Dodo Chaplet
Encyclopedia
Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet is a fictional character played by Jackie Lane in the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. An Earth
teenager from the year 1966, she was a companion
of the First Doctor
and a regular in the programme in its third season, from February to July, 1966. Dodo's personality was an unsophisticated, bright and happy one.
Ultimately the character was not deemed a success by the programme's makers, and Lane's contract was not extended beyond episode two of The War Machines. To replace her, two new characters, Polly
(Anneke Wills
) and Ben (Michael Craze
), thought to be more in tune with the "swinging sixties", became companions.
. In that story, the Doctor
and Steven
travel to 1572 Paris
, where they witness the persecution of the city's Huguenot
population. Despite befriending a young woman named Anne Chaplet, the Doctor knows he cannot prevent the coming massacre of 10,000 Huguenots
, including Anne, by the Catholic French authorities. He therefore leaves in the TARDIS
, taking Steven with him. When Steven finds out, he is furious and considers leaving the Doctor while the TARDIS is in 1960s London
.
Steven returns at the same time that a young woman wanders into the TARDIS thinking it was a real police box
. The Doctor and Steven are taken aback when she introduces herself as Dodo Chaplet and reveals that her grandfather was French. The Doctor speculates that Dodo might be Anne's descendant. As some have pointed out, this would mean Anne lived to have an illegitimate offspring (unless she married a man of the same name).
In her travels with the Doctor, Dodo travels to the far future
, unfortunately bringing the common cold with her to infect humanity's descendants; faces the mad games
of the Celestial Toymaker
; witnesses the gunfight at the O.K. Corral
; says good-bye to Steven in The Savages; and is hypnotised
by the rogue artificial intelligence
WOTAN in The War Machines
.
Halfway through that last adventure, she abruptly departs for a rest in the country after being hypnotised, and never reappears. At the story's conclusion Polly
(who, with Ben Jackson, took Dodo's place as a companion) explains to the departing Doctor that Dodo has decided to remain in the 20th Century.
novel Salvation
, where the TARDIS, departing after she has entered it, travels to New York
in Dodo's present- moving only in space rather than time-, resulting in Dodo working with the Doctor and Steven to investigate mysterious beings who appear to be gods.
Dodo's life after she left the Doctor was not dealt with in the programme. The spin-off
novel Who Killed Kennedy
by David Bishop
reveals that Dodo suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to remember her adventures with the Doctor, drifting in and out of psychiatric institutions. Becoming involved with a journalist who was investigating the truth behind UNIT
, Dodo is murdered by a pawn of the Master
. Her funeral is attended only by her lover and an unidentified man who- based on the limited description provided- may be either the Second
or Seventh Doctor
.
The canonicity of the novels in relation to the television series is open to question.
and Kamelion
on the scanner screen in Resurrection of the Daleks
.
In the novel The Last Dodo
, the Tenth Doctor
nicknames a dodo 'Dorothea'.
Uncategorized novel
Past Doctor Adventures
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. An Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
teenager from the year 1966, she was a companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
of the First Doctor
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
and a regular in the programme in its third season, from February to July, 1966. Dodo's personality was an unsophisticated, bright and happy one.
Ultimately the character was not deemed a success by the programme's makers, and Lane's contract was not extended beyond episode two of The War Machines. To replace her, two new characters, Polly
Polly (Doctor Who)
Polly is a fictional character played by Anneke Wills in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A young woman from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First and Second Doctors and a regular in the programme from 1966 to 1967.-Character history:Polly first...
(Anneke Wills
Anneke Wills
Anneke Wills is an English actress, best-known for her role as the Doctor Who's companion Polly in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:...
) and Ben (Michael Craze
Michael Craze
Michael Craze was a British actor noted for his role of Ben Jackson, a companion of the Doctor, in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He played the part from 1966 to 1967 alongside both William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.Craze was born in Cornwall...
), thought to be more in tune with the "swinging sixties", became companions.
Character history
Dodo is introduced at the end of the serial The Massacre of St Bartholomew's EveThe Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 February to 26 February 1966...
. In that story, the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
and Steven
Steven Taylor (Doctor Who)
Steven Taylor is a fictional character played by Peter Purves in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A space pilot from Earth in the future, he was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1965 to 1966.-Character history:Steven first...
travel to 1572 Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where they witness the persecution of the city's Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
population. Despite befriending a young woman named Anne Chaplet, the Doctor knows he cannot prevent the coming massacre of 10,000 Huguenots
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
, including Anne, by the Catholic French authorities. He therefore leaves in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, taking Steven with him. When Steven finds out, he is furious and considers leaving the Doctor while the TARDIS is in 1960s London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Steven returns at the same time that a young woman wanders into the TARDIS thinking it was a real police box
Police box
A police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police...
. The Doctor and Steven are taken aback when she introduces herself as Dodo Chaplet and reveals that her grandfather was French. The Doctor speculates that Dodo might be Anne's descendant. As some have pointed out, this would mean Anne lived to have an illegitimate offspring (unless she married a man of the same name).
