Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
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Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, also known as Kate Stewart, is a fictional character in the British
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
television series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''. She was created by writer Marc Platt and first portrayed by
Beverley Cressman Beverley Cressman is a British actress, best known for being the first person cast as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. She appeared in two unofficial direct-to-video ''Doctor Who'' spin-offs, ''Downtime'' (1995), and '' Dæmos Rising'' (2004). Career ...
in the independent
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
spin-offs ''
Downtime In computing and telecommunications, downtime (also (system) outage or (system) drought colloquially) is a period when a system is unavailable. The unavailability is the proportion of a time-span that a system is unavailable or offline. This is ...
'' (1995) and '' Dæmos Rising'' (2004). The character was reintroduced in the revived series by
Chris Chibnall Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV (TV network), ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' (2013-17) and as the third showr ...
in the 2012 episode "
The Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer, that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer  as the exponent. The first seven non-negative powers of three are: 1, 3, ...
", portrayed by
Jemma Redgrave Jemima Rebecca "Jemma" Redgrave (born 14 January 1965) is an English actress, and a member of the Redgrave family. She is known for her roles as the title character in '' Bramwell'' (1995–1998) and as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in ''Doctor Who'' ...
, who has continued in the role since then. Kate is the daughter of
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Ni ...
, a key figure from the classic series. Within the narrative, she leads the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) as head of Scientific Research and later as commander-in-chief, helping defend Earth against alien threats. She has appeared alongside multiple incarnations of the Doctor, including the
Eleventh In music theory, an eleventh is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a fourth. A perfect eleventh spans 17 and the augmented eleventh 18 semitones, or 10 steps in a diatonic scale. Since there are only seven degrees in a diaton ...
, Twelfth,
Thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor . A thirteenth chord is th ...
, Fourteenth, and
Fifteenth Doctor The Fifteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa in two series and two specials. Within the series' narr ...
s. She is set to appear as a lead character in the upcoming spin-off series ''
The War Between the Land and the Sea ''The War Between the Land and the Sea'' (sometimes shortened to just ''The War Between'') is an upcoming British science fiction television miniseries created by Russell T Davies for BBC One and Disney+. Part of the Whoniverse franchise, the s ...
'', scheduled for release in 2025.


Appearances


Video

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart first appears in the direct-to-video spin-off ''
Downtime In computing and telecommunications, downtime (also (system) outage or (system) drought colloquially) is a period when a system is unavailable. The unavailability is the proportion of a time-span that a system is unavailable or offline. This is ...
'' (1995), in which Kate is depicted as having grown up not knowing of her father
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Ni ...
's work fighting extraterrestrial threats in
UNIT Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
and believing he had a more ordinary military job. Blaming his work for the disintegration of their family, she becomes estranged from him and lives on a
narrowboat A narrowboat is a particular type of Barge, canal boat, built to fit the narrow History of the British canal system, locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, b ...
with her only son, Gordon. However, a shared experience fighting the
Great Intelligence The List of longest-running British television programmes, long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has an extensive Fictional universe, universe inhabited by a continuously expanding gallery of creatures and Extraterres ...
alongside the Brigadier and
Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien ...
allows her to reconnect with her father and develop a closer relationship. Later, Kate battles a Dæmon alongside ex-UNIT operative Douglas Cavendish in the direct-to-video spin-off '' Dæmos Rising'' (2004).


