The tragedy of Peri Brown and the Fifth Doctor

[sonak]

I liked Peri. Mostly because she was really, really hot. But I know she's not exactly high on the list of fans' favorite companions. But anyway, I've recently been watching some Fifth Doctor-era stories and have gotten to "planet of fire" and "caves of androzani." I'd never seen these stories before, my experience with watching Peri came with the Sixth Doctor.

It occurred to me that she makes a MUCH better companion to the Fifth Doctor than she does to the Sixth. Firstly, the Fifth is much more easygoing and patient toward her, they don't have the irritating, bickering relationship she had with Colin's doctor. He was just nicer to her in general. She didn't play well off of the Sixth Doctor's much more abrasive personality. So I think it was kind of a missed opportunity that she only got to be in two stories with the Fifth Doctor, and they were separated through much of those stories anyway.

So what of it? Would Peri have worked out a lot better as a companion with the Fifth Doctor instead of the Sixth? Or was she just destined to be a weaker companion?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Most of the Doctors were "nicer in general" than the sixth, and not just to Peri.

Overall there's going to be stronger & weaker companions, maybe Colin's badgering made Peri a stronger one than if she was with #5 for more time.

I too liked Peri more for the hotness factor. I've just started watching The Stranger series, plus Airzone Solution, Nicola is OK so far there.

 

[Guy Gardener]

There's an audio adventure where 5 and Seven conspire to send their companions double blind on surgical missions at the same 1930s(?) dinner party... Peri and Eremin vs Ace and Hex.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Veiled_Leopard

It's funny, because both sets of companions assume that they are righteous and invincible because they are working for the Doctor, and there's some over lap with what they are up to that there is going to be a winner and a loser.

Makes you wonder if there's enough Flux that 7 can be so sure that he has the upper hand over 5.

Not that I've seen it, but Nicola did a documentary were she hosted a walking tour of the 2 doctors set some years after it was filmed.

 

[Photoman15]

Wait, if 5 saw this competition to its outcome, wouldn't seven know how it turned out?

 

[Whofan]

Peri seemed to have developed a better relationship with the Sixth Doctor by the time of Trial of A Time Lord's first story (Mysterious Planet) unfortunately the next story (Mindwarp) largely undid that.

Spoiler: NA books

Peri does return to Earth in the novel Bad Therapy where she meets the Seventh Doctor.

 

[sonak]

Peri seemed to have developed a better relationship with the Sixth Doctor by the time of Trial of A Time Lord's first story (Mysterious Planet) unfortunately the next story (Mindwarp) largely undid that.

Spoiler: NA books

Peri does return to Earth in the novel Bad Therapy where she meets the Seventh Doctor.

ugh. I hated the ending(s) they gave to Peri's character in "Mindwarp." Either her ending is horrifyingly tragic or she ends up with Brian Blessed's character. So.... horrifyingly tragic either way, really.


Most of the companions get happy endings, Adric excluded. But her character really gets crapped on. Why the heck would getting married to King Yarnek or whatever his name was be a happy ending for her? She was a young college student who just wanted to travel for a little while and then go back to Earth.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Peri was the unfortunate victim of a retooling (some would say BBC interference) of the program during that 23rd series, IMO. The length of the series was reduced and the whole Trial of a Time Lord story had enough problems of its own both on and off screen. Under the circumstances, they did the best they could to give Peri a happy ending, but then she was placed in a situation that was meant to be tragic ala Adric after all...

 

[Guy Gardener]

There's a claymation of Adric surviving the crash of the shuttle into the side of the earth.

Funny.

Go check it out on youtube.

Did The Doctor give away Peri to an unrepentant white slaver?

No.

Was Mel, eventually, down the line, sold as a sex slave or as food?

In either case it was either as a mute sex slave or torso kibble,.

Brian had 30 years on Niccola.

Easy.

Now if you consider the character he was playing?

Unless they were incredibly long live naturally... Half mad and no national health service?

He'd probably die of a heart attack the first time he put his leg over.

(Most of us would. Look at her.)

Would she be up on charges?

Vaginacide?

Peri would either be Queen or out on her ear.

