Changes: Business Unusual (novel)

Revision as of 19:02, 12 May 2020

Business Unusual

Key crew

Publisher:

BBC Books

Writer:

Gary Russell

Release details

Release number:

4

Release date:

1 September 1997

Format:

Paperback Book; 5 Chapters, 277 Pages

ISBN:

ISBN 0-563-40575-9

BBC Past Doctor Adventures
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The Ultimate Treasure	Illegal Alien

Business Unusual was the fourth novel in the BBC Past Doctor Adventures series. It was written by Gary Russell, released 1 September 1997 and featured the Sixth Doctor, Melanie Bush and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

It was Gary Russell's attempt at depicting Mel's first adventure with the Sixth Doctor and also the Sixth Doctor's first meeting with Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.

Publisher's summary

A security force with no official identity... a managing director with no name... a sinister creature on guard patrol resembling some kind of hellhound... SenéNet is no ordinary multinational company.

The Doctor arrives in Brighton, 1989, travelling alone. He soon discovers his old friend, the Brigadier, has gone missing investigating SenéNet, whose new interactive games console is soon to be released at an absurdly reasonable price. He was last seen at their headquarters — based in the picturesque Ashdown Forest...

Investigating further, the Doctor becomes more and more entangled in a deadly web of intrigue. Together with Mel, a plucky computer programmer from Pease Pottage, the Doctor must overcome the conspiracy of silence, rescue the Brigadier and save the world once again — something that would be a lot easier if he just knew where to start...

Plot

to be added

Characters

References

The Doctor reflects on people he is able to maintain friendship with through multiple incarnations, including Wilkin, the St Cedd's College porter, and "that dotty Welsh beekeeper", presumably Goronwy.
The Brigadier considers video game characters the Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Doctor likes Pink Floyd, especially the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Notes

This novel was also known as The Chain of Commands.
This serves as the Brigadier's introduction to this incarnation of the Doctor and functioned as the middle chapter of a trilogy which included the Third Doctor novel, The Scales of Injustice, and Evelyn Smythe's print introduction, Instruments of Darkness.
The novel revolves around a "problem" depicted in The Ultimate Foe. There, the Doctor meets Mel for the first time. But that Mel is from the Doctor's personal future. Yet she departs the Time Lord trial room with him, despite the risk of meeting her younger self. The novel Time of Your Life had already explained that the Doctor took the Mel of The Ultimate Foe immediately back to her proper place in time (an event that is later chronicled in depth in the audio story The Wrong Doctors). In Business Unusual, writer Gary Russell gave us the obverse of The Ultimate Foe — namely the young Mel's first encounter with the Sixth Doctor. However, now it is the Doctor who's out of synch with Mel.
Much as Gary Russell's follow-up novel, Instruments of Darkness, contradicted the Big Finish audio history of Evelyn Smythe, this novel treads heavily over the Big Finish history of the Brigadier. Both this novel and the audio story The Spectre of Lanyon Moor chronicle the first encounter between the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier (However, since Spectre sees the Sixth Doctor explicitly express his surprise that the Brigadier recognises him, it may be that the Brigadier in Spectre deduced that this was a younger version of the Sixth Doctor to the one he had encountered in the past, with the Brigadier in Spectre and the Sixth Doctor in Business each acting as though they have not met the other 'before' in this incarnation to preserve the timeline and/or avoid awkward discussions).