Television

Kate is introduced on television in the 2012 ''Doctor Who'' episode "
The Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer, that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer  as the exponent. The first seven non-negative powers of three are: 1, 3, ...
", where she meets
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
for the first time in his eleventh incarnation. She is now the head of Scientific Research for UNIT, opting to lead the military organisation towards a more science-based approach, and has dropped Lethbridge from her surname as to not receive any special favours. She and the Doctor endure "the Year of the Slow Invasion", during which cubes are sent by the Shakri to observe the human race in advance of an impending attack, and manage to stop them. In "
The Day of the Doctor "The Day of the Doctor" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', marking its 50th anniversary. It was written by Steven Moffat, who served as an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale. It was ...
" (2013), Kate and UNIT's scientific advisor
Petronella Osgood Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
encounter the Eleventh Doctor again alongside his earlier incarnations, the
War Doctor The War Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by the English actor John Hurt. Although he precedes Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in t ...
and the
Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series and nine specials. The character has also appeared in other ''Docto ...
. They confront shape-shifting
Zygons The long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has an extensive universe inhabited by a continuously expanding gallery of creatures and aliens. The series first aired on BBC in 1963 until its cancellation in 1989, with a ...
in the Black Archive, UNIT's secret vault in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
, and negotiate a peace treaty allowing 20 million Zygons to settle on Earth disguised as humans. Kate works alongside the
Twelfth Doctor The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three ...
for the first time in "
Death in Heaven "Death in Heaven" is the twelfth and final episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 8 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat ...
" (2014). When
Cybermen The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ...
are released onto the streets by Missy, Kate and Osgood arrive with UNIT officers and take Missy and the Doctor into custody on the plane Boat One. However, Missy escapes when Cybermen attack Boat One, during which a part of the fuselage blows off and Kate is sucked out of the plane. She is saved and returned safely to the ground by her father, who was converted into a Cyberman. Later, Kate summons
Clara Oswald Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the seventh series as a new travel ...
to UNIT headquarters in " The Magician's Apprentice" (2015) when Missy freezes all planes on Earth, which turns out to be her way to get UNIT's attention to arrange a meeting with Clara. In " The Zygon Invasion" / "
The Zygon Inversion "The Zygon Inversion" is the eighth episode of the Doctor Who (series 9), ninth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 7 November 2015, and was written by Peter Harness and Stev ...
" (2015), Kate goes to
Truth or Consequences ''Truth or Consequences'' is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–57) and later on television by Edwards (1950–54), Jack Bailey (1954–56), Bob Barker (1956–75), Steve Dunne (1957–58), Bob Hi ...
, New Mexico to investigate a splinter group of Zygons who start an uprising after rejecting the peace treaty made with humans. Surviving an attack by a Zygon rebel, she takes its place and reconvenes with the Doctor in the Black Archive. A standoff ensues there between her and the Zygon rebel leader Bonnie with two Osgood Boxes that could unmask or destroy every Zygon on the planet. Aided by the Doctor, the conflict ends with both sides re-affirming the peace treaty. Kate re-appears in "
Survivors of the Flux "Survivors of the Flux", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Five" or "''Flux''", is the fifth and penultimate episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', and of the six-episode seria ...
" (2021), which reveals that an alien by the name of the Grand Serpent infiltrated UNIT over several decades and facilitates its shutdown in 2017. When Kate threatens to expose him, she is forced to go on the run after a failed attempt on her life. During the 2021
Sontaran The Sontarans ( ) are a fictional race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial humanoids principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series ''The Sa ...
invasion of Earth in "
The Vanquishers "The Vanquishers", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Six" or "''Flux''", is the sixth and final episode of the Doctor Who (series 13), thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', and of the six-epi ...
" (2021), Kate emerges to lead the human resistance and triumphs with the help of the
Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is played by Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, in three series, five specials and a ...
. By 2022, Kate is able to re-establish UNIT. She takes the Master into custody in "
The Power of the Doctor "The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final story of Doctor Who specials (2022), three special episodes that follow the Doctor Who series 13, thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The episode ...
" (2022), but UNIT's headquarters are overrun by Cybermen and blown up. Kate attends a companion support group meeting and discusses recruiting them to UNIT. Kate begins using her full surname Lethbridge-Stewart again and has become the commander-in-chief of UNIT by the time she meets the
Fourteenth Doctor The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Ten ...
in "
The Giggle "The Giggle" is the third and final of the 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', written by Russell T Davies, directed by Chanya Button and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 ...
" (2023). Together, they face and defeat the Toymaker, a battle which causes the Doctor to bi-generate into the
Fifteenth Doctor The Fifteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa in two series and two specials. Within the series' narr ...
. During an alternate timeline shown in "
73 Yards "73 Yards" is the fourth episode of the fourteenth series of the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The episode was first released in the United Kingdom on BBC iPlayer on 25 May 2024 and was broadcast on BBC One the same night. It ...
" (2024), Ruby Sunday goes to Kate for help regarding a mysterious woman following her and causing all others who approach the woman to flee; in her attempt to capture the woman, Kate befalls the same fate and abandons Ruby. In "
The Legend of Ruby Sunday "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" is the seventh and penultimate episode of the fourteenth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was simultaneously released on Disney+ in the United States on 14 June 2024 and on ...
" / " Empire of Death" (2024), the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby come to UNIT for help regarding the mysteries of Ruby's mother and the recurring face of Susan Triad, whom they discover is actually the harbinger of the god of death,
Sutekh Sutekh may refer to: * Set (deity) Set (; Egyptian language#Egyptological pronunciation, Egyptological: ''Sutekh - swtẖ ~ stẖ'' or: Seth ) is a deity, god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion ...
. Sutekh destroys all life on Earth, killing everyone including Kate, but she is brought back to life after his defeat by the Doctor. In "
Lucky Day Lucky Day may refer to: Music Albums * Lucky Day (album), ''Lucky Day'' (album), a 2002 album by Shaggy, or the title song * ''Lucky Day'', an album by Jonathan Edwards (musician), Jonathan Edwards Songs * Lucky Day (1926 song), "Lucky Day" (1926 ...
" (2025), Ruby's new boyfriend Conrad Clark turns out to be using her in pursuit of his agenda of turning the public against UNIT. Following the appearance of creatures called Shreek supposedly hunting Conrad, Ruby calls Kate for help, who arrives with UNIT soldiers to stop the creatures. However, they are revealed to be fake while Conrad livestreams the encounter, a setup orchestrated by him to spread a conspiracy theory claiming the non-existence of aliens and fraud by UNIT. As a result, Kate has to deal with growing distrust by the British public as media coverage turns against the organization. Conrad infiltrates UNIT's headquarters with a gun and a camera live-streaming to his social media to demand Kate admit to his conspiracy. She reacts by releasing the real Shreek upon Conrad and refusing to help him until he admits on air that he was lying for personal gain. Although UNIT is saved as a result, there is some concern about Kate's willingness to cross the line and the potential consequences of her actions which she brushes off. "
Wish World "Wish World" is the seventh and penultimate episode of the Doctor Who series 15, fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The episode is the first in a two-part story, concluding with "The Reality War" one ...
" / "
The Reality War "The Reality War" is the eighth and final episode of the fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Russell T Davies and directed by Alex Sanjiv Pillai, it is the second of a two-part story alon ...
" depicts an altered reality created by
the Rani The Rani is a fictional character in the British BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is a renegade Time Lord, and a nemesis of the series' title character, a Time Lord known as the Doctor. The Rani is an amoral biochemist ...
and overseen by Conrad in which Kate serves as the head of the Unified
National Insurance National Insurance (NI) is a fundamental component of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It acts as a form of social security, since payment of NI contributions establishes entitlement to certain state benefits for workers and their famil ...
Team. The Doctor and
Anita Benn "Joy to the World" is an episode of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One and released on Disney+ on 25 December 2024 as the fifteenth Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005. In t ...
, an employee at the Time Hotel, use the hotel's doors to restore the true memories of everyone at UNIT headquarters, who then send signals to microchips installed in every UNIT employee in London to break them out of the illusion as well. The Rani unleashes creatures called Bone Beasts on UNIT, leaving Kate and UNIT to defend themselves, before the Doctor restores reality back to normal.


