Rose Tyler

[close] Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies. With the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, Rose was introduced in the eponymous series one premiere as a new companion of series protagonist the Doctor, in his ninth and later tenth incarnations. The companion character, intended to act as an audience surrogate was key in the first series more so than any other to introduce new viewers to Doctor Who, which had not aired regularly since 1989. The series saw Billie Piper receive top billing alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, both of whom portrayed the Doctor. A regular companion of the Doctor for all of series one and series two, Rose also returned in the programme's fourth series having developed much in the interval.

In the series' narrative, Rose is introduced as a working class shop assistant from London, introduced alongside her own supporting cast in the form of her mother Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri) and her boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke). Whereas the classic series refrained from exploring romantic connections between the Doctor and his companions, Rose grows increasingly trusting of the Doctor and comes to realise she has fallen in love with him.

Rose's first true encounter with the Doctor comes in the eponymous premiere episode (2005). Here, she is saved from an Auton invasion of Earth by the mysterious alien Time Lord known as the Doctor (Eccleston), and assists him in defeating the Nestene Consciousness. Following this, the Doctor offers Rose the option of traveling with him, taking her to see the end of the world and giving her a "superphone" so she can remain in contact with her mother, Jackie, and boyfriend, Mickey.

Rose is unique in that she is the first companion whose immediate family and/or a close friend knew of her travels with the Doctor while they occurred. Mickey was aware of her new occupation and tracked her movements through his website. Jackie found out about the life her daughter was leading and, despite pleading for her to stay, Rose continued to travel with the Doctor.