Basil Brush

Basil finds the Doctor. (COMIC: TV Action!)

Basil Brush was a fictional puppet character in at least the 20th century. Ace listed the character's television programme among the favourites of her youth. (PROSE: No Future)

Professor X, fully aware of his status as a fictional character, said that he felt like he was "caught between Basil Brush and Bruce Forsyth." (PROSE: No Future)

When the Eighth Doctor was brought into a parallel universe in which his reality existed only as fiction on 12 October 1979, Basil was one of the brain-washed minions of Beep the Meep. The Doctor, Basil and countless other 1970s TV personalities were saved by the actor Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor. (COMIC: TV Action!)

Behind the scenes

• In an early sketch of the real The Basil Brush Show, Basil encountered a Yeti in the Himalayas. The costume used for the Yeti was one of those featured in The Web of Fear.
• Basil Brush had a new show in 2008 entitled Basil's Swap Shop, which featured ex-Totally Doctor Who host Barney Harwood.
• Several cast members of the real The Basil Brush Show have acted in Doctor Who stories or its spinoffs; Rodney Bewes, Derek Fowlds, Christopher Pizzey and Milton Johns.