Audio drama

Beginning in 2015, Jemma Redgrave reprised the role of Kate for the ongoing
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
audio drama series ''
UNIT Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
'', which marked the company's first major release featuring characters from the revived ''Doctor Who'' series. The series also starred
Ingrid Oliver Ingrid Oliver (born 25 February 1977) is a British actress and comedian, and one half of the comic double act '' Watson & Oliver''. She played Petronella Osgood, a supporting character in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who''. Career Oliver ...
as Petronella Osgood, who appeared on television as UNIT's scientific advisor. The first four-part boxset of the series, ''Extinction'', saw the team confront an alien invasion by the Nestene Consciousness's army of plastic Autons. Kate crossed over with Big Finish's main line of ''Doctor Who'' audio dramas on two special occasions. The first was in ''The Sacrifice of Jo Grant'', the third part of the boxset ''The Legacy of Time'' celebrating the company's 20th anniversary, which featured Kate traveling back in time to the classic UNIT era and meeting the
Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...
and
Jo Grant Josephine "Jo" Grant, later Jo Jones, is a fictional character played by Katy Manning in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Jo was introduced by Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks in the first episode of '' ...
, played by Tim Treolar and
Katy Manning Catherine Ann Manning (born 14 October 1946) is a British actress. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as the companion Jo Grant in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doct ...
respectively. She also appeared in the audio drama ''Past Lives'', the first of a seven-part series produced for the programme' 60th anniversary entitled ''Once and Future'', in which Redgrave starred opposite
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...
as
Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from ...
, Sadie Miller as
Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien ...
, and
Rufus Hound Rufus Hound (born Robert James Blair Simpson 6 March 1979) is an English actor, comedian and presenter. Early life Hound was born on 6 March 1979 in Essex and moved to Surrey at the age of 7. He was educated at Hoe Bridge School Woking, Fre ...
as
the Monk ''The Monk: A Romance'' is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796 across three volumes. Written early in Lewis's career, it was published anonymously when he was 20. It tells the story of a virtuous Catholic monk who give ...
.


