Guinevere One: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Object
{{subpage tabs}}
|Object name = Guinevere One
|type = Space probe
|origin = [[United Kingdom]]
|appearances = [[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]''
}}


'''Guinevere One''' was a [[Human]]-built space probe sent to explore [[Mars]] for signs of life, but was abducted by the [[Sycorax]] spaceship before it reached its destination. The Sycorax utilised the A+ [[blood]] contained in the probe to use [[blood control]] to cause one third of all [[Earth]]'s population to climb tall buildings and threatening to make them jump unless half the world was sold into slavery. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'')
{{Infobox Object
|image      = G one space.jpg
|type        = [[Space probe]]
|origin      = [[United Kingdom]]
|first      = Mars (WiDW short story)
|appearances = {{Il|[[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]''|[[PROSE]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (novelisation)|The Christmas Invasion]]''}}
}}{{you may|Guinevere satellite|n1=the Guinevere satellites|Guinevere One (short story)|n2=the short story}}
{{Mars missions}}
'''''Guinevere One''''' was a [[space probe]] sent from [[Great Britain]] to explore [[Mars]] in [[2006]] in order to look for signs of [[alien]] life.


[[Category:Spacecraft]]
== Characteristics==
[[Matthew Nicolson]] helped program ''Guinevere One''. It contained [[water]], [[wheat]] [[seed]]s, [[A-positive|A+]] [[human]] [[blood]] and recordings of [[whale]] song, [[bird]] song, [[music]] and spoken greetings in 120 [[language]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') Part of its mission, according to [[Guinevere website|an official source]], was to collect [[martian soil|soil]] [[sample]]s, though the fact that it also attempted to communicate with extraterrestrial life seemed suspicious to [[Mickey Smith]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Mars (WiDW short story)|Mars]]'')
 
== History ==
In late [[2006]], [[Mickey Smith]] first saw news about the Guinevere probe on [[television]], but did not heed much thought to what he assumed was just a simple probe, as he had faced several aliens in the past year. However, after [[Daffodil (The Doctor Was Involved in the Dummy Massacre)|Daffodil]] contacted Mickey and told him to look at the [[Guinevere website]], he became suspicious of the probe, its true purpose and the involvement of [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|PM]] [[Harriet Jones]]. However, Mickey knew he had to wait to until [[Christmas Day]] for further news. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Mars (WiDW short story)|Mars]]'')
 
On [[Christmas Eve]] 2006, ''Guinevere One'' was intercepted by a [[Sycorax spaceship]] and therefore never reached its destination. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'') [[Sergeant|Sgt]] [[Catherine Petts]] reported it had gone missing on an [[operations board]] on a secure part of the [[UNIT website]]. However, Sgt [[A. Frederick]], who had contacted [[Daniel Llewellyn|Llewellyn]], had been told that it was merely something to do with a "momentary [[signal]] failure" and an "[[orbit]]al [[window]]", though she noted that Llewellyn had the "[[rabbit]]-in-big-scary-[[headlights]]" look. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Guinevere One (short story)|Guinevere One]]'') The [[Sycorax]], who had hijacked the probe, transmitted a message to Earth, threatening to kill [[2000000000 (number)|two billion people]], a third of the [[population]], using [[A-positive|A+]] [[blood]] with their [[blood control]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (novelisation)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[Project Rooftop (short story)|Project Rooftop]]'')
 
== Behind the scenes ==
* Part of the inspiration for ''Guinevere One'' came from the failed real world British probe {{wi|Beagle 2}}, which would have landed on Mars in December 2003. However, the probe itself is a virtual copy of the NASA Magellan Mission to Venus.
* The probe is described as Britain's first mission to Mars. This contradicts the events of [[TV]]: ''[[The Ambassadors of Death (TV story)|The Ambassadors of Death]]'', which referred to a manned British mission to Mars during the [[UNIT]] era.
* [[BBC Wales Graphics]] spelled the probe's name in different ways throughout the episode. On some screens, it appears as "Guinivere One," much to the chagrin of [[Russell T Davies]] and [[Julie Gardner]] in the [[in-vision commentary]] to ''The Christmas Invasion'' on the [[series 2 (Doctor Who 2005)|series 2]] DVD boxset.
* In Russell T Davies' 2019 show ''{{w|Years and Years (TV series)|Years and Years}}'', a news headline mentions the "Guinevere Probe in major alert".
 
[[Category:Space probes]]

Latest revision as of 19:01, 25 April 2024

Guinevere One
You may be looking for the Guinevere satellites or the short story.

Guinevere One was a space probe sent from Great Britain to explore Mars in 2006 in order to look for signs of alien life.

Characteristics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Matthew Nicolson helped program Guinevere One. It contained water, wheat seeds, A+ human blood and recordings of whale song, bird song, music and spoken greetings in 120 languages. (TV: The Christmas Invasion) Part of its mission, according to an official source, was to collect soil samples, though the fact that it also attempted to communicate with extraterrestrial life seemed suspicious to Mickey Smith. (PROSE: Mars)

History[[edit] | [edit source]]

In late 2006, Mickey Smith first saw news about the Guinevere probe on television, but did not heed much thought to what he assumed was just a simple probe, as he had faced several aliens in the past year. However, after Daffodil contacted Mickey and told him to look at the Guinevere website, he became suspicious of the probe, its true purpose and the involvement of PM Harriet Jones. However, Mickey knew he had to wait to until Christmas Day for further news. (PROSE: Mars)

On Christmas Eve 2006, Guinevere One was intercepted by a Sycorax spaceship and therefore never reached its destination. (TV: The Christmas Invasion) Sgt Catherine Petts reported it had gone missing on an operations board on a secure part of the UNIT website. However, Sgt A. Frederick, who had contacted Llewellyn, had been told that it was merely something to do with a "momentary signal failure" and an "orbital window", though she noted that Llewellyn had the "rabbit-in-big-scary-headlights" look. (PROSE: Guinevere One) The Sycorax, who had hijacked the probe, transmitted a message to Earth, threatening to kill two billion people, a third of the population, using A+ blood with their blood control. (TV: The Christmas Invasion, PROSE: The Christmas Invasion, Project Rooftop)

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

  • Part of the inspiration for Guinevere One came from the failed real world British probe Beagle 2, which would have landed on Mars in December 2003. However, the probe itself is a virtual copy of the NASA Magellan Mission to Venus.
  • The probe is described as Britain's first mission to Mars. This contradicts the events of TV: The Ambassadors of Death, which referred to a manned British mission to Mars during the UNIT era.
  • BBC Wales Graphics spelled the probe's name in different ways throughout the episode. On some screens, it appears as "Guinivere One," much to the chagrin of Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner in the in-vision commentary to The Christmas Invasion on the series 2 DVD boxset.
  • In Russell T Davies' 2019 show Years and Years, a news headline mentions the "Guinevere Probe in major alert".
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