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{{ImageLink}}
{{Infobox Individual
{{Infobox Individual
|image           = [[Image:Mr frobisher.jpg|250px]]
|image             = John Frobisher close (COED4).jpg  
|individual name = John Frobisher
|species          = Human
|race            = [[Human]]
|job              = Permanent Secretary
|home planet    = [[Earth]]
|affiliation      = Home Office
|home era        = [[21st century]]
|birth date        = [[1958]]
|appearances    = <ul><li>[[TW]]: ''[[Day One (Children of Earth)|Day One]]''</li><li>[[TW]]: ''[[Day Two (Children of Earth)|Day Two]]''</li><li>[[TW]]: ''[[Day Three (Children of Earth)|Day Three]]''</li><li>[[TW]]: ''[[Day Four (Children of Earth)|Day Four]]''</li><li>[[TW]]: ''[[Day Five (Children of Earth)|Day Five]] (dies)
|death date        = [[September]] [[2009]], [[London]]
|actor           = [[Peter Capaldi]]
|origin            = [[Glasgow]]
}}
|spouse            = Anna Frobisher
|child            = Lilly Frobisher
|child2            = Holly Frobisher
|first cs          = Children of Earth: Day One (TV story)
|appearances      = {{il|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Two (TV story)}}|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)}}|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)}}|[[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}}|[[PROSE]]: {{cs|Torchwood: The Encyclopedia (reference book)}}}}
|actor             = Peter Capaldi
|clip              = We want the children - Torchwood - BBC
|clip2            = Peter Capaldi as the Tragic Frobisher - Torchwood Children of Earth - BBC
}}{{you may|Frobisher}}{{NOTOC}}
'''John Frobisher''' was [[Permanent Secretary]] to the [[Home Office]] and [[Torchwood Three]]'s [[liaison]] to the [[British government]].


'''Frobisher''' was the Permanent Secretary to the Home Office and the civil servant placed in charge of [[the 456]] incident.
== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
John Frobisher was born in [[Glasgow]] in [[1958]]. He was [[Education|educated]] at [[Gordonstoun]] and read [[PPE]] at [[Oxford University]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)}}) He started working for the [[Civil Service]] in [[1980]] where he met [[Bridget Spears]]. Although [[Swales]] did not believe that he would amount to much, Bridget decided to keep an eye on him.


==Profile==
Whilst many moved on to bigger and better things, Frobisher remained in the [[Home Office]] and worked hard, asking for Bridget as his [[personal assistant]] circa [[1990]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}}) His positions included being [[Director General]] for [[School]]s and [[under-secretary]] at the [[Crime Reduction and Community Secretary Group]]. In [[2003]], he was promoted to the office of [[Permanent Secretary]] to the Home Office, chairing the [[Home Office Board]] and sitting on the [[Service Steering Board]] and [[Senior Leadership Committee]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)}}) He was also [[Torchwood Three]]'s [[liaison]] with [[British government|the government]].
Passionate and driven, his job became increasingly difficult when all around him begin to shirk any responsibility for the disaster that was unfolding.


He was part of the civil service and as such worked for the state on the Prime Minister's orders. He witnessed the [[456]] coming to earth with [[Dekker]] and was the first person to talk to the [[456]]. He ordered the deaths of [[Jack Harkness]] and three other (presumed) ex-Torchwood personnel, since they knew what had really happened in [[1965]], and Frobisher was anxious to keep this deal secret.
Frobisher married [[Anna Frobisher]] and had two daughters; [[Lilly Frobisher|Lilly]] and [[Holly Frobisher|Holly]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day One (TV story)}}) Bridget implied that he had at least one extramarital [[affair]] with a member of his staff. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)}})