In her travels with the Doctor, Dodo travels to the far future
The Ark (Doctor Who)
The Ark is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 March to 26 March 1966...
, unfortunately bringing the common cold with her to infect humanity's descendants; faces the mad games
The Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 April to 23 April 1966.-Plot:...
of the Celestial Toymaker
Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. He was played by Michael Gough, and featured in the 1966 story The Celestial Toymaker by Brian Hayles.-Character overview:...
; witnesses the gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The Gunfighters
The Gunfighters is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, set in 19th Century America on the days leading up to the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
; says good-bye to Steven in The Savages; and is hypnotised
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
by the rogue artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
WOTAN in The War Machines
The War Machines
The War Machines is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966...
.
Halfway through that last adventure, she abruptly departs for a rest in the country after being hypnotised, and never reappears. At the story's conclusion Polly
Polly (Doctor Who)
Polly is a fictional character played by Anneke Wills in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A young woman from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First and Second Doctors and a regular in the programme from 1966 to 1967.-Character history:Polly first...
(who, with Ben Jackson, took Dodo's place as a companion) explains to the departing Doctor that Dodo has decided to remain in the 20th Century.
Other appearances
Dodo's life prior to joining the Doctor- and the circumstances under which she joined him in the TARDIS- were elaborated on in the Past Doctor AdventuresPast Doctor Adventures
The Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...
novel Salvation
Salvation (Doctor Who)
Salvation is a BBC Books original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, where the TARDIS, departing after she has entered it, travels to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in Dodo's present- moving only in space rather than time-, resulting in Dodo working with the Doctor and Steven to investigate mysterious beings who appear to be gods.
Dodo's life after she left the Doctor was not dealt with in the programme. The spin-off
Doctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
novel Who Killed Kennedy
Who Killed Kennedy
Who Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
by David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
reveals that Dodo suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to remember her adventures with the Doctor, drifting in and out of psychiatric institutions. Becoming involved with a journalist who was investigating the truth behind UNIT
United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
, Dodo is murdered by a pawn of the Master
Master (Doctor Who)
The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
. Her funeral is attended only by her lover and an unidentified man who- based on the limited description provided- may be either the Second
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
or Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
.
The canonicity of the novels in relation to the television series is open to question.
Other mentions
A vision of Dodo is seen along with every other companion up until that point aside from LeelaLeela (Doctor Who)
Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...
and Kamelion
Kamelion
Kamelion is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A shape-changing android voiced by Gerald Flood in its default form, it is a companion of the Fifth Doctor and appears in the television series in two serials between 1983 and...
on the scanner screen in Resurrection of the Daleks
Resurrection of the Daleks
Resurrection of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts between 8 February and 15 February 1984...
.
In the novel The Last Dodo
The Last Dodo
Not to be confused with "The Last Dodo" character in the Warner Brothers cartoon Porky in Wackyland, or the musical play by Peter DizozzaThe Last Dodo is a BBC Books original novel written by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features...
, the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
nicknames a dodo 'Dorothea'.
Television
Season 3- The Massacre of St Bartholomew's EveThe Massacre of St Bartholomew's EveThe Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 February to 26 February 1966...
(Episode 4 only) - The ArkThe Ark (Doctor Who)The Ark is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 March to 26 March 1966...
- The Celestial ToymakerThe Celestial ToymakerThe Celestial Toymaker is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 April to 23 April 1966.-Plot:...
- The GunfightersThe GunfightersThe Gunfighters is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, set in 19th Century America on the days leading up to the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
- The Savages
- The War MachinesThe War MachinesThe War Machines is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966...
(Episodes 1 & 2 only)
Novels
Virgin Missing AdventuresVirgin Missing Adventures
The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...
- The Man in the Velvet MaskThe Man in the Velvet MaskThe Man in the Velvet Mask is an original novel written by Daniel O'Mahony and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel features the First Doctor and Dodo....
by Daniel O'Mahoney
Uncategorized novel
- Who Killed KennedyWho Killed KennedyWho Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
by David BishopDavid BishopDavid Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
Past Doctor Adventures
Past Doctor Adventures
The Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...
- SalvationSalvation (Doctor Who)Salvation is a BBC Books original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Steve Lyons - Bunker SoldiersBunker SoldiersBunker Soldiers is a BBC Books original novel written by Martin Day and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the First Doctor, Steven and Dodo.-Synopsis :...
by Martin DayMartin DayMartin Day is a screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series Doctor Who, and many episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and Family Affairs.-Work:...
Short stories
- "The Golden Door" by David Auger (Decalog)
- "Tarnished Image" by Guy Clapperton (Decalog 3: Consequences)
- "There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden" by Sam Lester (Short Trips)
- "64 Carlysle Street" by Gary RussellGary RussellGary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
(More Short Trips)
Audio Stories
- Mother RussiaMother Russia (Doctor Who audio)Mother Russia is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In it, Peter Purves reprises his role as Steven Taylor....
(adventure related by Steven Taylor) - Tales from the VaultTales from the VaultTales from the Vault is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
(short adventure related by Steven Taylor)