UNIT

UNIT logo
Universe	Whoniverse
Type	Intelligence agency, military organisation
Founded	Uncertain, possibly 1960s or 1970s
Location	Worldwide Geneva, Switzerland An office building in London, England The site of the former Scarman estate, England Under the Tower of London, England Airborne aircraft carrier Valiant
Key people	Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart Captain Mike Yates Sergeant / WO1 John Benton The Doctor Sarah Jane Smith Dr. Liz Shaw Jo Grant Lieutenant Harry Sullivan Dr. Martha Jones Colonel A. Mace
Purpose	Defending Earth from extraterrestrial and paranormal threats
Technologies	Unreliable access to Gallifreyan technology, advanced translation software
Powers***	Military authority in UN member countries
Affiliations	United Nations Torchwood Institute The Doctor
Website	http://www.unit.org.uk

UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, later the Unified Intelligence Taskforce) is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science The Whoniverse is the Fictional universe in which Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and The UNIT dating controversy is an ongoing debate in Doctor Who fandom concerning exactly when the stories featuring the Fictional military organization Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Pyramids of Mars is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (sometimes Captain Mike Yates is a Fictional character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Richard Franklin Sergeant Benton is a Fictional character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by John Levene The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in Sarah Jane Smith is a Fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science fiction series Liz Shaw, full name Dr Elizabeth Shaw, is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television Josephine "Jo" Grant is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor See Harry Stack Sullivan for the American psychologist and psychoanalyst Harry Sullivan is a fictional character from the British Dr Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who Extraterrestrial life is Life originating outside of the Earth. Paranormal is an Umbrella term used to describe unusual Phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious Scientific explanation High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of There is no agreed-upon definition of power in Economics. At least five definitions of power have been used Purchasing power, i Pseudoscience is defined as a body of knowledge methodology belief or practice that is claimed to be Scientific or made to appear scientific but does not adhere to the The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security This is a List of fictional military organizations, including military branches of political bodies or governments fringe or guerrilla groups privately run militia and autonomous The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Science fiction first appeared on Television during the Golden age of science fiction, first in Britain (UK and then in the United States Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Operating under the auspices of the United Nations, its purpose is to investigate and combat paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to the Earth. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Paranormal is an Umbrella term used to describe unusual Phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious Scientific explanation Extraterrestrial life is Life originating outside of the Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 In the original Doctor Who series, several UNIT personnel (such as The Brigadier) played a major role in the programme. Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (sometimes

Following the broadcast of the 2005 series, executive producer Russell T. Davies explained that the real life United Nations were no longer happy to be associated with the fictional organisation, and the UN's full name could no longer be used. Russell T Davies, OBE (born Stephen Russell Davies, 27 April, 1963) is a critically acclaimed British Television producer However, the "UNIT" and "UN" abbreviations can be used, as long as it is not explained what the letters stand for. ^[1] In 2008, he announced that the organisation's name has been changed to the "Unified Intelligence Taskforce". ^[2] This new name was first mentioned on-screen in "The Sontaran Stratagem". " The Sontaran Stratagem " is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who

History

UNIT insignia first used in Battlefield, also seen on the UNIT website.

Pre-UNIT

The roots of the organisation in the history of the Doctor Who universe lie in two extraterrestrial incursions. The first was related in the Seventh Doctor serial Remembrance of the Daleks (1988). The Seventh Doctor is a Fictional character, the seventh incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television Remembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast In that incident, two Dalek factions fought a battle in London over the Time Lord artefact known as the Hand of Omega in late 1963. A Dalek (, ˈdɑːlεk is a member of a Fictional extraterrestrial race of Mutants from the British science fiction television London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Time Lords are a fictional race and civilization in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' The Hand of Omega is a fictional device from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. They were defeated by detachment of soldiers from the 'Intrusion Counter-Measures Group', commanded by Group Captain "Chunky" Gilmore, along with help from the mysterious time traveller known as the Doctor. Group Captain ( Gp Capt in the RAF and Indian Air Force, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former This article details time travel itself For other uses see Time Traveler. The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in Gilmore also had the assistance of a Scientific Advisor, Dr. Rachel Jensen. The ICMG was a special anti-terrorist group which drew its forces from the regular Army, and also the RAF Regiment. ^[3] The Dalek incident was of course covered-up; The ICMG was disbanded shortly afterwards, however several of its training materials and procedures were adopted by UNIT. ^[4] Gilmore later served as an advisor, often lecturing for UNIT personnel. ^[5]

