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{{wikipediainfo}}
{{Infobox Individual
{{Infobox Individual
|individual name= Professor Bernard Quatermass
|species          = Human
|image=
|origin          = [[Earth]]
|race= [[Human]], possibly fictional
|first mention cs = Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)
|home planet= [[Earth]]
|first cs        = Background (DWPM 7 short story)
|home era= [[20th century]]
|appearances     = {{il|[[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Dying Days (novel)}}|[[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}}}}
|appearances= [[NA]]: ''[[The Dying Days]]'' <br>(possible cameo)
|actor=
}}
}}
[[Professor]] '''Bernard Quatermass''' was a [[British]] [[scientist]] associated with the [[British Rocket Group]]. By one account, he was a [[fiction]]al character. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)|ed=2011 edition|page=27}})


Professor '''Bernard Quatermass''' was a [[British]] scientist.  Whether he was real or fictional was unclear.
== Biography ==
=== With the British Rocket Group ===
In [[1953]], "the Director the [[British Rocket Group]]" tracked down an [[astronaut]] who had mutated into an alien creature following an experimental mission to Central [[London]], where he defeated it in front of [[BBC (in-universe)|BBC]] [[camera]]s. The broadcast was subsequently played off as science fiction by the British government to prevent mass panic. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Background (DWPM 7 short story)|Background]]'') Bernard still worked alongside [[Dr]] [[Rachel Jensen]] and [[Allison Williams]] in the [[British Rocket Group]] by [[1963]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')


He was implied to have worked alongside Dr. [[Rachel Jensen]] in the [[British Rocket Group]] ([[DW]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]''). In [[1997]], paranoid and full of bleak pessimism, he possibly appeared on television with Dr. [[Patrick Moore]] in a panel discussion regarding the possibility of life on the [[planet]] [[Mars]]. ([[NA]]: ''[[The Dying Days]]'')
In the [[1950]]s, [[Norton Folgate]] noted that Professor Quatermass did not have to put with what he dealt wish as part of [[Torchwood One]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Parasite (audio story)|Parasite]]'')


[[UNIT]] [[scientific advisor]] Professor [[Malcolm Taylor (Planet of the Dead)|Malcolm Taylor]] named a unit of measurement after Bernard Quatermass, but Taylor might have been talking about a television character, not a real man. ([[DW]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')
In [[May]] [[1997]], paranoid and full of bleak pessimism, he was interviewed by [[Eve Waugh]] on [[television]] with [[Patrick Moore]] regarding the [[Mars 97]] mission. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Dying Days (novel)|The Dying Days]]'')


==Behind the Scenes==
[[The Doctor]] was once invited to the [[Royal Planetary Society]] by "Bernard and Paula". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Beautiful Chaos (novel)|Beautiful Chaos]]'')
===Background===
Quatermass and the British Rocket Group had originally appeared as the protagonist of a series of four horror-[[science fiction]] [[television]] serials written by [[Wikipedia:Nigel Kneale|Nigel Kneale]]. The first three aired during the [[1950s]] on the BBC. (The last serial simply entitled ''[[Wikipedia:Quatermass (TV serial)|Quatermass]]'' aired in [[1979]], though not on the BBC.) These would have great influence on''[[Doctor Who]]'' serials as ''[[The Web of Fear]]'' and ''[[Image of the Fendahl]]'', to name only two. ''[[The Lazarus Experiment]]'' in its second half, all but re-makes the climax of the end of the first Quatermass story.


For his part, the creator of Bernard Quatermass, Nigel Kneale, was on record as having hated ''Doctor Who'', and refused to write for the programme when invited.
=== Legacy ===
[[UNIT]] [[scientific advisor]] Professor [[Malcolm Taylor]] named a [[Bernard (unit)|unit of measurement]] after Bernard Quatermass. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')


Quatermass also inspired the ''[[Nightshade (serial)|Nightshade]]'', a television serial in the [[Doctor Who Universe]].
In the 26th century, one name of the theory that gods were ancient aliens was "the Quatermass theory" after Bernard. By this point, he was mostly forgotten outside of the name. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Shakedown (novelisation)|Shakedown]]'')


In 2005, the BBC aired a remake of one of the original serials, ''The Quatermass Experiment''. Appearing in the serial were [[David Tennant]] and [[Indira Varma]] prior to their involvement as the [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[Suzie Costello]], respectively. [[Mark Gatiss]], longtime performer and writer of ''Doctor Who'' spinoff productions, scriptwriter for the new series, and later a guest star in ''[[The Lazarus Experiment]]'', also appears in the production.
The "[[Unbound Doctor]]" once compared Professor Bernard Quatermass, unfavourably, to his friend Professor [[Bernice Summerfield]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The City and the Clock (audio story)|The City and the Clock]]'')


