Liz Shaw (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw is a fictional character played by Caroline John
Caroline John
Caroline John is an English actress best known for her role as Liz Shaw in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as several other television roles....

 in the long-running British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...

 series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...

and its spin-offs. A civilian member of UNIT
UNIT
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...

 - United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (later retitled
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...

: UNified Intelligence Taskforce for the new series), an international organisation that defends the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 from alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...

 threats, she was the companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...

 of the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....

 for the 1970 season.

Character history

Liz Shaw first appears in Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1970. The serial opened Series 7 of the show and was the first to be produced in colour. The serial introduced Jon Pertwee as the...

, having been drafted from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 by 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...

 as a scientific advisor to UNIT. Sceptical at first of UNIT's ambit to defend against alien invasion, she changes her mind when she encounters the newly-regenerated Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....

 and becomes involved in defeating the plans of the Nestene Consciousness and its animated plastic Auton
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...

s.

Doctor Elizabeth Shaw is an accomplished scientist, an expert on meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...

s with degrees in several disciplines, including physics and medicine. Her extensive training, however, is still pale in comparison to the Doctor's own knowledge of the universe and scientific principles far beyond those of Earth.

Shaw continues to work with the Doctor and UNIT through encounters with the Silurians
Silurian (Doctor Who)
The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...

, the so-called Ambassadors of Death
The Ambassadors of Death
The Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from March 21 to May 2, 1970.-Plot:...

 and the Inferno
Inferno (Doctor Who)
Don Houghton came to Terrence Dicks with an idea for the story based on the real life Project Mohole. A smaller budget for the serial drove the idea of a parallel world, where the studio could use the same actors in multiple roles...

 project, where the Doctor also encountered Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw, an alter ego of the scientist in an alternative time stream. She eventually resigns from UNIT and returns to Cambridge; there was no "farewell scene" on screen for Liz, with her departure simply being announced by the Brigadier at the beginning of Terror of the Autons
Terror of the Autons
Terror of the Autons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 to 23 January 1971...

. She reportedly told the Brigadier that all the Doctor really needed was someone to pass him his test tubes and tell him how brilliant he was; this feeling probably contributed to her decision to return to her own research.

Uniquely of all the companions, she never travels in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...

 during her time with the Doctor; her secondment to UNIT coincides with the beginning of his exile to Earth imposed by the Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...

s and the removal of his knowledge of time travel.

Shaw's life after leaving UNIT is not explored in the series, though in the 2010 The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...

story Death of the Doctor
Death of the Doctor
Death of the Doctor is a two-part story of The Sarah Jane Adventures which was broadcast on CBBC on 25 and 26 October 2010. It is the third story of the fourth series. This episode features the return of Katy Manning to the role of Jo Grant and a guest appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor...

one of the UNIT characters mentions that "Miss Shaw can't get back from Moonbase until Tuesday." Caroline John appeared as an illusory image of Liz in the 20th Anniversary television movie The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...

(1983), and as Liz herself in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...

.

In the episode Battlefield
Battlefield (Doctor Who)
Battlefield is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 6 to September 27, 1989. It was the last appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who....

, the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....

 gives a UNIT identification pass to Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

, who remarks that she does not even look like the ID photo, and asks "Who's Elizabeth Shaw?"

Appearances in other media

John also played Liz Shaw in a series of straight-to-video stories produced by BBV
BBV
BBV is a video and audio production company specialising in science fiction drama, known for its links with the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

 under the umbrella title of P.R.O.B.E., in which the character works with a paranormal investigation organisation not unlike UNIT, called the "Preternatural Research Bureau". Liz appeared again in The Blue Tooth
The Blue Tooth
The Blue Tooth is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.The Companion Chronicles "talking books" are each narrated by one of the Doctor's companions and feature a second, guest-star voice along with music and sound...

, an audio story narrated by the character which deals with the period of Liz's departure from UNIT.

The Virgin Missing Adventures
Virgin Missing Adventures
The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...

 novel The Scales of Injustice
The Scales of Injustice
The Scales of Injustice is a Virgin Missing Adventures original novel written by Gary Russell based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...

 also explores the events surrounding Liz's resignation from UNIT. Liz eventually does travel in the TARDIS in the Past Doctor Adventures
Past Doctor Adventures
The Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...

 novel The Wages of Sin
The Wages of Sin (Doctor Who)
The Wages of Sin is a BBC Books original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Third Doctor, Liz Shaw and Jo Grant...

by David A. McIntee
David A. McIntee
-Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises...