I always felt sad that Gertrude had to marry back into the family to get her house back. Did she "love" Claudius or could she just not be arssed into moving out of the Castle?

If the crown moved sideways to Yarneks brothers rather than falling on the wife's shoulders, Peri might have to consider if there was no real difference between one fat bastard and another in so as long as she gets to keep all that nice linen and the comfy four poster bed.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Thanks to Big Finish Audio, Peter Davidson and Nicola Bryant have more than made up for their brief lack of time together with a whole bunch of extra pre-Androzani adventures. If none of you have heard them, I can't recommend them highly enough.

As for her 'horrifyingly tragic' ending...check out "The Companion Chronicles: Peri and the Piscon Paradox." That's all I'm gonna say.

 

[Lonemagpie]

they did the best they could to give Peri a happy ending, but then she was placed in a situation that was meant to be tragic ala Adric after all...

Um, other way round - they didn't tell Nicola, IIRC, about the last-minut addition of a clip and line to episode 14 saying she'd married Yrcanos...

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

I watched the Colin Baker years on PBS three or four years ago and discovered that Peri had some great lines. I've had my favorite Peri line in my signature for quite awhile now. It's sad that so many people pay attention to her tits that they miss all of her wit. I also agree that the Fifth Doc and Peri worked a lot better as a pair than Six and Peri; I figure because the Fifth Doctor's gentleness brought out more of the sweet/innocent aspects of Peri...While the Sixth Doctor just provoked exasperation.


Peri Quotes:

Peri: Circular logic will only make you dizzy, Doctor.

Peri: [to the sixth Doctor] Perhaps you should see a Doctor.
The Sixth Doctor: Are you trying to be funny?
Peri: No! It was just a suggestion.

The Master: You will obey ME.
Peri Brown: No.
The Master: I am The Master!
Peri Brown: S-so what! I'm Perpugilliam Brown, and I can shout as loud as you can!

PERI BROWN
I never saw anyone love himself so much for less reason.

PERI BROWN
All right, all right. Let's rest first and then march. There's a good warlord, huh?

I also remember an exchange from The Mark of the Rani, but I can't find the exact quote:

Peri: We'd better put an end to this, Doctor! These puns are getting progressively worse!
Doctor: Really? I thought they were slowly getting better.

 

[C.E. Evans]

they did the best they could to give Peri a happy ending, but then she was placed in a situation that was meant to be tragic ala Adric after all...

Um, other way round - they didn't tell Nicola, IIRC, about the last-minut addition of a clip and line to episode 14 saying she'd married Yrcanos...

Um, what they told Nicola Bryant is actually irrelevant. The fact is that Peri's "death" was meant to be shocking to viewers. They could very well have left her dead, but decided to give the character a happy ending in the end, even if it was something mentioned only in passing and shown with old footage.

 

[Whofan]

Was it Holmes, Saward, or Pip and Jane Baker that wrote the bit with the Master saying "She's a Queen, set up on high by that warmongering fool, Ycarnos?"

 

[C.E. Evans]

Pip and Jane Baker. Holmes died before he was able to finish the story, so the Bakers were hired to write the finale (Saward did write a finale, but it wasn't used).

 

[Lonemagpie]

they did the best they could to give Peri a happy ending, but then she was placed in a situation that was meant to be tragic ala Adric after all...

Um, other way round - they didn't tell Nicola, IIRC, about the last-minut addition of a clip and line to episode 14 saying she'd married Yrcanos...

Um, what they told Nicola Bryant is actually irrelevant. The fact is that Peri's "death" was meant to be shocking to viewers. They could very well have left her dead, but decided to give the character a happy ending in the end, even if it was something mentioned only in passing and shown with old footage.

It's the chronology I'm pointing out - they worked hard on the shocking tragic ending a la Adric, then put her in a "happy" ending situation after all - both in terms of from the audience's POV and in the production timeline. Not the other way round.

 

[23skidoo]

I'm going to second the recommendation that you listen to Peri and the Piscon Paradox. It not only answers a lot of questions, it completely paints Peri's relationship to both Doctors in a completely new light.

