Roger Benoit

Roger or Jules Benoit was the French assistant to Jack Hobson on the Moonbase in 2070. He was a physicist and second in command to Hobson.

He was doing checks on the Gravitron controls when the Second Doctor, trying to find the cause of the infection on the Moonbase and collecting samples for experimentation, cut a piece from his trousers. Benoit realised what the Doctor was doing and yelled at the Doctor in French.

When Jules and Franz failed to report back from the surface, Benoit went outside the Moonbase to check on them. While out there, he was attacked by a Cyberman. He made it back to the base, with the Cybermen chasing him. He was saved when Ben sprayed the Cybermen with Polly's plastic-dissolving compound.

When the Cybermen shot a hole in the Moonbase, he and Hobson quickly covered the hole using a clear plastic tea tray (Hobson's jacket was placed in the hole to begin with, but was sucked out) to keep the oxygen from rushing out. He then worked the controls of the Gravitron to aim it at the Cybermen, sending them floating away from the moon. (TV: The Moonbase)

Behind the scenes

 * Benoit's first name was originally Jules, but in rehearsals, it was discovered that one of the other scientists was also named Jules, so Benoit's first name was changed to Roger. However, the nameplate for the character had already been made reading "Benoit J". It was decided to give Benoit a striped necktie, with the end strategically placed to obscure the offending initial. (INFO: The Moonbase) However, the "J" is still clearly visible occasionally in the finished programme.
 * In Gerry Davis's novelisation, Benoit's first name reverts to Jules.