, which takes place after the Doctor regains his knowledge and freedom. A parallel version of her appears in the novel Blood Heat
Blood Heat
Blood Heat is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also penned by Mortimore, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #205...

where she is still part of UNIT fighting against the Silurians in a world where the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....

 died before defeating the reptiles.

According to the 1997 Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

 novel Eternity Weeps
Eternity Weeps
Eternity Weeps is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Bernice, Jason and Liz....

by Jim Mortimore
Jim Mortimore
Jim Mortimore is a British science fiction writer, who has written several spin-off novels for popular television series, principally Doctor Who, but also Farscape and Babylon 5....

, Liz dies in 2003, the victim of an extraterrestrial terraforming
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...

 virus contracted while she was part of a UNIT team investigating an alien artefact on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

. The Sarah Jane Adventures story mentioned above contradicts this.

Other mentions

Liz is mentioned by the 5th Doctor and the Brigadier in Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...

, by the 7th Doctor in Battlefield
Battlefield (Doctor Who)
Battlefield is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 6 to September 27, 1989. It was the last appearance of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who....

and The Curse of Fenric
The Curse of Fenric
The Curse of Fenric is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1989...

. In 1984's Resurrection of the Daleks
Resurrection of the Daleks
Resurrection of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts between 8 February and 15 February 1984...

, a vision of Liz is seen along with every other companion aside from Leela
Leela (Doctor Who)
Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...

 on the scanner screen. She is mentioned in The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...

serial Death of the Doctor
Death of the Doctor
Death of the Doctor is a two-part story of The Sarah Jane Adventures which was broadcast on CBBC on 25 and 26 October 2010. It is the third story of the fourth series. This episode features the return of Katy Manning to the role of Jo Grant and a guest appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor...

; it is said that she is unable to make The Doctor's (fake) funeral because she is stuck on UNIT's moonbase.

Television

Season 7
  • Spearhead from Space
    Spearhead from Space
    Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1970. The serial opened Series 7 of the show and was the first to be produced in colour. The serial introduced Jon Pertwee as the...

  • Doctor Who and the Silurians
    Doctor Who and the Silurians
    Doctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...

  • The Ambassadors of Death
    The Ambassadors of Death
    The Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from March 21 to May 2, 1970.-Plot:...

  • Inferno
    Inferno (Doctor Who)
    Don Houghton came to Terrence Dicks with an idea for the story based on the real life Project Mohole. A smaller budget for the serial drove the idea of a parallel world, where the studio could use the same actors in multiple roles...


20th anniversary special
  • The Five Doctors
    The Five Doctors
    The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...

    (cameo)

30th anniversary special
  • Dimensions in Time
    Dimensions in Time
    Dimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...


Video

  • P.R.O.B.E.
    P.R.O.B.E.
    P.R.O.B.E. is a series of four videos written by Mark Gatiss and produced by BBV Productions. It predates Torchwood as the first ongoing spin-off of the Doctor Who universe....

    series
    • The Zero Imperative
    • The Devil of Winterbourne
    • Unnatural Selection
    • The Ghosts of Winterbourne

Audio drama

  • The Blue Tooth
    The Blue Tooth
    The Blue Tooth is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.The Companion Chronicles "talking books" are each narrated by one of the Doctor's companions and feature a second, guest-star voice along with music and sound...

  • Shadow of the Past
    Shadow of the Past
    Shadow of the Past is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....

  • The Sentinels of the New Dawn
    The Sentinels of the New Dawn
    The Sentinels of the New Dawn is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

  • Binary
    Binary (Doctor Who audio)
    Binary is a Big Finish Productions audiobook based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Companion Chronicles "talking books" are each narrated by one of the Doctor's companions and feature a second, guest-star voice along with music and sound...


Novels

Virgin Missing Adventures
Virgin Missing Adventures
The Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...

  • The Eye of the Giant
    The Eye of the Giant
    The Eye of the Giant is an original novel written by Christopher Bulis and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Third Doctor, Liz and UNIT. It takes place prior to the Missing Adventure The Scales of Injustice by Gary Russell.-External...

    by Christopher Bulis
    Christopher Bulis
    Christopher Bulis is a writer best known for his work on various Doctor Who spin-offs. He is one of the most prolific authors to write for the various ranges of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who, with twelve novels to his name, and between 1993 and 2000 he had at least one Doctor...

  • The Scales of Injustice
    The Scales of Injustice
    The Scales of Injustice is a Virgin Missing Adventures original novel written by Gary Russell based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

    by Gary Russell
    Gary Russell
    Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...



Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...

  • Eternity Weeps
    Eternity Weeps
    Eternity Weeps is an original novel written by Jim Mortimore and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris, Bernice, Jason and Liz....

    by Jim Mortimore
    Jim Mortimore
    Jim Mortimore is a British science fiction writer, who has written several spin-off novels for popular television series, principally Doctor Who, but also Farscape and Babylon 5....



Virgin sidestep novel
Virgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...

  • Who Killed Kennedy
    Who Killed Kennedy
    Who Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....

    by David Bishop
    David Bishop
    David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....


Past Doctor Adventures
Past Doctor Adventures
The Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...

  • The Devil Goblins from Neptune
    The Devil Goblins from Neptune
    The Devil Goblins from Neptune is a BBC Books original novel written by Martin Day and Keith Topping and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

    by Martin Day
    Martin Day
    Martin Day is a screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series Doctor Who, and many episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and Family Affairs.-Work:...

     and Keith Topping
    Keith Topping
    Keith Andrew Topping , is an author, journalist and broadcaster most closely associated with his work relating to the BBC Television series Doctor Who and for writing numerous official and unofficial guide books to a wide variety of television and film series, specifically Buffy the Vampire...

  • The Wages of Sin
    The Wages of Sin (Doctor Who)
    The Wages of Sin is a BBC Books original novel written by David A. McIntee and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Third Doctor, Liz Shaw and Jo Grant...

    by David A. McIntee
    David A. McIntee
    -Biography:McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as one each based on Final Destination and Space: 1999. He has also written a non-fiction book on Star Trek: Voyager and one jointly on the Alien and Predator movie franchises...


Short stories

  • "Reconnaissance" by Terrance Dicks
    Terrance Dicks
    Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...

     (Doctor Who Yearbook)
  • "The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back" by Vanessa Bishop
    Vanessa Bishop
    Vanessa Bishop is a British writer who wrote in the review section "Off the Shelf" in Doctor Who Magazine. She has also written short stories based on the BBC Television series Doctor Who.-Work:...

     (Decalog)
  • "Prisoners of the Sun" by Tim Robins (Decalog)
  • "Still Lives" by Ian Potter
    Ian Potter (writer)
    Ian Potter is a UK based writer and broadcaster, best known for a series of short stories in the Big Finish Short Trips Doctor Who fiction range...

     (Short Trips: Zodiac
    Short Trips: Zodiac
    Short Trips: Zodiac is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Stories:-External links:*Reviews...

    )
  • "Flashpoint" by Matt Grady (Short Trips: Monsters
    Short Trips: Monsters
    Short Trips: Monsters is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Ian Farrington and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The collection's theme is monsters.-Stories:-External links:*...

    )
  • "UNIT Christmas Parties: First Christmas" by Nick Wallace
    Nick Wallace
    Nick Wallace is a novelist and short story writer based in Tunbridge Wells, best known for his work in Doctor Who spin-offs. He is the author of Fear Itself, the only BBC novel to date featuring solely the Eighth Doctor not to be published as part of the ongoing Eighth Doctor Adventures line;...

     (Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury
    Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury
    Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury is a Big Finish original anthology edited by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The collection is the first Christmas book in the Short Trips range....

    )

Comics

  • "The Metal Eaters" by John Canning (TV Comic
    TV Comic
    TV Comic was a British comic book published weekly between November 9, 1951 and June 29, 1984 for 1,697 issues. With its bright, eye-catching covers, it featured stories based on television shows running at the time of publication. The first issue had 8 pages and had Muffin the Mule on the cover....

     960-964
    )
  • "The Fishmen of Carpantha" by John Canning (TV Comic
    TV Comic
    TV Comic was a British comic book published weekly between November 9, 1951 and June 29, 1984 for 1,697 issues. With its bright, eye-catching covers, it featured stories based on television shows running at the time of publication. The first issue had 8 pages and had Muffin the Mule on the cover....

     965-969
    )
  • "Doctor Who and the Rocks from Venus" by John Canning (TV Comic
    TV Comic
    TV Comic was a British comic book published weekly between November 9, 1951 and June 29, 1984 for 1,697 issues. With its bright, eye-catching covers, it featured stories based on television shows running at the time of publication. The first issue had 8 pages and had Muffin the Mule on the cover....

     970-976
    )
  • "Change of Mind" by Kate Orman
    Kate Orman
    Kate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:...

     and Barrie Mitchell (Doctor Who Magazine
    Doctor Who Magazine
    Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...

    221–223)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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