 Polly
was perky, cheeky, and an extremely attractive, trendy fashion conscious
secretary working for the misguided scientist Professor Brett who
has designed a futuristic computer called WOTAN.
While at a London night club Polly meets Ben
and Dodo.
After helping The Doctor defeat WOTAN, which has constructed deadly
War Machines which go on the rampage through the streets of 1966
London, Polly and Ben meet The Doctor outside the TARDIS
to inform him that Dodo has decided to stay behind. After saying
good bye they turn and walk away together. Ben suddenly realises
that they
still have Dodo's TARDIS key so they quickly enter the police box
to return it just as the TARDIS dematerialises ("The
War Machines").
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| The War Machines |
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The
characters of Polly and Ben played a very important role in helping
the viewers accept that
William
Hartnell had been replaced by
Patrick
Troughton when The Doctor regenerated. While Ben tries to trick The
Doctor into proving that he is an intruder, and not The
Doctor that they once new,
Polly is much quicker to accept that this is in fact The
Doctor if albeit totally different and not some ghastly
intruder. She managed to cope with this
dramatically different Doctor without too much of a problem
despite his being more unpredictable which meant that she
could never tell what he was going to
do next. (The
Power of the Daleks").
Polly is very
forward and outgoing and with her good nature she is able to get along with
people and especially with Ben. During the time they spent aboard the TARDIS
together there was a lot of good hearted jibes between them and she
occasionally made fun of Ben's Cockney accent. In return she allowed Ben to
nickname her 'Duchess'. Along with Ben she instantly strikes up a good rapport
with The Doctor even though The Doctor when he realised that he had two new
companions was very angry 'How dare you follow me into the TARDIS! The
distractions. I really thought that I was going to be alone again.'
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| The Power of the Daleks |
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Polly
was a fairly intelligent companion and this was demonstrated when they
meet the Cybermen while
they are trying to invade a moon base. It was during this story that she
realised that the Cybermen's chest units were made of plastic and so could
be dissolved by the use of solvents which Ben decided to call 'Cocktail
Polly'.
Despite often relying on The Doctor and her fellow companions
in times of trouble she frequently proved that she was more than capable of
looking after herself in difficult situations. Ben though very much saw himself
as her protector. Polly was a screamer, but she was by no means a coward. She
showed great resourcefulness and stamina.
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| Moonbase |
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The
relationship between Polly and Ben was without doubt a case of opposites
attracting each other and the differences between them spilled into plenty of
disagreements. But underneath there was an ever-growing closeness between them
which is why they both decided to leave the TARDIS together.
When
the TARDIS materialises back again in 1966 Polly and Ben
realise that it is exactly
the same day as when they left in the TARDIS so they both
decide to stay on Earth. This was the obviously the best
time for her to leave and continue where
she had left off albeit slightly older then when she left
("The
Faceless Ones").
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