Doctor Who Companion costumes past and present...

As Doctor Who will be returning to our screens this coming Saturday it seems like the perfect time to share more photos from my most recent visit to the Doctor Who Experience costume exhibition in Cardiff Bay, Wales back on April 20, 2015. Here's a selection of outfits worn by the Doctor's plucky traveling Companions, new and old, across time and space.

Clara Oswald costumes worn by Jenna Coleman in Doctor Who

First up is some of the wardrobe worn by Jenna Coleman as 'Clara Oswald', who has been Companion to both the 'Eleventh Doctor' (Matt Smith) and 'Twelfth Doctor' (Peter Capaldi).

If you';re a fan of the actress and the character she plays, you can also check out more Clara Oswald looks from flapper dresses, to Victorian-era and Medieval gowns here at Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props.

Tenth and Eleventh Doctor Companion costumes

from the new era of Doctor Who

Next up is a dazzling array of Companion costumes worn by the likes of such favourites as 'Donna Noble', 'Rory Williams', 'Amy Pond', 'Martha Jones', 'Captain Jack Harkness' and 'Rose Tyler', who accompany the long-lived Time Lord on his adventures to different time periods, alien planets and on occasion, dimensions.

You can also see these Doctor Who Companion costumes in more detail from previous visits.

Costume worn by Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who

Over the course of its 50 year history, the British sci-fi show has featured a lot of Companions to help the Doctor, but it was Billie Piper who helped kick start a new era alongside Christopher Eccleston's ninth incarnation of the space-time traveler in March 2005.

On this visit to the exhibition they had this new 'Rose Tyler' outfit worn in the second season episode 'The Idiot's Lantern', where she and David Tennant's 'Tenth Doctor' faced off against 'The Wire', an alien criminal hiding in television transmissions during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation celebrations in 1953 Britain.

Sarah Jane Smith costumes worn by Elisabeth Sladen in Doctor Who

One of the most popular Companions from the original series was Lis Sladen's investigative journalist 'Sarah Jane Smith', who starred alongside the Third (Jon Pertwee) and Fourth (Tom Baker) regenerations of the Doctor.

The character returned in the revival's second season episode 'School reunion' and also received her own spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures, which ran for five seasons until the actress sadly passed away from cancer.

I believe the pink outfit on display this time was from the 20th anniversary special, 'The Five Doctors', from 1983.

World War II costume worn by Sophie Aldred as Ace

in Doctor Who's The Curse of Fenric

Next up from the BBC archives is an outfit worn by Sophie Aldred as 'Ace' in the penultimate serial, 'The Curse of Fenric', before the show went off the air for sixteen years.

Ace was the explosives-loving sidekick of Sylvester McCoy's 'Seventh Doctor' and this final season collection of episodes found the TARDIS materialising at a secret World War II naval base in Northumberland and facing vampiric human 'Haemovores'.

River Song costumes worn by Alex Kingston in Doctor Who

And finally, even though I've shared these some of these costumes on previous occasions, as 'River Song' (the Doctor's wife and daughter of Amy and Rory), is rumored to be returning in this year's Christmas special, enjoy these costumes worn by Alex Kingston in 'The Name of the Doctor', 'The Time of Angels' and 'The Pandorica Opens' episodes.

Personally I love Jenna Coleman's 'Clara', but I do think it would be great to see some alien Companions again sometime soon. Let's see what the new ninth season has in store for us.