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Victoria Waterfield
Doctor Who character
Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield, as pictured during filming of The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
First appearanceThe Evil of the Daleks (1967)
Last appearanceFury from the Deep (1968)
Portrayed byDeborah Watling
In-universe information
SpeciesHuman
GenderFemale
FamilyEdward Waterfield (father)
Home era1866

Victoria Waterfield is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Deborah Watling. Debuting in 1967's serial The Evil of the Daleks, she is a native of Victorian England. She was a companion of the Second Doctor throughout the show's fifth season, joining him after the death of her father at the hands of the Daleks. She was characterised as timid, and was known for screaming upon encountering monsters, though she also has moments where she is capable of facing danger; additionally, she is characterised as being inquisitive and observant. Victoria was written out of the series in the 1968 serial Fury from the Deep after the actress chose to leave at the end of her contract, though Watling would later reprise the role in various Doctor Who spin-off media.

Due to the departure of companions Ben and Polly from the series, the production team sought to fill the gap with another character. Though initially planning to use a character from the 1967 serial The Faceless Ones, those plans fell through, and the character of Victoria from the subsequent serial, The Evil of the Daleks, was selected to act as a companion instead. Watling was hired due to producer Innes Lloyd being impressed with her work as the titular character in the production Alice. Victoria as a character has been viewed as lacking agency compared to other characters in the series, with critics describing her as being passive and lacking in strong impact.

Character history

[edit]

Doctor Who is a long-running British science-fiction television series that began in 1963. It stars its protagonist, The Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in a ship known as the TARDIS, as well as their travelling companions.[1] When the Doctor dies, they are able to undergo a process known as "regeneration", completely changing the Doctor's appearance and personality.[2] Throughout their travels, the Doctor often comes into conflict with various alien species and antagonists.[3][4]

In the series

[edit]

Victoria first appears in the 1967 serial The Evil of the Daleks. She is the daughter of widowed scientist Edward Waterfield (John Bailey), who in 1866 is experimenting with time travel and has attracted the attention of the Daleks. The Daleks take Victoria prisoner to ensure Waterfield's collaboration, and upon Waterfield's death, he asks the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines) to take care of her. Victoria subsequently joins the pair in travelling in the TARDIS.[5]

A teenager from England in the 1860s,[6] Victoria is characterised as being timid, often relying on fellow companion Jamie McCrimmon to get out of tough scrapes. She has a "prim" personality due to her time period of origin, retaining a "demureness" throughout her appearances in the series.[7] Despite being known for screaming when encountering monsters, Victoria is also characterised as being capable of facing danger and is also very inquisitive and observant.[6] Victoria longs to settle down in one place, though she has nothing left for her at home and has become too acclimatized to travel with the Doctor to return to her home time.[5] During her time on the TARDIS, she adopts a father-like bond with the Second Doctor and an almost sibling-like bond with Jamie.[6]

Victoria subsequently appears in several serials, aiding the Doctor and Jamie in confronting several antagonists, including the Cybermen, the Yeti, and the Ice Warriors.[8] Eventually, during the 1968 serial Fury from the Deep, she encounters a weed creature at an oil rig in the 20th century United Kingdom. Her high pitched screams overwhelm the creature and destroy it, but after its defeat, Victoria elects to stay behind in the 20th century, being adopted by a family who lived nearby.[5][9]

Victoria appears in various novels, audio dramas, and comics for the series.[6] Additionally, she appears in the 1995 spin-off film Downtime and the 1993 Children in Need special Dimensions in Time.[10]

Development

[edit]
Deborah Watling as pictured in 2008

Victoria was introduced in the 1967 serial The Evil of the Daleks. She was named after both her time period of origin (Victorian England) and the name of script editor Gerry Davis's eldest daughter. Due to the departure of Ben and Polly (Michael Craze and Anneke Wills) as companions in the prior serial, 1967's The Faceless Ones, the production team sought a new companion to fill the gap left behind. Originally, the team had wanted to use the character of Samantha Briggs from the latter serial, though her actress, Pauline Collins, declined the offer of a recurring role. As a result, Victoria was used to fill the gap instead.[11]

