Sabbath (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
Sabbath is the name of a recurring villain from the Eighth Doctor Adventures
— spin-off novels based on the BBC
science fiction
television series Doctor Who
. The character was created by Lawrence Miles
and first appeared in The Adventuress of Henrietta Street
. Originally, Miles had intended Sabbath to be a one-off character, but BBC Books editor Justin Richards asked to use the character in a continuing story arc.
Sabbath was born in 1740. He was educated at Cambridge
before being initiated into the Secret Service in 1762. He then defected from the service in 1780. The Doctor first encountered Sabbath in 1782.
In appearance, Sabbath was a large muscular man with a shaven head. He commanded intelligent ape creatures called Babewyns which also crewed his ship, the Jonah. Visually, the Doctor Who version is said to be based on Orson Welles
.
Despite suggestions to the contrary, Sabbath is not based on the equally corpulent character Sunday from the novel The Man Who Was Thursday
(1904) by G. K. Chesterton
, though this is jokingly alluded to in the Doctor Who novel History 101
(2002).
out of a fugue state in The Slow Empire
, although from her perspective she hasn't met him yet.
In his first appearance, we learn that Sabbath was originally a renegade member of the British Secret Service during the late 18th century. It was explained that it is customary for agents to take Biblical names, and Sabbath's name derived itself from a Jewish Kabalistic trend in the Service during the time period of his initiation. His initiation into the Service involved him being thrown into the River Thames
bound in thirteen chains and thirteen locks, covered in sackcloth. Sabbath survived by encountering Leviathan
, who rescued him.
When the Doctor encountered him, Sabbath was attempting to build a temporal battleship, the Jonah, in order to travel beyond the realm of human understanding, though he was callous about other people's lives in his quest. Indeed, Sabbath was not the main villain of the book, and was in fact instrumental in saving the Doctor's life. Sabbath's literal role was made clear when the Doctor spoke with a character that fans assume by the description to be the Master
(though he is never mentioned explicitly). The Master claimed that Sabbath-like characters were the new masters of time, a position once held by the Doctor's people until the destruction of their home world. Sabbath was intended as a new breed of villain, time-active and less apt to pure megalomania.
Sabbath believed himself to be the protector of humanity. He was first drawn to the Doctor believing him to be responsible for the arrival of the Babewyn creatures on Earth. When the Doctor fell ill, Sabbath removed the Doctor's second heart from his body which had become shrunken and blackened, apparently as a result of Gallifrey
's destruction. Sabbath then implanted that heart into himself in an attempt to gain the time-travelling capability of a Time Lord
. The Doctor is manipulated by Sabbath in several of his subsequent adventures.
When the Doctor was crushed by a 30 pound theatre sandbag in the England of 1893 (Camera Obscura
by Lloyd Rose
) , he discovered that he could not die whilst his second heart was lodged within Sabbath. Sabbath later removed the heart, severing the biodata link between the two of them.
After an event in the Siberia of 1893 (Time Zero
by Justin Richards
) caused the creation of multiple parallel universes, Sabbath set about trying to save the true reality. In Timeless
by Stephen Cole
he was instrumental in doing so, although he and the Doctor were trying to reach similar goals at cross purposes. It was revealed that he worked for beings which claimed to be the future of humanity, and told him he was working to make humans the new Time Lords. When he learnt this was untrue, he turned against them.
In Sometime Never...
, also by Richards, Sabbath's former employers were revealed as the Council of Eight, eight crystalline entities (who coincidentally resembled the eight Doctors) based in the time vortex
. The Council gained power from making accurate predictions, hence their interest in maintaining a stable timeline. Sabbath destabilised their plans by committing suicide after it had been predicted he would not do so.
However, the Time Lords (or Great Houses) still exist in the Faction Paradox
series, in which Sabbath appears twice: as a young man (voiced by Saul Jaffe in the audio plays and also appearing in the comics) with the Service, ignorant of the wider cosmology. Another, a much older incarnation is voiced by Keith Drinkel; this Sabbath is the Faction's military Godfather. A further variation is Baron Nichiyobi, a character in the (fictional) film Mujun: The Ghost Kingdom referred to in The Book of the War
.
Faction Paradox
Eighth Doctor Adventures
The Eighth Doctor Adventures are 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. 73 books were published overall...
— spin-off novels based on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television 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 character was created by Lawrence Miles
Lawrence Miles
Lawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox...
and first appeared in The Adventuress of Henrietta Street
The Adventuress of Henrietta Street
The Adventuress of Henrietta Street is a BBC Books original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji....
. Originally, Miles had intended Sabbath to be a one-off character, but BBC Books editor Justin Richards asked to use the character in a continuing story arc.
Sabbath was born in 1740. He was educated at Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
before being initiated into the Secret Service in 1762. He then defected from the service in 1780. The Doctor first encountered Sabbath in 1782.
