Doctor(s): 1st Doctor (William Hartnell)
Traveled: 1965 – 1966 (10 stories, 45 episodes)
Actor: Peter Purves (born 10 February 1939)
Episodes & Stories
The Chase (introduced), Mission to the Unknown, The Myth Makers, The Daleks’ Master Plan, The Massacre, The Ark, The Celestial Toymaker, The Gunfighters, The Savages.
Personality
A resourceful, quick-witted space pilot from Earth’s future, Steven is brave, a natural leader, occasionally hot-headed, and becomes fiercely loyal to the Doctor during one of the show’s darkest eras.
Interesting Facts
- Peter Purves played two different roles in the same 1965 serial “The Chase” before becoming a regular.
- Steven witnessed the deaths of two fellow companions, Katarina and Sara Kingdom, within the same story arc.
- After leaving, Purves became a well-known presenter of the BBC’s Blue Peter (1967–1978).
What Happened to the Character
In The Savages (1966), Steven chooses to remain behind on an alien world to help unite two warring societies as their new leader.
The Actor Today
Peter Purves became a household name via Blue Peter and later game shows, and remains active in the Doctor Who fan and audio drama community.