Quick thought, between the arc trainer and the hot tub
It's all about reaching the centre, isn't it? That White guy that all TV shows and movies are about: he's the centre. The closest a non-White character, or a woman, gets to the centre is as his co-star - The X-Files, arguably Doctor Who. That article I wrote for DWM, about how the companion is the real protagonist of the show, was an attempt to claim the centre. But is that just a resistant reading - a fannish fantasy? (Just jotting these thoughts down so I don't forget them.)