Continuity

The Sixth Doctor is desperately trying to avoid contact with Mel, because he fears that if she meets him, she will somehow become his companion and he will be set on the path towards becoming the Valeyard. This would lead the Doctor to hide himself in the past in an attempt to settle down. (PROSE: The Spindle of Necessity)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{title dab away}}
 {{real world}}
+{{Infobox Story
-{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
+|image= Business Unusual.jpg
-{{Infobox Novel|
+|series=[[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]]
-novel name= Business Unusual|
+|number= 4
-image= [[File:Business_Unusual.jpg|250px]]|
-series=[[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]]|
+|doctor=Sixth Doctor
+|companions= [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|The Brigadier]], [[Melanie Bush|Mel]]
-number= 4|
+|enemy= [[SenéNet]], [[Nestene Consciousness]], [[Pale Man]]
-doctor=[[Sixth Doctor]]|
+|setting= [[England]], [[1989]]
-companions= [[Mel]]<br />[[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]]|
+|writer= [[Gary Russell]]
-enemy= [[SenéNet]]<br />The [[Nestene Consciousness]]<br />The [[Auton]]s<br />The [[Pale Man]]<br />The [[Irish Twins]]|
+|publisher= BBC Books
-year= [[Ashdown Forest]], [[Sussex Weald]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[Earth]], [[11 May]], [[30 June]] and [[24 July]] [[1989]]<br />[[Brighton]], [[Hove]] and [[Pease Pottage]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[Earth]], [[24 July|24]] to [[26 July]] [[1989]]|
+|release date= [[1 September (releases)|1 September]] [[1997 (releases)|1997]]
-writer= [[Gary Russell]]|
+|format= Paperback Book; 5 Chapters, 277 Pages
-publisher= [[BBC Books]]|
+|isbn= ISBN 0-563-40575-9
-release date= [[September]] [[1997]]|
+|prev= The Ultimate Treasure (novel)
-format= Paperback Book, ? Pages|
+|next=Illegal Alien (novel)
-isbn= ISBN 0-563-40575-9|
+}}{{prose stub}}
-previous story= [[The Ultimate Treasure]]|
+'''''Business Unusual''''' was the fourth novel in the [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]] series. It was written by [[Gary Russell]], released [[1 September (releases)|1 September]] [[1997 (releases)|1997]] and featured the [[Sixth Doctor]], [[Melanie Bush]] and [[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]].
-next story=[[Illegal Alien]]}}
-'''''Business Unusual''''' was author [[Gary Russell]]'s attempt at depicting [[Melanie Bush]]'s first adventure with the [[Sixth Doctor]].
+It was Gary Russell's attempt at depicting Mel's first adventure with the Sixth Doctor and also the Sixth Doctor's first meeting with Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.
 == Publisher's summary ==
-''A security force with no official identity... a managing director with no name... a sinister creature on guard patrol resembling some kind of hellhound... SenéNet is no ordinary multinational company.''
+''A security force with no official identity... a managing director with no name... a sinister creature on guard patrol resembling some kind of hellhound... [[SenéNet]] is no ordinary multinational company.''
-The Doctor arrives in Brighton, 1989, travelling alone. He soon discovers his old friend, the Brigadier, has gone missing investigating SenéNet, whose new interactive games console is soon to be released at an absurdly reasonable price. He was last seen at their headquarters - based in the picturesque Ashdown Forest...
+[[Sixth Doctor|The Doctor]] arrives in [[Brighton]], [[1989]], travelling alone. He soon discovers his old friend, [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]], has gone missing investigating SenéNet, whose new interactive games console is soon to be released at an absurdly reasonable price. He was last seen at their headquarters — based in the picturesque [[Ashdown Forest]]...
-Investigating further, the Doctor becomes more and more entangled in a deadly web of intrigue. Together with Mel, a plucky computer programmer from Pease Pottage, the Doctor must overcome the conspiracy of silence, rescue the Brigadier and save the world once again - something that would be a lot easier if he just knew where to start...
+Investigating further, the Doctor becomes more and more entangled in a deadly web of intrigue. Together with [[Melanie Bush|Mel]], a plucky computer programmer from [[Pease Pottage]], the Doctor must overcome the conspiracy of silence, rescue the Brigadier and save the world once again — something that would be a lot easier if he just knew where to start...
 == Plot ==
@@ Line 35: / Line 37: @@
 * [[Pale Man]]
 * [[Irish Twins]]
+* [[Ashley Moby]]
+* [[Christine Bush]]
+* [[Bryan Erskine]]
+* [[Ryuichi Futayomoto]]
+* [[Ingrid Krafchin]]
+* [[Janine Gilbert]]
+* [[Jones (Business Unusual)|Jones]]
+* [[Lawson (Business Unusual)|Lawson]]
+* [[Luke Aspinall]]
+* [[Rupert Illingworth]]
+* [[Susan Illingworth]]
+* [[Trey Korte]]
 == References ==
+* The Doctor reflects on people he is able to maintain friendship with through multiple incarnations, including [[Wilkin]], the [[St Cedd's College]] porter, and "that dotty Welsh beekeeper", presumably [[Goronwy]].
-''to be added''
+* The Brigadier considers video game characters the [[Mario Brothers]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog]].
+* The Doctor likes [[Pink Floyd]], especially the album ''[[The Piper at the Gates of Dawn]]''.
 == Notes ==
 [[File:The Chain of Commands.jpg|thumb|Alternate cover]]
-* This novel was also known as '''The Chain of Commands'''.
+* This novel was also known as ''The Chain of Commands''.
-* This serves as [[the Brigadier]]'s introduction to this incarnation of the Doctor, and functioned as the middle chapter of a wider trilogy which included the [[Third Doctor]] novel, ''[[The Scales of Injustice]]'' and [[Evelyn Smythe]]'s print introduction, ''[[Instruments of Darkness]]''.
