Basil Brush
Basil Brush was an anthropomorphic fox who owned an estate (GAME: TV Terrors Autograph Hunt [+]Loading...["TV Terrors Autograph Hunt (game)"]) and was often incorrectly believed to be fictional, (PROSE: The Cactus and the Corpse [+]Loading...["The Cactus and the Corpse (short story)"]) being depicted on television (PROSE: No Future [+]Loading...["No Future (novel)"]) and in books such as the Basil Brush Annual 1976. (PROSE: The Cactus and the Corpse [+]Loading...["The Cactus and the Corpse (short story)"])
He also existed as a puppet in a parallel universe. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Going hunting with the Diddymen[[edit] | [edit source]]
At one point, the Diddymen may have gone hunting with Basil Brush during their hike. (GAME: TV Comic's Counter Game [+]Loading...["TV Comic's Counter Game (1968 game)"])
Rent collecting[[edit] | [edit source]]
Basil Brush once went rent collecting, potentially stopping off at various locations. First, he may have collected £10 store rent from the Diddymen. Next, he may have collected £25 village rent, also from the Diddymen. After this, he may have been witness to the Diddymen's house collapsing, sending him back the way he came. Later, he may have collected £5 from Beetle Bailey.
Shortly after, Mighty Moth may have eaten his cloak, Basil shouting "My cloak!". He may later have collected £15 land rent. After this, he may have gotten a refund of £15. He may also have collected £15 rent from the Keystone Kops. He may also have collected a £5 fine for fishing in the moat. He may later have gotten arrested by the Keystone Kops and locked in Keystone Jail. He may also have gotten a tax refund of £20.
The "TV Terrors" may then have directed Basil wrongly, sending him the wrong way. Popeye may have fed Basil, with Basil moving forward and picking up rent. Old debt may have settled, allowing Basil to collect £20. Laurel & Hardy may then have payed the month's rent in advance, with Basil collecting £25. Basil may later have collected £25 rent. He then may have had to go back the way he came to avoid Tardis. Finally, he made his way to the castle collecting further rent of either £20, £15, £10, or £5. (GAME: Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting [+]Loading...["Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting (game)"])
Showing the TV Terrors round his estate[[edit] | [edit source]]
Despite them potentially having directed him wrongly before, (GAME: Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting [+]Loading...["Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting (game)"]) while the TV Terrors were hunting for autographs, Basil Brush may have shown them round his estate. (GAME: TV Terrors Autograph Hunt [+]Loading...["TV Terrors Autograph Hunt (game)"])
Other references[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ace listed the character's television programme among the favourites of her youth. (PROSE: No Future [+]Loading...["No Future (novel)"]) Many years later, she would find being called "Miss Dorothy" by Sanaul amusing as it made her sound like one of Basil Brush's assistants. (PROSE: At Childhood's End [+]Loading...["At Childhood's End (novel)"])
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 [+]Loading...["No Future (novel)"])
Basil was the subject of the Basil Brush Annual 1976, which the Bookwyrm claimed was non-fiction, despite what one may initially think. (PROSE: The Cactus and the Corpse [+]Loading...["The Cactus and the Corpse (short story)"])
Other realities[[edit] | [edit source]]
Doctor Who Weekly's universe[[edit] | [edit source]]
When the Eighth Doctor and Izzy Sinclair were brought into a parallel universe in which their reality existed only as fiction on 12 October 1979, Basil was one of the brain-washed minions of Beep the Meep found at the BBC Television Centre. The Doctor, Basil and countless other 1970s TV personalities were saved by the actor Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])
Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
Basil Brush was a short anthropomorphic fox with either light (GAME: Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting [+]Loading...["Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting (game)"], TV Terrors Autograph Hunt [+]Loading...["TV Terrors Autograph Hunt (game)"]) or dark brown fur. (GAME: TV Comic's Counter Game [+]Loading...["TV Comic's Counter Game (1968 game)"]) He wore various outfits on different occasions. (GAME: TV Comic's Counter Game [+]Loading...["TV Comic's Counter Game (1968 game)"], etc.)
While going hunting, he wore a blue outfit with black trousers and shoes. (GAME: TV Comic's Counter Game [+]Loading...["TV Comic's Counter Game (1968 game)"]) Later, he wore a yellow suit when he went rent collecting, with either yellow or black trousers, and either black or white shoes, as well as a red cloak. (GAME: Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting [+]Loading...["Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting (game)"]) When he may have shown the TV Terrors around his estate, he wore a green outfit with blue trousers, black shoes, a red and black cloak, and a yellow top hat with a black stripe. (GAME: TV Terrors Autograph Hunt [+]Loading...["TV Terrors Autograph Hunt (game)"])
As a puppet in a parallel universe, he wore a suit with a bow tie. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Basil Brush was the titular character in the comic series Basil Brush, which was published in TV Comic and crossed over with the Doctor Who universe in the board games TV Comic's Counter Game [+]Loading...["TV Comic's Counter Game (1968 game)"], Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting [+]Loading...["Basil Brush goes Rent Collecting (game)"], and TV Terrors Autograph Hunt [+]Loading...["TV Terrors Autograph Hunt (game)"].
- 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 [+]Loading...["The Web of Fear (TV story)"].
- 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.
