“Steady on…..’old girl!'” Harry [to Sarah-Jane] Ark In Space – 1974.
Bumbling – uppercrust UNIT medical officer.
Harry Sullivan (played by Ian Marter) was an Army Medical Doctor – working with UNIT; during the events of Robot – 1974.
Here, he met and cared for the newly regenerated Fourth Doctor – who was suffering post-regenerative stress – and also met companion; Sarah-Jane Smith.
The character of Harry was originally introduced – as the “action” element counterpoint, to an ‘intended’ older new Doctor but when the part went to Tom Baker. Who was then, the youngest Doctor cast at 39 years old. Harry was unfortunately surplus to requirements.
However, Harry was still a likeable and able foil to the Fourth Doctor and Sarah-Jane; during his time with them. Completing the duo with a nice dynamic, he should of stayed in the show – for much longer; than he did.
Harry was a posh, ‘stiff upper-lip’ proud Englishman and he was particularly fond of Sarah-Jane, who he referred to as – “old girl”.
Whilst the Fourth Doctor, sometimes referred to Harry as “an imbecile!” or as an “idiot”. Warning Harry not to touch anything that he encountered.
This was due, to Harry being a clumsy. Sometimes accidentally getting the trio into danger, such as in The Ark In Space – 1975 when he accidentally switched on a deadly robotic self-defence guard; on Space Station Nerva.
Harry’s reward for being clumsy, was to lose his shoes; as the Doctor used them to distract the robotic guard; whilst he turned it off – and Harry’s shoes were vapourised.
In Robot – 1974, a mad scientist had created an artificially intelligent robot; which became self-aware and grew to be 100-foot tall. Before going on the rampage and Harry helped the Doctor and UNIT; to stop it.
In reward of this, the Doctor took Harry on a trip round the moon, in the Tardis. Harry however, being clumsy – accidentally sent the Tardis a millennia into the future in The Ark in Space – 1974.
The human race were in hibernation on space-station Nerva; whilst the Earth slowly recovered from solar bombardment.
Harry not only had to contend with the reality of time-travel – but also alien life; as he met and fought against the horrific insect Wirrn; who were impregnating and eating the human survivors.
Harry eventually made it back to Earth, in another UNIT adventure – Terror Of The Zygon’s – 1975. This serial was notable, as Harry was captured and duplicated by a Zygon warrior. The Harry duplicate then terrorised Sarah-Jane in a barn, before it fell to it’s death from the roofspace – whilst lunging at Sarah-Jane with a pitchfork.
Harry appeared again in the Android Invasion – 1976; having been duplicated again by androids, intent on invading Earth.
Once the threat was defeated. The real Harry decided to stay behind on Earth, having had enough excitement with the Doctor and Sarah-Jane; to last a lifetime.
Harry didn’t appear again in the series, which was a shame – as he was an interesting and able character; who complimented the Fourth Doctor and Sarah-Jane.
