fbpx
Wikipedia

Vislor Turlough

January 01, 1970

Vislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor, being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984. Turlough appeared in 10 stories (33 episodes).

Vislor Turlough
Doctor Who character
Turlough in a promotional photograph for Doctor Who
First appearanceMawdryn Undead (1983)
Last appearanceThe Caves of Androzani (1984)
Portrayed byMark Strickson
Duration1983–1984
In-universe information
SpeciesTrion
AffiliationFifth Doctor
HomeTrion
Home era1983

Character history edit

When Turlough first appears in the serial Mawdryn Undead, he is a student of retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart[1] (himself a former companion of the Doctor) at the Brendon Public School, but it becomes apparent that he is not what he seems. He is contacted by the malevolent Black Guardian, who offers to take him home if he kills the Doctor. He also appears familiar with concepts of time travel and matter transmission. At the end of the serial, Turlough asks to accompany the Doctor. Despite Tegan and Nyssa's suspicions, the Doctor accepts Turlough as part of the TARDIS crew.

During the course of the next two serials, Terminus and Enlightenment (collectively known, together with Mawdryn Undead, as the Black Guardian Trilogy), Turlough finds himself unable to decide whether or not to carry out his assignment from the Black Guardian, but eventually rejects him in favour of loyalty to the Doctor. Although always slightly cowardly,[2] with excellent instincts of self-preservation and a streak of ruthlessness, his relationship with the Doctor and Tegan improves with time (Nyssa having departed at the end of Terminus). He is one of the few companions capable of operating many of the TARDIS's systems, being able to run a diagnostic in The Five Doctors and program the TARDIS to retrieve the Doctor in Planet of Fire. Initially expressing a desire to return home, he continues travelling with the Doctor and Tegan until Tegan leaves at the end of Resurrection of the Daleks.

In the next serial, Planet of Fire, it is revealed that Turlough is a junior ensign commander from the planet Trion. Following a civil war on his home planet, in which his mother was killed,[3] Turlough's family were arrested as political prisoners. His father and younger brother Malkon were exiled to the planet Sarn whilst Turlough himself was exiled to Earth, supervised by a Trion agent disguised as a solicitor in Chancery Lane. Revealed for the first time in this serial is Turlough's first name, Vislor. At the end of the serial, Turlough discovers that political prisoners are no longer mistreated on Trion and decides it is time to return home.

An image of Turlough appears during the Fifth Doctor's regeneration scene in The Caves of Androzani.

Strickson has humorously commented that, not knowing what to do with him, the writers of the television series would often have the villains capture or lock him up, leading to Turlough ending up in various "states of bondage".

List of appearances edit

Television edit

Season 20
20th anniversary special
Season 21

Audio dramas edit

Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures
Doctor Who: The Lost Stories
  • Nightmare Country
Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor Adventures
  • Forty 1
    • Interlude: I, Kamelion
  • Forty 2
    • The Auton Infinity
  • The Dream Team
    • Interlude: Meanwhile Turlough
Doctor Who: Special Releases
Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles
Doctor Who: Short Trips
  • Gardens of the Dead
  • The Monkey House

Novels edit

Make Your Own Adventure
The Companions of Doctor Who
Virgin Missing Adventures
Past Doctor Adventures

Short stories edit

Comics edit

Reception edit

Sean Ferrick from WhatCulture placed Vislor at #10 on his list of the "10 Most Hated Doctor Who Characters", commenting that "there seems to be a schism in the fandom on this character. He was initially introduced as a double-agent, which made it hard for people to get on board with him. Even the other companions at the time struggled to empathise and this was before his true colours were revealed. Much of his story seemed to be added as an afterthought in the show, with him being almost constantly subdued or captured. This led to a present-but-not status for this Fifth Doctor companion, something that even Big Finish has not remedied in the expanded universe. His scepticism against the 'fools rush in' mentality of so many Doctors and other companions made him stand out that bit more, though often put him at odds with the others in the TARDIS. Unfortunately, his time on-screen was all too short for a proper exploration of this rational thinker, which left him in the dust as the show moved on without him. Perhaps in the years to come, he will be reevaluated but for now, its the scrap heap for poor Vislor!"[4] However, MaryAnn Johanson from flickfilosopher called Vislor her favourite companion, saying that "Turlough was never easy to like, but he was always intriguing and frustrating, in the most interesting kind of way. He upended ideas about who could be a companion, and why: he never really seemed to like the Doctor, and indeed bullshitted his way onto the TARDIS only as a way to escape an intolerable situation, not because he was seeking adventure or excitement. And of course there’s the small detail of how he tried to kill the Doctor, more than once, at the behest of the Black Guardian, who misled Turlough about the Doctor’s nature. Turlough was smart and sarcastic, which always appeals to me, but more importantly, he was a different sort of companion, and his presence pushed the drama into new corners. I’d love to see what the new incarnation of the show would do with someone like him."[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "Mawdryn Undead ★★★★".
  2. ^ "10 Classic Doctor Who Absurdities New Fans Won't Believe". 2 August 2014.
  3. ^ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Vislor Turlough".
  4. ^ Ferrick, Sean. "10 Most Hated Doctor Who Characters". WhatCulture. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. ^ Johanson, MaryAnn. "Doctor Who thing of the day: who is your favorite companion, and why?". flickfilosopher. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