The second incursion, as seen in the Second Doctor serial The Web of Fear (1968), was an attempt to take over London by a disembodied entity known as the Great Intelligence, using robotic Yetis and a deadly cobweb-like fungus. The Second Doctor is the name given to the second incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running The Web of Fear is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A robot is a mechanical or Virtual Artificial agent In practice it is usually an electro-mechanical system which by its appearance or movements The Yeti of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, although resembling the cryptozoological creatures also called A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Another small group of British infantrymen, led this time by Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart of the Scots Guards (assisted by the Doctor) beat back the attempted conquest in the tunnels of the London Underground. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (sometimes The Scots Guards (SG form part of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire

Following the Yeti Incident, the United Nations became aware that the world faced threats from extraterrestrial sources, and that with the space program sending probes deeper and deeper into space, mankind had drawn attention to itself. History First orbital flights The first successful orbital launch was of the Soviet unmanned Sputnik A robotic spacecraft is a Spacecraft with no humans on board that is usually under Telerobotic control Space science is an all-encompassing term that describes all of the various science fields that are concerned with the study of the Universe, generally also meaning "excluding Consequently, the United Nations established UNIT with the mandate to investigate, monitor and combat such threats; the United Nations is given jurisdiction over first contact situations, as revealed in The Sound of Drums. "The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Lethbridge-Stewart was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and put in charge of the British contingent, which was apparently under the purview of the British government's Department C19. This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The British contingent of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT formerly the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce is a fictional military organisation that features Department C19 was first mentioned in the serial Time-Flight, being the department at whose behest the Fifth Doctor investigated the mystery of a Concorde aeroplane that had disappeared. Time-Flight is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four The Fifth Doctor is the name given to the fifth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Several of the spin-off novels explore the idea that C19 gathers up alien technology for their own ends, as revealed in The Scales of Injustice and Who Killed Kennedy. Who Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series The canonicity of the novels in relation to the series is unclear.

20th Century

UNIT in action (from Spearhead from Space). Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast

The newly formed UNIT's baptism of fire was an invasion by the Cybermen, in the The Invasion (1968). The phrase baptism by fire or baptism of fire, known in English since 1822 is a translation of the French phrase baptême du feu and is a reference The Cybermen are a Fictional race of Cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British Science fiction television The Invasion is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first UNIT repulsed this, once again with the Second Doctor's help. Following this, Lethbridge-Stewart became convinced of the necessity of scientific advice in battling extraterrestrial threats, and recruited Dr Elizabeth Shaw from Cambridge. Liz Shaw, full name Dr Elizabeth Shaw, is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Coincidentally, the Third Doctor had been exiled to Earth by the Time Lords, and he agreed to join UNIT as its Scientific Advisor just in time to help defeat the Autons (Spearhead from Space). The Third Doctor is the name given to the third incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor; seen on screen in the long-running The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast

In the episode Inferno (1970), the Doctor found himself thrown into alternate reality where Britain had become a fascist state, and where UNIT had become the 'Republican Security Forces', or RSF. Inferno is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly The actions and demeanor of the RSF suggest that their organisation was in no way tasked with protecting Earth against extraterrestrial life. The RSF was under the command of 'Brigade-Leader' Lethbridge-Stewart, a brutal leader with a scar and an eye-patch. His staff included 'Section Leader' Elizabeth Shaw, and 'Platoon Under Leader' Benton. Brigade-Leader Lethbridge-Stewart proved to be particularly stubborn, refusing to heed any of the Doctor's warnings or offers of assistance. Eventually, the Brigade-Leader was shot and wounded by Section Leader Shaw, enabling the Doctor to return to the proper reality. The RSF are presumed to have perished when the Inferno Project in their version of reality went critical, engulfing Britain and, presumably, the whole planet.

