History Characters / BerniceSummerfield

'''WARNING! THERE MAY BE UNMARKED SPOILERS!'''

Characters appearing in the BerniceSummerfield franchise. Please note this is part of the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse, not the Franchise/{{Whoniverse}}.

BerniceSummerfield hails from the 26th century, established in the Whoniverse as a SpaceOpera setting. She was companion to the Seventh and (briefly) Eighth Doctors before spinning off into her own continuity. Best friends with Ace when they travel together. Started out in the ''Virgin New Adventures'' novels and got her own Creator/BigFinish audio spinoff (among many, ''many'' other things).

Originally a one-off character from the Seventh Doctor audio [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho007TheGenocideMachine "The Genocide Machine"]], Bev came back again... and again... and again. She was a member of an illegal salvage team, eventually met the Master, hung out with Seven and Ace for a bit, and crossed in and out of BerniceSummerfield's stories with great frequency.

* EthicalSlut: Being from a time that's bordering on FreeLoveFuture, she's very open about sex and enjoys having a good shag now and again with the people she meets on her adventures. She also has no real nudity taboo, but always respects the fact that other cultures do.

* InJoke: She first appeared in the Creator/BigFinish "Dalek Empire" arc (before it became a proper spinoff), and was named on the basis that a Creator/TerryNation-pastiche story ''had'' to have a character with a one-syllable first name and the surname Tarrant. (cf Jill Tarrant in "Death to the Daleks", Cal Tarrant in the ''Dalek Annual'', Dev and Del Tarrant in ''Series/BlakesSeven'', etc).

[[quoteright:100:[[http://www.redscharlach.co.uk/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs-adrian-quote_5206.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:100:[[http://www.redscharlach.co.uk/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs-brax-hello_5457.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:100:[[http://www.redscharlach.co.uk/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs-peter-quote_3922.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:100:[[http://www.redscharlach.co.uk/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bs-jason-quote3_8195.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:100:[[http://www.redscharlach.co.uk/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miniberniceicon1_5715.jpg]]]]

Temporally-displaced former teenage runaway and intermittent street hustler; briefly and acrimoniously married to Bernice Summerfield, although all installments after their divorce make a point of showing that AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther.

* [[spoiler:ADeathInTheLimelight]]

* {{Determinator}}: ''And how''. When she was young, she went on an expedition all by herself, found nothing but a high cliff, promptly fell off it, and broke both her legs. She spent a month crawling back to base camp using only her arms. All the way keeping her wounds open so she could attract predators with the scent of her blood and feed on them. Bernice Summerfield does not give up.

* BiTheWay
** Though, to be fair, they were all under the influence of a sex drive stimulating pollen so it's unsure if she's into women the rest of the time
* BigDamnKiss: Can't resist tackle-snogging Eight, following by a SexyDiscretionShot. (The author was quite miffed that the BBC wouldn't allow an illustration.)
** In "The Shadow Of The Scourge", a Creator/BigFinish episodes written after that novel was published, Bernice sees a mirage of Eight while she's stuck in Seven's mind. She fancies him right away and jokingly asks Seven if he plans to regenerate soon. Seven teases her mercilessly about it for a while.

* ChristmasCake: Benny was in her thirties when she travelled with the Doctor.
** Though she still has men half her age fawning over her.

* HardDrinkingPartyGirl

* SlapSlapKiss: With Benny

* AscendedExtra: From a throwaway name in DouglasAdams' "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E2CityOfDeath City of Death]]" to a main cast member in two different audio ranges.

BerniceSummerfield hails from the 26th century, established in the Whoniverse as a SpaceOpera setting. She was companion to the Seventh and (briefly) Eighth Doctors before spinning off into her own continuity. Best friends with Ace when they travel together. Started out in the ''Virgin New Adventures'' novels and got her own BigFinish audio spinoff (among many, ''many'' other things).

** In "The Shadow Of The Scourge", a BigFinish episodes written after that novel was published, Bernice sees a mirage of Eight while she's stuck in Seven's mind. She fancies him right away and jokingly asks Seven if he plans to regenerate soon. Seven teases her mercilessly about it for a while.

* BreakTheCutie: Let's see, he was born by a C-section while Benny was [[spoiler: in a prison and without much medication]] not a promising start. Then, during the occupation of the Collection by [[ANaziByAnyOtherName The Fifth Axis]] he was forcebly seperated from his mother and hidden away for months. Then, when he was eight he [[spoiler: was manipulated/hypnotised into murdering Jason by Braxiatel]] (and it's implied, later remembered every second of it) and was held responsible for the death. Two stories later, he was forced to go on the run with his mother (who regularly faces danger, so one has to question the introduction of a child into all of it). Of course, the biggest blow was when he was [[spoiler: held on a slave planet for possibly three years with no knowedge of how he had arrived there or where his family were]]. And just before he was rescued by [[spoiler: Alternate Braxiatel, his lover, Antonio, who'd been his only source of hope in all that time was murdered]]. It's hard not to bame him for being a little bitter by ''Legion''. But just to rub in further [[spoiler: numerous manipulations by his 'other' mother, [[MagnificentBitch Avril]] [[BodySurf Fenman]] meant that a fragment of Antonio's mind (namely his love for Peter) continued to exist inside his own mind, convincing him that Antonio was still alive. So when it was revealed that Antonio was dead and that Fenman was using a solid light image of his body to make herself corporeal, Peter essentially had to destroy the image of the person he loved ''and it still contained a fraction of Antonio's consciousness, which was begging for death''.]] All this by the time he was eighteen. In short; if you're a BigFinish character, don't have chidren, they will go through hell.

