Now that Hannah Murray is out of the running.....

Who will be the next hot favourite for
The Doctor's new companion, now that
Hannah Murray has said no to the role?



Now that the ex-Skins actress Hannah Murray is out of the running for the new companion of The Doctor, speculation will doubtless be at fever pitch as to the name of the actress who will star alongside Matt Smith, when he debuts as The Doctor in 2010. Further education and acting commitments put paid to any possibility that she might be cast in such a coveted role.

Before Elisabeth Sladen and Billie Piper re-wrote the rules on what it is that makes for a good Dr. Who companion, the female 'sidekicks' were judged as being little more than window dressing, and there was never any news interest in who the next companion, only the actor chosen to play The Doctor could command such speculation from fans of the show. These days, it's different: for 'Whovians', myself being one of them, there is just as much fascination about the next companion as well as the actors who are lined up to play the Time Lord's newest incarnation. This was brought about by Russell T. Davies ensuring the actress playing the companion got equal billing in the opening credits, which in turn helped the fans of the programme to acknowledge that The Doctor's assistant was just an important factor as the sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS. Suddenly, it has become a massive deal to be chosen to be The Doctor's newest fellow time-space dweller, and it now comes with the added bonus of having doors opened onto major roles, instead of smaller, guest character appearances (which aren't the foundations for a continually successful acting career).

This is why I am keen to see an uknown actress get the part. Plus, I still stand by my preference for Rachel Shenton to be cast in this part. I want to see her land a role that has enormous future benefits for her career.