Watling had come to the attention of Doctor Who producer Innes Lloyd after she starred in the title role in Alice.[10] Though she previously was considered for the role of previous companion Polly, she was considered too inexperienced at the time of her audition and was passed over in favor of Anneke Wills. According to the book Doctor Who: Who-ology, she was later recalled to audition for the role of Victoria;[12] The Complete History stated, however, that Watling did not formally audition, but instead discussed the part with Lloyd and got the part soon after, with Lloyd remembering her performance in Alice.[11]

Victoria was conceived of as a young, naïve girl with a tragic backstory, with the Second Doctor taking on a paternalistic relationship as he takes her under his wing.[13] The character of Victoria fell into the pre-existing archetype of a young girl who would serve a role similar to that of the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), with the Doctor often treating Victoria in a similar manner.[14]

Despite Victoria's characterisation, Watling attempted to give the character further strength, stating that she "tried to instill something of a tomboy in her".[15] Victoria's screaming would earn Watling the nickname of "Leatherlungs" from her co-stars, whom she enjoyed a warm relationship with.[13] Watling eventually decided to leave the role toward the end of her initial contract, seeking to return to theatre. In a later interview, she explained that she also departed as a result of scripts not giving the character of Victoria much development. She gave the production team three months' notice, and she was written out in the 1968 serial Fury from the Deep. Watling's departure necessitated further script rewrites as the production team had already planned for Victoria to feature in five further storylines, and the search for a new actress to play the next companion began soon after. Wendy Padbury would soon be cast as the next companion, Zoe Heriot.[15]

Watling was offered the choice to return in 1983's "The Five Doctors", though she declined to work on another program. Years later, Watling would reprise her role in several further productions for the series,[15] including in a number of audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions.[16]

Reception

[edit]

Despite her short period of time on the show, Victoria made an impact as a character, being particularly remembered for her screaming when she encountered monsters.[10] The Daily Telegraph's Ben Lawrence described her as lacking in strong agency as a companion, being a character that played a secondary role to the male characters on-screen at the time; however, he did highlight Watling's performance as giving the character an "infectious charm".[7] Literary critic John Kenneth Muir characterised Victoria as being a "screaming, helpless thing".[9]

The book Doctor Who: A British Alien regarded Victoria as being a symbol of "traditional femininity and passivity", noting how she had little individual agency as a character and that she had little impact on the series as a whole.[17] The book Women in Doctor Who: Damsels, Feminists and Monsters stated that Victoria characterised the "screaming companion" trope, a trope which gives women little agency in favor of having them scream at visible threats. The book also noted that her character was sexualised within the show via her tendency to wear miniskirts, which was a trait that was, according to Watling, given to appeal to an older male audience; within the show itself, the Doctor brushed her aside when she expressed concern over her skirt's length, while Jamie also sexualised her at times within the show's narrative.[18]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Victoria Waterfield

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from Grokipedia
Victoria Waterfield is a fictional character in the British television series , introduced as a companion to the Second Doctor, played by . Portrayed by actress , she debuted in the 1967 serial , where she was orphaned after murdered her father, Victorian scientist Edward Waterfield, on the planet Skaro; the Doctor subsequently promised to look after her as a surrogate daughter. Victoria travelled with the Doctor and Scottish companion Jamie McCrimmon across seven serials, spanning 40 episodes broadcast between May 1967 and April 1968, including notable adventures such as The Tomb of the Cybermen on the planet Telos, The Abominable Snowmen encountering robot Yeti in the Himalayas, and The Ice Warriors during Earth's second ice age. Characterized as prim, naive, and quintessentially Victorian in demeanor, she often reacted to dangers with loud screams— a trait that ultimately proved resourceful in her final story, Fury from the Deep, where the sound disrupted a parasitic seaweed intelligence threatening a North Sea gas rig. Despite her initial vulnerability and reluctance to embrace the TARDIS lifestyle, Victoria demonstrated quick wit and growing courage throughout her journeys, providing emotional depth and historical contrast to the group's escapades. In , Victoria chose to leave the and remain on 20th-century with the kindly Harris family in , seeking a stable, normal life after her tumultuous experiences; was particularly heartbroken by her departure. Although many of her episodes were among those wiped from the in the late 1960s and early 1970s, surviving footage and reconstructions have preserved her legacy as one of the show's early female companions, embodying themes of loss, adaptation, and resilience.

