P.R.O.B.E. (series)

P.R.O.B.E. was a multi-media spin-off series of Doctor Who.
The series started out starring Caroline John, playing an older version of television's Third Doctor companion Doctor Liz Shaw, and featuring her adventures working at the Preternatural Research Bureau, investigating unusual phenomena whilst struggling with the indifference and derision of the government and the police.
The series was originally released as direct-to-video films produced by BBV Productions, with four of its five instalments being released during the period of Doctor Whos cancellation.
In 2020, Arcbeatle Press made a publishing partnership with BBV and "revived" the series, starting with the release of Shadows of Doubt.Arcbeatlepress - P.R.O.B.E. The next year, BBV Productions themselves released two volume's worth of live-action P.R.O.B.E. shorts, the P.R.O.B.E. Case Files. By January 2022, Arcbeatle had released two P.R.O.B.E. print anthologies, Out of the Shadows and True Origins, as well as using the Preternatural Research Bureau in their anthology Cyberon; True Origins declared itself the final release from Arcbeatle that would use the Bureau or other licensed BBV concepts.Afterword of True Origins Shortly after, BBV introduced a new subseries, P.R.O.B.E.: New Companions, beginning with the audiobook Maxie, which starred one of the characters introduced in Arcbeatle's prose material, Maxie Masters.P.R.O.B.E. New Companions: Maxie on BBVproductions.co.uk
== Premise ==
The series followed Liz Shaw some years after she left UNIT and the Doctor. As established in The Zero Imperative, Liz was headhunted to set up a department for the Ministry of Defence called the Preternatural Research Bureau (or P.R.o.B.e.) because of her work at the University of Cambridge. She accepted but was unaware that P.R.o.B.e. was to be grossly underfunded, understaffed and based in a single cramped office at Ashley House.
Unlike UNIT, P.R.O.B.E. was a small-scale organisation answerable to the British government — and its purpose was to investigate the strange and the out of the ordinary, rather than merely the extraterrestrial. Liz's only colleague in the original films was assistant Louise Bayliss, who was transferred by minister Brian Rutherford in a bid to have the organisation closed. However, permission was required from Liz's ministry liaison and later lover Patsy Haggard, who refused to do so and frequently went out of her way to assist Liz. Although mention of the Doctor and the events of season 7 was forbidden due to licensing restrictions, a number of Doctor Who actors featured in the series in new roles, notably Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, as well as Louise Jameson in the recurring role of Patsy.
The first four films were written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Bill Baggs. In 2010, Big Finish Productions released Shadow of the Past, a Companion Chronicle starring John as Liz. While not part of the P.R.O.B.E. series, it acknowledged its continuity, with Liz nodding to the "preternatural research" she had been working on in her absence from UNIT. After Caroline John's death in 2012, BBV surprised their audience by announcing a new film, designed as a tribute to John and farewell to the character of Liz. When to Die, where Hazel Burrows stepped in as an elderly Liz, was released in 2015. Jameson did not return as Patsy, who was instead played by Georgette Ellison. 
Designed to wrap up Liz's adventures with P.R.O.B.E. and allow the series to continue with a fresh cast, the film also introduced two new members of the team: the eccentric technician Giles and the K9-esque portable computer Box. Later P.R.O.B.E. media starting from Shadows of Doubt featured a new P.R.O.B.E. team which had formed around Giles and Box, including Archie MacTavish, Az, Tasha Williams, Agamya and the alien refugee Maxie Masters. Liz (now Liz Haggard) was presented as retired and living in Spain with her now-wife Patsy, though she kept in contact with the new team.
== Production team ==
All five P.R.O.B.E. films were directed by Bill Baggs, who also produced all of them bar The Zero Imperative which was produced by Andy Grant. Mark Gatiss wrote the first four films whilst Baggs wrote When to Die. Mark Ayres, who did music for season 25 and season 26 of Doctor Who, made original music for the first few films, with the fifth being done by Olivia Thomas.
=== Doctor Who actors ===
A number of actors from Doctor Who played the roles of other characters throughout the P.R.O.B.E. series. Louise Jameson (Leela) played Patsy Haggard in the first four films, Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor) played Jeremiah O'Kane, Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) played Patient One and Gavin Purcell, Colin Baker (the Sixth Doctor) played Peter Russell, Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor) played Colin Dove, Sophie Aldred (Ace) played a public relations officer, Geoffrey Beevers () played Brian Rutherford and Terry Molloy (Davros) played D.I. Burke. This tradition was resumed for the 2020s revival with P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2 with Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar) being cast as Andrew Williams.
