I've just finished The Holy Terror and The Maltese Penguin, and I was wondering why Frobisher hasn't appeared in any audios since. I mean, he was great in both of those, and I would gladly have taken a few more adventures with him and 6, or even meeting other Doctors. The only reason I can think of that he wasn't expanding upon is that he seems like the kind of character who would get annoying if he was milked too much. However, that isn't even close to happening. So what gives?
I'm aware that he's in a bunch of comics, but my focus is on Big Finish audios.
So some of you may not know who Frobisher is, but in the DWM comic strips and later 2 big finish audio plays the 6th doctor (and 7th doctor) had an alien shapeshiting penguin who spoke like a 1920's NY detective. On his homeworld he was a private detective and would later travel with the doctor in two incarnations.
So with that said i will admit that i myself have only recently been introduced to frobisher (through going back through big finish's 6th doctor back catelogue) and listening to the holy terror (seriously give it a listen its brilliant and is available on spotify). I must admit ive never been so taken with a companion based off just one story and the concept alone but honestly the character is so interesting, so original and so fun. It is a damn shame that the show will never be so inventive and the the character seems to have fallen by the wayside. Big finish havent produced anything featuring the character since the early 2000s and he only makes sparse appearances in the comics, which is odd given that he has never really had a complete story from joining the Tardis to leaving (and yes he did leave for a while but he rejoined).
Honestly im intrigued as to why Big Finish dont use him anymore. Is it a rights issue or something else?
Anyway all this is to say. I was fascinated by what the general opinion on Frobisher was among the fanbase so feel free to add your opinions in below.
ALL HAIL FROBISHER! ALL HAIL THE BIG TALKING BIRD!
Wikipedia article about Sir Martin Frobisher states that "Prior to 30 March, Frobisher petitioned the Queen to be confirmed as High Admiral of the north-western seas and governor of all lands discovered, and to receive five per cent of profits from trade."
After diligent search, including copypasting the quoted phrase and typing it to Google, and going through all search result pages for 'Frobisher governor' in 'Search books' section, I have not found any other source than the aforementioned article, styling Frobisher governor of all lands discovered. Rather, all sources style him High Admiral of all lands discovered.
There can be, in my view, two explanations for the use of the title 'governor' in the Wikipedia article, viz.
β’I) McDermott's paywalled 2004 article in the Dictionary of National Biography is the source for the style of 'governor' since it is one of the two sources included in footnotes immediately succeeding the above quoted chapter of the text
β’II) the Editor of Wikipedia has seen this text contained in this as well as in multiple other sources: About this time Frobisher petitioned the Queen that in respect of his late discoveries in the North - west , and his great charges , letters patent might be granted to him , and his heirs for ever , appointing him High Admiral of those seas already or hereafter to be dis covered by him , with government by land of all people in those discovered parts ; also five per cent . upon the clear gain of everything brought from such lands , and one per cent . to his heirs for ever ; also , to make free of this voyage six persons yearly , and to receive one ton freight of every hundred tons brought from thence. In my opinion, from the curious phrase government by land of all people in those discovered parts can logically and reasonably be deducted a statement that Frobisher petitioned to receive Governorship of newly discovered lands, just as Wikipedia phrases it
β’III) the statement in [this](https://books.google.fi/books?hl=fi&id=1K8MAAAAYAAJ&dq=Frobisher+governor&focus=searc
... keep reading on reddit β‘
βThey have called this day the eleventh of March! And whomsoever of you gets through this day, unless you are shot in the head or somehow slain, you will stand at tiptoe when e'er you hear the name again. And you will get excited at the name March the eleventh! We happy few, we few, we band of brothersβ¦ our names will be as likeβ¦ household names! And those who are not hereβ¦ be they sleeping or doing something else, they will feel themselves sort of crappy! Because they are not here to join the fight on this day the eleventh of March!
-Sgt. Buck Frobisher, March 11, 1999
Edited to add the video. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SjPj-5AYVg0&feature=share
I didn't actually get what is the importance his masterpiece on the story. Can you give me your thoughts on it?
Ok so for the next series how would you bring Frobisher (The Shape Shifter, not the guy from Torchwood) in to the TV show.
In short Frobisher is a shapshifting often penguin shaped detective.
A shapeshifting penguin. A history with the Doctor(but just enough haze about what is or isn't canon to make a "first" appearance totally doable), a fun character(noir...but penguin), and technology that now can probably make such a character doable; why has no one brought this dude back? Why is no one else obsessed with Frobisher? Am I crazy in thinking adding Frobisher fixes every problem anyone can have with Who right now?
