UNIT (TV series)

***UNIT*** is a British science fiction television programme created by Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks. It is a spin-off from the BBC's long running series *Doctor Who,* which aired on BBC One for eight series between 1997 and 2006. The series focuses on the members of UNIT (the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), a secret military organisation tasked with defending the Earth from extraterrestrial and paranormal forces.

*UNIT* was aimed at adults and older teenagers, in contrast to *Doctor Who'*s target audience of both adults and children. Alongside the science fiction and action themes, much emphasis was placed on the private lives of UNIT personnel, exploring their battles with existentialism, sexuality, racism and morality, as well as the psychological, and emotional impacts of alien encounters, and of military life in general.

As of February 2020, all 54 episodes were available in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

Unlike *Doctor Who*, *UNIT* had no individual episode titles.

## Cast

#### Main

* John Levene as John Benton
* Angela Bruce as Brigadier/Major-General Winifred Bambera
* Sean Pertwee as Sergeant/Regimental Sergeant Major/Captain Tony Osgood
* Caroline John as Dr. Liz Shaw (Series 1-3, 8)
* Nina Sosanya as Captain Layla Hendrix (Series 1-4, 8)
* Danny John-Jules as Corporal/Sergeant Max Emerson (Series 3-8)
* Meera Syal as Dr. Michaela Jarvis (Series 3-5)
* Caroline Lee-Johnson as Corporal Janet Hart (Series 4-7)
* Naoko Mori as Dr. Fiona Kawa (Series 6-8)
* Zoe Telford as Captain Talia Henson (Series 6-8)
* David Haig as Brigadier Jeremy Burke (Series 7-8)
* Richard Franklin as Mike Yates (Guest: Series 1, 3, Main: Series 7-8)
* Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Series 8)

#### Recurring

* Nicholas Courtney as Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart

The former commanding officer of UNIT intelligence, now retired. He is still affectionately referred as "The Brigadier".

* Katy Manning as Josephine "Jo" Jones
* Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith

#### Guest

* Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman
* William Russell as Ian Chesterton
* Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield
* Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot
* Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon
* Brian Blessed, Adrian Lester and Art Malik as The Doctor

An eccentric renegade Time Lord from the planet of Gallifrey, and former scientific advisor to UNIT.

## List of Episodes

#### Series 1 (1997)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6

#### Series 2 (1998)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6

#### Series 3 (1999)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7

#### Series 4 (2001)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7

#### Series 5 (2003)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7

#### Series 6 (2004)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7

#### Series 7 (2005)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7

#### Series 8 (2006)

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* Episode 6
* Episode 7