Shirley Anne Bingham
Shirley Anne Bingham was UNIT's fifty-sixth scientific adviser. While she could stand and walk for a limited time, she was primarily a wheelchair user. She also had a northern accent.
Biography
Information from TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"], TV: The Giggle [+]Loading...["The Giggle (TV story)"] and PROSE: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (novelisation)"] needs to be added.
Originally hailing from Manchester, Shirley Anne Bingham was recruited by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart into UNIT as a scientific advisor on Malcolm Taylor's team after her work on MOMS trials in Nashville, USA proved impressive. She had a distinguished background in neurosurgery and conducted personal research into folate fortification to further the study of spina bifida. Shortly after being recruited, she utilised her skills and theories to test the PNS of a number of alien species that were known to UNIT and agreed to join the organisation on a full-time basis to continue her research. Kate assigned her to support Colonel Chan's field team in the south east region of the UK for two months. (PROSE: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (novelisation)"])
Shirley read the files about the Doctor and his ability to regenerate; she knew the appearances of the Doctor's tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth incarnations.
In late 2023, Shirley was tasked with evaluating the Meep's "crashed" ship at the Millson Wagner Steelworks, where she found the Fourteenth Doctor snooping around the facility and conducting an investigation of his own; Shirley interrupted the Doctor, and the two shared data on the crash while formally introducing themselves to one another. Shirley recognised the Doctor's face as belonging to their tenth incarnation. However, the Doctor indicated he knew the appearances of the three Doctors that followed the Tenth; this confused Shirley, who believed the Doctor was "forbidden" from knowing about his future selves. The Doctor then clarified and explained that he was actually the Thirteenth Doctor's successor, who had inexplicably gained a face and body near-identical to that of the Tenth Doctor. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
Behind the scenes
Actress Ruth Madeley already played Sixth Doctor's disabled companion Hebe Harrison in Big Finish audio stories.
