<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Romanadvoratralundar is the name of a character who appeared regularly on Seasons 16 through 18 of the long-running series Doctor Who. Played by actress Mary Tamm, this young Time Lady was assigned to help the Doctor in his quest to assemble the key to time. Much to the character's annoyance, the Doctor insisted on using the abbreviated "Romana" to address her. Other than his "granddaughter" Susan Foreman, Romana is the only person of the Doctor's own race known to have traveled with him.

Efficient and somewhat haughty, the Doctor's new apprentice had little patience for his hastily improvised methods and even less confidence in his abilities. However, that slowly changed as the Doctor repeatedly demonstrated his ability to come through in a tight situation.

At the start of Season 17, Romana regenerated, apparently simply because she felt like doing so. This new incarnation of Romana (played by actress Lalla Ward), was much more playful than the first, often engaging in humorous and witty exchanges with the Doctor. Moreover, her affection for the Doctor became obvious as their time together progressed (co-stars Tom Baker and Lalla Ward were married shortly after they left the show at the end of Season 18).

In the season 18 story "Warrior's Gate," Romana received a summons from the Time Lord high council to return home to Gallifrey. However, she had grown fond of the Doctor's adventurous lifestyle and seemed loathe to return to the humdrum daily routine of her homeworld. She chose instead to defy the high council, remaining beyond their reach in the pocket universe known as E-space. There, she planned to aid an enslaved race of lion-like humanoids known as the Tharils to gain their freedom. K-9 Mark II, having sustained damage which prevented him from leaving the gateway between E-space and normal space, also remained with Romana.

Neither K-9 Mark II or Romana have appeared again in televised stories. However, licensed spin off materials such as novels and the audio dramas by Big Finish Productions often suggest that Romana eventually returned to Gallifrey with a repaired K-9 and assumed the title of Lord President. If this is true, Romana was most likely the head of the planetary government when Gallifrey was destroyed. Although the canonicity of such spin of materials is usually hotly debated by fans, the idea that this much-loved character returned to become the head of the planetary government is appealing enough that it has gained a certain amount of traction. Additionally, new series writer/producer Russell T. Davies has published an outline of the time war that serves as a backstory to in the new series. This document names Romana as Lord President.