Let’s take a light-hearted dive into Doctor Who history and examine some of the Time Lord’s goofiest moments…
The Creature from the Pit
Season 17 is one of the more comedic eras in Doctor Who history, and the 1979 story ‘The Creature from the Pit’ is the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, after watching this adventure, you might wonder how the Fourth Doctor managed to survive for so long.
First, we have the cliffhanger to episode one, where the Time Lord is surrounded on all sides by the villainous Lady Adrasta and her guards. There is nowhere for the Doctor to run, except for the eponymous pit. And that’s exactly where the Doctor goes. In order to escape being shot, the Time Lord literally dives headlong into the abyss and, miraculously, survives.
And then there is the moment when he is faced with the blob-like creature from the story’s title – arguably one of the more distinctive monsters from Doctor Who history. At first, there is no obvious way to interact with it, until the Time Lord has the good(?) idea of blowing into one of its phallic-like appendages. This doesn’t go down too well with the creature, and the Doctor soon finds it looming over him in an apparent bid to crush him, at which point the Time Lord simply cries out, “You’re standing on my scarf!”
Priorities, Doctor…
Flushing out the Master
Ironically, the Doctor’s next reckless idea comes from the 1981 story ‘Logopolis‘ – the one in which the Fourth Doctor dies! But this isn’t what causes his regeneration.
In the adventure, the Time Lord’s old enemy the Master is at loose somewhere in the TARDIS, and the Doctor must find him. But rather than go through the tedious process of searching every roundel-lined corridor, he comes up with the rather unique idea of landing the TARDIS underwater, opening the doors and “flushing” the Master out. What could go wrong?
Ironically, the plan does indeed go wrong, but not in the way you might think. The TARDIS lands on a boat, so when the Doctor opens the doors the only hazards he has to contend with is a light, salty breeze and a fishy pong.
The Gods of Ragnarok
The Gods of Ragnarok recently had their place in Doctor Who history cemented when they were name-checked in the 60th anniversary special ‘The Giggle.’ In this particular episode, the way the Fifteenth Doctor described the encounter with the gods made it sound rather ominous – epic, even.
However, the moment itself from 1988’s ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’ isn’t quite as heart-stopping as you might think. It’s certainly a memorable moment for the Seventh Doctor, and a great opportunity for the actor Sylvester McCoy to show off all his skills as a conjuror, escapologist and circus artist. In short, this is the kind of showdown you might expect in the final act of your Christmas panto.
But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This little piece of Doctor Who history is actually appropriate to the moment. The story is all about a circus, after all, and the Doctor is being silly for a reason; the Gods of Ragnarok demand entertainment, and feed off it, and the Doctor is trying to buy time whilst tricking them into thinking he’s a buffoon.
Threatening the Daleks with a biscuit
If Doctor Who history has taught us anything, it’s this: the Doctor likes his tea. And he also likes his biscuits, as demonstrated by our next ‘goofy’ moment from Doctor Who history: 2010’s ‘Victory of the Daleks,’ starring Matt Smith.
This is a tough one for the recently-regenerated Doctor, as his arch enemies the Daleks have also undergone something of a transformation. They’ve morphed into a brand new, multi-coloured ‘paradigm,’ and they’re bigger and badder than ever.
What’s a Time Lord to do? Well, the Doctor does what (probably) none of us would do in such a situation, and fends off the metal mutants with a Jammy Dodger. Fortunately, the Daleks have no concept of McVitie’s product line, and they are quickly duped into thinking this is actually the TARDIS’ self-destruct trigger, which the Doctor is threatening to use.
Believe it or not, the plan works for a while, until the Daleks conduct a scan and realise they are being threatened with nothing more than some gooey jam and a buttery biscuit base.
Partying like it’s the Middle Ages
Throughout various points in Doctor Who history, the Time Lord has been known to go ‘off the rails’ – usually when he’s faced with a problem too big to handle. The Eleventh Doctor did this when he sensed his approaching death at Silencio Lake, and shot off into time and space to guest star in a Laurel and Hardy film, and frolic with a 17th century painter.
In ‘The Magician’s Apprentice,’ however, the Time Lord goes for something all-the-more outrageous. When his companion Clara finds him, he’s in Essex in the Middle Ages, standing on an armoured tank, wearing shades and playing an electric guitar, surrounded by crowds of whooping spectators. If you’ve ever wondered what a 12th century rock concert would look like, it’s this.
So is this one of the most outrageous moments in Doctor Who history? It’s certainly up there, and again, it’s because the Doctor is facing an insurmountable problem. Missy – a female incarnation of the Master – has found his confession dial, which contains the last will and testament of a dying Time Lord. It seems the eponymous hero’s days are numbered, and he’s determined to go out in style.
Certainly, throughout Doctor Who history, the Time Lord has proven himself to be unpredictable. For every absurd comedy moment, there is a dark, deeply unsettling one. The Doctor is an enigma (the clue’s in the name) and we may never know what really makes him tick.
But over to you, reader. What do you think is the silliest moment in Doctor Who history? And which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
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