Fictional biography

Origins in Victorian

Victoria Waterfield was the daughter of Professor Edward Waterfield, a prominent whose work focused on experimental and temporal phenomena. Raised in an upper-class household near following the of her mother from in , she enjoyed a sheltered upbringing characterized by formal in , history, and the sciences, reflecting the refined family dynamics of mid-19th-century . Her father's intellectual pursuits dominated their home life, fostering Victoria's innate curiosity about scientific advancements while instilling in her a sense of innocence and propriety typical of young Victorian women of her station. In June 1866, , seeking to harness human emotional qualities for their conquests, abducted Professor Waterfield after his experiments inadvertently intersected with their temporal technology. To coerce his cooperation, the Daleks kidnapped Victoria from their family home and transported her to their city on the planet Skaro, holding her hostage. Under duress, Waterfield constructed a rudimentary time machine in collaboration with fellow scientist Theodore Maxtible, enabling the Daleks to manipulate historical events and test the "human factor" through controlled experiments. During these events in "The Evil of the Daleks," Victoria encountered the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon, who had been drawn into the Daleks' scheme after their TARDIS was stolen. Professor Waterfield ultimately sacrificed himself to aid the Doctor's escape, defying the Daleks and ensuring his daughter's freedom, though he was exterminated in the process. This traumatic loss deepened Victoria's emotional vulnerability, amplifying her initial timidity and grief while strengthening her bond with the Doctor, whom she came to view as a paternal surrogate. Her curiosity about the wider universe, sparked by the scientific horrors she witnessed, marked the beginning of her departure from Victorian innocence.

Travels with the Second Doctor

Victoria Waterfield joined the Second Doctor and as a companion following the traumatic events of , where her father, Edward Waterfield, sacrificed himself to protect the Doctor from on the planet Skaro. Orphaned and displaced from her 19th-century life in Victorian , she embarked on travels aboard the during the show's fifth season, spanning late 1967 to early 1968. Her adventures often highlighted the stark contrast between her prim, Victorian sensibilities and the alien, futuristic environments she encountered, frequently leading to moments of and moral reflection on progress and humanity. In her first full adventure, , Victoria arrived on the planet in the distant , where the Doctor's team explored ancient tombs housing the dormant . Reluctant at first to venture into the icy crypts, she demonstrated emerging resilience by assisting in thwarting an excavation team's plot to revive the , using her quick wit to navigate traps and contribute to the group's escape. This was followed by , set in 1930s , where Victoria faced robotic controlled by the Great Intelligence; her fear of the mountainous perils gave way to bravery as she helped expose the entity's influence on a . Later, in , stranded on a gripped by a second , Victoria's survival instincts shone through amid encounters with the hibernating Martian . She played a pivotal role by triggering an with her scream to bury the warriors, marking a key moment in her development from a frightened Victorian girl to a more assertive companion who provided emotional support and occasional scientific insight drawn from her father's teachings. Subsequent travels included , where Victoria grappled with political intrigue on a future Earth dominated by the dictator , offering moral commentary on tyranny through her historical perspective and aiding the Doctor in impersonating his double to avert global catastrophe. In , the TARDIS crew confronted once more, now infesting 20th-century with a web-like fungus under the Great Intelligence's control; Victoria's interactions with military personnel underscored her growth, as she balanced fear with determination to locate the Doctor amid the chaos. Throughout these stories, her relationship with the Second Doctor, played by , evolved into a paternal bond, with the Doctor promising to safeguard her like a daughter and sharing glimpses of his own familial regrets. Her friendship with provided levity, often through teasing about her ladylike demeanor, yet it fostered mutual reliance, as seen in their joint efforts against recurring threats like the . Recurring themes included Victoria's piercing screams in moments of danger—symbolizing her initial vulnerability but later repurposed as a weapon—and ethical dilemmas, such as weighing technological advancement against human cost in or encounters. By the end of her tenure in , where her amplified scream helped vanquish a parasitic entity threatening a coastal , Victoria had transformed into a resilient figure, though she ultimately chose stability over further adventures.