UNIT first operated out of an office building in London and subsequently moved to a headquarters in the country that had been built over the ruins of a priory (Pyramids of Mars). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A priory is a House of men or women under religious vows headed by a Prior or prioress Pyramids of Mars is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in Its main headquarters, mentioned but never seen in the television series, is with the United Nations in Geneva. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking

When the Third Doctor's exile was lifted, his association with UNIT became more sporadic, especially after his regeneration into his fourth incarnation. The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in The Fourth Doctor is the name given to the fourth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running The last appearance of UNIT in the series for many years was in The Seeds of Doom (1976); however, the organisation continued to execute its mandate to investigate and combat alien activity. The Seeds of Doom is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Lethbridge-Stewart retired in 1976 (Mawdryn Undead, 1983), and was succeeded by Colonel Crichton (The Five Doctors). Mawdryn Undead is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced UNIT did not appear again in force until the Seventh Doctor serial, Battlefield (1989), where the British contingent (although it also has foreign members) was commanded by Brigadier Winifred Bambera, and Lethbridge-Stewart was called out of retirement to help defeat an other-dimensional invasion of armoured knights led by Morgaine. Battlefield is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four UNIT stands for Unified Intelligence Taskforce, (formerly it stood for United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) a fictional entity in the Doctor Morgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgane, Morgain, Morgana and other variants is a powerful sorceress and Antagonist of

21st Century

Variant UNIT insignia used on the website in 2005.

UNIT was referenced by acronym and full name in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", where it sent a delegation to a gathering of experts at 10 Downing Street in response to a spaceship crashing in the River Thames. This is a list of Doctor Who television serials and episodes. " Aliens of London " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on " World War Three " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. All of the experts were electrocuted by the alien Slitheen. The Slitheen are a family of massive bipedal extraterrestrials from the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who and adversaries None of the members of UNIT seen were from the original series, although one of them was originally said to be Doctor Who Magazine comic strip character Muriel Frost. Doctor Who Magazine (abbreviated as DWM) is a Magazine devoted to the long-running British Science fiction television Muriel Frost is a Fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction ^[6] They would appear again in "The Christmas Invasion"', with a facility in the Tower of London, access to alien language translation software, and awareness of Martians. " The Christmas Invasion " is a 60-minute special episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London The Ice Warriors is the name given to a Fictional extraterrestrial race of Reptile -like beings in the long-running British science fiction Prime Minister Harriet Jones oversaw the Sycorax crisis from this facility alongside commanding officer Major Blake. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Harriet Jones is a recurring fictional character played by Penelope Wilton in the long-running British science fiction television series

The UK contingent of UNIT has ties to Torchwood, while the United Nations are unaware of its existence; this may indicate that the UK contingent of UNIT keeps secrets from its parent organisation. This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. Major Blake contacted Torchwood to assist against the Sycorax in "The Christmas Invasion"; in Torchwood episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts", Jack Harkness mentions putting together some documents for UNIT; in "End of Days", UNIT is one of the groups that have contacted Harkness about the events of that episode. "Greeks Bearing Gifts" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Captain Jack Harkness "End of Days" is the final episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which There is rivalry between the two groups however; in "Reset", Jack derisively refers to UNIT in this episode as "decaffeinated Torchwood" and "the acceptable face of intelligence gathering about aliens", and Torchwood did not inform UNIT about the powerful Resurrection Gauntlet. " Reset " is the sixth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was first broadcast This is a list of extraterrestrial supernatural otherworldly and futuristic items featured in the BBC Science-fiction drama Torchwood and its spin-off

Variant UNIT insignia used in "The Christmas Invasion", on uniforms, doors and windows. A further variant with a coloured globe was used on computers.

In "The Sound of Drums", UNIT is shown to have an aircraft carrier called the Valiant designed by Minister of Defence and later Prime Minister Harold "Harry" Saxon (alias the Master). "The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Science fiction Television series Doctor Who has presented various vehicles belonging to multiple races/societies A defence minister (or defense minister) is a Cabinet position which regulates the Armed forces in some sovereign nations In both the original run and since the 2005 revival long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who has featured a number The Master is a recurring character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. UNIT assumes control of handling the Toclafane visitation, not knowing it has been secretly engineered by the Master. This is a list of monsters and aliens from the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. While brief radio reports can be heard near the end suggesting UNIT is being overwhelmed by the Toclafane invasion, the Paradox machine's destruction reverses time to just before the invasion began.