In appearance, Sabbath was a large muscular man with a shaven head. He commanded intelligent ape creatures called Babewyns which also crewed his ship, the Jonah. Visually, the Doctor Who version is said to be based on Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
.
Despite suggestions to the contrary, Sabbath is not based on the equally corpulent character Sunday from the novel The Man Who Was Thursday
The Man Who Was Thursday
The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare is a novel by G. K. Chesterton, first published in 1908. The book is sometimes referred to as a metaphysical thriller.-Plot summary:...
(1904) by G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
, though this is jokingly alluded to in the Doctor Who novel History 101
History 101
History 101 is a BBC Books original novel written by Mags L Halliday and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(2002).
Character history
Sabbath first appears as the unnamed character who brings Anji KapoorAnji Kapoor
Anji Kapoor, or simply Anji, is a fictional character in the Eighth Doctor Adventures, a novel series based upon the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. The Eighth Doctor first met her in the novel Escape Velocity by Colin Brake, and she went on to become one of his companions....
out of a fugue state in The Slow Empire
The Slow Empire
The Slow Empire is a BBC Books original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, although from her perspective she hasn't met him yet.
In his first appearance, we learn that Sabbath was originally a renegade member of the British Secret Service during the late 18th century. It was explained that it is customary for agents to take Biblical names, and Sabbath's name derived itself from a Jewish Kabalistic trend in the Service during the time period of his initiation. His initiation into the Service involved him being thrown into the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
bound in thirteen chains and thirteen locks, covered in sackcloth. Sabbath survived by encountering Leviathan
Leviathan (disambiguation)
Leviathan is a Biblical sea monster.Leviathan may also refer to:-In political philosophy:* Leviathan , by philosopher Thomas Hobbes-In science:* Leviathan melvillei, a genus and species of whale, renamed Livyatan melvillei...
, who rescued him.
When the Doctor encountered him, Sabbath was attempting to build a temporal battleship, the Jonah, in order to travel beyond the realm of human understanding, though he was callous about other people's lives in his quest. Indeed, Sabbath was not the main villain of the book, and was in fact instrumental in saving the Doctor's life. Sabbath's literal role was made clear when the Doctor spoke with a character that fans assume by the description to be 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....
(though he is never mentioned explicitly). The Master claimed that Sabbath-like characters were the new masters of time, a position once held by the Doctor's people until the destruction of their home world. Sabbath was intended as a new breed of villain, time-active and less apt to pure megalomania.
Sabbath believed himself to be the protector of humanity. He was first drawn to the Doctor believing him to be responsible for the arrival of the Babewyn creatures on Earth. When the Doctor fell ill, Sabbath removed the Doctor's second heart from his body which had become shrunken and blackened, apparently as a result of Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
's destruction. Sabbath then implanted that heart into himself in an attempt to gain the time-travelling capability of a Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
. The Doctor is manipulated by Sabbath in several of his subsequent adventures.
When the Doctor was crushed by a 30 pound theatre sandbag in the England of 1893 (Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura (Doctor Who)
Camera Obscura is a BBC Books original novel written by Lloyd Rose and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji.-Continuity:...
by Lloyd Rose
Lloyd Rose
Lloyd Rose is an American writer most associated with her work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. She has also written for the American television series Homicide: Life on the Street and Kingpin...
) , he discovered that he could not die whilst his second heart was lodged within Sabbath. Sabbath later removed the heart, severing the biodata link between the two of them.
After an event in the Siberia of 1893 (Time Zero
Time Zero
Time Zero is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji and introduces a new companion, Trix.-Plot:...
by Justin Richards
Justin Richards
Justin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day...
) caused the creation of multiple parallel universes, Sabbath set about trying to save the true reality. In Timeless
Timeless (Doctor Who)
Timeless is a BBC Books original novel written by Stephen Cole and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz, Anji and Trix.-External links:*...
by Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole (writer)
Stephen Cole is an author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing...
he was instrumental in doing so, although he and the Doctor were trying to reach similar goals at cross purposes. It was revealed that he worked for beings which claimed to be the future of humanity, and told him he was working to make humans the new Time Lords. When he learnt this was untrue, he turned against them.
In Sometime Never...
Sometime Never...
Sometime Never... is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, also by Richards, Sabbath's former employers were revealed as the Council of Eight, eight crystalline entities (who coincidentally resembled the eight Doctors) based in 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 Council gained power from making accurate predictions, hence their interest in maintaining a stable timeline. Sabbath destabilised their plans by committing suicide after it had been predicted he would not do so.
