Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown

Played by Nicola Bryant

Number of episodes - 33

(46 if you count each episode from season 22 as being two normal episodes)

Appeared between 24th of February 1984 and 25th of October 1986

Doctors - Peter Davison and Colin Baker

Description

This is the BBC character outline, as written by John Nathan-Turner and Eric Saward.

Perpugilliam (Peri for short) Brown is a wealthy 18-year-old American student studying botany. She had long blonde hair which complements her attractive looks. She does not suffer fools gladly, and her most charming attribute is an acute sense of humour.

We meet Peri for the first time while she is on holiday in whichever country we decide to film next season's foreign story.

Peri's mother Janine has remarried a man Peri dislikes--Howard. Peri still treasures the memory of her father, who died when Peri was 13, particularly as her mother seems to care more for Howard's three children than for Peri herself. It is because of her respect for her father that Peri thinks so highly of the Doctor--to some extent the Doctor replaces the gap in Peri's life. When he died he was of the same age as the Doctor appears now. This never develops further than admiration and close friendship.

Peri is the kind of girl who is popular not just because of her looks but because her warmth and sense of fun make her appeal to people of all ages.

Anonymous View (found on web)

Perpugilliam (Peri) typified the average American college woman; the very qualities that endeared Peri to many -- her straightforwardness, her constant nagging of the sixth Doctor, her weird American slang - annoyed other fans who preferred the agreeability of, say, the second Romana. Still, many people talked about the character, and as Oscar Wilde said, "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."

Brief Story Reviews

(by Paul Leach)

Season Twenty-One.

Planet of Fire

by Peter Grimwade, directed by Fiona Cumming .

For the most part Nicola is finding her feet. Her accent slips a couple of times but nothing worse than that. ( and there's the bikini scene to make up for it !) A good beginning !

The Caves of Androzani

by Robert Holmes, directed by Graeme Harper.

A good regeneration story, with Davison doing what most of us would do in his position, sacrifice ourselves to save the lovely Peri.

The Twin Dilemma

by Anthony Steven, directed by Peter Moffatt.

This story is not one of the better ones, with more emphasis on the unstable new Doctor, than the lovely Peri. However, Nicola is as ravishing as ever.

Season Twenty-Two.

Attack of the Cybermen

by Paula Moore, directed by Matthew Robinson.

Lots of action with the Cybermen. Very tight top. Guest stars: Sarah Greene and Faith Brown unrecognisable under their costumes. Good stuff

Vengeance on Varos

by Philip Martin, directed by Ron Jones.

The tightest top yet, Nicola's best performance, guest star Forbes Collins (from Maid Marian & her Merry Men), and my favourite Dr Who baddie, Sil. A masterpiece !

Mark of the Rani

by Pip and Jane Baker, directed by Sarah Hellings.

Another great performance from Nicola. The story uses splendid locations and has a cracking plot that uses The Master and introduces The Rani. And for once it is the Doctor who is screaming as he hurtles to his doom !

The Two Doctors

by Robert Holmes, directed by Peter Moffatt.

Good story linking past with present. Troughton, Hines, Baker, and Bryant are all superb !

Timelash

by Glen McCoy, directed by Pennant Roberts

The only good thing about this story is that Paul Darrow (Blake's 7) is in it. And even he's not very good. Peri's reduced to the screaming useless companion. Avoid

Revelation of the Daleks

by Eric Saward, directed by Graeme Harper

Hurrah, it's the Daleks !! Nicola puts in a good performance and her character shows a lot of independence from The Doctor. Her skills as a Botany student are highlighted to good effect.

"Slipback" (Radio Play)

by Eric Saward

Nicola and Colin are both very good, and it's a shame that more plays were not made

Season Twenty-Three.- "Trial of a Timelord".

"The Mysterious Planet"

by Robert Holmes, directed by Nicholas Mallett.

Peri and the Doctor seem more at ease with each other, and do not spend all their time arguing, which is an improvement, and Peri discovering that Ravolox is in fact Earth, is touching.

"Mindwarp"

by Philip Martin, directed by Ron Jones.

Goodbye Peri ! She again shows her independence as she joins up with King Ycranos. Sil is superb as ever ! A fitting swansong !

"Dimensions In Time"

by John Nathan-Turner & David Roden.

Nicola is paired with Peter Davison & Sarah Sutton, but like many of the companions has little to do but scream at approaching monsters. Still worth watching though, even if she does keep turning into other companions.

The Stranger.

Summoned by Shadows by Christian Darkin, directed by Bill Baggs.

(BBV Video)

Very good, what WHO would have been like if Baker had remained !

More Than A Messiah by Nigel Fairs, directed by Bill Baggs

(BBV Video)

Originally produced by AUDIO VISUALS as a Doctor Who Audio play starring Nicholas Briggs as The Doctor. Nicola pays a dual role, and Sophie Aldred (Ace) is also in it ! Hurrah !

In Memory Alone by Nicholas Briggs, directed by Bill Baggs.

(BBV Video)

Loosely based on a Doctor Who Audio Play entitled CONGLOMERATE which was produced by AUDIO VISUALS and starred Nicholas Briggs as The Doctor. Bryant, Baker & Briggs all excellent.

The Airzone Solution by Nicholas Briggs, directed by Bill Baggs.

(BBV Video)

Nicola is very good as Eleyna Brown (hmm, unusual surname), and even gets some love scenes with Colin Baker (some blokes get all the luck!)