Development

The character of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart was initially created by Marc Platt for the spin-off drama ''
Downtime In computing and telecommunications, downtime (also (system) outage or (system) drought colloquially) is a period when a system is unavailable. The unavailability is the proportion of a time-span that a system is unavailable or offline. This is ...
'', which was released
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
by Reeltime Productions in September 1995 during the period that ''Doctor Who'' was off-air. In the release, Kate, played by British actress
Beverley Cressman Beverley Cressman is a British actress, best known for being the first person cast as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. She appeared in two unofficial direct-to-video ''Doctor Who'' spin-offs, ''Downtime'' (1995), and '' Dæmos Rising'' (2004). Career ...
, is shown to be the daughter of
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Ni ...
and lives with a son named Gordon. Cressman spoke positively of her filming experience in an interview for the online ''Doctor Who'' convention Time Space Visualiser, describing her joy in working with such established actors as well as the "easy, natural relationship" between herself and the Brigadier's actor
Nicholas Courtney William Nicholas Stone Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011) was an Egyptian-born British actor. He was best known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. ...
that allowed them to develop the father-daughter dynamic in the script. ''Downtime'' was novelized by Platt in January 1996 as part of the
Virgin Missing Adventures The ''Virgin Missing Adventures'' were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the pr ...
series, and was followed by the novel '' The Scales of Injustice'' by
Gary Russell Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an ac ...
in July, which revealed that Kate was the daughter of the Brigadier and his first wife Fiona. Cressman reprised her role as Kate for a sequel spin-off drama entitled '' Dæmos Rising'' (2004), which was released
direct-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...
by Reeltime Productions in March 2004.Ainsworth, ed. (2015). ''Doctor Who: The Complete History''. Volume 71, p. 91. When writing the episode "
The Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer, that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer  as the exponent. The first seven non-negative powers of three are: 1, 3, ...
" (2012) for ''Doctor Who'' seventh series,
Chris Chibnall Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV (TV network), ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' (2013-17) and as the third showr ...
felt it was appropriate for the episode's plot of a year-long slow invasion to bring back
UNIT Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
, which had played a central role in the show's classic run. The series' showrunner
Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television ser ...
enthusiastically agreed when Chibnall asked whether he could bring back the organisation. According to Moffat, Chibnall then decided to add a twist regarding the new leader of UNIT which the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
was not aware of until the script was delivered. In 2011, Nicholas Courtney passed away, which was reflected in-universe with the Doctor finding out about the Brigadier's death in the episode "
The Wedding of River Song "The Wedding of River Song" is the thirteenth and final episode in the sixth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 October 2011. It was written by lead writer and executive ...
" (2011). To pay tribute to Courtney, Chibnall came up with the twist of having UNIT be led by the Brigadier's daughter, Kate Stewart. In an interview with ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'', Chibnall explained that "Given that we were bringing back UNIT, I thought it would be a nice way to honour the character of the Brigadier and Nicholas Courtney’s contribution to the show by anchoring UNIT to his family. It was a way to keep that family line going, after we’d heard last year on screen that the Brigadier had died." Her character was developed to be "intelligent, quick-witted" and with "a dry sense of humour." Though she shared qualities with the Brigadier like loyalty towards the Doctor and a desire to serve humanity, unlike him she preferred to use a scientific approach rather than military tactics. Once the script was in production, Chibnall, primarily a fan of the television series, was surprised to discover that the character of Kate already existed in non-television spin-off media, which he had been completely unaware of. British actress
Jemma Redgrave Jemima Rebecca "Jemma" Redgrave (born 14 January 1965) is an English actress, and a member of the Redgrave family. She is known for her roles as the title character in '' Bramwell'' (1995–1998) and as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in ''Doctor Who'' ...
was cast in the role of Kate Stewart, replacing Beverly Cressman. Though initially daunted at joining the show, Redgrave was excited since she had watched the show as a child and more recently with her children, telling ''
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...
'' that "It's a privilege to be part of something that's captured the imagination of children." Cressman praised her replacement as a "fantastic actress"; when asked if she felt Redgrave's take was influenced by her own, she professed, "I don't think she's referred to me personally or my performance €¦but certainly in terms of the character and, you know, she's got a great take on it actually which I think is brilliant." Similarly, her co-star
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...
, who played the
Eleventh Doctor The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation (otherwise known as regeneration) of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As wi ...
