P.R.O.B.E. (series): Difference between revisions

In [[2020 (releases)|2020]], [[Arcbeatle Press]] made a publishing partnership with BBV and "revived" the series, starting with the release of ''[[Shadows of Doubt (webcast)|Shadows of Doubt]]''.<ref>[https://www.arcbeatlepress.com/probe.html Arcbeatlepress - P.R.O.B.E.]</ref> The next year, BBV Productions themselves released two volume's worth of live-action ''P.R.O.B.E.'' shorts, the ''P.R.O.B.E. Case Files''. By [[January (releases)|January]] [[2022 (releases)|2022]], Arcbeatle had released two ''P.R.O.B.E.'' print anthologies, ''[[Out of the Shadows (anthology)|Out of the Shadows]]'' and ''[[True Origins (anthology)|True Origins]]'', as well as using the Preternatural Research Bureau in their anthology ''[[Cyberon (anthology)|Cyberon]]''; ''True Origins'' declared itself the final release from Arcbeatle that would use the Bureau or other licensed BBV concepts.<ref>Afterword of ''[[True Origins (anthology)|True Origins]]''</ref> Shortly after, BBV introduced a new subseries, ''[[New Companions (series)|P.R.O.B.E.: New Companions]]'', beginning with the audiobook ''[[Maxie (audio story)|Maxie]]'', which starred one of the characters introduced in Arcbeatle's prose material, [[Maxie Masters]].<ref>[https://bbvproductions.co.uk/products/P-R-O-B-E-New-Companions-Maxie-AUDIO-DOWNLOAD-p439814010 ''P.R.O.B.E. New Companions: Maxie'' on BBVproductions.co.uk]</ref> With the twenty-ninth case file, {{cs|Portents of Doom (home video)}}, the series made a return to longer video content, albeit retaining a small cast, with ''Portents of Doom'' clocking in at about twenty minutes.

Unlike UNIT, P.R.O.B.E. was a small-scale organisation answerable to the [[British government]] — and its purpose was to investigate the strange and the out of the ordinary, rather than merely the extraterrestrial. Liz's only colleague in the original films was assistant [[Louise Bayliss]], who was transferred by minister [[Brian Rutherford]] in a bid to have the organisation closed. However, permission was required from Liz's ministry liaison and later lover [[Patricia Haggard|Patsy Haggard]], who refused to do so and frequently went out of her way to assist Liz. Although mention of [[the Doctor]] and the events of [[Season 7 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 7]] was forbidden due to licensing restrictions, a number of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' actors featured in the series in new roles, notably [[Jon Pertwee]], [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]] and [[Sylvester McCoy]], as well as [[Louise Jameson]] in the recurring role of Patsy.

The first four films were written by [[Mark Gatiss]] and directed by [[Bill Baggs]]. In [[2010]], [[Big Finish Productions]] released ''[[Shadow of the Past (audio story)|Shadow of the Past]]'', a ''[[The Companion Chronicles|Companion Chronicle]]'' starring John as Liz. While not part of the ''P.R.O.B.E.'' series, it acknowledged its continuity, with Liz nodding to the "preternatural research" she had been working on in her absence from UNIT. After Caroline John's death in [[2012]], BBV surprised their audience by announcing a new film, designed as a tribute to John and farewell to the character of Liz. ''[[When to Die (home video)|When to Die]]'', where [[Hazel Burrows]] stepped in as an elderly Liz, was released in [[2015 (releases)|2015]]. Jameson did not return as Patsy, who was instead played by [[Georgette Ellison]].

All five ''P.R.O.B.E.'' films were directed by [[Bill Baggs]], who also produced all of them bar ''[[The Zero Imperative (home video)|The Zero Imperative]]'' which was produced by [[Andy Grant]]. [[Mark Gatiss]] wrote the first four films whilst Baggs wrote ''[[When to Die (home video)|When to Die]]''. [[Mark Ayres]], who did music for [[Season 25 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 25]] and [[Season 26 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 26]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', made original music for the first few films, with the fifth being done by [[Olivia Thomas]].

|rowspan=13|Home video

|rowspan=8|{{sortname|Bill|Baggs}}

|rowspan=9|N/A

|[[Giles]]