In the The Sarah Jane Adventures serial "Revenge of the Slitheen", Sarah Jane Smith telephones UNIT to tell them about the secret rooms around the world with alien machinery inside, located in schools constructed by the fictional Coldfire Construction. The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British Science fiction Television series produced by BBC Wales for CBBC, created Revenge of the Slitheen is the second story of the British Science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sarah Jane Smith is a Fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science fiction series UNIT is also referred to in the serial "The Lost Boy", where UNIT used its political clout to pull strings with the London police to have its former member Sarah Jane Smith released without charge after she was arrested for alleged child abduction. The Lost Boy is the sixth story of the British Science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sarah Jane Smith is a Fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science fiction series

In the Torchwood episode "Reset" it is established that the Doctor's former companion Martha Jones has joined UNIT as a qualified doctor (the Doctor having recommended her to UNIT) and when Jack Harkness was in need of some help he drafted her into the Torchwood Institute on a temporary basis. " Reset " is the sixth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was first broadcast Captain Jack Harkness This article is about the organisation within Doctor Who; for the spinoff programme see Torchwood. UNIT were working on the same mystery as the Torchwood Institute in that episode and the two organisations pooled their resources in order to solve it.

Beginning in the later Torchwood episode "Fragments" UNIT is depicted as having little regard for law or human rights. " Fragments " is the twelfth and Penultimate episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled After a young Toshiko Sato becomes unwillingly involved with terrorists, she is captured by UNIT soldiers and subject to an indefinite term of imprisonment without trial, until she is rescued by Jack Harkness and recruited to Torchwood. is a Fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori.

UNIT's first proper team-up with the Doctor in the new series occurred in the 2008 2-parter "The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky". " The Sontaran Stratagem " is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who " The Poison Sky " is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. They are now a larger, better-outfitted organisation, getting a large amount of legal powers (and of funding from the United Nations) - including the capability to command & co-ordinate the planet's nuclear weaponry in a single strike - in the name of "Homeworld Security". The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The term homeland security refers to the broad national effort by all levels of government to protect its territory from hazards both internal and external natural and man-made The UK branch is under the command of Colonel Mace. Under the codename Operation Blue Sky, UNIT (via Martha Jones) called in the Doctor and seized control of the central factory for ATMOS Systems, intending to investigate whether it was an alien front organisation. In the process, two soldiers were brainwashed by the Sontarans and Martha Jones replaced by a clone, while the Sontaran Tenth Battle Fleet (reacting to the Doctor's presence) advanced their invasion plans, attempting to change the atmosphere and disabling UNIT's nuclear strikes. The Sontarans are a Fictional extraterrestrial race from the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, invented Despite an initial massacre at the ATMOS factory, a change in weaponry and strategic use of the Valiant meant that UNIT retook the factory and defeated the Sontaran attack force there, giving the Doctor the opening to stop the Sontaran strategem.

Organisation

UNIT's status is supported by enabling legislation that allows it to assume emergency powers when necessary (The Green Death). Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies The Green Death is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six Although it operates under the authority of the United Nations, its members are seconded from the host country's military and are still bound to obey that chain of command (Spearhead from Space). In a Military context the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a Military unit and between different (Ranks, within the UK section of UNIT at least, thus mirror those in the British Army - Lethbridge-Stewart is a Brigadier, a Major appears in The Christmas Invasion, and a Colonel and Captain appear in The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. " The Christmas Invasion " is a 60-minute special episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. " The Sontaran Stratagem " is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who " The Poison Sky " is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. ) Lethbridge-Stewart, for example, reported to the Ministry of Defence and the Prime Minister, and Major Blake reported to the Prime Minister in The Christmas Invasion. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters However, where such orders conflict, appeals can be made to Geneva. Due to the international nature of the organisation, it is sometimes viewed with suspicion by local military and national security agencies, who feel that it might impinge on their sovereignty (The Ambassadors of Death). The Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast UNIT's existence is known to the public, but mainly as a security organisation with scientific expertise (The Three Doctors); its actual agenda is classified, some believing it to be some kind of covert counter-terrorist unit. The Three Doctors is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast in four weekly Counter-terrorism or counterterrorism refers to the practices tactics, techniques and strategies that Governments militaries, Police departments

