P.R.O.B.E.
Doctor Who spinoff video series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doctor Who spinoff video series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
P.R.O.B.E. is a series of direct-to-video science-fiction films mostly written by Mark Gatiss and produced by BBV Productions. It was the first live-action Doctor Who spin-off series.
| P.R.O.B.E. | |
|---|---|
Title card | |
| Created by | Mark Gatiss Bill Baggs |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Starring | Caroline John Hazel Burrows Bill Baggs |
| Theme music composer | Mark Ayres |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 plus 23 Case Files |
| Production | |
| Producer | Bill Baggs |
| Original release | |
| Release | January 1994 – present |
| Related | |
| Doctor Who | |
The series features Caroline John as Liz Shaw, working for the Preternatural Research Bureau. Many former Doctor Who actors, including former Doctors Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, appear in the series playing different roles. (Due to licensing restrictions, no overt reference to The Doctor is permitted.) Doctor Who alumna Louise Jameson co-stars with Caroline John in the original four films, as Patricia Haggard.
Originally released on VHS, the series was not widely available on video. When an interviewer commented to series author Mark Gatiss that he had never seen the series, Gatiss replied "No, and you never will. One, they're not available. And two, I forbid it. Christ, for all I knew, they were the only things I would ever get to make. And I learned a frightening amount from working on them."[1] The four original films were released on DVD on 3 March 2012 exclusive to Galaxy 4 shop with a 12 rating.[2]
A fifth film, written and directed by Bill Baggs, was released 20 April 2015 with Hazel Burrows taking over as Liz Shaw.[3]
In 2020 the P.R.O.B.E. series was revived by Arcbeatle Press, starting with the release of Shadows of Doubt. Under Arcbeatle Press the series made the transition to the prose format.[4]
| 1 – The Zero Imperative | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Executive producer(s) | Andy Grant |
| Music by | Mark Ayres |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| First broadcast | January 1994 |
The Zero Imperative was released direct-to-video in January 1994 by BBV.
Former UNIT luminary Liz Shaw and her assistant Bayliss are investigating a series of bizarre murders, all committed near a soon-to-be-closed psychiatric hospital.
When the hospital is unexpectedly reprieved by rich Industrialist Peter Russell events seem to move out of Liz's control. Are the incumbent director of the clinic, Doctor Dove and his predecessor Doctor O'Kane harbouring the killer? What is the centuries-old horror hidden in the grounds?
And what exactly is the secret of room zero?
| 2 – The Devil of Winterborne | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Music by | Mark Ayres |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| First broadcast | January 1995 |
The Devil of Winterborne was released direct-to-video in January 1995 by BBV.
When P.R.O.B.E. are summoned to investigate the savage murder of retired headmaster Mr. Whittaker and his dog, Liz Shaw is disturbed to find evidence of a satanic ritual near the scene of the crime. The trail leads of deceit and corruption extends to the current occupants of nearby Winterborne School, where it appears that someone is determined to cover up an ancient secret – at any cost. With another animal having bit the dust, the current headteacher accused of murdering a pupil, and one of the school's oldest employees having been stabbed with a knife, Liz finds herself under increasing pressure from all sides to produce results, especially with P.R.O.B.E. under threat from within – and the death toll mounting. However, a shocking revelation from headteacher Gavin Purcell reveals that The Devil of Winterborne is at large – and only Liz can stop it.
|
|
| 3 – Unnatural Selection | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Music by | Mark Ayres |
| Running time | 47 min. |
| First broadcast | October 1996 |
Unnatural Selection was released direct-to-video in October 1996 by BBV.
In 1975, the British Government quietly closed down a secret evolutionary project codenamed BEAGLE, ordering the destruction of all research materials.
Today, the horrific discovery of several oddly mutated bodies alerts Liz Shaw and P.R.O.B.E. to the fact that something is stalking the original site of project BEAGLE – something which may challenge the very nature of humanity itself!
With a crack security team at her disposal, Liz desperately attempts to track down the perverted results of the project.
But who or what is hunting whom?
| 4 – Ghosts of Winterborne | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Music by | Mark Ayres |
| Running time | 42 min. |
| First broadcast | November 1996 |
Ghosts of Winterborne was released direct-to-video in November 1996 by BBV.
The Devil of Winterborne has only recently been exorcised by P.R.O.B.E.
But when the body of its last victim disappears, and a book of black magic spells is stolen from a local museum, Liz Shaw begins to wonder if the ghosts of the past have really been laid to rest.
Forced into an unholy alliance with the school's disgraced headmaster, Liz must fight not only her own warring emotions, but a festering evil that threatens to corrupt the Earth again after 100 years.
But how do you fight a shadow from hell?
| 5 – When to Die | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Written by | Bill Baggs |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Music by | Olivia Thomas |
| Running time | 63 min. |
| First broadcast | 20 April 2015 |
When to Die was released direct-to-video on 20 April 2015 by BBV.
Liz investigates the government execution of an immortal Corporal who 'no longer has a use'.
| 6 – Shadows of Doubt | |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Written by | Hunter O'Connell, James Wylder, James Hornby |
| Running time | 3 minutes |
| First broadcast | 28 April 2020 |
Shadows of Doubt was released on YouTube on 28 April 2020 by Arcbeatle Press.
Giles fears for his team in light of the upcoming perihelion.
| Case Files | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | James Hornby & Bill Baggs |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 28 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Bill Baggs |
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube |
| Release | 22 January 2021 – present |
Case Files is a series of video diaries initially released on YouTube under the initial title P.R.O.B.E. Online starting 22 January 2021 by BBV Productions,[6] later released exclusively to the BBV Productions website.
