Grant Markham
Encyclopedia
Grant Markham is a fictional character
originally created by author Steve Lyons as a new companion
of the Sixth Doctor
in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who
novels, the Missing Adventures
. The Missing Adventures were fully licensed novels carrying on from where the Doctor Who television series had left off, and Grant was introduced in Lyons' novel Time of Your Life
in 1995.
Grant first met the Doctor
in the year 2191 when his home city of New Tokyo on the planet New Earth was transported into a Marston Sphere. Grant used his computer programming skills to defeat a giant robot dinosaur that was terrorising the city. Although the Doctor was able to save New Tokyo, at the end of the story Grant stayed with him to become his companion.
Grant and the Doctor's next adventure was on the planet Agora, Grant's birthplace. Again in the year 2191, they discovered that the Cybermen
had been using the planet to gather strong males to use in the cyber-conversion process. Grant met his father, Ben Taggart, who had had Grant sent away from the planet. Taggart was later killed in an unsuccessful attempt to convert him into a Cyberman, watched by Grant. This moved Grant to volunteer to become a Bronze Knight — a resistance group of Agorans who themselves used cybernetic implants to become stronger in order to defeat the Cybermen. He was convinced not to give up his humanity by the Knights' creator, the scientist Maxine Carter. The Cybermen attacked the Bronze Knights and slaughtered them all, but Grant lowered their base's temperature deactivating the Cybermen. The Doctor then destroyed those Cybermen using the cannon from the Cybermen's stolen Selachian warship.
The description of an unnamed character that appeared in the short story Repercussions by Gary Russell
(in the Big Finish Productions
anthology Short Trips: Repercussions
) resembled Grant. This character was a passenger on board an airship travelling through the Time Vortex
. The airship carried various people whom the Doctor had placed there to stop them from being a danger to the Web of Time. If this was indeed Grant, it may indicate that as far as the Big Finish continuity is concerned, he was written out of history.
Grant also appeared in two stories alongside the Sixth Doctor in the charity anthology Perfect Timing (1998). In the first, Wish Upon A Star Beast by Steve Lyons, the Doctor and Grant encounter a group of killer Meeps
in the Santaland amusement centre in Norway
during the 22nd century.
The second story, Schrödinger’s Botanist by Ian McIntire, covers a longer span of time, during which Grant and the Doctor have many adventures and are also accompanied by a Legion (a member of a multidimensional alien race that appears in the Virgin novels Lucifer Rising and The Crystal Bucephalus). During the course of the story, Grant links his mind to a computer infected by a virus
and is seriously injured. Unwilling to risk his life any further, the Sixth Doctor leaves him at the Bi-Al Foundation
. The Doctor later regrets abandoning Grant and returns to apologise, but Grant is unable to forgive him and they part on bitter terms.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
originally created by author Steve Lyons as a new 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 Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length 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...
novels, the Missing Adventures
Virgin 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 Missing Adventures were fully licensed novels carrying on from where the Doctor Who television series had left off, and Grant was introduced in Lyons' novel Time of Your Life
Time of Your Life (Doctor Who)
Time of Your Life is an original novel written by Steve Lyons which is based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel features the Sixth Doctor and Grant Markham.- External links :* at Reviews...
in 1995.
Grant first met 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....
in the year 2191 when his home city of New Tokyo on the planet New Earth was transported into a Marston Sphere. Grant used his computer programming skills to defeat a giant robot dinosaur that was terrorising the city. Although the Doctor was able to save New Tokyo, at the end of the story Grant stayed with him to become his companion.
Grant and the Doctor's next adventure was on the planet Agora, Grant's birthplace. Again in the year 2191, they discovered that the Cybermen
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
had been using the planet to gather strong males to use in the cyber-conversion process. Grant met his father, Ben Taggart, who had had Grant sent away from the planet. Taggart was later killed in an unsuccessful attempt to convert him into a Cyberman, watched by Grant. This moved Grant to volunteer to become a Bronze Knight — a resistance group of Agorans who themselves used cybernetic implants to become stronger in order to defeat the Cybermen. He was convinced not to give up his humanity by the Knights' creator, the scientist Maxine Carter. The Cybermen attacked the Bronze Knights and slaughtered them all, but Grant lowered their base's temperature deactivating the Cybermen. The Doctor then destroyed those Cybermen using the cannon from the Cybermen's stolen Selachian warship.
The description of an unnamed character that appeared in the short story Repercussions by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary 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...
(in the Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
anthology Short Trips: Repercussions
Short Trips: Repercussions
Short Trips: Repercussions is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Gary Russell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The collection explores the theme of unforeseen consequences.-Stories:...
) resembled Grant. This character was a passenger on board an airship travelling through the Time Vortex
Time vortex (Doctor Who)
In the science fiction television series Doctor Who, the time vortex is the medium that the TARDIS and other time machines travel through...
. The airship carried various people whom the Doctor had placed there to stop them from being a danger to the Web of Time. If this was indeed Grant, it may indicate that as far as the Big Finish continuity is concerned, he was written out of history.
Other appearances
The following are from unofficial anthologies that are not generally considered canon.Grant also appeared in two stories alongside the Sixth Doctor in the charity anthology Perfect Timing (1998). In the first, Wish Upon A Star Beast by Steve Lyons, the Doctor and Grant encounter a group of killer Meeps
Beep the Meep
Beep the Meep is a fictional alien who appeared in the Doctor Who Weekly comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The cute and cuddly appearance of Beep the Meep — a round, furry biped with large, expressive eyes and long ears — belies...
in the Santaland amusement centre in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
during the 22nd century.
The second story, Schrödinger’s Botanist by Ian McIntire, covers a longer span of time, during which Grant and the Doctor have many adventures and are also accompanied by a Legion (a member of a multidimensional alien race that appears in the Virgin novels Lucifer Rising and The Crystal Bucephalus). During the course of the story, Grant links his mind to a computer infected by a virus
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
and is seriously injured. Unwilling to risk his life any further, the Sixth Doctor leaves him at the Bi-Al Foundation
The Invisible Enemy
The Invisible Enemy is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 1 October to 22 October 1977...
. The Doctor later regrets abandoning Grant and returns to apologise, but Grant is unable to forgive him and they part on bitter terms.