Phyllis Dobbs
Encyclopedia
WPC Phyllis Dobbs is a fictional character
in BBC One
's science fiction
/police procedural
drama
, Life on Mars
. The character is portrayed by Noreen Kershaw
, whereas in the American version
the character does not exist except for a very minor capacity.
The character does not appear in Life on Mars spin-off, Ashes to Ashes
and no reference is made to the whereabouts or status of the character, however due to the nature of the world in which Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes are set, is likely that Phyllis has moved on to the next life and was already dead in the real world.
. Phyllis, despite being a woman, is regarded by other characters as "one of the lads", and socialises with them in the pub after work which is the "male domain". In a time of social upheaval and women being treated as inferiors to men, Phyllis's no-nonsense attitude earns respect with the male fraternity because they know that, whatever rank they are, she won't tolerate their disrespect. Inappropriate comments to her or her friends may provoke a rude comment or a clip around the ear, as DC Chris Skelton
learnt the hard way after he insulted her.
Dobbs is usually seen to in keeping with rules. However, in "Wrongful Death" after a prisoner had died when DS Ray Carling assisted by DC Chris Skelton forced him to eat cocaine, Phyllis fabricated the prisoners charge sheet to show that a doctor had been called for, when in fact one had not by Annie Carwright after DS Carling had given her a specific order not to.
She encourages Sam to act on his feelings toward Annie.
is manning the front desk, allocating cells to arrested prisoners, and performing welfare checks on them. She exercises some power in this - in "The New World", she allocated a prisoner who had annoyed her to a cell where someone had previously been sick.
Her approximate analogue in Ashes to Ashes is Sergeant Viv James.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
drama
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
, Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
. The character is portrayed by Noreen Kershaw
Noreen Kershaw
Noreen Kershaw is an English television actress and director.She trained at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, originated the title role of the play Shirley Valentine, later made famous by Pauline Collins...
, whereas in the American version
Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)
Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
the character does not exist except for a very minor capacity.
The character does not appear in Life on Mars spin-off, Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
and no reference is made to the whereabouts or status of the character, however due to the nature of the world in which Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes are set, is likely that Phyllis has moved on to the next life and was already dead in the real world.
Personality
The character eventually forms a friendship with fellow WPC, Annie CartwrightAnnie Cartwright
WPC/DC Annie Cartwright is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Liz White...
. Phyllis, despite being a woman, is regarded by other characters as "one of the lads", and socialises with them in the pub after work which is the "male domain". In a time of social upheaval and women being treated as inferiors to men, Phyllis's no-nonsense attitude earns respect with the male fraternity because they know that, whatever rank they are, she won't tolerate their disrespect. Inappropriate comments to her or her friends may provoke a rude comment or a clip around the ear, as DC Chris Skelton
Chris Skelton
PC/DC Christopher "Chris" Skelton is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.- Life on Mars :...
learnt the hard way after he insulted her.
Dobbs is usually seen to in keeping with rules. However, in "Wrongful Death" after a prisoner had died when DS Ray Carling assisted by DC Chris Skelton forced him to eat cocaine, Phyllis fabricated the prisoners charge sheet to show that a doctor had been called for, when in fact one had not by Annie Carwright after DS Carling had given her a specific order not to.
She encourages Sam to act on his feelings toward Annie.
Job role
WPC Dobbs' usual role at the police stationPolice station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
is manning the front desk, allocating cells to arrested prisoners, and performing welfare checks on them. She exercises some power in this - in "The New World", she allocated a prisoner who had annoyed her to a cell where someone had previously been sick.
Her approximate analogue in Ashes to Ashes is Sergeant Viv James.