Departure and post-companion life

In the 1968 serial , the materializes on a -covered off the east coast of in the late , where the Doctor, , and Victoria become involved in a crisis at the Euro Sea Gas refinery. The facility is under threat from the Nerve Network, a sentient parasitic that proliferates through toxic and exerts hypnotic control over humans, spreading from offshore rigs via gas pipelines. The companions are captured by security chief Gregory, who suspects them of sabotage amid reports of missing crew and contaminated gas supplies, leading to tense investigations and encounters with possessed staff, including site director and his superior Robson. As the threat escalates, the Doctor devises a plan to combat the entity by exploiting its vulnerability to high-frequency sounds; he records Victoria's scream during a moment of terror and amplifies it into a sonic "laser" transmitted through the pipelines, destroying the weed's central nerve cluster on the control rig and neutralizing the invasion. This confrontation underscores Victoria's vulnerability, as she is briefly captured and exposed to the , heightening her distress. Victoria's experiences in culminate her arc of trauma and homesickness, stemming from the loss of her father to in 19th-century and subsequent perils including and during her travels. Overwhelmed, she confides in , "I'm always frightened," expressing a longing for security after repeated kidnappings and dangers that have eroded her resolve. Her decision to leave the is voluntary, driven by a desire for a stable, era-bound life rather than continued temporal adventures, marking her evolution from a sheltered Victorian to a young woman seeking independence. Following the resolution, Victoria is welcomed by the Harris family—John, , and their Pauline—as a surrogate daughter, providing the familial stability absent since her original time. warmly affirms, "We'd be delighted to have you for as long as you want to stay," reflecting Victoria's appeal as an intelligent, adaptable companion to their household. The Doctor endorses her choice, noting her readiness for normalcy, while Jamie reluctantly accepts it amid tears. The farewell is poignant: the Doctor and Jamie enter the TARDIS, delaying departure to savor the moment, before dematerializing; on the scanner, they witness Victoria waving goodbye from the Harris home, symbolizing her hopeful new beginning. The Doctor reassures Jamie, "It was her decision to stay. She'll be quite all right with the Harrises," affirming emotional closure to her companionship. Within the original television canon, Victoria integrates into 20th-century English society without further involvement in time travel, though no subsequent episodes depict her life beyond this point. This lack of detail creates gaps in her storyline, allowing her post-departure existence to remain largely undefined in the classic series while emphasizing her quest for permanence.

Production

Creation and casting

Victoria Waterfield was created by writer David Whitaker for the 1967 serial , intended as a replacement companion following the departure of Ben Jackson and Polly Wright at the end of the previous story, . Whitaker's initial pitch for the story, simply titled "," envisioned a plot where the Daleks sought to extract the essence of humanity by sending the Doctor and Victoria's father, Edward Waterfield, back to 20,000 BC to capture a ; this concept evolved into the final Victorian-era narrative, providing a period contrast to the series' elements and establishing Victoria as a vulnerable, orphaned young woman from 1866. Producer Innes Lloyd influenced the character's development by selecting a young female companion and guiding her portrayal as a conservative Victorian "daughter" figure to the Doctor. The casting process began in early 1967, with Lloyd selecting Deborah Watling after recalling her prominent appearance on the cover of Radio Times for her role as Alice in the BBC's 1965 Wednesday Play adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. At age 19, Watling impressed during her screen test alongside Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) and Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), where the focus was on establishing natural chemistry to portray her as a protective "daughter" to the Doctor; she had auditioned for the series a year earlier but was deemed too inexperienced at the time. Watling's enthusiasm for science fiction, particularly the Daleks and monsters like the Yeti, further endeared her to the production team during callbacks. Originally scripted as a one-off character for , Victoria's role was extended into a full companion arc across the following season due to Watling's engaging performance and the narrative fit with the Doctor's evolving family dynamic. To enhance historical authenticity in her debut, the production emphasized period-appropriate Victorian costumes—such as formal dresses—and a refined for Watling, who drew on her theater background to adopt a formal, 19th-century English accent, contrasting sharply with the serial's futuristic threats.

