Vicki Pallister
- For the Second Doctor's companion Victoria "Vicky" Waterfield see separate entry.
Vicki was found on the planet Dido, and in part because she reminded the Doctor of his recently departed granddaughter Susan, came to join the crew of the TARDIS.
Profile
Vicki was born on Earth. (DW: The Rescue) As the product of a 25th century school system, she studied medicine one hour a week, and by the age of ten had obtained a certificate in medicine, physics, computers (DW: The Web Planet), chemistry and other disciplines. Vicki was also skilled at cutting hair. (source?)
- We know that Vicki's mother died, though, we do not know the age at which Vicki's mother died.
After the death of her mother, her father took a job on the planet Astra in 2493 except that the ship which would take them there crashed on Dido.
Initially most of the passengers survived, but one night Bennett murdered all the survivors other than Vicki. Until she met the Doctor, Barbara and Ian, Vicki accpeted Bennett's account of how the Didonians had killed her father and the rest of the passengers and crew. Bennett could not walk, as far as Vicki was aware, and her study of medicine would have given her some knowledge which would have allowed her to keep him comfortable while they waited for a rescue ship.
She had befriended Sandy, a Didonian sand beast, who Barbara killed, thinking Sandy a danger. It took some forgiveness on the part of Vicki to forgive Barbara for this act. (DW: The Rescue)
Once Vicki learnt the truth, and left Dido with the others, she was keen for adventure. Vicki was often bored with the travelling to their destinations, and the less adventurous moments of their lives. When the travellers were staying at a villa near Rome she quickly became bored, and disappointed that there was no adventure. (DW: The Romans)
Vicki's innate sense of adventure was teamed with a sense of awe and wonder, and these never diminished during her travels with the Doctor. She was bursting with excitement when she first saw Nero, and the sight of Rome burning excited her. (DW: The Romans) It is no doubt these characteristics which reminded the Doctor of Susan and Vicki certainly became a surrogate granddaughter.
Whether teasing, or merely undiplomatic, Vicki had a knack of saying the wrong thing to Barbara, despite their having a close relationship. Firstly she said that Barbara Wright must be "about a hundred and fifty years old" as she cames from 1963. (DW: The Rescue)
On Vortis, Vicki said that aspirin tablets were old fashioned – until she saw some in the Doctor's First Aid kit she had never heard of them. She also offended Barbara by responding to her statement that the main subjects taught at her school were the 3 R's by asking if Barbara's school had been a nursery. (DW: The Web Planet) Vicki also mentioned that she didn't know The Beatles played "classical music", and called 1960s New York "ancient". (DW: The Chase)
Vicki's youth and spirit of adventure enabled her to save the travellers from danger by inciting the Xeron rebels to action whilst at the Space Museum. Using her considerable analytical and technical skills, Vicki reprogrammed the Morok armoury's computer to allow the rebels access to it, enabling them to fight. (DW: The Space Museum)
Despite her bravado, Vicki was terrified of heights. When the travellers were escaping from the Mechanoid city, the Doctor had to blindfold her, and the travellers – with Steven Taylor's assistance – had to lower her the 1,500 feet by rope. (DW: The Chase)
It would appear that most of Vicki's skills and knowledge were based in science, but she also had some historical knowledge. When the travellers materialised on Earth during the Trojan War, she displayed her knowledge of Greek heroes and the Trojan Horse. Whilst in Troy, Vicki called herself Cressida and met a young Trojan called Troilus. They fell in love, and Vicki left the TARDIS to be with him. Their tale would later be written as a play by William Shakespeare. (DW: The Myth Makers)
Mysteries and discrepancies
- Why did she refer to Barbara as a hundred and fifty years old, if Vicki came from the 25th century, rather than the 22nd?
- Given Cressida's unfortunate fate, why did she decide to take up the name and identity? Surely she might have adopted a different name and convinced Troilus to do so, too?
Key Life Events
- The death of Vicki's mother.
- After the passenger ship has crashedlanded on the planet Dido, Bennett kills Vicki's father and all the other survivors, save Vicki.
- Vicki leaves Dido to join the Doctor. (DW: The Rescue)
- Viki meets Troilus and as Cressdia, decides to remain with him in Troy. (DW: The Myth Makers)
Quotes
Appearances
Behind the Scenes
- The production team had originally considered the older and more independant Jenny, from The Dalek Invasion of Earth as Susan Foreman's replacement in the cast.
- Vicki has the so-far unique distinction as a television companion of appearing in drag during the course of a story, namely The Crusade where she dresses up as a pageboy.
- Vicki had originally had the name Tanni.
