History Characters / DoctorWhoUNITStaff

* CurseCutShort: She says "Oh sh-... ame" so much it's practically her CatchPhrase.

* BadassBoast: "Somewhere in your memory is a man named Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. ''I'm his daughter.''"

* [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like Father Like Daughter]]: She is so much her father's daughter that the Doctor is aware of their relationship within minutes of meeting her, despite the fact that she had dropped "Lethbridge" from her name to obscure the connection.

* RecurringCharacter: Kate made her first TV appearance in Series 7, and returned in Series 8 and 9; the only reason she wasn't in Series 10 was because of a scheduling conflict Jemma Redgrave had. She also didn't appear in Series 11 and 12, what with UNIT being out of action at the time, but finally came back in Series 13.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Averted. Kate didn't want to be shown any favouritism because of her dad. So she dropped Lethbridge from her name and earned her place in UNIT. Averted when she desires to threaten people: ''then'' her father's name comes out.

* MythologyGag: Much like Kate, she shares a surname with a UNIT character from the Pertwee era. WordOfGod has it that Moffat imagined her as Sergeant Osgood's daughter, but deliberately refrained from making it official so fans could decide for themselves. Her first name is finally revealed in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E8TheZygonInversion "The Zygon Inversion"]]... it's Petronella. EmbarrassingFirstName, no wonder we're on LastNameBasis.

!!Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (War, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Doctors)

* LastNameBasis: With the Third Doctor. Four, in contrast, usually calls him "Alistair".
* LifeWillKillYou: After helping to deflect God knows how many alien invasions, he dies peacefully in bed at a ripe old age.
* [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like Father Like Daughter]]: His daughter, Kate, from the expanded universe, who later appears in the TV series as a leader in UNIT.

* AscendedExtra: The actor originally cast was fired for being late, so director Douglas Camfield, who'd seen how well Levene got on with Creator/PatrickTroughton and Creator/FrazerHines when he played a Yeti back in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E2TheAbominableSnowmen "The Abominable Snowmen"]], gave Levene the part instead. He was quite literally an ascended extra - Levene can even still be seen in some shots of "The Invasion" as a regular unit soldier.

One of the most significant and recognisable companions, although he rarely travelled away from Earth. The head of UNIT in the 70s ([[ContinuitySnarl or in the 80s]], [[AuthorsSavingThrow "depending on dating protocol"]]), the Brig worked alongside the Doctor and many of his companions in that era and beyond — often defending the Earth from various threats. He retired from UNIT in 1976, though still met up with the Doctor on occasion, as well as with Sarah Jane (in ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'', 2008). TropeNamer for TheBrigadier, FiveRoundsRapid (from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS8E5TheDaemons "The Dæmons"]]) and ImmuneToBullets (from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E1Robot "Robot"]]).

A kind and determined UNIT sergeant. Benton was down-to-Earth and often had common sense that others around him seemed to lack. He always stood up for what he believed was right, even if it meant defying orders or getting into fights with his direct superiors. Together with Captain Yates, he was one of two recurring characters during the UNIT years who were subordinate to the Brigadier. After the Golden Age incident that led to Yates's forced retirement, he was promoted to a Warrant Officer to make up for the absence of a Captain under the Brigadier's command.

Mike Yates was one of several subordinates to the Brigadier over the years. Despite being a soldier, he was also somewhat of a radical hippie. He left UNIT after the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E2InvasionOfTheDinosaurs Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]", but returned once more for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS11E5PlanetOfTheSpiders the final Third Doctor tale]]. It's unknown if he rejoined UNIT after or simply faded into obscurity. In the [[Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]], Franklin reprised his role with Tom Baker in 2009 for three series of audio adventures, ''Hornet's Nest'', ''Demon Quest'' and ''Serpent Crest''.

The new Brigadier introduced in "Battlefield". Roped into a mad plot involving a parallel universe filled with Arthurian knights and magic, Bambera keeps a rough, militaristic attitude which immediately attracts Ancelyn, a handsome swordsman from the parallel world.

A recurring UNIT captain introduced in Donna's nightmarish parallel universe in "Turn Left", though she later appears in the main Doctor Who universe to aid the Doctor when a Routemaster bus mysteriously teleports to an alien desert in "Planet of the Dead".

Kate Stewart's right-hand woman in the revamped UNIT. She's "science-y" and a rather big fangirl of the Doctor, cosplaying him regularly. She is key to the peace negotiated between humans and Zygons in [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor "The Day of the Doctor"]], her debut story, and a RiddleForTheAges evolves around her in subsequent appearances thanks to this: She and her Zygon double become close as sisters. One of them is murdered by Missy in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven "Death in Heaven"]]. Which one lives? She's not talking...

[[folder:Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]]

* SeenItAll: There is very, very little that makes this woman so much as blink. Averted for laughs in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor]]" when she finally [[spoiler: gets to ride in the TARDIS, wondering wide eyed just "How is it bigger on the inside"]]

* SeenItAll: There is very, very little that makes this woman so much as blink.