Characterization and filming

Deborah Watling's portrayal of Victoria Waterfield began with an initial shyness reflective of the character's Victorian background, as Watling admitted to feeling nervous during her first week on set before settling into the role. Over the course of her tenure, Watling evolved the performance toward greater assertiveness, consciously building Victoria's trauma to add emotional depth rather than relying solely on reactive screams, stating, "One thing we did slowly and consciously was traumatise Victoria up to the point she left. I didn't want her always to be screaming – I wanted her to be quite tough as well." This progression allowed Victoria to transition from a prim and naïve figure to one displaying courage and stubbornness amid escalating perils. Watling incorporated ad-libs and drew on her strong rapport with co-stars and to infuse natural warmth into scenes, describing them as "wonderful, like a lovely sending me up rotten" that helped her overcome early nerves. Their playful dynamic extended off-camera, including a birthday surprise during the filming of where Troughton and Hines covered her in foam and sand. However, the scripts often confined Victoria to a passive, reactive role as a conservative Victorian , prompting for limiting her agency; Watling countered this by emphasizing emotional in key moments, such as Victoria's growing with constant danger. Filming Victoria's episodes in the late presented logistical hurdles typical of the era's television production, including a shoestring budget that relied on rudimentary effects like smelly latex for Daleks in and collapsible polystyrene caves in . Victorian-era sets, such as the period house in , were constructed economically within studio confines, while location shoots added authenticity but amplified challenges—such as running along the beach in a mini skirt and coat during freezing January weather for . The grueling schedule of six-day weeks to produce one episode contributed to Watling's personal burnout, alongside her enjoyment of the role and interactions with directors like Hugh David on her debut serial. Watling expressed frustration with repetitive directions emphasizing screams, earning her the nickname "Leatherlungs" for Victoria's piercing cries, which she balanced against tougher traits to avoid stereotyping. mishaps included leading a blindfolded as an , resulting in a set collapse, and suggesting her father for the role of Professor Travers in . Victoria's arc concluded abruptly after seven serials, concluding in Fury from the Deep, where her exhaustion mirrored Watling's own, leading to a departure driven by fears of and a desire for theatrical work; Watling gave three months' notice despite offers for more stories. This rushed exit left her storyline's potential—such as further exploration of her adjustment to modern life—unresolved in the original television era, only later expanded in audio dramas and other media.

Media appearances

Television stories

Victoria Waterfield, portrayed by , made her television debut as a companion to the Second Doctor in the serial , a 11-episode story broadcast weekly on from 20 May to 1 July 1967. In this narrative, Victoria is introduced as a 19th-century orphan kidnapped by through her father Edward's time experiments; her father's sacrifice to aid the Doctor leads to her joining the crew with , marking her transition from a vulnerable Victorian lady to an adventurous traveler. All 11 episodes are missing from the , with only audio recordings, production stills, and fan reconstructions available for viewing. She next appeared in The Tomb of the Cybermen, a four-episode serial aired from 2 to 9 1967. Victoria accompanies the Doctor and to the planet , where they uncover a trap set by human archaeologists for the dormant ; her role highlights her initial fear and reliance on her companions amid the cryogenic horrors. The story is fully extant, having been recovered from archival storage in 1992. In The Abominable Snowmen, broadcast from 27 October to 18 November 1967 across six episodes, Victoria travels with the Doctor and to 1930s , encountering robotic controlled by the Great Intelligence. She contributes by alerting the group to dangers in the monastery and facing possession by the Intelligence's influence, showcasing her growing resilience. All episodes remain missing, preserved only through audio and limited photographs. Victoria's adventures continued in The Ice Warriors, a six-episode story transmitted from 11 November to 16 December 1967. Set in a future gripped by a new Ice Age, she becomes trapped in cryogenic suspension and is revived by scientists, playing a key part in negotiating with the Martian who threaten a vital energy project. The serial is complete and held in the . The six-episode serial aired from 23 December 1967 to 27 January 1968. Victoria supports the Doctor in thwarting his , the dictator , in a dystopian ; her limited includes aiding escapes and witnessing global crises. The story is now complete, with episodes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 recovered in from a Nigerian , joining the previously held episode 3. She featured in The Web of Fear, broadcast from 3 February to 9 March 1968 in six episodes. In this London Underground invasion by Yeti and the Great Intelligence, Victoria is separated from the TARDIS and hypnotized, but ultimately helps decode intelligence to combat the web-like fungus spreading fear. All episodes were recovered in 2013, making the story fully viewable. Victoria's departure occurred in Fury from the Deep, a six-episode serial aired from 16 March to 20 April 1968. At a North Sea gas refinery menaced by the parasitic "Weed" creature, her sonic scream disrupts the entity, allowing the Doctor to defeat it; she then elects to remain on Earth, adopted by the Harris family for stability. Originally entirely missing, a fully animated reconstruction was released by the BBC in 2020, incorporating original audio tracks. Beyond her regular run in the Second Doctor's era (seasons 4 and 5), Victoria made a brief canonical television cameo in the charity special Dimensions in Time, a two-part Children in Need crossover with EastEnders broadcast on BBC One on 26 and 27 November 1993. She appears alongside the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton via stock footage) and other companions, trapped in a time rift caused by the Rani, before being rescued. No further live-action television appearances have occurred as of 2025, though ongoing archival efforts have restored access to several of her original stories.