Equipment

UNIT's personnel have a wide range of weaponry to call on, some custom-made to combat specific threats. A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion Among these are armour-piercing munitions for use against robots and Daleks, explosive rounds for Yetis, silver-tipped rounds for werewolves and vampires, gold-tipped rounds for use against the Cybermen, and rad-steel coated bullets to neutralise Sontaran anti-bullet fields that target copper. An armor-piercing shell is a type of Ammunition designed to penetrate Armor. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied A cartridge (also known as a "round" packages the Bullet, Gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The Cybermen are a Fictional race of Cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British Science fiction television

In The Invasion, UNIT had a command centre established in the cargo hold of a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Dæmons featured the UNIT Mobile HQ, a large bus-like vehicle that could be driven to the site of an incident. The Dæmons is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five A mobile command centre is also shown in "The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky", where it is depictied as a black Articulated Lorry with UNIT insignia. " The Sontaran Stratagem " is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who " The Poison Sky " is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. truckcartransporterarp750pixjpg|thumb|right|A tractor with an auto-transport Semi-trailer.

Prominent members of the British contingent of UNIT included Liz Shaw, Sergeant Benton, Captain Mike Yates, Jo Grant and later, Harry Sullivan. Liz Shaw, full name Dr Elizabeth Shaw, is a fictional character played by Caroline John in the long-running British science fiction television Sergeant Benton is a Fictional character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by John Levene Captain Mike Yates is a Fictional character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Richard Franklin Josephine "Jo" Grant is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor See Harry Stack Sullivan for the American psychologist and psychoanalyst Harry Sullivan is a fictional character from the British Civilians who have worked with UNIT include the journalist Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane Smith is a Fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science fiction series In The Claws of Axos (1971), an American agent named Bill Filer was sent from Washington to assist in the hunt for the Master. The Claws of Axos is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Master is a recurring character in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who.

In "The Christmas Invasion", UNIT is shown to have translation software which can decipher alien languages with great accuracy. The software, or at least the results from the translation, can be loaded on a hand-held device. In "The Sound of Drums", the flying aircraft carrier Valiant is introduced. "The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Science fiction Television series Doctor Who has presented various vehicles belonging to multiple races/societies

In "The Poison Sky", UNIT is shown to be able to command and co-ordinate the world's combined nuclear arsenal for strategic strikes on orbiting alien craft. The Valiant is also shown to be equipped with a scaled down version of the Torchwood weapon that destroyed the Sycorax ship in "The Christmas Invasion".

Other appearances

UNIT has also been featured in many Doctor Who spin-offs. Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of but related to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor The canonical status of these with respect to each other and to the original series is unclear. This article is not about Literary canons of influential works of fiction but about the concept of a canon which defines the world of a particular fictional series Different spin-offs have made varying attempts to be consistent with other stories.

Stage play

In 1984, a stage comedy titled Recall UNIT: The Great Tea-Bag Mystery was produced, written by Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) who reprised his character in the play. Richard Franklin is a British actor He has had various roles in different television programmes including Crossroads (January - June 1969 as The cast also included John Levene as Benton, and the play was performed between August 20 and August 24 as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. John Levene, (born 24 December, 1941) is an English actor His most famous role was that of Sergeant Benton of UNIT on the television series Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River The Edinburgh Fringe (officially the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly just The Fringe) is the world’s largest Arts festival. Due to other commitments, Nicholas Courtney was unable to appear as the Brigadier, even though the script had been written for him, but pre-recorded a telephone message from Lethbridge-Stewart which was written into the plot.