Presented as Case File video-diary entries by main character Giles, often including illustrations and references to various Doctor Who-related media. On 16 April 2021, episodes became available on the official BBV website & on DVD 10 June 2021. This lists ordered per the DVD releases.[7][8]
| Case file | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "First Entry" | James Hornby | 10 June 2021 | |
| 2 | "Kelpie" | James Hornby | 10 June 2021 | |
| 3 | "Peckham Poltergeist" | James Hornby | 12 February 2021 | |
|
Giles and Archie investigate a home haunting. | ||||
| 4 | "Manchester" | James Hornby | 5 February 2021 | |
|
Giles struggles to come to terms with the death of PROBE agent Archie MacTavish. | ||||
| 5 | "Stacey Facade" | James Hornby | 22 January 2021 | |
|
Giles finds love, but not all is as it seems. | ||||
| 6 | "Shadow People" | James Hornby | 26 February 2021 | |
|
Giles and the PROBE team are stalked by mysterious beings. | ||||
| 7 | "Varunastra" | James Hornby | 12 March 2021 | |
|
Giles contends with a mythological weapon. | ||||
| 8 | "Doctor X" | James Hornby | 26 March 2021 | |
|
Giles recovers a lost episode of 1950s television series Doctor X. Originally created by author Iain McLaughlin. | ||||
| 9 | "Goo!" | Bill Baggs | 21 April 2021 | |
|
Giles and Liz investigate a conspiracy behind the global lockdown. | ||||
| 10 | "Sherwood Sorceress" | James Hornby | 24 April 2021 | |
|
Giles helps Liz save a kidnapped child. | ||||
| Case file | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | "Out of the Shadows[9]" | James Hornby | 10 October 2021 | |
|
Released on Arcbeatle Press's YouTube channel | ||||
| Case file | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | "A Message From Sir Andrew[8]" | TBD | February 2022 | |
| 12 | "Daylight Savings" | James Hornby | 6 June 2021 | |
|
Crossover with the Faction Paradox line of spinoffs. | ||||
| 13 | "Ichor[10]" | Bill Baggs | 5 July 2021 | |
|
Giles contends with the blood of the Gods. | ||||
| 14 | "Out of the Shadows of Doubt[8]" | James Hornby, Hunter O'Connell, James Wylder & Lucy Wood-Ives from an initial concept by Aristide Twain | February 2022 | |
| 15 | "Fog[10]" | Bill Baggs | 6 July 2021 | |
|
Giles meets a curious alien prisoner. | ||||
| 16 | "Lauren Anderson[10]" | James Hornby & Bill Baggs | 7 July 2021 | |
|
Giles tangles with shapeshifters. | ||||
| 17 | "Living Fiction[10]" | Warren Lewis | 8 July 2021 | |
|
A mysterious film-reel is analysed by PROBE, proving to be very complex & deadly. | ||||
| 18 | "The Only Cure[8]" | James Hornby | February 2022 | |
| 19 | "Ex-President[8]" | James Hornby | February 2022 | |
| 20 | "Legend[8]" | James Hornby | February 2022 | |
|
Crossover with BBV's Brigadier series. | ||||
| Case file | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | "Maxie Masters" | Bill Baggs | March 2022 | |
| 22 | "O'Kane" | Bill Baggs | 1 January 2023 | |
| 23 | "Mist Mystery" | Bill Baggs | 1 February 2023 | |
| 24 | "Stranger" | Bill Baggs | 1 March 2023 | |
|
Crossover with BBV's The Stranger franchise. | ||||
| 25 | "Erlik" | Bill Baggs | 28 April 2023 | |
| 26 | "St. Swithun" | Bill Baggs | 24 February 2024 | |
| 27 | "Bridge" | Bill Baggs & Warren Lewis | 22 March 2024 | |
| 28 | "For The Hell Of It!" | Bill Baggs | 22 April 2024 | |
| Case file | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | "Mission: Find Lilith[11]" | Trevor Spencer | 8 November 2023 | |
|
Released on BBV's TikTok and YouTube channels as part of the Hellscape series | ||||
| P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cast | |
Starring Bill Baggs (reader) | |
| Production | |
| Written by | James Hornby & James Wylder |
| Produced by | Bill Baggs |
| Running time | approx 40 minutes |
| First broadcast | 8 May 2021 |
P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks are a series of narrated short stories released on the BBV Productions website.[12]
| Audiobook | Title | Written by | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Door We Forgot | James Hornby & James Wylder | 7 May 2021 | |
|
A free streaming/download version of this story read by Aubrey Guest was released by Arcbeatle Press 5 May 2020. | ||||
| 2 | 9 to 5 | James Hornby | 14 May 2021 | |
| 3 | She Came From Another World! | James Wylder | 17 June 2021 | |
| 4 | What Happened in Manchester | James Hornby | 25 July 2021 | |
| 5 | Broken Bonds | James Hornby | 3 October 2021 | |
| 6 | Silver-Tongued Liars | James Wylder | 15 January 2022 | |
| 7 | A Worthy Successor | James Hornby & James Wylder | 14 June 2021 | |
| 8 | New Companions: Maxie | Bill Baggs | 4 February 2022 | |
| 9 | New Companions: Sam Myers | Trevor Spencer | 9 June 2022 | |
| 10 | Giles: The Beginning | Bill Baggs | 8 August 2022 | |
| 11 | First Case | Bill Baggs | 19 December 2022 | |
| 12 | Bold | Bill Baggs | 26 December 2022 | |
| 13 | Guardian At The Gate | Chris McAuley | 29 March 2023 | |
Short prose stories published by Arcbeatle Press
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