Audio dramas

Victoria Waterfield's audio appearances primarily come from Big Finish Productions' ranges, where Deborah Watling reprised her role until 2017, often alongside Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon and recreations of the Second Doctor by Geoffrey Beevers. These productions expanded her character through original stories and adaptations, totaling over 20 releases across various series. Early Big Finish stories include "The Emperor of Eternity" from the Companion Chronicles range (2009), in which Victoria and Jamie narrate a tale of immortality and tyranny during their travels with the Second Doctor. The Lost Stories series featured "The Queen of Time" (2011), an unproduced script adaptation where the TARDIS crew faces a mischievous entity akin to the Celestial Toymaker, with Watling voicing Victoria opposite Beevers and Hines. That same year, the Companion Chronicles offered "The Great Space Elevator," a solo-narrated adventure by Watling depicting Victoria's encounter with a futuristic transit system threatened by sabotage. The Short Trips anthology included "The Guardian of the Solar System" (2010), pitting the Second Doctor and Victoria against an alien incursion in the , and "Echoes of " (2011), where the Doctor, , and Victoria navigate a battle amid a galactic conflict. In the Early Adventures range, "The Black Hole" (2015) reunited the full team—Beevers as the Doctor, Hines as , and Watling as Victoria—in a story involving a mysterious cosmic phenomenon and lurking dangers. "The Story of Extinction" from Companion Chronicles (2015) saw them investigating a barren world defying natural laws of life. Following Watling's death in 2017, archival recordings of her performance have been utilized in select releases, such as the reissued Companion Chronicles collections like The Second Doctor Volume 1 (2018), preserving her portrayal in stories originally recorded earlier. The voice-only format of these dramas uniquely allows for portrayals of an aged Victoria, as heard in from (2012), where she returns as an older woman aiding the and Peri against political intrigue on . Big Finish's audios also fill gaps from lost television episodes through related reconstructions, notably the BBC's 2004 audio release of "," Victoria's final TV story, which incorporates surviving original soundtrack elements with linking narration by Hines to recreate her departure from the . This approach highlights the audio medium's role in revitalizing classic-era narratives via and performance, distinct from visual media by emphasizing atmospheric tension and character introspection.

