Peri Brown

Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An American college student (her passport lists her residence as Pasadena, California) majoring in botany, Peri was a companion of the Fifth and Sixth Doctors and a regular in the programme from 1984 to 1986. She was the first American to travel with the Doctor, although Bryant herself is actually British, a fact that was downplayed when she joined the series. A "Peri" is a fallen angel from Persian mythology.

Related Topics:
Nicola Bryant - British - Science fiction television - Doctor Who - America - Pasadena, California - Botany - Companion - Fifth - Sixth Doctor - 1984 - 1986 - The Doctor - Peri - Persian mythology

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peri first appeared in the Fifth Doctor serial Planet of Fire, in which she encountered the Doctor and Turlough on the island of Lanzarote. When her step-father, Professor Howard Foster, was killed, she joined the Fifth Doctor on his travels, while Turlough departed to return to his home planet of Trion. Peri was present when the Fifth Doctor regenerated into the Sixth at the end of The Caves of Androzani and continued to travel with him, despite the fact that one of the first things the temporarily unstable Sixth Doctor tried to do was strangle her (The Twin Dilemma).

Related Topics:
Planet of Fire - Turlough - Lanzarote - Regenerated - The Caves of Androzani - The Twin Dilemma

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peri was a bright, spirited young woman, who travelled with the Doctor because, like many of his companions, she wanted to see the universe. Although she shared a more abrasive relationship with the Sixth Doctor, there was an undercurrent of affection in their verbal sparring.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peri travelled with the Doctor for an undisclosed period of time; some sources say she travelled with him for mere months, while others say years. Between the events of Revelation of the Daleks and the season-long story The Trial of a Time Lord, the character was shown to have matured somewhat (coinciding with an 18-month production break between the two stories) and her relationship with the Doctor less combative.

Related Topics:
Revelation of the Daleks - The Trial of a Time Lord

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the second segment of the Trial story arc, Mindwarp, Peri was abducted by a slug-like creature named Kiv, who apparently transplanted his brain into her body. Soon after, the Doctor was led to believe that Peri was dead, and was severely distressed by this. It was later revealed at the end of The Ultimate Foe (the fourth segment of the arc) that the evidence of Peri's death had been faked by the Valeyard. Peri had, in fact, survived, presumably recovered from Kiv's transplant (if it ever actually occurred), and married King Yrcanos of Thoros Alpha, a warrior king who had assisted the Doctor and Peri during the Mindwarp incident. It is not known what happened to Peri after she married Yrcanos, although the various spin-off media give different accounts of her eventual fate.

Related Topics:
Mindwarp - The Ultimate Foe - Valeyard - Spin-off

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peri was one of the more controversial companions, with some critics complaining about the motivation for adding a character who spent much of her time on screen wearing revealing outfits. Series producer John Nathan-Turner admitted that Peri was created in order to add sex appeal to the series. Similar criticisms had been levelled against the character of Leela nearly a decade earlier. Beginning with the story Timelash, and continuing through the Trial season, Peri's mode of dress became more conservative.

Related Topics:
John Nathan-Turner - Leela - Timelash

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nicola Bryant reprised the role of Peri in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time.

Related Topics:
1993 - Dimensions in Time

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~