->'''Played by:''' Richard Franklin (1971–74,[[note]]He was in all but one serial in 1971; from 1972-1974 he appeared in one or two serials per year[[/note]] 1983)

* DidNotGetTheGirl: Flirted on and off with Jo Grant for his time on the show, and looks utterly crestfallen when she announces her marriage... according to an interview with Richard Franklin, the stage directions actually called for this.

* {{Nerd}}: She's got asthma, OCD and big doofy glasses. She's also a very clever scientist who genuinely impresses the Doctor, to the point where he offers her a companion position twice over. (The first time, she is killed shortly after he makes the offer; the second time, she gently turns him down on the grounds of needing to help keep the human-Zygon peace on Earth.)

* EmbarrassingFirstName: Petronella, which is she's usually referred to by her surname.

->'''Played by:''' John Levene (1968, 1970–75[[note]]After appearing in one serial in early Season 6 in 1968, he returned midway through Season 7 in 1970 appearing in the last two serials that year. In 1971, he was in all but one serial that year. From 1972-75, he was a RecurringCharacter appearing in about two serials per year[[/note]])[[note]]a ''very'' young Darren Plant played the baby incarnation of Benton in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E5TheTimeMonster The Time Monster]]"[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:250:]]

This international military and scientific organization keeps planet Earth safe from alien menaces (or, at least, [[RedshirtArmy they try to]]) and have been a reoccurring element in Doctor Who for decades. UNIT first appeared in the 1968 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E3TheInvasion The Invasion]]", formed due to the aftermath of the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E5TheWebOfFear The Web of Fear]]". During his exile on Earth, the Third Doctor reluctantly worked for UNIT as their scientific adviser, becoming close friends with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who he had previously met twice during his second incarnation, in the process.

[[header:Unified Intelligence Taskforce[[note]]formerly United Nations Intelligence Taskforce[[/note]] (UNIT)]]

* HollywoodNerd: She's got asthma, OCD and big doofy glasses. She's also a very clever scientist who genuinely impresses the Doctor, to the point where he offers her a companion position twice over. (The first time, she is killed shortly after he makes the offer; the second time, she gently turns him down on the grounds of needing to help keep the human-Zygon peace on Earth.)

* EmbarrassingFirstName: Petronella.

-->'''Osgood''' (both of them): ''It doesn't matter which of us is which. All that matters is that Osgood lives''.

[[Characters/DoctorWhoClassicSeriesCompanions Classic Series Companions]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoK9 K9]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoRomana Romana]]) | [[Characters/DoctorWhoRevivalSeriesCompanions Revival Series Companions]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoRoseTyler Rose Tyler]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoJackHarkness Captain Jack Harkness]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoRiverSong River Song]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoClaraOswald Clara Oswald]], [[Characters/DoctorWhoTeamTARDIS Team TARDIS]]) | [[Characters/DoctorWhoOtherSupportingCast Other Supporting Cast]] ([[Characters/DoctorWhoThePaternosterGang The Paternoster Gang]]) | '''UNIT Staff'''\\

* LikeFatherLikeSon: Like Father Like Daughter: His daughter, Kate, from the expanded universe, who later appears in the TV series as a leader in UNIT.

->'''Played By:''' Jemma Redgrave (2012–present)

This international military and scientific organization keep planet Earth safe from alien menaces (or, at least, [[RedshirtArmy they try to]]) and have been a reoccurring element in Doctor Who for decades. UNIT first appeared in the 1968 serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E3TheInvasion The Invasion]]", formed due to the aftermath of the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E5TheWebOfFear The Web of Fear]]". During his exile on Earth, the Third Doctor reluctantly worked for UNIT as their scientific adviser, becoming close friends with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who he had previously met twice during his second incarnation, in the process.

* CommutingOnABus: In Seasons 9-13, after UNIT no longer appeared in every story. After the final end of UNIT as a regular part of the show's set-up, he made three more appearances in the 1980s, and a final appearance in ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures''. (Poor health repeatedly prevented him from appearing in the main show during the 21st century.)

* CommutingOnABus: In Seasons 9-13, after UNIT no longer appeared in every story.

* CommutingOnABus: In Seasons 9-11, after UNIT no longer appeared in every story.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Averted. Kate didn't want to be shown any favouritism because of her dad. So she dropped Lethbridge from her name and earned her place in UNIT.

* BadassMustache: Ironically, a fake one in almost all of his appearances outside "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]". This allowed the actor to turn TheBrigadier into the "Brigade Leader" in the MirrorUniverse tale "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E4Inferno Inferno]]". There, the character sported an [[GoodScarsEvilScars Evil Scar]]-and-[[EyepatchOfPower Eyepatch]] combo. Quite jarring.