The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who Series 14 will see the return of UNIT, headed by Kate Stewart, played once more by the superb Jemma Redgrave.
We expect the BBC announced this as UNIT soldiers and presumably Redgrave will be seen during upcoming location shoots.
UNIT first appeared in 1968, created as a taskforce to battle the Cybermen and International Electromatics in The Invasion. They became a mainstay of the programme the following season, when the Third Doctor was exiled to Earth and was appointed their Scientific Advisor.
Since then, UNIT has been in numerous seasons of Classic Doctor Who, more often than not fronted by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney). When Kate Stewart first appeared (in 2012’s The Power of Three), she was confirmed to be the daughter of the Brigadier.
Kate and UNIT starred in many 21st Century Doctor Who episodes, including The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky, Death In Heaven, and the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor (as well as in spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures). During the Thirteenth Doctor era, it appeared that UNIT had been disbanded, but they nonetheless came back for Flux, aka Doctor Who Series 13. Now, UNIT will be there again, supporting Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.
We’ve speculated that UNIT would be back, notably after a UNIT helipad was spotted at the Bad Wolf Studios lot, but it’s nice to get an announcement from the BBC, especially as it shows the Lethbridge-Stewart legacy lives on in TV! And if you want more UNIT tales, make sure you head over to Candy Jar Books for the new range of novels and short stories.