, professed "I loved Jemma Redgrave!" in a BBC interview and praised her as "graceful, funny and charming and an absolute delight." When asked whether Kate and UNIT would return, Chris Chibnall responded, "I always love to see UNIT pop up, but whether they return, well that is a question for Steven Moffat..." Redgrave also expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of returning on the show, "I should be so lucky! I’d be so privileged. I keep using that word. I should use a different word. But I do feel that. It’d be great to come back. Yes, I’d love that." Moffat decided to bring back Kate for the programme's 50th anniversary special "
The Day of the Doctor "The Day of the Doctor" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', marking its 50th anniversary. It was written by Steven Moffat, who served as an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale. It was ...
" (2013) and additionally introduced
Ingrid Oliver Ingrid Oliver (born 25 February 1977) is a British actress and comedian, and one half of the comic double act '' Watson & Oliver''. She played Petronella Osgood, a supporting character in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who''. Career Oliver ...
as UNIT's scientific advisor
Petronella Osgood Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
. Kate and Osgood continued as recurring characters for the remainder of Moffat's time as showrunner, appearing in four episodes of the programme's
eighth Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...
(2014) and ninth series (2015) alongside
Peter Capaldi Peter Dougan Capaldi (; born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, director, singer and guitarist. He portrayed the Twelfth Doctor, twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker i ...
as the
Twelfth Doctor The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three ...
. Redgrave was intended to appear in the tenth series episode "
The Pyramid at the End of the World "The Pyramid at the End of the World" is the seventh episode of the tenth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was written by Peter Harness and Steven Moffat and broadcast on 27 May 2017 on BBC One. "The Py ...
" (2017), but her character was replaced by Colonel Walsh in the final script due to her prior filming commitments for the BBC drama ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
''. After six years off-screen, Redgrave made a surprise return during Chris Chibnall's period as showrunner in the final two episodes of the thirteenth series, ''
Flux Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications in physics. For transport phe ...
'' (2021). She appeared again in the BBC centenary special "
The Power of the Doctor "The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final story of Doctor Who specials (2022), three special episodes that follow the Doctor Who series 13, thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The episode ...
" (2022), which was
Jodie Whittaker Jodie Auckland Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017) and the Thirteenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022, 2025). She came to pro ...
's final episode as the
Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is played by Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, in three series, five specials and a ...
. Following
Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies ( ; born 27 April 1963), known professionally as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for being the original showrunner and head writer of the revival of the BBC sci-fi seri ...
' return as showrunner the following year, Redgrave reprised the role of Kate, now using the full surname Lethbridge-Stewart, in the 60th anniversary special "
The Giggle "The Giggle" is the third and final of the 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', written by Russell T Davies, directed by Chanya Button and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 ...
" (2023), which starred
David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...
as the
Fourteenth Doctor The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Ten ...
. The special reimagined UNIT in the vein of the organisation
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) with a new supporting cast, including Alexander Devrient as Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, and a new headquarters that fans compared to the MCU's
Avengers Tower The Stark Tower Complex is a high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter ego of the su ...
. Kate and the new UNIT made recurring appearances in six episodes of the programme's fourteenth (2024) and fifteenth series (2025) led by
Ncuti Gatwa Mizero Ncuti Gatwa ( ; born 15 October 1992) is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. After a screen Breakthrough role, breakthrough portraying Eric Effiong in Sex Education (TV series), ''Sex Education'' (2019–2023), he rose to further prominence as the ...
as the
Fifteenth Doctor The Fifteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa in two series and two specials. Within the series' narr ...
. ''
Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a Britis ...
'' first reported in March 2023 that according to BBC sources, a ''Doctor Who'' spin-off was in the works based on UNIT and will star Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart. Redgrave denied knowing anything about a UNIT spin-off in September, but confirmed her participation in Gatwa's first season, expressing "it's such a wonderful thing to be part of that family. It was absolutely tremendous and to be part of Russell T Davies' vision is so exciting." In July 2024, Davies confirmed at
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that a new ''Doctor Who'' spin-off series on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
and
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titled ''
The War Between the Land and the Sea ''The War Between the Land and the Sea'' (sometimes shortened to just ''The War Between'') is an upcoming British science fiction television miniseries created by Russell T Davies for BBC One and Disney+. Part of the Whoniverse franchise, the s ...
'' was set to begin filming that September, and will feature UNIT fighting against the Sea Devils. Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient are expected to reprise their respective roles as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim for the spin-off, alongside
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and
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as new characters.


