Quote Originally Posted by CarpeGuitarrem View Post
Isn't the "contemporary companion" thing mainly a nuWho trend? I seem to recall that a lot of classic Who companions are from various times and places? Maybe? I'm not sure.
There were some and it didn't matter. It only ever came up when it was essential to the story. Otherwise you wouldn't notice. Jamie never had difficulties with things that he couldn't have experienced in his own time, Zoe didn't have special knowledge or futuristic equipment. Companions from other planets had no trouble blending in or getting along with people.

If they are not realy different, it is just pointless to call them aliens. And if they are different enough that it actually matters, the diffenence will have to be adressed in every single episode, long after it stopped being interesting.