J is for... Jones, Francine

 

Francine was the mother of Martha Jones, companion to the Tenth Doctor. Francine was fiercely protective of her children, and wanted Martha to do well in her medical studies. She felt that a romantic relationship would divert Martha from her studies, and assumed that the Doctor was her boyfriend when she started spending time with him after son Leo's 21st birthday party. As Martha was unable to tell her the truth about the Doctor, this played into Francine's suspicions. 

They met for the first time when Martha attended the launch of Professor Lazarus' latest scientific project. Francine's elder daughter Tish was Lazarus' PA. Francine took an instant dislike to the Doctor that night, and was convinced that he was putting her daughter in danger. Things were made worse by a man who worked for politician Harold Saxon, who was helping fund Lazarus' work. This man deliberately fed her suspicions, making false allegations about the Doctor being a threat not just to Martha, but to the whole country.

As Martha was continuing to travel with the Doctor, Francine's paranoia about him grew. On the day of the General Election, Saxon became Prime Minister. Francine and her family were suddenly arrested. Because of their relationship to Martha, Saxon - really the Master - decided to make them all suffer. Francine was forced to become one of his servants on the Valiant aircraft where he was based after the Toclafane invasion. Her imprisonment lasted for a whole year, during which she and her family were forced to witness terrible things. When the Doctor, with Martha's help, defeated the Master, Francine came close to killing their tormentor - such was her hatred towards him.

The ordeal would help bring the family closer together, especially her estranged husband Clive.

When Martha joined UNIT, Francine was now supportive of her daughter's role in fighting alien menaces. When the Daleks moved the Earth through space and invaded, Martha used the Project Indigo device to flee UNIT's New York HQ. It took her to where she most wanted to be at that moment - which was with Francine back in London.

Played by: Adjoa Andoh. Appearances: Smith and Jones, The Lazarus Experiment, 42, The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords (2007), The Stolen Earth, Journey's End (2008).

• Francine Jones was the second role Andoh played in Doctor Who. The first was the villainous Catkind nun Sister Jatt in 2006's New Earth.