesterday, the BBC finally confirmed what Doctor Who fans have been buzzing about for days: the return of British pop-tart Billie Piper to the culty sci-fi drama’s fourth season, currently shooting in Cardiff. Considered by Who fans the only true “Companion” (read hot, young time-traveling sidekick) fit to tie the shoelaces of Tenth Doctor David Tennant’s Converse sneaks, Piper’s character, Rose Tyler, was last seen trapped forever on a parallel universe. Trouble is, the good doc already has his hands full with two previously announced Companions, new full-time addition Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and Season Three assistant Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), who’ll be sneaking in episodes in between Torchwood gigs. Three feisty women. One adorable and available man. All time-traveling in one blue phone box-shaped Tardis. Who will be the last woman standing?

Rose Tyler (Companion, Seasons One & Two)
Pros: Love her or hate her, the bleach-blonde shopgirl turned defender of the universe has defeated Daleks, survived the end of the world, and absorbed the energy of a time vortex, all before age 20.
Cons: Oftentimes petulant and prone to tears, “Saint” Rose may also be on the receiving end of death glares (and perhaps physical harm) from Martha and Donna, who’ve been forced to continually comfort the mopey doc she left behind.

Martha Jones (Companion, Season Three)
Pros: As a 23-year-old medical student, Martha is independent, handy with tools, and more educated than her co-travelers.
Cons: Constantly mooning over the oblivious doctor, she let him walk all over her before deciding to “get out” after helping him defeat his mortal enemy, the Master. Might traveling with the doc again reduce her to a wibbly-wobbly state?

Donna Noble (Companion, Season Fourth)
Pros: First introduced in the second Christmas special, middle-aged Donna is quick to see the Doctor’s merciless when dealing with his enemies, and unlike Rose and Martha, is not giddily in love with the doctor (at least, not yet).
Cons: Not only has she been described (by none other than the doctor!) as neither special nor clever, but the secretarial temp was also almost duped into marrying the henchman for a ginormous alien spider. And that whiny, strident voice!

Winner: Tyler. True love wins out! And being the favorite of Who Head Geek Russell T. Davies probably won’t hurt either. —Michelle Kung

Billie Piper to re-materialise on Doctor Who [Reuters]