Gilbert M
Gilbert M was a human scientist from Vasilip who created the Kandy Man.
Biography
Early life
Gilbert lived on Vasilip and worked as the chief state scientist. He was in constant competition with Seivad, his only rival on the planet, until the two of them decided to work together in the name of scientific discovery. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
After Gilbert accidentally created a germ which wiped out half of Vasilip, (TV: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (TV story)"]) the king decreed that he and Seivad were to be killed on sight and they fled the capital city to hide in the mountains. However, a vigilante found the hideout whilst Gilbert was foraging food and brutalised Seivad, after which Gilbert worked all night to salvage his mind. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
Life on Terra Alpha
Taking Seivad's mind with him in a suitcase, Gilbert took the next flight off of Vasilip and arrived on Terra Alpha where Helen A, upon learning of his true identity and threatening to exile him, forced him to put Seivad's mind into an android body. He built the Kandy Man in the Kandy Kitchen out of sweets, the only raw material he had access to, (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"]) and realised at the planning stage that the Kandy Man would have to constantly move his joints to prevent coagulation. He quickly worked out that water would unstick him if he got stuck, but he forgot this (TV: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (TV story)"]) and lost the note he made to remind him.
The Kandy Man was driven mad with anger and injustice (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"]) and Gilbert was tasked with assisting him in his duties as Helen A's executioner and making sweets. Gilbert would later describe his relationship with the Kandy Man as symbiotic, but had little patience for him and would complain about his moods. (TV: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (TV story)"]) He met and befriended Trevor Sigma when he visited Terra Alpha and, in the following months, the Kandy Man became increasingly difficult to handle. As part of his bargain with Helen A, he also built a shuttle using Vasilip technology.
Six months after Trevor Sigma's previous visit, Helen A noticed that Gilbert had lost interest in the executions and had him watch the deaths of Andrew X and Harold V to remind him of his priorities. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"]) He gave the Seventh Doctor and Earl Sigma up to the Kandy Man when he saw them hiding in the Kandy Kitchen and was fetching ingredients when the Doctor tricked the Kandy Man into spilling lemonade and sticking himself to the floor. (TV: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (TV story)"]) He was made to assist the Happiness Patrol during the drones' demonstration and was delighted by the Doctor making the patrol look like killjoys. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
Departure
Whilst making a report on his version of what happened in Forum Square, Gilbert felt that the Kandy Man was in danger and headed to the Kandy Kitchen, deducing from the Pipe People making fondant surprise that the Kandy Man had been chased into the pipes. He went to the execution yard in the hopes of repairing him, (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"]) but upon seeing the damage he decided against it and told Joseph C of how he created him. As Helen A lost control of Terra Alpha, Gilbert and Joseph stole the shuttle (TV: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (TV story)"]) Gilbert had built for her and went to start new lives on a distant planet. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
Personality
Gilbert had an enthusiasm for facts, something that Trevor Sigma liked about him. Although he did not care for paperwork, he enjoyed his friendship with Trevor and was happy to please him by engaging in conversations about such things. He tired of the executions on Terra Alpha and was not interested in helping the Happiness Patrol. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
Appearance
Gilbert had a "roly-poly" figure. (PROSE: The Happiness Patrol [+]Loading...["The Happiness Patrol (novelisation)"])
