Susan Foreman

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Early scripts envisioned Susan as "Suzanne," an alien princess saved by the First Doctor, but writer Anthony Coburn established the family tie of granddaughter to address concerns about an old man traveling with a young girl. Production initially withheld background details, leading Ford and co-star William Hartnell to invent their own history: the pair were exiles because the Doctor "had done something to annoy his own people." Ford noted that while suggestions Susan was not a natural granddaughter arose in the 1990s, producers once insisted she not call the Doctor "grandfather" in "The Five Doctors" due to fears of implying he had fathered a child; Ford refused until the script included the relationship. Media historian James Chapman critiqued her limited role as the "screamer," though Ford found more development opportunities in Big Finish audio dramas.

In Their Own Story

Susan first appeared in "An Unearthly Child" (1963), where teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright tracked her from Coal Hill School to a junkyard owned by I. M. Foreman, realizing she possessed advanced knowledge of history and science. Implied to have adopted the surname "Foreman" as an alias, Susan revealed they were exiles in the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). She traveled with her grandfather and her teachers until "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" (1964), where she fell in love with freedom fighter David Campbell. Realizing Susan deserved a future, the Doctor locked her out of the TARDIS during a tearful farewell. While no mention of David appeared on screen in 1983's "The Five Doctors," the novelisation confirmed they remained married.

Reader's Guide

Susan's journey began with an alias at Coal Hill School and evolved into a deep bond with Ian and Barbara, who became her surrogate family before joining them in the TARDIS. Her departure in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" marked the first time a companion left by choice to settle on Earth. In later years, references to her appeared through dialogue: the Sixth Doctor confused Peri Brown with past names including Susan; the Ninth Doctor referenced his lost "whole family" and the feeling of being neither father nor grandfather; the Eleventh Doctor recounted traveling with his granddaughter to Akhaten. Visual tributes included a body double in "The Name of the Doctor," her name on a roll of honour in "For Tonight We Might Die," and a photograph on the Tenth Doctor's desk in "The Pilot." Her fate remained ambiguous after 2013 specials, though the Twelfth Doctor noted children and grandchildren as "missing".

Did You Know?

• Carole Ann Ford was originally told her character would be an "Avengers-type girl" with telepathic powers and the ability to fly the TARDIS, but none of this happened.
• The Doctor replied "Doctor who? What's he talking about?" when a teacher assumed Susan's grandfather was "Doctor Foreman," indicating he did not know that surname.
• Ford refused to perform in "The Five Doctors" until producers agreed to include references to the characters' relationship as grandfather and granddaughter.
• Susan became the first companion to leave the programme after just 51 episodes, choosing a future with David Campbell over time travel.
• In the 2018 episode "The Woman Who Fell to Earth," the Thirteenth Doctor stated she had no family because she lost them a long time ago.