Frobisher acted as an intermediary between the 456 and the British government, used by the Prime Minister to absolve personal blame for resulting events and because he was "expendable" in the eyes of the government. The Prime Minister refused any connection with the 456, making Frobisher the sole ambassador with the 456.
=== The 456 incident ===
In [[September]] [[2009]], Frobisher was informed of the [[Earth]]'s children stopping by [[Augustus Oduya|Colonel Augustus Oduya]] of [[UNIT]] and of the return of [[the 456]] by [[Dekker]]. After [[Brian Green]] refused to issue a [[Blank Page]] to cover up the [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s past interaction with the aliens, Frobisher issued it instead, ordering the [[assassination]] of [[Jack Harkness]], [[Ellen Hunt]], [[Michael Sanders]] and [[Andrew Staines]] which resulted in the [[bomb]]ing of [[the Hub]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day One (TV story)}}) He ordered [[Johnson (Children of Earth: Day One)|Johnson]] to kill [[Gwen Cooper]] and [[Ianto Jones]] as they were witness to the bombing and had Jack's remains taken to [[Ashton Down]].


During Day Four, during an emergency meeting of COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Room A) to determine the handover of 10% of British children, Prime Minister [[Brian Green]] gave Frobisher the task of the selection and transport for the children, although the method by which children were selected was decided by the Cabinet. Frobisher invented the cover story suggesting the children would be inoculated against 456 control while the government in fact took them to hand over to the 456.
Green put Frobisher in charge of dealing with the 456 situation, clarifying that he was a [[scapegoat]] should anything go wrong. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Two (TV story)}}) He witnessed the arrival of the [[456 ambassador]] in [[Thames House]] and began negotiations, refusing Jack's demand for access to the building and threatening [[Alice Carter|Alice]] and [[Steven Carter]] should he go public. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)}})


In Day Five, he was informed by the Prime Minister to publicly defend his children over for 'inoculation,' in an attempt by the government to portray themselves as victims, to reassure the public regarding their cover story and to implicate the 456 as the true villains. Frobisher threatened to reveal to the press the true nature of the inoculations, although the Prime Minister persuaded him against this, noting that Frobisher's children would then know their fate. Knowing this, he decided to murder his family and commit suicide. He kissed his ever loyal PA [[Bridget Spears]] on the cheek as they met for the final time. Spears, realising Frobisher's intentions, made clear to Lois Habiba, that "John Frobisher was a good man," and "It wasn't his fault."
During an emergency meeting of [[COBRA]] to determine the handover of 10% of British children, Green tasked Frobisher with the selection and transport of the children, although the method by which children were selected was decided by the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom]]. Frobisher invented the cover story that children's disappearances were due to inoculations against 456's control going wrong. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)}})


He was managed to Anna; they had two daughters, Holly and Lily. However, the three died for nothing since the 456 plan was ultimately foiled.
=== Death ===
[[Category:Human government officials]]
[[File:Frobisher murder suicide.jpg|thumb|left|Frobisher, preparing to kill his family and himself. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}})]]
The next day, Green told Frobisher that his daughters would be publicly handed over for "inoculation" as an attempt by the government to portray themselves as victims. Frobisher threatened to reveal to the press the true nature of the inoculations, but Green said that that would not save his daughters but would only tell them of the horror that awaited them. Unwilling to allow his daughters to suffer an eternal living death at the hands of the 456, he had a horrified Bridget (who realised what he planned to do) take a handgun out of storage for him before going home. He sent his family upstairs to wait in a bedroom so he had them all together. Entering the bedroom, he shot his wife and daughters dead before then killing himself. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)}})
 
== Behind the scenes ==
* John Frobisher was portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]], who previously portrayed [[Lobus Caecilius]] in ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'' and later became the [[Twelfth Doctor]].
** In the ''[[Torchwood Declassified]]'' episode ''[[Cracking Children of Earth (TD episode)|Cracking Children of Earth]]'', [[Russell T Davies]] suggested that, since they are played by the same actor, Frobisher may be a descendant of Caecilius, and goes on to note that, in a sense, Frobisher's killing of his family brings closure to the saving of Caecilius' family in the earlier episode. This was confirmed by [[Steven Moffat]] who stated that Frobisher's suicide was time's way of "reasserting itself."<ref>http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-15/doctor-who-steven-moffat-finally-reveals-why-the-twelfth-doctor-shares-the-same-face-as-torchwoods-john-frobisher</ref>
* Russell T Davies named the character after [[Frobisher]] from the [[DWM comic stories|''Doctor Who Magazine'' comic strip]], a shape-shifting penguin and companion of the [[Sixth Doctor]]. ([[DWMSE 39]])
* Prior to Capaldi being cast in the role, Frobisher was performed by [[Simon Armstrong]] at the readthroughs. ([[BFX]]: {{cs|Widdershins (audio story)}})
 
