Failure

Failure meant the ceasing of operation of a key feature. It could refer to a mechanical failure, (TV: The Space Pirates ^[+]Loading...["The Space Pirates (TV story)"], something specific such as a control failure (TV: The Robots of Death ^[+]Loading...["The Robots of Death (TV story)"]) system equipment failure (TV: Praxeus ^[+]Loading...["Praxeus (TV story)"] or an instrumentation failure (TV: Logopolis ^[+]Loading...["Logopolis (TV story)"]) which resulted in a degradation of experience or results of the situation. (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird ^[+]Loading...["The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)"])

Failure could alternatively mean the negative outcome of a situation such as a battle, engagement, mission or endeavour. (TV: The Web Planet ^[+]Loading...["The Web Planet (TV story)"], Father's Day ^[+]Loading...["Father's Day (TV story)"], PROSE: Alien Bodies ^[+]Loading...["Alien Bodies (novel)"]) Additionally it could refer to a negative outcome in an academic sense; failing or not achieving the desired score, grades or advancement in a chosen subject. (TV: The Dæmons ^[+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"])

The Seventh Doctor utilised the concept of failure to destroy the Black Dalek following the Shoreditch Incident in 1963. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)"])

Success was the opposite outcome to failure. (TV: Death to the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Death to the Daleks (TV story)"])

According to the Fourth and Eighth Doctors, failure was one of the basic freedoms. (TV: The Robots of Death ^[+]Loading...["The Robots of Death (TV story)"], AUDIO: Sisters of the Flame)

Failure of bodily functions was another context in which failure was used such as heart failure. (TV: The Dæmons ^[+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"])

The New Dalek Paradigm viewed the Eleventh Doctor's compassion as his greatest weakness leading to failure. (TV: Victory of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Victory of the Daleks (TV story)"])

Biological failure

Heart failure often caused death of an individual. (TV: The Dæmons ^[+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"], The Girl Who Died ^[+]Loading...["The Girl Who Died (TV story)"]) Poor vision was also referred to as failing vision. (PROSE: Love and War ^[+]Loading...["Love and War (novel)"])

Comprehension

Failure of comprehension could manifest simply as not understanding why a party was involved in a situation, such as when an outside group like UNIT was brought into a facility after internal failures of security or operation. (TV: Inferno ^[+]Loading...["Inferno (TV story)"], Doctor Who and the Silurians ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)"], The Mind of Evil ^[+]Loading...["The Mind of Evil (TV story)"])

To cease to understand, or not able to vocalise or explain a situation was to have "words fail". (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang ^[+]Loading...["The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)"])

Diplomatic failures

The Third Doctor attempted to broker a peace with the Silurians, which unfortuntely failed. (TV: Doctor Who and the Silurians ^[+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)"], The Sea Devils ^[+]Loading...["The Sea Devils (TV story)"])

Experiments

Dæmons disposed of their failed experiments, often destroying planets. (TV: The Dæmons ^[+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"])

Through their temporal experiments, Theodore Maxtible and Edward Waterfield encountered many failures including with positive and negative electricity. (TV: The Evil of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)"])

Failure to comply

Failure to follow instructions, especially from Daleks was met with the threat of extermination. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)"], Resurrection of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Resurrection of the Daleks (TV story)"], AUDIO: The Genocide Machine ^[+]Loading...["The Genocide Machine (audio story)"])

Within strict organised structures orders and the failure to comply with them was met with the threat of execution. (TV: Planet of Evil ^[+]Loading...["Planet of Evil (TV story)"])

On a human colony planet those who did not comply with Control were punished for this failure to cooperate with the controlling body by working where the gas was its most intense. (TV: The Macra Terror ^[+]Loading...["The Macra Terror (TV story)"])

Failure of expectations

Expectations of an individual were another process of failure, when an individual did not meet or exceed the expectations. (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang ^[+]Loading...["The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)"], The Seeds of Death ^[+]Loading...["The Seeds of Death (TV story)"])

The Master killed Goth for his failure to kill the Fourth Doctor in the Matrix. (TV: The Deadly Assassin ^[+]Loading...["The Deadly Assassin (TV story)"])

After multiple failures the Cyber-Planner took control of the 20th century Cyber Invasion of Earth from Tobias Vaughn. (TV: The Invasion ^[+]Loading...["The Invasion (TV story)"])

In an alternate timeline the ruling Daleks exterminated the Controller for his failures regarding their operations on Earth, the resistance and the Third Doctor's presence. (TV: Day of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Daleks (TV story)"])

