Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney. He is one of the founders of UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), an international organization that defends Earth from alien threats, and serves as commander of the British contingent.

Almost 20 years after his last appearance, the character returned in the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures in late 2008. Following Courtney's death in 2011, however, the Brigadier was retired through a line of dialogue in the Doctor Who episode "The Wedding of River Song"; the Doctor is informed by telephone that the Brigadier died peacefully in his sleep.

The 2012 episode "The Power of Three" introduces the Brigadier's daughter, Kate Stewart, as UNIT's scientific adviser. She was originally introduced in the unlicensed video spin-off Downtime in 1995, in which the Brigadier also appeared.