Prose and comics

Victoria Waterfield features prominently in the expanded universe through prose novels and short stories, where her Victorian-era upbringing frequently serves as a lens to examine themes of cultural displacement and personal growth amid adventures. In the series, she appears alongside the Second Doctor and in "Downtime" by Marc Platt (1996), a tale involving the Great Intelligence that delves into her emotional ties to 19th-century while confronting threats in a modern setting. Similarly, "Twilight of the Gods" by Christopher Bulis (1996) places her in a Norse mythological context, emphasizing her bewilderment and resilience as she navigates ancient legends far removed from her prim Victorian sensibilities. These early print expansions build on her television characterization by contrasting her refined worldview with the chaos of extraterrestrial encounters. Later novels in the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures series reintroduce Victoria in unexpected cross-era narratives, showcasing her enduring legacy. In "The King of Terror" by Dave Stone (1998), the crosses paths with her during a conspiracy-laden plot in 20th-century , where her historical knowledge aids in unraveling temporal anomalies and underscores her adaptability beyond her original era. "Empire of the Sun" by and Caroline Symcox (1999) further explores this by stranding her in a World War II Pacific theater, highlighting the clash between her sheltered Edwardian innocence and the brutal realities of global conflict, while reinforcing her role as a bridge between past and future. anthologies provide additional depth, such as "Times Squared" by Felicity Duncan in Decalog 2: Lost Property (1996), a time-loop mystery that amplifies her anxiety over lost familiarity in looping historical vignettes. In Big Finish's Short Trips collections, "A Small Problem" by Eddie Robson (2003, in ) miniaturizes her and the TARDIS crew, using the scenario to probe her fears of insignificance in a vast . Another example is her contribution to Twelve Doctors, Twelve Stories (2014), edited by Justin Richards, where a vignette with the Second Doctor reflects on her lingering Victorian propriety in a multidoctor anthology format. Comic strip appearances offer visual explorations of Victoria's adventures, often predating or complementing her expansions by emphasizing her dynamic interactions in serialized formats. An early example is "The Emperor of Eternity" (), a story in Doctor Who Magazine issues #137-138 by Alan McKenzie and John Ridgway, featuring the Second Doctor, , and Victoria battling cosmic tyranny in a that tests her composure against imperial . Overall, these approximately 20 entries and handful of since the expand her character by immersing her Victorian in diverse alternate settings, from mythological realms to wartime crises, though no major new novels have emerged post-2010 aside from the 2023 novelisation of by (), which revisits her with added details on her emotional arc.

Reception and legacy

Critical analysis

Victoria Waterfield's portrayal has drawn common criticisms for embodying the "" trope, particularly through her frequent screams in the face of peril, earning her a reputation as one of the "Sixties screamers" among the show's companions. This reactive style limited her agency, especially when compared to more proactive earlier companions like Polly Wright or later ones like , who demonstrated greater independence in problem-solving and decision-making. On the positive side, Deborah Watling's performance infused Victoria with undeniable charm, highlighted by her warm chemistry with Patrick Troughton's , which added emotional depth to their interactions and helped humanize the character's vulnerabilities. Victoria's Victorian-era background also provided a compelling clash between traditional gender roles—marked by propriety and dependence—and the empowering opportunities of , offering subtle commentary on societal expectations through her gradual adaptation to the adventures. Academic analyses position Victoria as a transitional companion in the Second Doctor era, bridging the more family-oriented narratives of earlier stories with the archetype prevalent in -1980s episodes, where her backstory as a bereaved Victorian underscores themes of loss and reluctant heroism. Feminist critiques have examined her role through the lens of production norms, noting how her limited reflects broader dynamics in the series, though some scholars argue her ethical and emotional resilience foreshadow more complex female characters. Fan reception, as gauged in Doctor Who Magazine discussions, praises her relatability while debating her underutilization amid the era's budgetary and scripting constraints. Post-2005 revival analyses often frame Victoria as a "" archetype, influencing modern companions like by exemplifying the emotional outsider thrust into cosmic peril, though her passivity contrasts with the era's emphasis on empowered, multifaceted women.

