 | |
| Author | Paul Cornell |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jon Sullivan |
| Series | Doctor Who book: The New Adventures |
Release number | 1 |
| Subject | Featuring: Bernice Summerfield |
| Publisher | Virgin Books |
Publication date | May 1997 |
| ISBN | 0426205073 |
| Preceded by | The Dying Days |
| Followed by | Dragons' Wrath |
Oh No It Isn't! is a novel published in 1997 byPaul Cornell from theVirgin New Adventures featuring the fictional archaeologistBernice Summerfield.
The New Adventures were a series of novels based on the long-running Britishscience fiction television seriesDoctor Who, made by theBBC. They had originally been licensedDoctor Who stories, but in the wake of the return ofDoctor Who to television screens with the1996 movie, the BBC did not renew publisherVirgin Books' licence.[1]
Virgin had for some time planned for a spin-off series based on the characters and settings created in theDoctor Who New Adventures. With the licence gone, they continued the monthly release schedule of the New Adventures, but switched to stories featuring the character of Bernice Summerfield (known as Benny), beginning withOh No It Isn't!.[2] The author, Paul Cornell, had originally created Benny as a companion forthe Doctor. He attended a mid-July 1996 meeting at Virgin with the New Adventures editorial team and several regular authors for the line to plan the basics of the Benny books.[3]
Benny appeared regularly in theDoctor Who New Adventures for a period, before ceasing travelling with the Doctor in another Cornell-penned work,Happy Endings. She was re-introduced as a regular character in the lastDoctor Who New Adventure,The Dying Days by Lance Parkin, who had also been at the Benny books planning meeting, which led intoOh No It Isn't!.[3]
Oh No It Isn't! also provided the initial set-up and background to the Benny-led New Adventures that followed, including re-introducing the Doctor's pet catWolsey (originally from Cornell's New AdventureHuman Nature) and theartificial intelligence known asGod (originally from the New AdventureThe Also People). The book also introduces the alien race the Grels, who would re-appear in later Benny stories. The cover features Benny and Wolsey, and was by Jon Sullivan.[4]
The novel title and content reference the traditions ofpantomime, reflecting Cornell's interest in traditional conceptions and icons of Englishness. Englishness and whimsy were intended to be part of the Benny book series.[3]
Bernice Summerfield's investigation into the lost civilisation of Perfection takes a turn for the strange when her cat Wolsey turns into the pantomime characterPuss in Boots.
| Oh No It Isn't! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Big Finish Productionsaudio drama | |
| Series | Bernice Summerfield |
| Releaseno. | 1 |
| Featuring | Bernice Summerfield |
| Written by | Paul Cornell adapted byJac Rayner |
| Directed by | Nicholas Briggs |
| Produced by | Gary Russell |
| Executive producer | Jason Haigh-Ellery |
| Length | 1 hr 50 mins |
| Release date | September 1998 |
In 1998,Oh No It Isn't! was adapted byBig Finish Productions into anaudio drama starringLisa Bowerman as Bernice. This was the debut release by Big Finish, who started with a series of Bernice Summerfield-led adaptations of New Adventure novels before later obtaining a licence to do originalDoctor Who stories.[5]
Cornell was asked to do the adaptation but was too busy, instead suggesting his then girlfriendJacqueline Rayner could do it. Rayner went on to write all but one of Big Finish's New Adventure adaptations.
The audio drama also features actorNicholas Courtney who is better known for playing the recurring character ofBrigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the television seriesDoctor Who.