== Stories ==
=== Live-action ===
==== Direct-to-video features ====
Title 	Author 	Featuring 	Released
The Zero Imperative 	Mark Gatiss	Liz, Patsy, Gilchrist 	January 1994
The Devil of Winterborne	Mark Gatiss	Liz, Patsy, Andrew, Gavin, Rutherford	1995
Unnatural Selection 	Mark Gatiss	Liz, Patsy, Gilchrist, Rutherford 	January 1996
Ghosts of Winterborne 	Mark Gatiss	Liz, Patsy, Andrew, Gavin 	1996
When to Die 	Bill Baggs 	Liz, Patsy, Giles 	15 April 2015
==== Shorts ====
===== P.R.O.B.E. Case Files =====
Title 	Author 	Featuring 	Released 	Medium 	Volume
Stacey Facade 	James Hornby 	Love wraith 	22 January 2021 	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Manchester 	James Hornby 	Archie 	5 February 2021 	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Peckham Poltergeist 	James Hornby 	Giles 	12 February 2021	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Shadow People 	James Hornby 	Giles 	26 February 2021	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Varunastra 	James Hornby 	Giles 	12 March 2021 	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Doctor X 	James Hornby 	Doctor X 	26 March 2021 	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Goo! 	Bill Baggs 	Liz, Control 	April 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Sherwood Sorceress 	James Hornby 	Liz, Holub 	24 April 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
P.R.O.B.E. CASE FILES - TRAILER	Bill Baggs, James Hornby	Giles 	25 April 2021 	YouTube webcast	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Daylight Savings 	James Hornby 	Faction Paradox 	6 June 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
First Entry 	James Hornby 	Giles, Liz 	10 June 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Kelpie 	James Hornby 	Giles, Archie MacTavish 	10 June 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 1
Ichor 	Bill Baggs 	Liz 	5 July 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
Fog 	Bill Baggs 	Giles 	6 July 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
Lauren Anderson 	James Hornby, Bill Baggs	Lauren, Cyberons 	7 July 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
Living Fiction 	Warren Lewis 	Nosferatu 	8 June 2021 	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
PROBE: CASE FILES - Vol 2 	Bill Baggs 	Lauren Anderson, Cyberon, Maxie Masters, Andrew Williams, Faction Paradox, Orlok	14 February 2022	Webcast 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
A Message From Sir Andrew 	Uncredited 	Andrew Williams 	25 February 2022	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
The Only Cure 	James Hornby 	Lauren, Cyberons 	25 February 2022	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
Ex-President 	James Hornby 	Faction Paradox, Felix Mather 	25 February 2022	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
Legend 	James Hornby 	The Brigadier 	25 February 2022	Home video 	P.R.O.B.E. Case Files - Volume 2
O'Kane 	Bill Baggs 	Giles 	1 January 2023 	Home video 	N/A
Mist Mystery 	Bill Baggs 	Giles 	2 February 2023 	Home video 	N/A
Stranger 	Bill Baggs 	Giles, Solomon 	1 March 2023 	Home video 	N/A
Erlik 	Bill Baggs 	Giles 	29 April 2023 	 	N/A
===== Arcbeatle Press shorts =====
Title 	Author 	Featuring	Released 	Medium
Shadows of Doubt 	James Hornby, Hunter O'Connell, James Wylder	Giles 	28 April 2020 	YouTube webcast
Out of the Shadows	James Hornby 	Giles 	11 October 2021	YouTube webcast
===== Crossovers =====
Title 	Author 	Featuring 	Released 	Medium
Mission: Find Lilith	Trevor Spencer	Lucifer, Giles	8 November 2023	TikTok webcast
==== Documentaries ====
Title 	People interviewed 	Released 	Medium
Coding Case Files: Making P.R.O.B.E. Online	James Hornby, Warren Lewis, Bill Baggs	14 February 2022	Home video
=== Audiobooks ===
Title 	Author 	Subseries 	Featuring 	Released
The Door We Forgot 	James Hornby, James Wylder	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Giles, Agamya, Bedevere, Maxie, Tasha	8 May 2021
9 to 5 	James Hornby 	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Tasha 	15 May 2021
A Worthy Successor 	James Hornby, James Wylder	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Giles, Archie 	15 June 2021
She Came From Another World!	James Wylder 	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Giles, Maxie 	17 June 2021
What Happened in Manchester 	James Hornby 	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Giles, Archie 	28 July 2021
Broken Bonds 	James Hornby 	P.R.O.B.E. Audiobooks 	Giles, Maxie, Tasha, Bedevere 	4 October 2021
Maxie 	 	P.R.O.B.E.: New Companions	Giles, Maxie 	4 February 2022
Sam Myers 	 	P.R.O.B.E.: New Companions	Giles 	9 June 2022
Giles - The Beginning 	Bill Baggs 	P.R.O.B.E. Short Stories 	Giles, Liz 	8 August 2022
First Case 	Bill Baggs 	P.R.O.B.E. Short Stories 	Giles, Liz 	19 December 2022
Bold 	Bill Baggs 	P.R.O.B.E. Short Stories 	Giles, Bayliss 	26 December 2022
Guardian At The Gate 	Chris McAuley 	P.R.O.B.E. Short Stories 	Giles, H. P. Lovecraft 	29 March 2023
=== Anthologies ===
Title 	Release date
Out of the Shadows	12 October 2021
True Origins 	8 January 2022
=== Unproduced stories ===
Title 	Author 	Featuring 	Type
Ishmael's Star 	Mark Gatiss 	Liz 	Home video
Drome 	Dave Stone 	Liz 	Audio
Origin Zero 	James Wylder 	Origin Zero 	Anthology
The Paimon Affair	Charles EP Murphy	Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart	Audio
Faction Paradox 	James Hornby 	Faction Paradox 	Home video
== External links ==
== Footnotes ==
Category:P.R.O.B.E. series
Category:BBV spin-off series
Category:Arcbeatle spin-off series
Category:Overview pages
Category:Prose fiction overviews