Sergeant Benton
| Sergeant Benton | |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who character | |
.jpg) |
|
| First appearance | The Invasion |
| Last appearance | The Android Invasion |
| Portrayed by |
John Levene Darren Plant (infant) |
| Information | |
| Affiliated |
UNIT Second Doctor Third Doctor Fourth Doctor |
| Species | Human |
| Home planet | Earth |
| Home era | 20th century |
Sergeant Benton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by John Levene. He was the senior NCO of the British contingent of UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, later retitled: UNified Intelligence Taskforce for the new series), an international organisation that defends the Earth from alien threats. He appeared semi-regularly on the programme from 1968 to 1975, and was eventually promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1, holding the post of Regimental Sergeant Major.
Benton first appeared in the Second Doctor serial The Invasion (1968), when he was just a corporal in UNIT. By the time of his next appearance in The Ambassadors of Death (1970) he had been promoted to Sergeant and quickly formed a close relationship with the Doctor, Captain Mike Yates and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the latter usually calling first for Benton when an order needed to be carried out. Benton's tour in UNIT also coincided with the tenure of the Third and Fourth Doctors as its Scientific Advisor, and his promotion to WO1 occurred immediately prior to Robot (1974-75).
During his time with UNIT, Benton faces several alien invaders, including the Cybermen, the Daleks, and the Nestene forces. He had many run-ins with the renegade Time Lord known as the Master. Benton was always a down-to-earth example of a British infantryman and non-commissioned officer, being reliable, loyal, uncomplicated and possessing a good dose of common sense. When the Doctor asked him if he was going to comment that the TARDIS was bigger on the inside than on the outside (since everyone else has), Benton's classic reply was, "Well, that's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Aside from the regular companions and the Brigadier, Benton is the only reoccurring character in the classic series to travel in the TARDIS.
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