P.R.O.B.E.

Preternatural Research Bureau or P.R.O.B.E. was an organisation investigating paranormal activities. Former UNIT scientific advisor Doctor Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw lobbied for the establishment of P.R.O.B.E. in the mid-1990s after spending the intervening time at the University of Cambridge (BBV: The Zero Imperative and others). Her assistant was Lou Bayliss, who was concerned with research based in their cramped office ("not what [Liz] had been promised"). Patricia "Patsy" Haggard was P.R.O.B.E.'s liason with the Ministry, and also Liz's very close friend. Liz continued to push for greater investment from the government department and contended that P.R.O.B.E.'s two staff were doing the work of twenty. The new Minister responsible - Brian Rutherford, replacing 'Sir Richard' - clearly didn't agree, noting that the Bureau didn't get called out very often. In fact, his first act was to move Bayliss to another department without Liz's knowledge (while she was on a few weeks compassionate leave over the death of her father in 1995) and he then threatened to close the operation down altogether. Only the fact that he needed the approval of Haggard prevented him from doing so. D.I. Burke, after working on a case with Dr Shaw, applied unsuccessfully for a transfer to P.R.O.B.E. (BBV: The Devil of Winterborne). The organisation recieved as little support from the police force as it did from the department, as shown by Burke's initial scepticism, and also by the 'practical joke' instigated by a policeman which sent Dr. Shaw to investigate a poltergeist for two weeks. After Rutherford's kidnap by Alfred Emerson, and the revelation of his past dealings with Emerson's creator Julius Quilter, he quit his position and was ultimately replaced by Haggard herself. While Haggard would certainly be more sympathetic to P.R.O.B.E. than her predecessor, Liz remained the only member of staff after Haggard's appointment.

Liz Shaw eventually returned to working with UNIT: in 2003, she was part of a UNIT team which investigated an artefact left by the alien Cthalctose on the Moon. As a result, she unfortunately contracted Agent Yellow and died. (NA: Eternity Weeps) It is not known if P.R.O.B.E. continued operating after Liz's departure and subsequent death.

Behind the scenes

P.R.O.B.E. was introduced in a series of independent films produced by BBV Productions, which featured Liz Shaw from the Doctor Who series. Although considered unofficial, and not aimed for broadcast on television, this series of films nonetheless constituted the first ongoing spin-off set in the Doctor Who universe, predating the similarly themed Torchwood by more than a decade.

Continuity

The secret project codenamed 'BEAGLE' is stated to have been closed down "twenty years ago" in 1975 - establishing that Liz Shaw's tenure with P.R.O.B.E. was in the mid-90s, concurrent with the release of the films. (BBV: Unnatural Selection)

The spacious P.R.O.B.E. office and staff