Although the most recent season of Doctor Who finished only three weeks ago, fans are forever reminding themselves why they fell in love with the show in the first place. Only a few days previously, fans held a special re-watch of the 50th Anniversary episode, showing that the series can unite people from all over the world.
Part of what makes Doctor Who so brilliant (besides the fandom) is its characters. Since the very beginning, viewers have been amazed by the development of the cast. However, there have also been occasional instances where some characters just haven't evolved.
Have Grown - Jackie Tyler
Jackie Tyler actually appeared in the first episode of the revived series as Rose Tyler's mom. In that episode, she was portrayed as quite a comedic character, arguing with her daughter about suing Henrik's for the explosion and then later coming on to the Doctor himself, only to be shot down.
Despite Jackie continuing to deliver some excellent comedy, she did grow tremendously as a person over the course of 4 seasons. In "Love & Monsters," viewers learned how truly hard it was for Jackie, feeling increasingly lonely and never knowing if her daughter would ever come back.
Haven't Grown - Graham O'Brien
We're going to be honest here. All of the current companions are on this list, and we realize that they all have undergone a teeny bit of development since the start of their time on the show. Arguably, Graham has evolved the most as he's more confident now, and his relationship with Ryan has improved dramatically.
However, aside from his blossoming relationship with Ryan, and the death of his wife, Grace, he hasn't really developed since then. Those two storylines were basically dealt with in Season 11 and so Graham didn't really have much to do in Season 12 (excluding the season finale).
Have Grown - The Twelfth Doctor
It's been almost 7 years since the Twelfth Doctor first made his debut in the 50th-anniversary special, "The Day Of The Doctor," so you could be forgiven for forgetting how grumpy this incarnation of the Doctor was in his first season. He was pretty awful to Clara and rude to everyone else.
However, during Seasons 9 and 10, the Doctor mellowed. He became funny, and likable, and childish, but he still maintained an aura of grumpiness, only this time, it had been turned down a few notches. As a result, we got a brilliant portrayal of the Twelfth Doctor who is still severely underrated.
Haven't Grown - Ryan Sinclair
Ryan became Graham's step-grandson after Graham married Ryan's actual grandma, Grace. While Ryan loved his nan to pieces and would do anything for her, he didn't feel the same about Graham. Which was a shame because Graham is a total sweetie. However, Ryan didn't even make an effort to be nice.
Happily, Ryan, Graham, and Grace then met the Doctor, and their lives changed forever. Ryan bonded with Graham and called him Grandad and that's about it, as far as his character development went. Apart from missing home, Ryan hasn't really changed since Season 11, which is a bit disappointing.
Have Grown - Clara Oswald
When she was first introduced in Season 7, Clara Oswald was basically only there to act as a mystery for the Doctor to solve. For the entirety of that season, Clara's character development was minimal at best. However, that all changed in the next couple of seasons.
Season 8 saw a massive increase in Clara's confidence and abilities, forcing her to cope with an older and more volatile Doctor. Her relationship with Danny Pink also helped to humanize Clara. When Season 9 came along, she was used to her once-new lifestyle and loved every minute of it until the end.
Haven't Grown - River Song
This entry may be slightly controversial but we feel it's justified. When River first appeared in Doctor Who way back in 2008, she was such a loveable and enigmatic character that her one-off guest appearance turned into a recurring role for the next 3 seasons.
Initially, she was mysterious because no one knew how she was connected to the Doctor. However, the problem with these mystery characters is that once the mystery is over, they can sometimes seem like audience gratification. River's last appearance made the character condescending and even childish at times.
Have Grown - Donna Noble
This entry is irrefutable! When Donna made her Doctor Who debut in "The Runaway Bride" (or technically "Doomsday"), she didn't initially make a great first impression with either the Doctor or the viewers. She was loud, rude, and selfish, and the Doctor couldn't wait to get rid of her.
When it was revealed that Donna was returning as a full-time companion, everyone was understandably uneasy. Fortunately, the old Donna was gone. In her place was a strong, empathetic woman who could stand up to the Doctor and still be his best friend. Donna was one of Doctor Who's best companions.
Haven't Grown - Yaz Khan
Yaz actually has the potential to be one of the best companions that the Doctor has ever had, but she just hasn't been given the opportunity to properly prove herself yet. When Season 11 first aired, a lot of the focus was placed on the new Doctor (obviously), Graham and Ryan, but not Yaz.
While the others got some meaty storylines, Yaz felt sidelined for a lot of the season. Happily, her past was explored further in Season 12 and Yaz was given a bigger starring role than she had previously, but we'd still love to see and learn more about her, given her struggles with mental health.
Have Grown - The Thirteenth Doctor
When the Thirteenth Doctor burst onto our screens, fans and critics warmed to her almost immediately. She was funny, friendly, kind, and incredibly energetic. However, she remained that way for the majority of Season 11, meaning viewers never got to see her with an edge, and her enthusiasm grated.
When Season 12 aired earlier this year, the Doctor was immediately more restrained, and so she was even more likable. Plus, with the whole horde of returning villains that Season 12 offered, the Doctor was able to become quite dark, which was refreshing. We hadn't seen that in the previous season, and we got to see new dimensions of her character.
Haven't Grown - The Cybermen
When Russell T. Davies brought back the Cybermen in 2006, he had them operate by themselves, i.e. they weren't being controlled by anyone other than a cyber-mind. However, when Steven Moffat took over the reigns, he initially turned the Cyberman into a bit of a visual gag.
He then corrected this and delivered some genuinely scary moments but almost every major Cybermen story resulted in them being controlled by the Master, as if they couldn't come up with their own plans. Even Chris Chibnall fell curse to this. The Cybermen are not robots, they are augmented humans. They do not exist to do others' bidding.