By Steve Palace.

Doctor Who has been away for aeons. Only two Christmas stocking fillers have aired over the past couple of years. But now the TARDIS crew are back in business, as Peter Capaldi returns this Saturday with two new assistants in tow for Series 10.

Making her debut is Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) but it’s also the turn of Matt Lucas’s Nardole to become a fully-fledged companion after last year’s The Return Of Doctor Mysterio. He follows in a long tradition of comedians and comedy stars appearing on the show. Indeed his former Little Britain collaborator David Walliams was transformed into an alien for 2011’s The God Complex starring Matt Smith.

To celebrate Lucas properly joining the Doctor’s adventures, we take a look back at the most memorable performances from Britain’s comedic royalty in the world’s longest-running sci-fi programme…

10. Greg Davies – The Husbands Of River Song

Nardole was by the Doctor’s side at Christmas. Yet the character was introduced in the previous festive special, playing a light relief role. Also starring was Greg Davies, who you may think was raising chuckles as cyborg king Hydroflax… in fact Davies showed a darker side as a surprisingly convincing villain. This ailing tyrant not only had universal domination on his mind but also a tempestuous marriage to River Song (Alex Kingston) to consider. Unbeknownst to him, she was planning his demise!

In sitcom Man Down the towering comedian is frequently humiliated as a hapless schoolteacher. Similar embarrassment lay in store for Hydroflax, who wound up as a head in a bag. Despite this, Davies managed to make his portrayal intimidating as well as amusing. While the king was ultimately obliterated, a reappearance can’t be ruled out. Anything’s possible in the topsy-turvy, timey-wimey Whoniverse of the Doctor.

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