Despite news of the new companion, is there room for an alternative?

I wonder?

Attended UK Games Expo on Saturday and Team TARDIS were in attendance. Basically, the team consist of look-a-likes who dress up appropriately and cause mild amounts of mayhem around an event. This seemed to involve running around, enigmatic stares and photo opportunities with Daleks. Another group came along dressed as stormtroopers (might have been these guys), so we had this unusual situation of the two sci-fi classics clashing across the centre of the event.

Here’s a picture of the Doctor looking more perturbed by the strangers in the background than the Dalek straight in front of him.

The new companion to tag along with Matt Smith has been announced, flamed haired Scot Karen Gillan – who, rather like Martha, previously had a bit part in the series as the Soothsayer in the episode ‘The Fires of Pompeii’.

Having read in the new issue of SFX this morning that most fans likely couldn’t tolerate another bewildered Londoner has a companion, one can only hope they allow Karen to retain some vestige of her true accent, rather than requiring her to pull a Tennant.

I think, considering Gwen in Torchwood has a Welsh accent, we’re ready for something regional in Doctor Who. Why should the spin-off dominate in the funny voice stakes (what with Barrowman’s American, as well as Gwen’s Welsh).

Depending on how they kit her out, Karen certainly looks like she can fill the sexiness requirement for the role – though at just 16, perhaps I shouldn’t be making comments like that! Given the age of the Doctor and his companion, I just hope the whole series doesn’t suddenly go all Dawson’s Creek on us… This is family entertainment, not a channel for teenage angst and sudden mood swings.