+* This serves as [[the Brigadier]]'s introduction to this incarnation of the Doctor and functioned as the middle chapter of a trilogy which included the [[Third Doctor]] novel, ''[[The Scales of Injustice (novel)|The Scales of Injustice]]'', and [[Evelyn Smythe]]'s print introduction, ''[[Instruments of Darkness (novel)|Instruments of Darkness]]''.
+* The novel revolves around a "problem" depicted in ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]''. There, the Doctor meets [[Melanie Bush|Mel]] for the first time. But ''that'' Mel is from the Doctor's personal future. Yet she departs the Time Lord trial room with him, despite the risk of meeting her younger self. The novel ''[[Time of Your Life (novel)|Time of Your Life]]'' had already explained that the Doctor took the Mel of ''The Ultimate Foe'' immediately back to her proper place in time (an event that is later chronicled in depth in the audio story ''[[The Wrong Doctors (audio story)|The Wrong Doctors]]''). In ''Business Unusual'', writer [[Gary Russell]] gave us the obverse of ''The Ultimate Foe'' — namely the young Mel's first encounter with the Sixth Doctor. However, now it is the Doctor who's out of synch with Mel.
+* Much as [[Gary Russell]]'s follow-up novel, ''Instruments of Darkness'', contradicted the Big Finish audio history of [[Evelyn Smythe]], this novel treads heavily over the Big Finish history of [[the Brigadier]]. Both this novel and the audio story ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]'' chronicle the first encounter between the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier (However, since ''Spectre'' sees the Sixth Doctor explicitly express his surprise that the Brigadier recognises him, it may be that the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' deduced that this was a younger version of the Sixth Doctor to the one he had encountered in the past, with the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' and the Sixth Doctor in ''Business'' each acting as though they have not met the other 'before' in this incarnation to preserve the timeline and/or avoid awkward discussions).
 == Continuity ==
+* The [[Sixth Doctor]] is desperately trying to avoid contact with Mel, because he fears that if she meets him, she will somehow become his companion and he will be set on the path towards becoming [[the Valeyard]]. This would lead the Doctor to hide himself in the past in an attempt to settle down. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Spindle of Necessity (short story)|The Spindle of Necessity]]'')
-* The novel revolves around a "problem" depicted in ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]''. There, the Doctor meets [[Mel]] for the first time. But '''that''' Mel is from the Doctor's personal future. Yet she departs the Time Lord trial room with him, despite the risk of meeting her younger self. [[MA]]: ''[[Time of Your Life]]'' had already explained that the Doctor took the Mel of ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'' immediately back to her proper place in time. In ''Business Unusual'', writer [[Gary Russell]] gave us the obverse of ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'' — namely the young Mel's first encounter with the Sixth Doctor. However, now it is the Doctor who's out of synch with Mel.
-* The [[Sixth Doctor]] is desperately trying to avoid contact with Mel, because he fears that if she meets him, she will somehow become his companion and he will be set on the path towards becoming [[The Valeyard]]. ''This premise, central to the novel, makes little objective sense. Mel is instrumental in his victory in ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]''. Indeed, his adventure with her in ''[[Terror of the Vervoids]]'' is the key piece of evidence he offers in his defence. If he '''doesn't''' meet Mel, then it is unclear how he would have won his freedom. He seems to forget, here, that he has already overcome the Valeyard, and so no longer has to fear becoming him. It is only the '''audience''' who knows the Valeyard appears to have survived the events of ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]''.''
-* Much as [[Gary Russell]]'s follow-up novel, ''Instruments of Darkness'', contradicted the Big Finish audio history of [[Evelyn Smythe]], this novel treads heavily over the Big Finish history of [[the Brigadier]]. Both this novel and [[BFA]]: ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]'' chronicle the first encounter between the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier.
-* The Doctor refers to ''[[A Fix with Sontarans]]'' as a bad [[dream]].
-== [[Sixth Doctor - Timeline|Timeline]] ==
-* ''Business Unusua''l occurs after: [[BFA]]: ''[[The Four Doctors]]''
-* Business Unusual occurs before: [[ST]]: ''[[The Best Joke I Ever Told]]''
-:For Mel this story occurs before both [[MA]]: ''[[Millennial Rites]]'' and [[DW]]: ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'', but only the courtroom scenes in the case of the latter as this is her ''first'' meeting of the Sixth Doctor.
 == External links ==
-* {{dwrefguide|whobbk04.htm|Business Unusual}}
+{{dwrefguide|whobbk04.htm|Business Unusual}}
-* {{whoniverse|PD04.php|Business Unusual}}
+* {{whoniverse|pd04|Business Unusual}}
+* [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/busi.htm The Cloister Library: '''Business Unusual''']
 * [http://web.archive.org/web/20020622165536/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/StrangeBusy.html Gary Russel's Strange Matter: '''Business Unusual''', author notes] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine]
@@ Line 66: / Line 74: @@
 {{Auton stories}}
 {{TitleSort}}
+[[cy:Business Unusual (nofel)]]
 [[Category:PDA novels]]
 [[Category:Sixth Doctor novels]]

Tardis

Changes: Business Unusual (novel)

Revision as of 19:02, 12 May 2020

Contents

Publisher's summary

Plot

Characters

References

Notes

Continuity

External links