Nimrod

Nimrod
Main aliases:	"Tarzan"
Species:	Neanderthal
Job:	Butler
Place of origin:	Earth
Appearance:	Ghost Light
Main actor:	Carl Forgione

You may be looking for William Abberton.

Nimrod was a Neanderthal born into a tribe of mammoth herders during prehistory.

Biography

Nimrod's role in Light's Catalogue of Life saw him transported to the 1880s, where he served as butler at Gabriel Chase.

Nimrod encountered the alien survey team headed by Light, was captured and preserved as the last specimen of his species as part of Light's Catalogue of Life. Josiah Samuel Smith later awoke him and employed him as a butler. Serving in this position, he encountered the Seventh Doctor and Ace there, in 1883, who set about winning his trust.

Nimrod at first revered "the Burning One," in reality, Light, as a god as had his tribe. By accident, Nimrod himself broke the membrane sealing Light into stasis. At first stunned, he lapsed into a catatonic state until roused by the Doctor. Nimrod's servility crumbled and he re-lived the old days of his tribe and their worship of Light. No longer a servant to either Light or Josiah, he decided to leave Earth in Light's ship along with Control and Redvers Fenn-Cooper to explore the stars. (TV: Ghost Light)

Behind the scenes

• A scene set in Gabriel Chase's upper observatory featuring Josiah, Nimrod and Light was rehearsed for Ghost Light part three, but was cut from the script and never actually recorded. This featured Nimrod informing Josiah that he wishes to resign his position as butler; after Josiah storms off angrily, Light appears and tells Nimrod "I think we shall be late for dinner." (PROSE: Doctor Who: The Scripts - Ghost Light) However, Marc Platt reinstated this scene for the novelisation.