Forum:Would you wanna see Benny Summerfield in the TV series?

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I think a character like hers should be on the show. I find it kind of sad that she has so much history but most people who watch the show don't know about her. They should get Paul Cornell to write a story with her in it. It'll probably never happen but i think it would be great. Maybe if some fans get together and create a petition or facebook group or something like that, something could happen but its probably a longshot. Anyway, anyone else have any thoughts on this? Rawrgoaway 15:29, May 22, 2010 (UTC)

Yes. It could be really good. Played by Lisa Bowerman I presume? TemporalSpleen 16:59, May 22, 2010 (UTC)

I wonder if River Song would be threatened by a human female archaeologist from the future with sketchy credentials and a criminal record who's slept with the Doctor? Especially one who's been de-aged and has the wisdom and experience of a 65-year-old in the body of a 30-year-old. And, who, unlike River, knew the Doctor's brother. Amy would certainly have fun watching them squabble. :) --Falcotron 20:15, May 22, 2010 (UTC)

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Well firstly yeah i would love to see Lisa play the role that was made for her, and as for her history with the doctor, that is the only thing that confuses me since there is the Big Finish continuity and then the Virgin novels continuity. I'm not sure how things would be handled but it would still be fun to have her reference things from the Doctor's past. So, seeing as i'm not the only one to think this is a good idea, do you think we should start a facebook group or something like that? Who knows, if it worked to get Betty White on Saturday Night Live, it might work for this. Anyone else with me? Rawrgoaway 14:07, May 23, 2010 (UTC)

It's a lovely idea, but I doubt the scriptwriters could conceivably write her a role in the show. I mean, how would you handle the continuity trail that brings Benny into the Whoniverse? How would you square it with the contradictions the new series has made, and even some of the NAs with each other? Naah, Benny needs a mature and serious script and that is not where the new series is at. Exquisitor 15:15, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

I like haven't seen all of the spin off material just a couple of big finish audio stories couple of virgin stories but was bernice sumerfield meant to have slept with the doctor. I can't believe they have actually had the doctor get off full stop with a companion not just like a kiss or a hint. Though I suppose by now Rose and that other Tenth doctor will have probably had some children. But still I don't think they will have bernice sumerfield in the new series but they might do a character based on her. They are not above taking stuff from spin off material and some of bernice sumerfields best stories with the doctor [I wouldn't know because I am not that familiar with her character, I know she was played by that chick from survival, and a couple of other things but thats it] could be used with of course new viewers not being confused and die hard fans knowing what this is all about. I think it would be one of the biggest things ever not just in doctor who but in any franchise to have such a huge character from spinoff material actually crossover into the main tv series. Winehousefan: 17:56, June 10, 2010 [UTC]

Well, there wasn't an explicit sex scene or anything, and it's written in such a way that real anti-hanky-panky fanboys can imagine that the Doctor played along for a couple seconds out of shock and then talked her out of it (sort of like the Amy scene), but basically, yes, they slept together. Remember that the novels--and especially the New Adventures--were intended for an older and more mature audience than the series. And they were also deliberately trying to show us that there's a lot more to the Doctor that we've imagined, in every way.

As for creating a character based on some aspects of Benny--well, River Song already is that. As I mentioned above, they're both future human archaeologists with sketchy credentials who have spent time in prison. And they also both keep a diary of their travels with the Doctor in a notebook, consulting it and updating it during their travels. She's also a hands-on, in-the-dirt archaeologist, but at the same time she finds digs boring and hates having to go to sleep without a bath, which sounds like what I'd expect from River, even if we haven't actually seen it. In many other ways, of course, River is very different from Benny.

And one of Benny's best stories already was adapted in the new series, but with Martha replacing her--Human Nature.

Taking that farther and creating an "alternate Benny" the way they created an "alternate Joan Redfern" for the Human Nature adaptation, I don't think would work as well. If we're going to meet Benny, it should be actual Benny, who acts like Benny and remembers adventures with the Seventh Doctor (including a couple throwaway jokes and references for the geekier fans, but no more than that--probably even less than in School Reunion). --Falcotron 23:58, June 10, 2010 (UTC)

I haven't read the novel human nature but is Bernice sumerfield pinning for the doctor in it like Martha just wondering. Having taken what you have said into consideration I actually doubt they will adapt Bernice sumerfield now, as if River Song is like her well then two fiesty archeoligist companions in it together who are after him. Plus Alex kingston and Lisa Bowerman are roughly the same age, it will be a bit of a stretch to have two very similar companions. As long as we have river song then we wont be getting Benny sumerfield, River Song probably fulfills that position now, still we might see her in a later one after the river song arc is wrapped up. Winehousefan:12:09 June 11, 2010 [UTC]

No, Benny doesn't pine for the Doctor the way Martha does, or whine about him falling in love with someone besides her. In fact, she just got over a relationship, and is a little cynical about the idea of love in general. She's also pretending to be his niece rather than his family servant, so she doesn't have to deal with the classism issue--and, for obvious reasons, she doesn't have to deal with racism either (although there's a large side plot on sexism and suffragettes, which is vaguely similar).