The Nimon reminded Soldeed of Skonnan Empire's expectations relating to their pact after Soldeed explained the failure of one of their ships securing tributes from Aneth. (TV: The Horns of Nimon ^[+]Loading...["The Horns of Nimon (TV story)"])

Turlough failed on multiple occasions in his pact with the Black Guardian to kill the Fifth Doctor. (TV: Mawdryn Undead ^[+]Loading...["Mawdryn Undead (TV story)"], Terminus ^[+]Loading...["Terminus (TV story)"], Enlightenment ^[+]Loading...["Enlightenment (TV story)"])

Objective failure

The Cybermen have had multiple failures in their plans including the destruction of Voga and Earth. (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen ^[+]Loading...["Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)"], Earthshock ^[+]Loading...["Earthshock (TV story)"])) And their plans to utilise the validium statue Nemesis. (TV: Silver Nemesis ^[+]Loading...["Silver Nemesis (TV story)"])

Technological failures

Dalek weaponry could be incapacitated, leading to Daleks to exclaim "weapons failure". (TV: Resolution ^[+]Loading...["Resolution (TV story)"])

K9's power supply often was prone to failure. (TV: School Reunion ^[+]Loading...["School Reunion (TV story)"]

In 2006 Cathy Salt a journalist working in Cardiff discovered that the Blaidd Drwg had been designed with a high likelihood of failure. (TV: Boom Town ^[+]Loading...["Boom Town (TV story)"])

Due to the Wirrn causing massive systems failures those sleepers on Nerva Beacon overslept to 16,087. (TV: The Ark in Space ^[+]Loading...["The Ark in Space (TV story)"])

The beacon on Exxilon created a field of full power failure for all advanced electronics. (TV: Death to the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Death to the Daleks (TV story)"])

In 4398 the Thrasymachus' engines failed approaching the cloud belt of the planet Ember. (TV: A Christmas Carol ^[+]Loading...["A Christmas Carol (TV story)"])

Technologies such as fibre optic transmission systems had a resilience to failure of up to 2000 years. (TV: The Leisure Hive ^[+]Loading...["The Leisure Hive (TV story)"])

Following an ion storm the SS Madame de Pompadour experienced a 82 percent systems failure. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace ^[+]Loading...["The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)"])

Energy shielding (often utilised on spacecraft) was described as 'failing' when it was attacked, overloaded or otherwise non-functional. (AUDIO: The Sirens of Time ^[+]Loading...["The Sirens of Time (audio story)"], The Apocalypse Element ^[+]Loading...["The Apocalypse Element (audio story)"])

The Doctor's TARDIS

The Doctor's TARDIS often had multiple equipment failures including; the fast return switch (TV: The Edge of Destruction ^[+]Loading...["The Edge of Destruction (TV story)"], the relative continuum stabiliser (TV: Pyramids of Mars ^[+]Loading...["Pyramids of Mars (TV story)"], stabilisers (TV: Frontios ^[+]Loading...["Frontios (TV story)"], plus atmospheric condensation could cause a malfunction in the visual orientation circuits (TV: Horror of Fang Rock ^[+]Loading...["Horror of Fang Rock (TV story)"]) In a post-regenerative fugue the Sixth Doctor caused a power failure in the TARDIS. (TV: Vengeance on Varos ^[+]Loading...["Vengeance on Varos (TV story)"])

Being attacked by the Boneless led to the structural integrity of the Doctor's TARDIS failing. (TV: Flatline ^[+]Loading...["Flatline (TV story)"])

Mostly the Doctor's TARDIS, when materialising at a location synchonised with the local time zone of the area, however sometimes it failed, leaving individuals like Bernice Summerfield "TARDIS-lagged". (PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird ^[+]Loading...["The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)"])

Technological development failures

The Matrix was developed by the Time Lords after they failed to develop a wet works facility. (AUDIO: The Genocide Machine ^[+]Loading...["The Genocide Machine (audio story)"])

Weapons failure

On Exxilon the Daleks' energy-based weapons failed to function due to the beacon's operation. (TV: Death to the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["Death to the Daleks (TV story)"])

Upon encountering the Doctor's TARDIS on Aridius the Daleks failed to destroy it. (TV: The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"])

Education

The Tenth Doctor told Martha Jones that he failed at a test to fly the TARDIS. (TV: The Shakespeare Code ^[+]Loading...["The Shakespeare Code (TV story)"])

The Doctor failed in educational matters on Gallifrey relating to responsibility and duty. (TV: The Invasion of Time ^[+]Loading...["The Invasion of Time (TV story)"])

See also

• Fail-safe
• Heart failure