Another Time Lord, strongly implied to be the Doctor's brother. (Rumor has it that this was [[WordOfGod confirmed by the writers at a con]], in fact.) He has an archive/museum/gallery of ''everything'', which he keeps on a private planet. Used to be a neutral MrExposition who'd send Bernice Summerfield off on adventures, but has been steadily getting more and more evil. First mentioned (sort of) in a throwaway line in the 1979 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E2CityOfDeath City of Death]]". Currently also a main cast member in the ''AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}}'' BigFinish audios.

* InJoke: She first appeared in the BigFinish "Dalek Empire" arc (before it became a proper spinoff), and was named on the basis that a Creator/TerryNation-pastiche story ''had'' to have a character with a one-syllable first name and the surname Tarrant. (cf Jill Tarrant in "Death to the Daleks", Cal Tarrant in the ''Dalek Annual'', Dev and Del Tarrant in ''Series/BlakesSeven'', etc).

Characters appearing in the BerniceSummerfield franchise. Please note this is part of the DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse, not the {{Whoniverse}}.

* InJoke: She first appeared in the BigFinish "Dalek Empire" arc (before it became a proper spinoff), and was named on the basis that a TerryNation-pastiche story ''had'' to have a character with a one-syllable first name and the surname Tarrant. (cf Jill Tarrant in "Death to the Daleks", Cal Tarrant in the ''Dalek Annual'', Dev and Del Tarrant in ''Series/BlakesSeven'', etc).

* RobotBuddy

* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: Throughly averted. The character remained a baby/toddler for years after his birth (written in 2001) was only able to speak coherenty five years of books and audios later. It wasn't until the 2010 releases that he became a teenager. Sort of played straight later when [[spoiler: he was seperated from Benny for four years (only two as far as listeners were concerned) and by the time they met up again he was eighteen years old, angry at Benny for abandoning him and had a boyfriend called Antonio.]]

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: However much Miles Richardson might [[LargeHam enjoy playing]] up Brax's [[spoiler: MagnificentBastard]] tendencies (he must get it [[HouseOfCards from his dad]]) he's stated in interviews that he was uncomfortable with how extreme Braxiatel was becoming. Aside from being OneOfUs (see below) it's notable that when he [[DescendedCreator wrote a play for the series]] featuring [[spoiler: an alternative]] Braxiatel, Brax was positively {{Adorkable}}. Anyone who hadn't listened to the previous releases would most likey criticise Benny for being so aggressive towards him.

** [[FridgeLogic Which is odd]], because the Kiloran in ''Paradise Frost'' had a low but very human sounding voice (i.e. Welsh, [[AudioErotica not that anyone's complaining]]).

!!Professor Bernice "Benny" Summerfield

** [[FridgeLogic Which is odd]], because the Kiloran in ''Paradise Frost'' had a low but very human sounding voice (i.e. Welsh, [[AudioErotica not that anyone's complaining]].

* GentleGiant: He's a seven foot canine HumanAlien with extreme strength and naturally agressive tendencies... and he's arguably the nicest character in the series.

* CrossSpeciesRomance: One-sided with Benny when he ends up fathering her child while she's possessed by a [[GrandTheftMe soul sucker]]. Has another one with [[spoiler: Bev Tarrant]]. They almost get engaged.

* [[spoiler: BadAss:]] As of ''Legion''. It helps when your stronger than all but the most fiendishly augmented humans (see below). Doubles as [[spoiler: [[BadassGay Badass Gay]]]] too.

* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: Throughly averted. The character remained a baby/toddler for years after his birth (written in 2001) was only able to speak coherenty five years later. It wasn't until the 2010 releases that he became a teenager. Sort of played straight later when [[spoiler: he was seperated from Benny for four years (only two as far as listeners were concerned) and by the time they met up again he was eighteen years old, angry at Benny for abandoning him and had a boyfriend called Antonio.]]

->There's a turn up for the books. Adrian Wall, wherever you are, I salute you! I wonder what you'd make of our grown up litte boy
* SuperStrength: Peter is stronger than all but the most augmented humans by late childhood.

* BiTheWay

* ChristmasCake: Benny was in her thirties when she travelled with the Doctor.

* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: Throughly averted. The character remained a baby/toddler for years after his birth (written in 2001) was only able to speak coherenty five years later. It wasn't until the 2010 releases that he became a teenager. Sort of played straight later when [[spoiler: he was seperated from Benny for four years (only two as far as listeners were concerned) and by the time they met up again he was eighteen years old, angry at Benny for abandoning him and had a boyfriend called Antonio.
* [[spoiler: [[SuddenlySexuality Suddenly Sexuality]]]]