Also, she's not after the Doctor--she already got him, and then she said goodbye while they went off to live separate lives. Anyway, I may have played up the similarities between Benny and River a little too much. There's a lot about them that's similar, but also a lot that's different. Moffat must have been thinking about Benny a little when he created River, but she's not the same character. And, as I mentioned at the top, I think it could be a lot of fun to have them meet. But yeah, it probably won't happen. --Falcotron 12:31, June 12, 2010 (UTC)

Just in case anyone's curious here's an interview with Paul Cornell (creator of Benny), Den of Geek - Paul Cornell interview: Captain Britain, Doctor Who, Matt Smith, Primeval and more…,, he's asked about Benny being in the series (amongst a lot of other things), it's about 3/4 of the way through the interview. --Tangerineduel 13:29, June 12, 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Tangerinduel, that pretty much wraps things up about Benny, I think Paul cornell is right it would be pretty awful if they killed off Benny, so maybe it is just as well. Winehousefan, 17:35, June 12, 2010 [UTC]

To quote it: "The thing is I would love to see Lisa Bowerman in the show. I'd love to see Bernice Summerfield in the show, but I don't think that's on now because River Song has sort of taken her ecological niche. And it's obvious why it can't be Bernice because Moffat wants to do River Song things with her, including kill her off, you know. Which, I’d have been upset if he did with Benny. It would be really hard to have Benny in it now."

This really isn't as much of a nail in the coffin as it sounds at first. The second half, the bit about her being killed off, is all about how River can't actually _be_ Benny. The first half, the part about River taking her ecological niche so there's no room for her, is the problem, why River can't _meet_ Benny. But just because Paul Cornell couldn't think of how that fits in a couple months ago doesn't necessarily mean no one will never figure it out. Especially since Cornell likes to say that things can't be done, and then stew over them and do them anyway.... This is the same guy who told everyone that there's no way to make sense of The Two Doctors and The Five Doctors, and then came up with the Season 6B theory. As I said before, I think it probably won't happen, but it's not totally impossible. --Falcotron 05:46, June 13, 2010 (UTC)

He actually said that there's no way to make sense of the two doctors and the five doctors. LOL how ironic as you said he came up with the season 6B theory. I personally think that is the greatest explanation as to explain those glaring continuity errors in the two doctors and five doctors, though to be fair I am not actually aware of that many others. Still as you said he might just want to have her in it because he likes to do things that cant be done or if you want to take it one step further you could say he is lying and perhaps has bplans for it. I dont think its that though. Winehousefan, 10:38, June 13, 2010[UTC]

He's also at least twice written rants on how there's no such thing as canon or continuity in the Whoniverse, and then gone back to trying to explain how things fit into continuity anyway. Actually, three times, since REF: The Discontinuity Guide was pretty much a sustained sarcastic argument against continuity in the Whoniverse, interspersed with theories like Season 6B. (By the way, if you haven't read that book, go order it. It's brilliant. And, while you're waiting for it to arrive, read through a few of the classic episode guides on the BBC's Doctor Who website, which contain a lot of the material from the Guide.) --Falcotron 11:08, June 13, 2010 (UTC)

I have to say, no, I wouldn't want Benny in the show, cause she's a godawful character. Really, seriously, I've tried, but she leaves me cold. And Cornell's right; River is Benny for all intents and purposes. You'd never get the modern audience to believe she was anything other than a copy of River at this point. It's kinda like the Cybermen and Borg, really. Yeah, the Cybermen were there first, but because the Borg were done better, and have been seen by more eyeballs, the Cybermen just come across as pale imitations. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 06:18, June 22, 2010 (UTC)

No, not at all. I do my best to write off all the books (especially the Virgin novels) as completely non-canon and pretend they don't exist, and I'd hate for anything to interfere with that.216.226.176.142 19:07, July 9, 2010 (UTC)