Jean Baisemore

Jean Baisemore was a scientist and a friend of Liz Shaw. She was converted into a Cyberman.

Life
Jean studied at Newnham College at the University of Cambridge in the 1960s. During Freshers' Week, she met Liz Shaw, who took an instant disliking to her due to how loud she was, finding her irritating. Jean also insisted that everybody look at photographs of her cat, Puddles. An essay that she had written on life on Mars had her laughed out of a lecture hall. She introduced Liz to the idea of life in outer space, but Liz shot her down.

Despite Liz's initial hatred of her, she and Jean became friends. Jean opened her eyes to life outside of the lecture theatre by taking her to parties and buying her her first miniskirt, as well as a large white hat. They would often sit at the window in the Copper Kettle and "bitch" about tourists sitting on the walls at King's Parade.

Prior to one party, Jean and Liz promised that they would share only one bottle of wine due to having seminars the next day. However, they ended up staying at Corpus Christi until three in the morning and were escorted back to Newnham College by a policeman who did not care that they lost their shoes.

After completing their degrees, both Jean and Liz studied for second degrees. Liz stayed in Jean's spare room in Elm View Cottage at Oakington for two years, coming to reach an understanding with Puddles that surprised all three of them. Jean would fry bacon for the two of them and watch the Royal Air Force at the airfield nearby. (AUDIO: The Blue Tooth)

Conversion
In the 1970s, Jean was contacted by Liz and planned to meet at the Copper Kettle for lunch. She visited the university dentist Gareth Arnold at Trumpington Street Surgery beforehand, where she was anaesthetised and fitted with a Cybermat in her tooth.

Jean was lured to a crashed Cyber-ship and her conversion into a Cyberman began. Liz later arrived and Jean apologised for being late before begging for Liz to kill her. However, the conversion was completed. She remained in a casket in the ship, awaiting orders that would not come after the Third Doctor defeated Gareth Arnold.

Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart ordered his soldiers to destroy the Cybermen, including Jean, which appalled the Doctor and Liz. (AUDIO: The Blue Tooth)

Legacy
Despite her essay on Martian life being derided, an article in The New Scientist was published some years later that matched it practically word-for-word. (AUDIO: The Blue Tooth)

Personality
Jean was very loud whilst at university. She loved cats and insisted on showing photographs of her cat to everyone during Freshers' Week. Although she was a scientist, Liz believed that one would never have guessed. She was not known for being punctual and often lost her keys, necessitating a hidden key to be placed outside her house. She hated curtains and did not promptly do her washing up. Despite being somewhat slovenly, she was anally retentive about the state of her books and would fly into a rage if so much as a crease appeared in one. (AUDIO: The Blue Tooth)

Appearance
Liz remarked that, as a student, Jean had far too much hair and often wore a miniskirt. (AUDIO: The Blue Tooth)

Behind the scenes
Jean's name is almost identical to that of Jean Bazemore, who first appeared in AUDIO: Jago & Son, also authored by Nigel Fairs. Both characters are named after one of his favourite teachers in drama school. (BFX: Jago & Litefoot Series 11)