External links edit

  • Vislor Turlough on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
  • Vislor Turlough on the BBC's Doctor Who website

January 01, 1970
vislor, turlough, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, addin. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Vislor Turlough news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article September 2022 Learn how and when to remove this message Vislor Turlough is a fictional character played by Mark Strickson in the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who He was a companion of the Fifth Doctor being a regular in the programme from 1983 to 1984 Turlough appeared in 10 stories 33 episodes Vislor TurloughDoctor Who characterTurlough in a promotional photograph for Doctor WhoFirst appearanceMawdryn Undead 1983 Last appearanceThe Caves of Androzani 1984 Portrayed byMark StricksonDuration1983 1984In universe informationSpeciesTrionAffiliationFifth DoctorHomeTrionHome era1983 Contents 1 Character history 2 List of appearances 2 1 Television 2 2 Audio dramas 2 3 Novels 2 4 Short stories 2 5 Comics 3 Reception 4 References 5 External linksCharacter history editWhen Turlough first appears in the serial Mawdryn Undead he is a student of retired Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart 1 himself a former companion of the Doctor at the Brendon Public School but it becomes apparent that he is not what he seems He is contacted by the malevolent Black Guardian who offers to take him home if he kills the Doctor He also appears familiar with concepts of time travel and matter transmission At the end of the serial Turlough asks to accompany the Doctor Despite Tegan and Nyssa s suspicions the Doctor accepts Turlough as part of the TARDIS crew During the course of the next two serials Terminus and Enlightenment collectively known together with Mawdryn Undead as the Black Guardian Trilogy Turlough finds himself unable to decide whether or not to carry out his assignment from the Black Guardian but eventually rejects him in favour of loyalty to the Doctor Although always slightly cowardly 2 with excellent instincts of self preservation and a streak of ruthlessness his relationship with the Doctor and Tegan improves with time Nyssa having departed at the end of Terminus He is one of the few companions capable of operating many of the TARDIS s systems being able to run a diagnostic in The Five Doctors and program the TARDIS to retrieve the Doctor in Planet of Fire Initially expressing a desire to return home he continues travelling with the Doctor and Tegan until Tegan leaves at the end of Resurrection of the Daleks In the next serial Planet of Fire it is revealed that Turlough is a junior ensign commander from the planet Trion Following a civil war on his home planet in which his mother was killed 3 Turlough s family were arrested as political prisoners His father and younger brother Malkon were exiled to the planet Sarn whilst Turlough himself was exiled to Earth supervised by a Trion agent disguised as a solicitor in Chancery Lane Revealed for the first time in this serial is Turlough s first name Vislor At the end of the serial Turlough discovers that political prisoners are no longer mistreated on Trion and decides it is time to return home An image of Turlough appears during the Fifth Doctor s regeneration scene in The Caves of Androzani Strickson has humorously commented that not knowing what to do with him the writers of the television series would often have the villains capture or lock him up leading to Turlough ending up in various states of bondage List of appearances editTelevision edit Season 20 Mawdryn Undead Terminus Enlightenment The King s Demons 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors Season 21 Warriors of the Deep The Awakening Frontios Resurrection of the Daleks Planet of Fire The Caves of Androzani cameo in episode 4 Audio dramas edit Doctor Who The Monthly Adventures Phantasmagoria Loups Garoux Singularity Cobwebs The Whispering Forest The Cradle of the Snake Heroes of Sontar Kiss of Death Rat Trap The Emerald Tiger The Jupiter Conjunction The Butcher of Brisbane Eldrad Must Die The Lady of Mercia Prisoners of Fate Mistfall Equilibrium The Entropy Plague The Memory Bank and Other Stories Devil in the Mist Black Thursday Power Game The Kamelion Empire The Blazing Hour The End of the Beginning Doctor Who The Lost Stories Nightmare Country Doctor Who The Fifth Doctor Adventures Forty 1 Interlude I Kamelion Forty 2 The Auton