I’m a huge fan of Ray from Delta and the Bannermen - the legendary ‘almost-companion’ of the McCoy era.
I also love Will ‘noxious brew’ Chandler from The Awakening (who must have had a few extra adventures in the TARDIS off-screen before the Doctor was able to drop him home).
Who are your favourite ‘almost companions’ from across the entire series?
By far my favorite character from the entirety of the Chibnall era. I count him as a companion, but, most others don’t. Taken away too soon.
Hoping for a Big Finish series exploring his time stuck in the past, haha. Unlikely, but the potential is there.
Oh Jericho was brilliant! And so cool to have Kevin McNally back in the Whoniverse.
Jericho was great! One of two great Maxine Alderton characters that were killed by Chibnall that otherwise would have had a lot of potential…
Shona from Last Christmas! She’s always my go to first thought for companions who never were. And she actually would have been the companion had Jenna Coleman decided not to stay on for another season! I do like what we got with Clara in series 9 but man I wish we could’ve had Shona
Not necessarily my favourite, but this made me think of Rita from The God Complex. Of course she was written to be a perfect new companion, and tempt the Doctor to invite her, so he realises what he’s like. But I just think she’s cool!
We were totally robbed from having Handles as a new companion / sidekick / robot friend 
he’s so sweet!
As everyone else has done it I feel I need to put pictures of my favourites!
I’m surprised we haven’t had either a BF spin-off or Cutaway Comic.
Throughout the show’s history, there have been many characters who could have been great companions - Ray, Will Chandler, Rita.
Who are some of your favourites?
My top three would be the three I have mentioned. Ray, of course, was in the running to potentially be the new companion to replace Mel but the production team chose to go with Ace instead.
Will, played wonderfully by Keith Jayne, could easily have had adventures with the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough before being returned to his own time and place.
Rita, from The God Complex, was a brilliant character who shone brightly in her short time on screen and, for my money, would have been a better, normal companion instead of Clara and her convoluted character arc.
Other good nearly companions include Lynda with a Y and Samantha Briggs from The Faceless Ones (the production team actually wanted Pauline Collins to stay on in the role).
Who do you wish had stepped aboard the TARDIS?
12 and Clara are basically perfect as a duo but I do always wonder what that team could have been like as a trio with Rigsy
I did like Rigsy. Good shout. (See, I can agree with you sometimes 
)
Isn’t this a duplicate of this thread?
Yeah I thought we’d done this one already…
What am I like! I honestly thought I’d never posted it, just thought about it!!
I’m just avoiding work 
Well, Duggan was highly entertaining in City of Death, and I have to wish he’d travelled with the Doctor and Romana for a bit.
I would definitely have liked more of Professor Emila Rumford (though looking for more information about her, I noticed that the actor playing her passed away the year after the episode aired, so I guess that never would have been a possibility).
In the first season of new who, Lynda actually would have been a good companion, and I’d suggest Jabe could’ve been as well.
(And, of course, Victorian Clara would’ve been an improvement.)
