Janine Foster (previously Brown), or Janine Brown Foster (PROSE: When It Was Fun) was an American archaeologist and the mother of Peri Brown, a companion of the Doctor during his fifth and sixth incarnations.
She and her first husband, Paul Brown, were married on 21 November 1962. (AUDIO: Peri and the Piscon Paradox) Their only child, Peri, was born in 1966. (AUDIO: The Reaping) She was a Baptist (AUDIO: The Council of Nicaea) and a fan of Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney. (AUDIO: The Eye of the Scorpion)
Although their main residence was the Fell's Point neighbourhood of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, (AUDIO: The Reaping) her profession required her to travel extensively around the world. (PROSE: Blue Box) Paul was killed in a boating accident in 1979. (PROSE: Synthespians™) and Janine married another archaeologist, Professor Howard Foster, (TV: Planet of Fire) who already had two children of his own. (PROSE: Shell Shock)
She was on holiday with her daughter in Lanzarote in May 1984 when she met the octogenarian Dominique van Gysegham, who remained a good friend until their deaths. (TV: Planet of Fire, AUDIO: The Reaping) During that holiday, on 9 May 1984, Peri met the Fifth Doctor and Vislor Turlough as well as the shape-shifting android Kamelion, controlled by the Tremas Master. Kamelion assumed Howard's form and later that of the Master himself before seizing control of the TARDIS to take her to the planet Sarn to meet the real Master. Turlough decided to return to his homeworld, Trion, and Peri joined the Doctor on his travels, (TV: Planet of Fire) travelling with him for several years in his fifth and sixth incarnations. (TV: Mindwarp)
Janine was deeply concerned by her daughter's sudden disappearance in Lanzarote and wrongly accused Howard of being at least partly responsible for it. This led to the collapse of their marriage. When Peri returned to Baltimore in September 1984 in the company of the Sixth Doctor, having learned of the recent murder of her best friend Kathy Chambers' father Anthony Chambers, Janine was incensed that she had spent the previous five months (from her perspective) travelling with "some guys" whom she had met on Lanzarote without even phoning once to let her know that she was alive. She accused Peri of thinking that the world revolved around her and of being irresponsible. Peri was greatly upset when she overheard Kathy saying that things had been better for everyone when Peri was away and even more so when Janine agreed with this assessment. (AUDIO: The Reaping)
Several months later, Janine and Mrs van Gysegham were accidentally killed by Kathy Chambers. Kathy activated a piece of Cyberman technology which had a self-destruct mechanism that activated in the event of tampering. Their deaths led Kathy to move to Brisbane, Australia with her quadriplegic brother Nathaniel Chambers. There, she met the Fifth Doctor in September 2006. (AUDIO: The Reaping, The Gathering) Peri, who had briefly left the TARDIS, rejoined the Doctor. She had nowhere else to go after her mother's tragic death and Kathy's sudden disappearance. (AUDIO: The Reaping)
On a visit to Los Angeles in 2009, a younger version of Peri wondered whether Janine was still alive. (AUDIO: Peri and the Piscon Paradox)
Peri had an aunt named Mona who was still alive in 2009. She lived in a trailer park and collected golliwogs which she ordered from England. She dressed in a manner reminiscent of the Sixth Doctor. Given that Peri did not specify whether Mona was a maternal or paternal aunt, it is unclear if Mona was Janine's sister or her sister-in-law from her first marriage. (AUDIO: Peri and the Piscon Paradox)
Known family
- Paul Brown, first husband (widowed)
- Howard Foster, second husband (divorced)
- Peri Brown, daughter
- Two stepchildren (PROSE: Shell Shock)
- Mona, sister or sister-in-law (AUDIO: Peri and the Piscon Paradox)