As for what's on screen, I think it was very brave what they tried to do in Twin Dilemma (having the Doctor become abusive to her, physically, as part of post-regeneration trauma). But it was simply the wrong era for that sort of thing. Having the Eleventh Doctor turn on Amy is something today's more mature viewers seem willing to accept (see the Ganger story). Although it was a brave decision and well handled (I'm ignoring the rest of the Twin Dilemma story) the Doctor's attack on Peri is probably the moment audiences were turned off the Sixth Doctor, IMO.

But, yeah, even for folks who may not be fans of the Big Finish audios, or who are in the "only what's on TV counts" camp, should check out Piscon Paradox if they're in any way interested in Peri.

You can listen to a trailer for the story here:

http://www.bigfinish.com/507-Doctor-Who-The-Companion-Chronicles-Peri-and-the-Piscon-Paradox

It's a tour-de-force performance by Nicola Bryant as Peri, the Fifth Doctor, and an alien. Colin Baker reprises the Sixth Doctor.

Alex

 

[sonak]

I'm going to second the recommendation that you listen to Peri and the Piscon Paradox. It not only answers a lot of questions, it completely paints Peri's relationship to both Doctors in a completely new light.

As for what's on screen, I think it was very brave what they tried to do in Twin Dilemma (having the Doctor become abusive to her, physically, as part of post-regeneration trauma). But it was simply the wrong era for that sort of thing. Having the Eleventh Doctor turn on Amy is something today's more mature viewers seem willing to accept (see the Ganger story). Although it was a brave decision and well handled (I'm ignoring the rest of the Twin Dilemma story) the Doctor's attack on Peri is probably the moment audiences were turned off the Sixth Doctor, IMO.

But, yeah, even for folks who may not be fans of the Big Finish audios, or who are in the "only what's on TV counts" camp, should check out Piscon Paradox if they're in any way interested in Peri.

You can listen to a trailer for the story here:

http://www.bigfinish.com/507-Doctor-Who-The-Companion-Chronicles-Peri-and-the-Piscon-Paradox

It's a tour-de-force performance by Nicola Bryant as Peri, the Fifth Doctor, and an alien. Colin Baker reprises the Sixth Doctor.

Alex

I never got that as a reason for disliking the Sixth Doctor. Dislike him for being abrasive, annoyingly egotistical and pompous, etc, but the attack came when he was CLEARLY unstable and not "himself" and so shouldn't be used as a reason to dislike the character. He would never have done that when he was in his right mind.

 

[C.E. Evans]

they did the best they could to give Peri a happy ending, but then she was placed in a situation that was meant to be tragic ala Adric after all...

Um, other way round - they didn't tell Nicola, IIRC, about the last-minut addition of a clip and line to episode 14 saying she'd married Yrcanos...

Um, what they told Nicola Bryant is actually irrelevant. The fact is that Peri's "death" was meant to be shocking to viewers. They could very well have left her dead, but decided to give the character a happy ending in the end, even if it was something mentioned only in passing and shown with old footage.

It's the chronology I'm pointing out - they worked hard on the shocking tragic ending a la Adric, then put her in a "happy" ending situation after all - both in terms of from the audience's POV and in the production timeline. Not the other way round.

I think I see where you misunderstood me. My use of "after all" was as in "to begin with", not to an idea that they started her off with a happy one and then went tragic later.

 

[Captaindemotion]

the Doctor's attack on Peri is probably the moment audiences were turned off the Sixth Doctor, IMO.

Nah. For me it was the moment I saw the new Doctor presented on BBC1's Newsround programme. That hair and that costume. I hadn't even been aware Davison, who I liked a lot and who I expected to remain for a Tom Baker-like duration, had left (I was only 12 or so) and all of a sudden, I'm confronted with this - clown?! Eeeeeesh!

 

[Guy Gardener]

I've been listening to Peri and the Piscon Paradox since I went to bed last night, and then I woke up and listened to more and nodded off again because it was too early and...

This is an ambitious script.

And the cast... Usually...

Nicola has to invent a voice for the character herself, and this time twice over, Nicola is getting less squeaky the older Peri gets...

I really liked the line...

"He pretends to be British."