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{NameSort}}
 
[[Category:20th century individuals]]
[[Category:Glasgow residents]]
[[Category:Human civil servants]]
[[Category:21st century individuals]]
[[Category:London residents]]
[[Category:Human murderers]]
[[Category:Human biological fathers]]
[[Category:456 incident officials]]

Latest revision as of 12:45, 9 October 2024

You may be looking for Frobisher.

John Frobisher was Permanent Secretary to the Home Office and Torchwood Three's liaison to the British government.

Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]

Early life[[edit] | [edit source]]

John Frobisher was born in Glasgow in 1958. He was educated at Gordonstoun and read PPE at Oxford University. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Three [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)"]) He started working for the Civil Service in 1980 where he met Bridget Spears. Although Swales did not believe that he would amount to much, Bridget decided to keep an eye on him.

Whilst many moved on to bigger and better things, Frobisher remained in the Home Office and worked hard, asking for Bridget as his personal assistant circa 1990. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Five [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)"]) His positions included being Director General for Schools and under-secretary at the Crime Reduction and Community Secretary Group. In 2003, he was promoted to the office of Permanent Secretary to the Home Office, chairing the Home Office Board and sitting on the Service Steering Board and Senior Leadership Committee. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Three [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)"]) He was also Torchwood Three's liaison with the government.

Frobisher married Anna Frobisher and had two daughters; Lilly and Holly. (TV: Children of Earth: Day One [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day One (TV story)"]) Bridget implied that he had at least one extramarital affair with a member of his staff. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Three [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)"])

The 456 incident[[edit] | [edit source]]

In September 2009, Frobisher was informed of the Earth's children stopping by Colonel Augustus Oduya of UNIT and of the return of the 456 by Dekker. After Brian Green refused to issue a Blank Page to cover up the UK's past interaction with the aliens, Frobisher issued it instead, ordering the assassination of Jack Harkness, Ellen Hunt, Michael Sanders and Andrew Staines which resulted in the bombing of the Hub. (TV: Children of Earth: Day One [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day One (TV story)"]) He ordered Johnson to kill Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones as they were witness to the bombing and had Jack's remains taken to Ashton Down.

Green put Frobisher in charge of dealing with the 456 situation, clarifying that he was a scapegoat should anything go wrong. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Two [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Two (TV story)"]) He witnessed the arrival of the 456 ambassador in Thames House and began negotiations, refusing Jack's demand for access to the building and threatening Alice and Steven Carter should he go public. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Three [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Three (TV story)"])

During an emergency meeting of COBRA to determine the handover of 10% of British children, Green tasked Frobisher with the selection and transport of the children, although the method by which children were selected was decided by the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. Frobisher invented the cover story that children's disappearances were due to inoculations against 456's control going wrong. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Four [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Four (TV story)"])

Death[[edit] | [edit source]]

Frobisher, preparing to kill his family and himself. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Five [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)"])

The next day, Green told Frobisher that his daughters would be publicly handed over for "inoculation" as an attempt by the government to portray themselves as victims. Frobisher threatened to reveal to the press the true nature of the inoculations, but Green said that that would not save his daughters but would only tell them of the horror that awaited them. Unwilling to allow his daughters to suffer an eternal living death at the hands of the 456, he had a horrified Bridget (who realised what he planned to do) take a handgun out of storage for him before going home. He sent his family upstairs to wait in a bedroom so he had them all together. Entering the bedroom, he shot his wife and daughters dead before then killing himself. (TV: Children of Earth: Day Five [+]Loading...["Children of Earth: Day Five (TV story)"])

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

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-15/doctor-who-steven-moffat-finally-reveals-why-the-twelfth-doctor-shares-the-same-face-as-torchwoods-john-frobisher
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