The Doctor Who Series Two episode ‘Wish World’ took the Time Lord into a strange, alternate reality – and it wasn’t the first time. Let’s take a look at some of the Doctor’s greatest trips into the uncanny valley…
Inferno
Unlike ‘Wish World,’ the 1970 Doctor Who story ‘Inferno’ actually took place in a parallel universe and, interestingly, wasn’t part of writer Don Houghton’s original script. It came about as a production necessity; the serial had to run for seven episodes, and the script editor Terrance Dicks suggested that a trip into a dystopian parallel world might be a good way to stretch the adventure, whilst offering something gripping and unique.
And ‘Inferno’ is certainly unique – and disturbing. In fact, it makes ‘Wish World’ look like a comedy in comparison, and is perhaps one of the darkest stories of Doctor Who‘s classic run. You can read more about it here.
The Android Invasion
‘Wish World’ begins with the Doctor already lost in the midst of an alternate reality, but in 1975’s ‘The Android Invasion,’ he stumbles into it unawares. At first, the Time Lord and Sarah Jane believe they have landed in contemporary England, but things don’t add up. The streets are seemingly deserted, and people are acting strangely, standing motionless until they’re cued by a striking clock.
It turns out that the whole village is actually a training ground built by an race known as the Kraals who plan to invade Earth, and the humans that the Doctor encountered are android replicas. Alas, this plot twist is somewhat given away by the story’s title, but it’s still an interesting adventure from Dalek creator Terry Nation.
The Deadly Assassin
If the version of planet Earth in ‘Wish World’ had been a computer simulation, the Doctor might have had an easier time. That being said, he still has his work cut out for him in 1977’s ‘The Deadly Assassin’ when he journeys into the heart of the Matrix – the Gallifreyan data depository – to track down a rogue Time Lord. Basically, being trapped inside the Matrix is a bit like being stuck in a bad dream, where logic and reason are completely subverted.
And this wouldn’t be the last time the Doctor found himself in this strange, alternate reality. He would return in 1986’s ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’ to hunt down the Valeyard, losing himself in the courtyards and corridors of a strange Victorian factory, and a beach where the sand likes to eat people…
Rise of the Cybermen
Another trip to a parallel world for the Doctor. This alternate planet Earth isn’t quite as dystopian as the one portrayed in ‘Inferno,’ but neither is it as harmonious as the one from ‘Wish World.’ It’s just different. Here, the zeppelins reign supreme, and people are obsessed with ear pods. Also, Rose Tyler is a dog, and her father is still alive.
Again, as you could have gleaned from the title, this is all just a backdrop for the promised ‘rise of the Cybermen,’ and this adventure served as something of an origin story for the metal giants. Alas, long-time Doctor Who fans would have to wait several years before they saw the ‘original’ Cybermen back in action.
Amy’s Choice
If the characters in ‘Wish World’ are living in a dream, then so are the characters in 2010’s ‘Amy’s Choice’ – quite literally, in fact, as the Doctor and his friends find themselves trapped in… well, a dream. They keep switching between realities: one in which Amy and Rory are living an idyllic country life, and another in which the TARDIS is trapped in orbit around a cold star. They have to figure out which world is real, and which one is fake.
‘Amy’s Choice’ is also notable for featuring an alternate, darker version of the Doctor in the form of the Dream Lord, played by Toby Jones. Does he count as a canonical version of the Valeyard? The debate starts here…
The Wedding of River Song
‘Wish World’ may have been weird, but at least it made sense. The version of planet Earth in ‘The Wedding of River Song,’ however, is all kinds of crazy. Basically, time has been messed up due to River Song‘s refusal to kill the Doctor, meaning that every event in history is happening all at once. Winston Churchill is Prime Minister. The Roman Empire controls London. Pterodactyls soar in the skies overhead. It’s chaos.
You may come away from ‘The Wedding of River Song’ scratching your head in bafflement but, in a way, that’s the point. This is one of Steven Moffat‘s more ‘wibbly wobbly’ adventures, and made for a memorable conclusion to Doctor Who Series Six.
Extremis
In ‘Wish World’ we have an alternate planet Earth which has been created as part of the Rani‘s evil plan. And in ‘Extremis’ the same is also true, although the plan is different; here, the world is actually a simulation, engineered by the alien Monks who are gearing-up for a full-scale invasion of the real planet Earth.
Moreover, this adventure served as the first instalment of a trilogy, concluding with ‘The Lie of the Land’ in which the world is plunged into a 1984-style dystopia and the Doctor, apparently, is a villain.
What’s even more creepy about ‘Extremis’ is that people are killing themselves after reading from a mysterious book hidden in the bowels of the Vatican. What is it about this text that is driving people to take their own lives?
Can you think of any other ‘Wish World’-style stories in which the Doctor delves into an alternate reality? And which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
Leave a Reply