==Canonicity of the character==
== Behind the scenes ==
Whether or not Bernard Quatermass is a real person in the [[Doctor Who Universe]] is very much a matter of opinion.  At no point in any piece of ''Doctor Who'' fiction was any character referred to as "Professor Bernard Quatermass".  In ''[[The Dying Days]]'', a character is announced midway through a sentence as "-ermass" and then subsequently  "Professsor" and "Bernard" are used to refer to him. In ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks]]'', his last name is never uttered.  And in ''''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'', [[Malcolm Taylor]] delivers his line in such a way that "Quatermass" could be read as ''Quatermass'' — that is, he could be referring to the television show as much as a real person.
Seven different actors have officially portrayed the character of Bernard Quatermass on television and film in [[Quatermass (series)|his original series]] (including [[André Morell]] and [[Andrew Keir]]), with none considered "definitive". However, [[Lance Parkin]] has stated that he meant to visualise the elderly, nearly crazed {{w|John Mills}} version from the {{w|Quatermass (TV serial)|fourth and final Quatermass serial}} as the one who appeared in the [[Virgin New Adventures]] novel ''[[The Dying Days (novel)|The Dying Days]]''.


In the Doctor Who Universe, the ''[[Nightshade (serial)|Nightshade]]'' serials ([[NA]]: ''[[Nightshade (novel)|Nightshade]]'') have many similarities with the ''Quatermass'' serials. It is possible to assume that because Bernard Quatermass is real, ''Nightshade'' effectively replaces ''Quatermass'' in the Doctor Who Universe.  It's also equally possible to believe that ''Nightshade'' is just a copy of the existing show, ''Quatermass'', as there are many real life instances of two television programmes sharing multiple commonalities.  
In the ''Doctor Who'' universe, the ''[[Nightshade (series)|Nightshade]]'' serials ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Nightshade (novel)|Nightshade]]'') have many similarities to the ''Quatermass'' serials. One may assume that because Bernard Quatermass is real, ''Nightshade'' effectively replaces ''Quatermass'' in the Doctor Who Universe (although ''[[Background (DWPM 7 short story)|Background]]'' implied that the first ''Quatermass'' serial, at least, existed within the DWU as documentary footage which had been passed off as fiction as part of a cover-up).
{{NameSort}}


A number of actors portrayed the character, with none considered "definitive", however [[Lance Parkin]] has said that he meant to visualized the elderly, nearly crazed [[Wikipedia:John Mills|John Mills]] version from the fourth and final Quatermass serial as the one who appeared in the [[New Adventures]] novel ''[[The Dying Days]]''.
[[Category:Human scientists]]
 
[[Category:20th century individuals]]
{{wikipediainfo}}
[[Category:Fictional scientists from the real world]]
[[Category:Crossover characters|Quatermass]]
[[Category:Cultural References|Quateramss]]
[[Category:Human scientists|Quatermass]]
[[Category:20th century individuals|Quatermass]]

Latest revision as of 16:04, 29 August 2024

Bernard Quatermass

Professor Bernard Quatermass was a British scientist associated with the British Rocket Group. By one account, he was a fictional character. (PROSE: Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia [+]Loading...{"page":"27","ed":"2011 edition","1":"Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)"})

Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]

With the British Rocket Group[[edit] | [edit source]]

In 1953, "the Director the British Rocket Group" tracked down an astronaut who had mutated into an alien creature following an experimental mission to Central London, where he defeated it in front of BBC cameras. The broadcast was subsequently played off as science fiction by the British government to prevent mass panic. (PROSE: Background) Bernard still worked alongside Dr Rachel Jensen and Allison Williams in the British Rocket Group by 1963. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

In the 1950s, Norton Folgate noted that Professor Quatermass did not have to put with what he dealt wish as part of Torchwood One. (AUDIO: Parasite)

In May 1997, paranoid and full of bleak pessimism, he was interviewed by Eve Waugh on television with Patrick Moore regarding the Mars 97 mission. (PROSE: The Dying Days)

The Doctor was once invited to the Royal Planetary Society by "Bernard and Paula". (PROSE: Beautiful Chaos)

Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]

UNIT scientific advisor Professor Malcolm Taylor named a unit of measurement after Bernard Quatermass. (TV: Planet of the Dead)

In the 26th century, one name of the theory that gods were ancient aliens was "the Quatermass theory" after Bernard. By this point, he was mostly forgotten outside of the name. (PROSE: Shakedown)

The "Unbound Doctor" once compared Professor Bernard Quatermass, unfavourably, to his friend Professor Bernice Summerfield. (AUDIO: The City and the Clock)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Seven different actors have officially portrayed the character of Bernard Quatermass on television and film in his original series (including André Morell and Andrew Keir), with none considered "definitive". However, Lance Parkin has stated that he meant to visualise the elderly, nearly crazed John Mills version from the fourth and final Quatermass serial as the one who appeared in the Virgin New Adventures novel The Dying Days.

In the Doctor Who universe, the Nightshade serials (PROSE: Nightshade) have many similarities to the Quatermass serials. One may assume that because Bernard Quatermass is real, Nightshade effectively replaces Quatermass in the Doctor Who Universe (although Background implied that the first Quatermass serial, at least, existed within the DWU as documentary footage which had been passed off as fiction as part of a cover-up).

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