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John and Gillian (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
John and Gillian, a young brother and sister, are characters in the TV Comic
strip based on the long-running British
science fiction television
series Doctor Who
. The stories featuring them were drawn first by Neville Main, then by Bill Mevin and finally by John Canning. They first appeared in the story The Klepton Parasites (issues 674 to 683). They began by looking for their grandfather, the Doctor
, in a junkyard. This paralleled the events of the television series' first episode "An Unearthly Child
", although in the strip, the junkyard was at No. 16 instead of No. 76.
The Doctor did not appear to have met them prior to their first appearance, but they were aware of him as being an "inventor or something" and he identified them as soon as they entered the TARDIS
, saying, "You must be John and Gillian..." This lack of surprise on his part indicated his awareness of the possibility of them turning up at some point. During their visit, John playfully touched a control button and transported them to the 30th century, where they helped the peaceful Thains to defeat a race of alien invaders, the Kleptons. At the end of the tale it seemed that the Doctor was about to make an attempt to return his grandchildren to the 20th century, but this was not taken up in the second story, which commenced with a crash-landing for the three on an asteroid and went on to tell of their involvement in the quest for a moss with medicinal qualities.
John and Gillian travelled with the Doctor for many adventures and fought against many enemies, including the villainous "Great Ixa", the space pirate Captain Anastas Thrax, the ant-like Zarbi (from the televised story The Web Planet
), the spherical Gyros robots and even the Pied Piper in what amounted to a sequel to Robert Browning
's famous poem. A later story introduced the Trods, cone-shaped robotic creatures that ran on static electricity
, created for the strip by artist John Canning as surrogate Dalek
s, since the latter could not at that time be used as Terry Nation had sold the rights to the Doctor's arch-enemies elsewhere; namely, City Publications' TV Century 21
. After TV21's comic strip The Daleks came to an end, Polystyle Publications
obtained the rights, and the Daleks swept onto the front cover of issue 788 of TV Comic in the first instalment of The Trodos Ambush, in which they massacred the Trods.
John and Gillian, who now appeared to be teenagers, remained with the Doctor for many more comic strip adventures until the first part of Invasion of the Quarks (issues 872 to 876), when the Doctor enrolled them in the galactic university on the planet Zebadee. This was their last appearance in the TV Comic strip.
by Dave Stone
, the Doctor commented that he had friends and family living in late twentieth century London.
In the Virgin New Adventures
novel Head Games
by Steve Lyons, which took place in the Land of Fiction from The Mind Robber
, the new Master of the Land of Fiction creates versions of John, Gillian, and Dr. Who, to use against the real Doctor and his companions Ace
and Benny Summerfield
.
John and Gillian — or rather John Brent and Gillian Roberts — appeared in the novella
Time and Relative
by Kim Newman
, featuring the Doctor and Susan, and taking place in 1963, some six months before the events of "An Unearthly Child". This John and Gillian were friends of Susan's, attending the Coal Hill School
with her. Aside from the coincidence in names (an obvious homage
), there is no resemblance between them and the John and Gillian of the TV Comic strips.
The original John and Gillian appeared in a comic strip story in Doctor Who Magazine
issue 337. In the story, celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the television series and drawn in the style of the TV Comic strips, the Doctor (in his then current guise of the Eighth Doctor) and his grandchildren shared a light-hearted adventure on the planet Darbodia. It is revealed at the end of the strip that the whole adventure was just a dream of the Eighth Doctor and he wakes up, with the artwork returning to the usual modern art style of the comic strips.
TV Comic
TV Comic was a British comic book published weekly between November 9, 1951 and June 29, 1984 for 1,697 issues. With its bright, eye-catching covers, it featured stories based on television shows running at the time of publication. The first issue had 8 pages and had Muffin the Mule on the cover....
strip based on the long-running British
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...
. The stories featuring them were drawn first by Neville Main, then by Bill Mevin and finally by John Canning. They first appeared in the story The Klepton Parasites (issues 674 to 683). They began by looking for their grandfather, 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 a junkyard. This paralleled the events of the television series' first episode "An Unearthly Child
An Unearthly Child
The serial that became An Unearthly Child was originally commissioned from writer Anthony Coburn in June 1963, when it was intended to run as the second Doctor Who serial. At this stage, it was planned that the series would open with a serial entitled The Giants, to be written by BBC staff...
", although in the strip, the junkyard was at No. 16 instead of No. 76.
