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This article needs to be updated.

Information from PROSE: The Secret Lives of Monsters needs to be added.

These omissions are so great that the article's factual accuracy has been compromised. Check out the discussion page and revision history for further clues about what needs to be updated in this article.

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You may be looking for the restaurant Space Pigs.

The "space pig" (PROSE: Operation London [+]BBC webteam, U.N.I.T. (BBC, 2005)., Twenty-First-Century London [+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who Atlas (Puffin Books and BBC Children's Books, 2021). Page 28., TV: Exit Wounds [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Two, 2008).) or the "Space Pig", (PROSE: The Secret Lives of Monsters [+]Justin Richards, BBC Books (2014). Chapter 11, "The Slitheen"; Page 218.) was a pig from Earth that was kidnapped and genetically modified by the Slitheen family into a humanoid form with an enhanced brain. It was initially believed to be an alien.

Biography[]

Spacepig

A photograph of the space pig taken by Corporal J Frinkstein. (PROSE: Operation London)

After its modifications, it was set into a spaceship that was launched from Earth in the North Sea and rigged to land in the Thames twelve hours later. This was intended as an excuse to put the British government on red alert for an alien invasion. (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Immediately after the crash, UNIT personnel discussed it on a secure operations board on the UNIT website, with Corporal J Frinkstein informing the other personnel that he had liaised with the Army, and shortly after, they had reached the craft, with the space pig inside being discovered; Frinkstein considered it to be sweet, but Major Jenny Maguire advised caution nevertheless. The space pig was taken to the xenobiologists at the Albion Hospital. (PROSE: Operation London [+]BBC webteam, U.N.I.T. (BBC, 2005).)

However, the pig was only examined by a single individual, (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Toshiko Sato, a Torchwood Three employee posing as a doctor, although she was only filling in for Owen Harper, who was incapacitated due to a hangover. (TV: Exit Wounds [+]Chris Chibnall, Torchwood series 2 (BBC Two, 2008).) squidbaby23 was seemingly able to take a picture of the alien, which she considered to be "amazing", (PROSE: Alien landing confirmed [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).) before the alien was shot and killed by a soldier while running around the hospital, scared out of its wits, despite the Ninth Doctor wanting it to survive. (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Legacy[]

squidbaby23 also created a drawing of the alien creature, and sent it to Mx — the webmaster of Who is Doctor Who? — along with the picture she took earlier, however she refused to reveal to Mx how she obtained the latter picture, leaving Mx to speculate about the creature's nature on his website. (PROSE: Alien landing confirmed [+]BBC webteam, Who is Doctor Who? (BBC, 2005).)

Just prior to his regeneration, the Ninth Doctor looked back on his life, remembering the Slitheen's modified pig. (PROSE: Shortness of Breath [+]James Goss, Now We Are Six Hundred (Harper Design, 2017).)

Behind the scenes[]

The space pig was never named in Aliens of London, only referred to as "Alien" in the credits. The name "space pig" was given to it by the short story Operation London from the Operations Board series on the U.N.I.T. tie-in website and later in the Torchwood television story Exit Wounds. Conversely, the The Doctor's Data series in Doctor Who Adventures, Character Options' Micro Universe figures, Doctor Who: Battles in Time — Exterminator trading cards, and the Doctor Who: Figurine Collection named it the "Pig Pilot". Doctor Who: The Inside Story and The Secret Lives of Monsters used "Space Pig".

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