Novels

The novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch mentioned that the troops that Gilmour commanded were from the "Intrusion Counter-Measures Group". Ben Denis Aaronovitch (born 1964 is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty UNIT Exposed, the 1991 Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special, suggested that the ICMG was a forerunner of UNIT. Doctor Who Magazine (abbreviated as DWM) is a Magazine devoted to the long-running British Science fiction television This was picked up on and expanded in the spin-off novel Who Killed Kennedy by David Bishop, which provides a fictional history of UNIT from an investigative journalist's perspective. Who Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series David Bishop is an award-winning screenwriter and author Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s running such titles as the Judge Dredd Investigative journalism is a type of reporting in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest often involving crime Political corruption, or some other Scandal The novel also reveals Lethbridge-Stewart's role in proposing the formation of UNIT after the Yeti incident.

Both Virgin Publishing's Missing Adventures and BBC Books' Past Doctor Adventures have set stories in the UNIT era and have revealed new information about UNIT's past, present and future. Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book Publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally The Virgin Missing Adventures (often referred to simply as MA s in fandom were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction The Past Doctor Adventures (sometimes known by the abbreviation PDA or PDAs were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC Science fiction The New Adventures novel Just War by Lance Parkin mentions LONGBOW, a world security organisation set up by the League of Nations that encountered the occasional extraterrestrial incident but was disbanded after it and the League failed to prevent World War II. The Virgin New Adventures ( NA s were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. Lance Parkin is a British Author, best known for writing Fiction and reference books for Television series, in particular Doctor Who Just War is a novel by Lance Parkin from the Virgin New Adventures. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The Dying Days, also by Parkin named the French division of UNIT as NUIT (Nations Unies Intelligence Taskforce), and the Eighth Doctor Adventure Emotional Chemistry by Simon A. Forward named the Russian division ОГРОН (OGRON) (Оперативная Группа Разведкой Объединённых Наций, or, Operativnaya Gruppa Rasvedkoy Obyedinyonnih Natsiy, which roughly translates as "United Nations Reconnaissance Operations Group"). The Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Eighth Doctor Adventures (sometimes abbreviated as EDA or referred to as the EDAs are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC Science fiction Emotional Chemistry is a BBC Books original novel written by Simon A Simon A Forward (born 1967 in Penzance) is an author and dramatist most famous for his work on a variety of Doctor Who spin-offs. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ogrons are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Southeast Asian contingent was identified in David A. McIntee's Bullet Time as UNIT-SEA. David A McIntee is a British writer He has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC Science fiction Television series Doctor Bullet Time is a BBC Books original novel written by David A McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television

The Devil Goblins from Neptune by Keith Topping and Martin Day introduced a division within the Central Intelligence Agency headed by a man known only as Control, which has featured as a rival to UNIT in several subsequent novels. The Devil Goblins from Neptune is a BBC Books original novel written by Martin Day and Keith Topping (developed from an original idea by Day Keith Andrew Topping (born in Walker, Tyneside) is an author journalist and broadcaster most closely associated with his work relating to the BBC Television Martin Day (born 1968 is a Screenwriter and Novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Alien Bodies by Lawrence Miles introduced a more ruthless UN division called UNISYC (United Nations Intelligence Security Yard Corps), which by the 2040s has replaced UNIT. Alien Bodies is an original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Lawrence Miles (born 1972 in Middlesex) is a Science fiction Author best known for his work on original Doctor Who novels (both for By the 26th century, UNIT has transformed into a secret society called the Unitatus, pledged to defend the Earth against alien threats, first seen in Parkin's Cold Fusion. Secret society is a term used to describe a variety of organizations Cold Fusion is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor The Unitatus lasts at least until the 30th century (So Vile a Sin by Ben Aaronovitch and Kate Orman). So Vile a Sin is an original novel written by Ben Aaronovitch & Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television Kate Orman (born 1968 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian author best-known for her books connected to the British

