P.R.O.B.E.
P.R.O.B.E. is a series of direct-to-video science-fiction films mostly written by Mark Gatiss and produced by BBV Productions. It was the first live-action Doctor Who spin-off series.
| P.R.O.B.E. | |
|---|---|
Title card | |
| Created by | Mark Gatiss Bill Baggs |
| Directed by | Bill Baggs |
| Starring | Caroline John Hazel Burrows Bill Baggs |
| Theme music composer | Mark Ayres |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 plus 23 Case Files |
| Production | |
| Producer | Bill Baggs |
| Original release | |
| Release | January 1994 – present |
| Related | |
| Doctor Who | |
The series features Caroline John as Liz Shaw, working for the Preternatural Research Bureau. Many former Doctor Who actors, including former Doctors Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, appear in the series playing different roles. (Due to licensing restrictions, no overt reference to The Doctor is permitted.) Doctor Who alumna Louise Jameson co-stars with Caroline John in the original four films, as Patricia Haggard.
Originally released on VHS, the series was not widely available on video. When an interviewer commented to series author Mark Gatiss that he had never seen the series, Gatiss replied "No, and you never will. One, they're not available. And two, I forbid it. Christ, for all I knew, they were the only things I would ever get to make. And I learned a frightening amount from working on them." The four original films were released on DVD on 3 March 2012 exclusive to Galaxy 4 shop with a 12 rating.
A fifth film, written and directed by Bill Baggs, was released 20 April 2015 with Hazel Burrows taking over as Liz Shaw.
In 2020 the P.R.O.B.E. series was revived by Arcbeatle Press, starting with the release of Shadows of Doubt. Under Arcbeatle Press the series made the transition to the prose format.