Critical reception

Following her debut in "The Power of Three", Patrick Mulkern of ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' welcomed Kate Lethbridge-Stewart as "a wonderful addition" to the show and enthused about Jemma Redgrave's "class-act casting," describing her as "elegant, earnest, warm" and requesting that her character come back regularly. Similarly, ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' reviewer Morgan Jeffery felt that Redgrave "immediately endears herself" as Kate and praised the "lovely moment" that was her reveal as the Brigadier's daughter. Neela Debnath, writing for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', thought that the re-introduction of Kate as head of UNIT was "a wonderful way of preserving the Doctor’s relationship with the organisation and Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart." ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' reviewer Gavin Fuller agreed that her leading her father's organisation was a "lovely touch" and praised Redgrave's portrayal, stating that he would like to see the character return in the future as well. She continued to receive positive critical reception on her later appearances, with Mulkern of ''Radio Times'' lauding her "measured, classy performance" in "Death in Heaven". ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
''s Ross Ruediger described Kate in "The Zygon Invasion" / "The Zygon Inversion" as "sharper and more in tune with the complexities of the changing world than her father ..ever was" and praised her first instincts of leading and investigating rather than immediately attacking the Zygon rebels. For her review of the same episodes, Kaite Welsh of '' IndieWire'' felt that the tension between Kate and the Doctor due to their differing approaches was "handled admirably in this two-parter" and added that "Redgrave is at her best when there’s a glint of the zealot about her."


See also

* Unified Intelligence Taskforce *
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln and played by Ni ...
*
List of Doctor Who supporting characters Over the course of its many years on television, the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has not only seen changes in the actors to play the Doctor, but in the supporting cast as well. Companions The Doctor is ...


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethbridge-Stewart, Kate Recurring characters in Doctor Who Television characters introduced in 1995 UNIT personnel Female characters in drama television series