Comic strips

The Doctor Who Magazine comic strip also frequently featured UNIT, and in the 1980s introduced a new UNIT officer, Muriel Frost. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist Muriel Frost is a Fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction One story, Final Genesis, was set in a parallel universe in which humanity has made peace with the Silurians, and UNIT has become the United Races Intelligence Command. Parallel universe or alternative reality is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own The name Silurians refers to a fictional race of Reptile -like beings in the long-running British Science fiction television series The Eighth Doctor comic strip The Flood established that the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) viewed UNIT with some degree of contempt in the early 21st century, and deliberately did not inform them when it detected a Cyberman incursion due to this and other unspecified problems with the United Kingdom's relationship with the United Nations. The Eighth Doctor is a Fictional character, the eighth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television The Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom 's external Intelligence agency. The Cybermen are a Fictional race of Cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British Science fiction television

UNIT has also appeared in cameo roles in unrelated comics. In at least one issue of Uncanny X-Men, where a character identified as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was seen briefly from behind, addressing a Sergeant-Major Benton; 2000 AD's Caballistics, Inc. strip has Lethbridge-Stewart (referred to solely by rank) appearing in several adventures as a military liaison and referring to The Web Of Fear; and Hip Flask has a 22nd Century UNIT tied into the origins of the Elephantmen. Uncanny X-Men, first published as simply The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics Comic book series for the X-Men franchise Caballistics Inc is a horror / Fantasy Comic strip, set in the present day that has been running in the weekly British anthology comic Hieronymous "Hip" Flask is a Fictional Anthropomorphic Hippopotamus who appears in [1] Marvel Comics also has two major characters called Dr Alistaire Stuart (who has claimed to know "a chap from Gallifrey") and Brigadier Alysande Stuart, Scientific Advisor and commander respectively of Britain's Weird Happenings Organisation (W. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc Alistaire Stuart is a Fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Alysande Stuart is a Fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. H. O. ) taskforce. W. H. O. has since been disbanded and Alysande killed, but Alistaire Stuart is still a recurring character in Marvel's United Kingdom.

Audio plays

An alternate universe version of UNIT and the Brigadier (played once again by Courtney) appeared in the Doctor Who Unbound audio play Sympathy For The Devil, produced by Big Finish Productions. Parallel universe or alternative reality is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own Sympathy for the Devil is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to Compact disc and In this story, UNIT was commanded by the abrasive Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood, played by David Tennant (later to be cast as the Tenth Doctor in the revived television programme). David Tennant (born David John McDonald; 18 April 1971 is a Scottish Actor. The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running The story concerned a UNIT that never had the Third Doctor working for it, with many different outcomes; Terror of the Autons resulted in "the Plastic Purges", Mike Yates died on a time-travel mission to destroy the Silurians, and so on. Terror of the Autons is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast in four weekly

In December 2004 Big Finish released UNIT: Time Heals, the first of a new series of UNIT audio plays, featuring a retired General Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart as an advisor to a new generation of officers. UNIT Time Heals is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor A preview episode (given away free with Doctor Who Magazine #351), UNIT: The Coup, had Lethbridge-Stewart finally breaking decades of secrecy by informing a press conference of UNIT's true purpose as humanity's first line of defence against the unknown (although, as it turned out, the general public believed this to be a hoax). Doctor Who Magazine (abbreviated as DWM) is a Magazine devoted to the long-running British Science fiction television UNIT The Coup is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series The series also introduced another rival division, this time within the British government, the Internal Counter-Intelligence Service, or ICIS. The Internal Counter-Intelligence Service ( ICIS) is a fictional Military organization from the UNIT audio plays by Big Finish.

The protagonists for most of this series were Colonel Emily Chaudhry (a public-relations specialist played by Siri O'Neal), Lieutenant Will Hoffman (Robert Curbishley) and Colonel Robert Dalton (a veteran of the British Army temporarily assigned to UNIT, played by Nicholas Deal). Hoffman and Dalton were killed in the third instalment, UNIT: The Longest Night. UNIT The Longest Night is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series The fourth and so far final play, UNIT: The Wasting, features this Universe’s version of Brimmicombe-Wood (again played by Tennant). UNIT The Wasting is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series The short story "The Terror of the Darkness" in the collection Short Trips: A Day in the Life revealed that Chaudhry and Hoffman had previously travelled with the Sixth Doctor. Short Trips A Day in the Life is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Ian Farrington and based on the long-running British science The Sixth Doctor is the name given to the sixth incarnation of the Fictional character known as the Doctor, seen on screen in the long-running Their adventures then continued in "Incongruous Details" (Short Trips: The Centenarian) before ending in Short Trips: Defining Patterns. Short Trips The Centenarian is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Ian Farrington and based on the long-running British science fiction Short Trips Defining Patterns is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Ian Farrington and based on the long-running British science

