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4.0 out of 5 stars
Effective BBV production with Doctor Who stars, April 13, 2002
A dark night, accompanied by a child singing the "Daisy song." You know, about the bicycle built for two? Then, eerie music, and a loud scream. Well, apart from The Airzone Solution, there was another production from BBV that had some Doctor Who alumni in it. This was the first of video series involving PROBE, the Preternatural Research Bureau (Uh, where's the "O"?) The Zero Imperative.The Hawthorne Clinic Trust, a psychiatric center, is on the verge of being shut down but it is given a 12 month reprieve by a captain of industry, Peter Russell, who becomes its CEO because he respects the work being done here. The clinic's director, Doctor Colin Dove, isn't exactly thrilled. Apparently, he is up to something and that something involves the Secure Ward, where the more serious cases are. And Russell wants to find out all the information he can so he can run a tight ship. However, something far more sinister than the closure of the clinic is going on. A series of savage murders have taken place within a 15 mile radius around the clinic, and the seventh murder is a patient named Clegg. A patient in the Secure Ward, known only as Patient Zero, seems to be connected, but who is Patient Zero? The retired director of the clinic, Dr. Jeremiah O'Kane, resides in a cottage on the estate, and although he is physically alert, his mind is getting on in years. He was Russell's guardian, looking after him after the death of the latter's father. There was a falling out because of Russell's decision to go into business and not medicine. As Russell says cynically, "Brought up like a dog brings up vomit." O'Kane seems fond of older things such as words, daguerrotype instead of photograph, submersible instead of submarine, or dirigible instead of balloon. He was clearly a product of the war years. There are interpersonal conflicts going on, between Dr. William Bruffin and the object of his affection, Dr. Beatrice Hearst, who seems oblivious to his attraction to her. That's because she is under the thrall of Dr. Dove. Of the former Doctor Whos, Colin Baker (Russell). Jon Pertwee (O'Kane), and Sylvester McCoy (Dr. Dove) have substantial parts. Peter Davison has a small cameo at the end. Sophie Aldred (Ace during the Seventh Doctor's era), has a single line at the beginning as Dove's press secretary. Caroline John reprises her role as Liz Shaw from Doctor Who. She brings up UNIT without mentioning it by name, saying that PROBE "reminds me of another acronymic organization from my salad days." She looks at a picture of the Brigadier while she says this. And her boss, Patty Hackett? Louise Jameson, who was Leela in Doctor Who, and who looks quite different with bright red hair and makeup. When O'Kane offers Liz some tea, she says, "Thank you, Doctor," to which the old man responds with a smile. It's also a coded association of Caroline John and Jon Pertwee's time together. Although sketchy in some places, The Zero Imperative works as an alternative to the X-Files and an opportunity to see some ex-Doctor Who actors together.
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