Other appearances
There are in fact three different characters called Sabbath, who may or may not be iterations of the same person in different timelines. The Sabbath who appears in the Doctor Who books exists in a timeline in which the Time Lords have ceased to exist and humanity has become the potential heir to their powers and knowledge.However, the Time Lords (or Great Houses) still exist in the Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox
Faction Paradox is a fictional time travelling cult/rebel group/organized crime syndicate, originally created by the author Lawrence Miles. The Faction's belief-system as portrayed has some similarities to voodoo, and is sometimes described as such...
series, in which Sabbath appears twice: as a young man (voiced by Saul Jaffe in the audio plays and also appearing in the comics) with the Service, ignorant of the wider cosmology. Another, a much older incarnation is voiced by Keith Drinkel; this Sabbath is the Faction's military Godfather. A further variation is Baron Nichiyobi, a character in the (fictional) film Mujun: The Ghost Kingdom referred to in The Book of the War
The Book of the War
The Book of the War is a hypertext multi-author novel presented in the form of an encyclopedia of the first 50 years of the War in the Faction Paradox universe based on the Doctor Who universe. The book was edited by Lawrence Miles, and written by Miles, Simon Bucher-Jones, Daniel O'Mahony, Ian...
.
Appearances
Doctor Who- The Slow EmpireThe Slow EmpireThe Slow Empire 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 StoneDave 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...
(unnamed cameo) - Father TimeFather Time (Doctor Who)Father Time is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and introduces the Doctor's adopted daughter Miranda.-External links:*...
by Lance ParkinLance ParkinLance Parkin is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular Doctor Who and Emmerdale...
(unnamed cameo) - The Adventuress of Henrietta StreetThe Adventuress of Henrietta StreetThe Adventuress of Henrietta Street is a BBC Books original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji....
by Lawrence MilesLawrence MilesLawrence Miles is a science fiction author known for his work on original Doctor Who novels and the subsequent spin-off Faction Paradox... - AnachrophobiaAnachrophobiaAnachrophobia is a BBC Books original novel written by Jonathan Morris and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji.-Plot:...
by Jonathan MorrisJonathan Morris (author)Jonathan Morris was born in Taunton England in 1973. He is an author principally known for writing various kinds of Doctor Who spin-off material... - Trading FuturesTrading FuturesTrading Futures is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji...
by Lance Parkin - History 101History 101History 101 is a BBC Books original novel written by Mags L Halliday and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Mags L HallidayMags L HallidayLiz Halliday is an author who writes under the name Mags L Halliday in Doctor Who-series of science fiction. She is distinct from the writer Liz Holliday, who has also contributed to Doctor Who-related science fiction.... - Camera ObscuraCamera Obscura (Doctor Who)Camera Obscura is a BBC Books original novel written by Lloyd Rose and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji.-Continuity:...
by Lloyd RoseLloyd RoseLloyd Rose is an American writer most associated with her work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. She has also written for the American television series Homicide: Life on the Street and Kingpin... - Time ZeroTime ZeroTime Zero is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji and introduces a new companion, Trix.-Plot:...
by Justin RichardsJustin RichardsJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day... - The Infinity RaceThe Infinity RaceThe Infinity Race is a BBC Books original novel written by Simon Messingham and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji.-External links:*...
by Simon MessinghamSimon MessinghamSimon Messingham is a British science fiction writer who has written six Doctor Who novels and another story released as an BBC Audio Drama. He also wrote and performed in the cable television programmes The Dave Saint Show and Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement.-Past Doctor Adventures:*Zeta... - The Domino Effect 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....
- The Last Resort by Paul LeonardPaul Leonard (writer)Paul J. Leonard Hinder, better known by his pseudonym of Paul Leonard and also originally published as PJL Hinder, is an author best known for his work on various spin-off fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.Leonard has acknowledged a debt to his...
- TimelessTimeless (Doctor Who)Timeless is a BBC Books original novel written by Stephen Cole and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz, Anji and Trix.-External links:*...
by Stephen ColeStephen Cole (writer)Stephen Cole is an author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing... - Emotional ChemistryEmotional ChemistryEmotional Chemistry is a BBC Books original novel written by Simon A. Forward and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Trix....
by Simon A. ForwardSimon A. ForwardSimon A. Forward is an author and dramatist most famous for his work on a variety of Doctor Who spin-offs. He currently lives and works in Penzance with his wife as a full-time writer.-Work:... - Sometime Never...Sometime Never...Sometime Never... is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Justin Richards
Faction Paradox
- The Book of the WarThe Book of the WarThe Book of the War is a hypertext multi-author novel presented in the form of an encyclopedia of the first 50 years of the War in the Faction Paradox universe based on the Doctor Who universe. The book was edited by Lawrence Miles, and written by Miles, Simon Bucher-Jones, Daniel O'Mahony, Ian...
- Sabbath Dei and In the Year of the Cat (2-part audio drama)
- Movers and A Labyrinth of Histories (2-part audio drama)