Vicki is a fictional character played by

Maureen O'Brien Maureen O'Brien (born 29 June 1943) is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki (Doctor Who), Vicki Pallister in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', although she has appeared in many other te ...

in the long-running British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. An orphan from the 25th century, she was a companion of the

First Doctor The First Doctor is the original incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell in th ...

and a regular in the programme in Seasons 2 and 3 in 1965. Her last name was never revealed during the series. Vicki appeared in 9 stories (38 episodes).

Appearances

Vicki first appears in the serial '' The Rescue'' (1965), a survivor of a spaceship crash on the planet Dido. She and fellow survivor Bennett are being menaced by the monstrous Koquillion when she meets

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

(

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who is best known for portraying the first incarnation of the Doctor, in the long-running British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 t ...

) and his companions Ian ( William Russell) and Barbara ( Jacqueline Hill). They discover that Koquillion is actually Bennett, who had killed the crew of the spaceship, including Vicki's father. Still coping with his recent parting from his granddaughter

Susan Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and severa ...

at the end of ''

The Dalek Invasion of Earth ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'' is the second serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Richard Martin, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in six week ...

'', the Doctor invites the teenage girl to join the

TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...

crew. Vicki is the one who persuades the Doctor to let Ian and Barbara use a

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in th ...

time machine to return to their own time in '' The Chase''. At the beginning of '' The Time Meddler'', it is revealed that the refugee Steven Taylor (

Peter Purves Peter John Purves (; born 10 February 1939) is an English television presenter and actor. Beginning his career as an actor, he joined ''Doctor Who'' to play Steven Taylor (Doctor Who), Steven Taylor, a companion of the First Doctor, which he play ...

) had stowed away on the TARDIS at the end of ''The Chase'', and he accompanies Vicki and the Doctor. Vicki eventually falls in love with the warrior

Troilus Troilus ( or ; ; ) is a legendary character associated with the story of the Trojan War. The first surviving reference to him is in Homer's ''Iliad,'' composed in the late 8th century BC. In Greek mythology, Troilus is a young Troy, Trojan prin ...

when the TARDIS lands during the siege of

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

('' The Myth Makers''). After making sure that Steven and the Doctor will be all right without her, she decides to remain with Troilus, eventually passing into legend as

Cressida Cressida (; also Criseida, Cresseid or Criseyde) is a character who appears in many Medieval and Renaissance retellings of the story of the Trojan War. She is a Trojan woman, the daughter of Calchas, a Greek seer. She falls in love with Troilus, ...

, the name given to her by King

Priam In Greek mythology, Priam (; , ) was the legendary and last king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon. His many children included notable characters such as Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. Etymology Most scholars take the e ...

. She ensures that the Trojan girl Katarina ( Adrienne Hill) enters the TARDIS in her place. An older Vicki, still played by O'Brien, returns in an episode of the 60th Anniversary spin-off ''Tales of the TARDIS'', with Peter Purves as Steven. Drawn from their respective timelines into a Memory Tardis, they recall the events of The Time Meddler and share details of their lives after leaving the First Doctor. Vicki and Troilus became olive farmers in Troy, having children and grandchildren. The episode ends with the off-screen voice of William Hartnell, suggesting the Doctor has joined them.

Other media

Vicki appears in several

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

short stories in the BBC Short Trips range. In "Apocrypha Bipedium" by Ian Potter, the

Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Paul McGann. The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film ''Doctor Who'', a back-door p ...

- having convinced her that he is a later Doctor rather than a younger one as Vicki first believed due to her ignorance of Regeneration - advises her and Troilus to move to

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

to avoid the tragic conclusion to their story as related by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. The Big Finish audio story ''Frostfire'' ( The Companion Chronicles, 2007) is told by an older Vicki living in

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

, where she and Troilus traveled with

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

, had children and settled, although it is shown that she now regrets her decision to stay in Troy. ''Frostfire'' portrays Vicki as somewhat lonely and isolated, conversing with a somewhat malevolent living cinder (a spark of the phoenix) because it is the only being with whom she can discuss her travels with the Doctor. Vicki also appears in '' The Suffering'' (2010) alongside Steven and ''The Rocket Men'' (The Companion Chronicles, 2011) alongside Ian and Barbara. She also featured in the release titled ''The Dark Planet'', which is an adaptation of an unmade story submitted for season two. Maureen O'Brien provided narration for these stories, aside from ''The Rocket Men'', which was read by Russell. Vicki also appears with Steven and the

Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...

in the audio ''The Secret History'', when the Fifth Doctor swaps places with the First before a crucial adventure as part of a complex plan by the

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

. Vicki appears in two First Doctor novels of the Virgin Missing Adventures range: '' The Plotters'' by Gareth Roberts (1996) alongside Ian and Barbara, and '' The Empire of Glass'' by

Andy Lane Andrew Lane (born 17 April 1963), as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist best known for the Young Sherlock Holmes series of Young Adult novels. He has written novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Fin ...

(1995) alongside Steven and Irving Braxiatel. She appears with Ian and Barbara in the

Past Doctor Adventures The ''Past Doctor Adventures'' (sometimes known by the abbreviation ''PDA'' or ''PDAs'') were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and published under the BBC Books imprint. ...

novels '' Byzantium!'' by

Keith Topping Keith Andrew Topping (born 26 October 1963 in Walker, Tyneside) is an author, journalist and broadcaster. He is most well known for his work relating to the BBC Television series ''Doctor Who'' and for writing numerous official and unofficial ...

(2001) and '' The Eleventh Tiger'' by David A. McIntee (2004). The latter states that her full name is Vicki Pallister.

Development

Vicki was the replacement for the Doctor's granddaughter,

( Carole Ann Ford), who was the first companion to leave ''Doctor Who''; Ford was displeased with the lack of her character's development. In contrast to Susan, Vicki was conceived as an Earth orphan from the future; the production team considered many names from here, some of them odd like "Luckky" and "Tanni".

had just come out of drama school when she was cast; it was her first television acting job. ''Doctor Who'' creator

Sydney Newman Sydney Cecil Newman (; April 1, 1917 – October 30, 1997) was a Canadian producer and screenwriter who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. After his return to Canada in 1970, he was app ...

told O'Brien that they were considering having her cut her hair and dye it black. O'Brien refused, saying, "Why don't you just get Carole Ann Ford back?"

Reception

Reviewing '' The Time Meddler'', Christopher Bahn of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' wrote that Vicki was "more than just a replacement of Susan but an improvement on her", due to O'Brien being a "much more engaging and lively actress". Bahn also felt that Vicki was a "more effective conversational foil" to Steven than Susan would have been. ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' reviewer Mark Braxton praised the way Vicki takes control in '' The Space Museum'', comparing her to later companion Sarah Jane Smith ( Elisabeth Sladen). Despite this, Braxton felt that the character was "badly underused", though he wrote positively of how her departure was handled, and Braxton's colleague Patrick Mulkern wrote that Vicki showed "promise" in her first story but was "short-changed by subsequent writers".

References

External links

Vicki on the BBC's ''Doctor Who'' website
{{Doctor Who characters, selected=Companions Doctor Who companions Female characters in television Orphan characters in television Television characters introduced in 1965 Teenage characters in television