Cultural impact

Deborah Watling, who portrayed Victoria Waterfield, remained a beloved figure in , regularly attending conventions and fan events alongside co-star until her death in 2017. Her final public appearance was at the Regenerations 2016 convention in , where she engaged with fans and reflected on her time as the character. Watling's enduring popularity contributed to fan-driven efforts to recreate featuring Victoria, such as the official 2020 animation of , her final televised story, which utilized surviving audio tracks and new visuals to restore the fully missing serial for modern audiences. Victoria's presence in several key missing episodes from the Second Doctor era— including six of the seven installments of (her debut, with episode 2 surviving), five of six in , and the entirety of —has heightened archival appreciation among fans and scholars, as reconstructions and animations like the 2021 release of and the 2022 animation of have allowed broader access to her performances and the character's emotional arcs. These efforts underscore Victoria's role in bridging gaps in the show's 1960s history, fostering renewed interest in classic companions affected by the BBC's junking policies. Beyond the series, Victoria influenced sci-fi tropes through Watling's portrayal of a Victorian-era companion prone to dramatic screams in the face of extraterrestrial threats, earning her the crew nickname "Leatherlungs" and cementing her as a quintessential "" of television horror elements. Watling's post-Doctor Who career, including guest roles in series like Danger UXB (1979) and (1978), as well as reprises of Victoria in charity specials like (1993) and audio dramas, kept the character's legacy tied to her own professional trajectory. Merchandise featuring Victoria has included official autograph trading cards from Strictly Ink's Doctor Who series in the 2010s, reflecting her status among classic companions in collector circles. Homages appear in anniversary productions, such as Watling's cameo as herself in the 2013 parody The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, which nods to the era's companions including Victoria. In May 2024, Big Finish announced 2025 audio releases featuring the Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, and a recast Victoria Waterfield, confirming ongoing expansion of her stories in audio format and further boosting interest following Watling's passing.

References

  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/companions/page11.shtml
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5XF00910K7gvrvJnP25g6PB/victoria
  3. https://www.doctorwho.tv/characters/victoria-waterfield
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40684318
  5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YDjnlSkt9G24Y0BTrYJ1wl/the-fourth-dimension
  6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/evildaleks/
  7. http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/5-6.htm
  8. https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/fury/
  9. http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/ll.html
  10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/photonovels/evilofthedaleks/intro.shtml
  11. https://drwhointerviews.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/deborah-watling-1988/
  12. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/07/27/deborah-watling-actress-played-doctor-assistant-obituary/
  13. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/deborah-watling-actress-whose-short-stint-as-a-doctor-who-companion-made-a-lasting-impression-a7862891.html
  14. http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/bio/deborah-watling.html
  15. https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/doctor/
  16. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24467337
  17. https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/rip-deborah-watling
  18. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-companion-chronicles-the-emperor-of-eternity-484
  19. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-companion-chronicles-the-great-space-elevator-466
  20. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-black-hole-1078
  21. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-companion-chronicles-the-story-of-extinction-2460
  22. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-companion-chronicles-the-second-doctor-volume-01-1329
  23. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-power-play-417
  24. https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/read-an-exclusive-excerpt-from-the-evil-of-the-daleks
  25. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/doctor-companion-victoria-deborah-watling-gave-us-lots-screaming/
  26. https://www.entsportslawjournal.com/article/id/859/
  27. https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituary-deborah-watling-the-archetypal-sixties-doctor-who-companion-1444216
  28. https://blog.incoherent.net/2014/06/30/how-sexist-is-doctor-whopart-two/
  29. https://pocketmags.com/us/doctor-who-magazine/517/articles/214669/the-parliament-of-fear
  30. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/85c91bb8-285d-4071-bedb-4ad93526374d
  31. https://bradleybasement.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/deborah-watling-1948-2017/
  32. https://thedoctorwhocompanion.com/2020/08/03/fury-from-the-deep-animation-to-be-released-on-dvd-blu-ray-and-steelbook-in-september-2020/
  33. https://gizmodo.com/doctor-whos-long-lost-evil-of-the-daleks-has-been-anima-1847210737
  34. https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/missing-adventure-the-abominable-snowmen-to-be-animated-in-2022
  35. https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Victoria_Waterfield
  36. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/24/deborah-watling-obituary
  37. https://www.doctorwhostore.com/doctor-who-series-1-autograph-trading-card-a7-deborah-watling-as-victoria-waterfield/
  38. https://sciencefiction.com/2013/11/25/guide-classic-references-doctor-fiveish-doctors-reboot/
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