Film (non-Who)

In 1987, John Levene reprised his role as Benton for a made-for-video film entitled Wartime. John Levene, (born 24 December, 1941) is an English actor His most famous role was that of Sergeant Benton of UNIT on the television series Wartime is the title of a short Science fiction film produced Direct-to-video in 1987 by Reeltime Pictures. Produced by Reeltime Pictures, this was the first independently made Doctor Who spin-off film and would be followed by many others over the next 20 years. Reeltime Pictures is a British multimedia film and video production company founded in 1984 by Keith Barnfather. In 1997, the film was revised with voice-over dialogue provided by Nicholas Courtney in character as Lethbridge-Stewart. The Brigadier would himself get a made-for-video film, Downtime, which also saw appearances from UNIT and a corrupt UNIT officer named Captain Cavendish. Downtime is a direct-to-video spin-off of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

BBV have made a trilogy of UNIT videos involving the Autons, although they feature none of the original members with the main character being a psychic operative named Lockwood. The Auton trilogy is a series of Direct-to-video Spin-off productions based on the long running BBC Science fiction series The trilogy introduced one of UNIT's facilities (the Warehouse) for containing the remains of alien technology; the Containment Team responsible for these facilities and preventing alien outbreaks at them; and the Internal Security Division.

Other media

In Scream of the Shalka, Major Kennet hands the Doctor a folder with a UNIT crest on it. Scream of the Shalka is a flash -animated serial based on the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Shalka Doctor (or the REG Doctor) is the common fan name given to the character that appeared as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the

For the new television series, BBC created a faux website for UNIT at www.unit.org.uk, complete with "easter eggs" that can be accessed by the reader with the passwords "bison" and "buffalo" (the latter mentioned on screen in "World War Three"). The 2005 series revival of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who features several tie-in websites produced A virtual Easter egg is an intentional Hidden message or feature in an object such as a movie, Book The 'public' part of the website advertises UNIT Conferences and publications relating to "extra-territorial threats", as well as press releases on the establishment of a central New York Liaison office; the press releases and publications also make reference to off-screen adventures, such as the Skaniska Incident and Jersey Tollgate Situation, with the most recent covering the events of The Christmas Invasion ("Alien Life Confirmed"). The Secure Login link, using the password "badwolf" (originally "bison") uncovers a 'private' section which provides UNIT point-of-view reports about various events in the 2005 series, as well as mention of missions such as The Fourth Reich and Guatemala "Big Locust" Problem. The website's canonical status, like that of the spin-off media, is debatable. Due to the objections by the United Nations as noted above, the letters "UN" are no longer expanded to "United Nations" on the website.

UNIT dating

Main article: UNIT dating controversy

The original 1963-1989 series presented conflicting evidence about when the stories featuring UNIT were meant to take place, and there has been much confusion and continuing fan debate on this subject. The UNIT dating controversy is an ongoing debate in Doctor Who fandom concerning exactly when the stories featuring the Fictional military organization Although there is strong evidence that at least some of the production team intended for the UNIT stories to take place in the "near future", this policy was not consistently applied and there is equally strong evidence to suggest the stories took place at the time of their broadcast. Whether the stories take place contemporaneously with the broadcast dates or a few years in the future is therefore highly debatable — with the exception of Battlefield, which is explicitly set in an unspecified near future. A reference to this confusion appeared in the 2008 episode The Sontaran Stratagem, where the Doctor was unsure if his time on the UNIT staff took place during the '70s or '80s. " The Sontaran Stratagem " is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British Science fiction television series Doctor Who ^[7]

See also

• UNIT British contingent
• List of UNIT personnel in Doctor Who & Torchwood

References

External links

• "Official" (BBC-sponsored) UNIT website
• The U.N.I.T. Files - fan-written website