The Doctor did not appear to have met them prior to their first appearance, but they were aware of him as being an "inventor or something" and he identified them as soon as they entered the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, saying, "You must be John and Gillian..." This lack of surprise on his part indicated his awareness of the possibility of them turning up at some point. During their visit, John playfully touched a control button and transported them to the 30th century, where they helped the peaceful Thains to defeat a race of alien invaders, the Kleptons. At the end of the tale it seemed that the Doctor was about to make an attempt to return his grandchildren to the 20th century, but this was not taken up in the second story, which commenced with a crash-landing for the three on an asteroid and went on to tell of their involvement in the quest for a moss with medicinal qualities.
John and Gillian travelled with the Doctor for many adventures and fought against many enemies, including the villainous "Great Ixa", the space pirate Captain Anastas Thrax, the ant-like Zarbi (from the televised story The Web Planet
The Web Planet
The Web Planet is the fifth serial in the second season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 13 February 1965 to 20 March 1965...
), the spherical Gyros robots and even the Pied Piper in what amounted to a sequel to Robert Browning
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
's famous poem. A later story introduced the Trods, cone-shaped robotic creatures that ran on static electricity
Static electricity
Static electricity refers to the build-up of electric charge on the surface of objects. The static charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly neutralized by a discharge. Static electricity can be contrasted with current electricity, which can be delivered...
, created for the strip by artist John Canning as surrogate Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, since the latter could not at that time be used as Terry Nation had sold the rights to the Doctor's arch-enemies elsewhere; namely, City Publications' TV Century 21
TV Century 21
TV Century 21, also known as TV 21, was a weekly British children's comic of the 1960s and early 1970s. It promoted the many television science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Century 21 Productions...
. After TV21's comic strip The Daleks came to an end, Polystyle Publications
Polystyle Publications
Polystyle Publications were a British publisher of children's comics and books.Among the titles they published were:* BEEB * Buttons * Countdown/TV Action * I-Spy* Pippin * Playland * Read To Me...
obtained the rights, and the Daleks swept onto the front cover of issue 788 of TV Comic in the first instalment of The Trodos Ambush, in which they massacred the Trods.
John and Gillian, who now appeared to be teenagers, remained with the Doctor for many more comic strip adventures until the first part of Invasion of the Quarks (issues 872 to 876), when the Doctor enrolled them in the galactic university on the planet Zebadee. This was their last appearance in the TV Comic strip.
Other appearances
In the novel Heart of TARDISHeart of TARDIS
Heart of TARDIS is a BBC Books original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Dave Stone
Dave Stone
-Biography:Stone has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and Judge Dredd.Stone also contributed a number of comic series to 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, focusing on the Dreddverse...
, the Doctor commented that he had friends and family living in late twentieth century London.
In the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel Head Games
Head Games (Doctor Who)
Head Games is an original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Steve Lyons, which took place in the Land of Fiction from The Mind Robber
The Mind Robber
The Mind Robber is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from September 14 to October 12, 1968...
, the new Master of the Land of Fiction creates versions of John, Gillian, and Dr. Who, to use against the real Doctor and his companions Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Benny Summerfield
Bernice Summerfield
Bernice Surprise Summerfield is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length Doctor Who novels, the New Adventures...
.
John and Gillian — or rather John Brent and Gillian Roberts — appeared in the novella
Telos Doctor Who novellas
The Telos Doctor Who novellas were a series of tie-in novellas based on the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, officially licensed by the BBC and published by Telos Publishing Ltd...
Time and Relative
Time and Relative
Time and Relative is an original novella written by Kim Newman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
, featuring the Doctor and Susan, and taking place in 1963, some six months before the events of "An Unearthly Child". This John and Gillian were friends of Susan's, attending the Coal Hill School
Coal Hill School
Coal Hill School is a fictional school in the television series Doctor Who. It is a comprehensive school located in the Shoreditch area of London....
with her. Aside from the coincidence in names (an obvious homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
), there is no resemblance between them and the John and Gillian of the TV Comic strips.
The original John and Gillian appeared in a comic strip story in Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
issue 337. In the story, celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the television series and drawn in the style of the TV Comic strips, the Doctor (in his then current guise of the Eighth Doctor) and his grandchildren shared a light-hearted adventure on the planet Darbodia. It is revealed at the end of the strip that the whole adventure was just a dream of the Eighth Doctor and he wakes up, with the artwork returning to the usual modern art style of the comic strips.