Infinity The Dream Team Interlude Meanwhile Turlough Doctor Who Special Releases The Light at the End Doctor Who The Companion Chronicles Ringpullworld Freakshow Doctor Who Short Trips Gardens of the Dead The Monkey House Novels edit Make Your Own Adventure Crisis in Space by Michael Holt The Companions of Doctor Who Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma by Tony Attwood Virgin Missing Adventures The Crystal Bucephalus by Craig Hinton Lords of the Storm by David A McIntee Past Doctor Adventures Deep Blue by Mark Morris Imperial Moon by Christopher Bulis The King of Terror by Keith Topping Short stories edit Birth of a Renegade by Eric Saward Radio Times Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special Zeitgeist by Craig Hinton Decalog 3 Consequences Qualia by Stephen Fewell Short Trips Companions Rome by Marcus Flavin Short Trips The History of Christmas Comforts of Home by Pete Kempshall Short Trips The History of Christmas One Wednesday Afternoon by Alison Jacobs Short Trips A Day in the Life The Assassin s Story by Andrew Collins Short Trips Repercussions Observation by Ian Farrington Short Trips Life Science Lant Land by Jonathan Morris Short Trips Life Science White Man s Burden by John Binns Short Trips Past Tense Last Minute Shopping by Neil Perryman Short Trips A Christmas Treasury The Misadventure of Mark Thorne by Andy Frankham Short Trips Snapshots Piecemeal by James Swallow Short Trips Snapshots Do You Believe in the Krampus by Xanna Eve Chown Short Trips The Ghosts of Christmas One Step Forward Two Steps Back by Chris Thomas Short Trips Defining Patterns Gudok by Mags L Halliday Short Trips Transmissions The Darkest Corner by Adrian Middleton Shelf Life Fair Exchange by Mike Morgan Shelf Life Comics edit The Lunar Strangers by Gareth Roberts and Martin Geraghty Doctor Who Magazine 215 217 Reception editSean Ferrick from WhatCulture placed Vislor at 10 on his list of the 10 Most Hated Doctor Who Characters commenting that there seems to be a schism in the fandom on this character He was initially introduced as a double agent which made it hard for people to get on board with him Even the other companions at the time struggled to empathise and this was before his true colours were revealed Much of his story seemed to be added as an afterthought in the show with him being almost constantly subdued or captured This led to a present but not status for this Fifth Doctor companion something that even Big Finish has not remedied in the expanded universe His scepticism against the fools rush in mentality of so many Doctors and other companions made him stand out that bit more though often put him at odds with the others in the TARDIS Unfortunately his time on screen was all too short for a proper exploration of this rational thinker which left him in the dust as the show moved on without him Perhaps in the years to come he will be reevaluated but for now its the scrap heap for poor Vislor 4 However MaryAnn Johanson from flickfilosopher called Vislor her favourite companion saying that Turlough was never easy to like but he was always intriguing and frustrating in the most interesting kind of way He upended ideas about who could be a companion and why he never really seemed to like the Doctor and indeed bullshitted his way onto the TARDIS only as a way to escape an intolerable situation not because he was seeking adventure or excitement And of course there s the small detail of how he tried to kill the Doctor more than once at the behest of the Black Guardian who misled Turlough about the Doctor s nature Turlough was smart and sarcastic which always appeals to me but more importantly he was a different sort of companion and his presence pushed the drama into new corners I d love to see what the new incarnation of the show would do with someone like him 5 References edit Mawdryn Undead 10 Classic Doctor Who Absurdities New Fans Won t Believe 2 August 2014 BBC Doctor Who Classic Series Companions Vislor Turlough Ferrick Sean 10 Most Hated Doctor Who Characters WhatCulture Retrieved 12 July 2023 Johanson MaryAnn Doctor Who thing of the day who is your favorite companion and why flickfilosopher Retrieved 12 July 2023 External links editVislor Turlough on Tardis Wiki the Doctor Who Wiki Vislor Turlough on the BBC s Doctor Who website Portals nbsp Doctor Who nbsp TelevisionVislor Turlough at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vislor Turlough amp oldid 1218578040, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.