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{{retitle|''Doctor Who'' (N-Space)}}
{{retitle|''Roland Rat: The Series Series 1, Episode Two'' (TV story)}}
{{Infobox Object
{{real world}}
|name         = ''Doctor Who''
{{ImageLink|Untitled 1986 TV story}}
|image         = 2016 BBC Christmas ident.jpg
{{Infobox Story SMW
|type          = [[Science fiction]]/[[drama]] [[television]] series<br>multi-[[media]] franchise
|name                 = ''Roland Rat: The Series''
|origin       = [[England]]
|image                 = Roland Rat continuity announcement.jpg
|made by      = The [[BBC]]<br>[[Target Books (Bafflement and Devotion)|Target Books]]<br>[[Marvel Comics Group|Marvel Comics]]<br>[[Big Finish (The Zygon Isolation)|Big Finish]]
|season number        = Series 1 (Roland Rat: The Series)
|first        = TV Terrors (TVC 709 comic story) {{!}} TV Terrors
|series episode number = 2
|appearances  = [[Doctor Who - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]<br>{{Il|[[TV]]: ''[[Roland Rat: The Series special (TV story)|Roland Rat continuity announcement]]''|
|main character       = [[Roland Rat]]
[[WC]]: ''[[Monster Escape (webcast)|Monster Escape]]''|[[TV]]: ''[[2016 BBC Christmas ident]]''|[[PROSE]]: ''[[Verity (short story)|Verity]]''}}
|featuring            = [[Sixth Doctor]], [[Ron Rat]]
|clip        = Doctor Who LOCKDOWN The Zygon Isolation
|setting              = [[The Ratcave]], [[King's Cross station]], [[1986]]
|clip2        = Doctor Who LOCKDOWN! U.N.I.T. On Call
|writer                = David Claridge, Colin Bostock-Smith, John Cangoon, Sean Carton, David Tomlinson
|clip3        = Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract
|director              = [[Marcus Mortimer]]
|producer              = [[Marcus Mortimer]]
|broadcast date        = 13 September 1986
|format                = 1x25 minute episode
|genre                = Comedy
|fullvid              =
|series                = [[Roland Rat: The Series (series)|''Roland Rat'': ''The Series'']]
}}
}}
{{dab page|Doctor Who (disambiguation)}}
The '''second episode'''{{note|Documentation of the series is scarce online, with the appearance of the Sixth Doctor not even being noted on many television listing pages. This Wiki has instead found that the performance of [[Curiosity Killed The Cat]] within this episode is attributed to episode 2 by several sources, so the Wiki has identified the episode as such.}} of the [[Series 1 (Roland Rat: The Series)|first series]] of [[Roland Rat: The Series (series)|''Roland Rat'': ''The Series'']] produced by the [[BBC]],<ref name="bbcgenome">[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_one_london/1986-09-13 Programme Index 13/09/1986 on genome.ch.bbc.co.uk]</ref><ref name="TVDB">[https://www.thetvdb.com/series/roland-rat-the-series/allseasons/official ''Roland Rat: The Series - Aired Order'' on TVDB]</ref> sometimes mistakenly identified as the third,<ref name="Qsulis">[http://www.qsulis.org.uk/Website_Louise_Gold/Roland_Rat.htm ''Roland Rat'' on Qsulis]</ref> was broadcast on [[13 September (releases)|13 September]] [[1986 (releases)|1986]].<ref name="bbcgenome" /><ref name="TVDB" /><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20211005034053/https://millenniumeffect.co.uk/index.php/from-the-vaults-colin-baker-era/ ''From the Vaults: Colin Baker Era'' on millenniumeffect.co.uk]</ref> The episode was notable for being a [[crossover]] with ''[[Doctor Who (TV series)|Doctor Who]]''; it starred [[Colin Baker]] as the [[Sixth Doctor]] presenting continuity announcements for the [[Roland Rat: The Series|in-universe series]], as the series was shown to be a show-within-a-show.
'''''Doctor Who''''' was a [[BBC]] [[science fiction]]/[[drama]] [[TV series (Remembrance of the Daleks)|series]] that premiered either in late [[1963]], ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Stop, Thief! (short story)|Stop, Thief!]]'', et al.) or the [[2060s]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks! (short story)|Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks!]]'')


The series oriented around the adventures of the eponymous time traveller, commonly referred to as "the Doctor", "Doctor Who", and Dr. Who.
==Plot==
The [[Sixth Doctor]] disdainfully introduces an episode of [[BBC3]]'s ''[[Roland Rat: The Series]]'', and then proceeds to inanely cry out "Yeeeaaah!" — Roland Rat's catchphrase.


== History ==
Entering [[the Ratcave]], [[Roland Rat]] enquires to [[Maureen (Roland Rat: The Series)|Maureen]] if there have been any [[telephone]] calls. Maureen answers in the positive, but when asked if she had written it down, it is revealed that she only wrote the number of telephone calls down, not the actual substance of the calls.  
=== In the 19th century ===
The [[Fourth Doctor]] once wrote and dispatched [[Fourth Doctor's first letter (A Letter from the Doctor)|two]] [[Fourth Doctor's second letter (A Letter from the Doctor)|letters]] at a [[post office, Ganymede|post office]] on [[Ganymede]] on [[42 Paztenmber]], relative to [[1845]] "[[Earth]]-[[time]]", as the Doctor wanted to ensure his letters arrived in time to be printed in the [[Doctor Who Weekly Issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Doctor Who Weekly (A Letter from the Doctor)|Doctor Who Weekly]]''. In the first letter, the Doctor talked about several features in the magazine, and in the second letter, the Doctor explained how to use the [[rub-down action transfers]] on two colour [[panorama]]s illustrated by [[Dave Gibbons (A Letter from the Doctor)|Dave Gibbons]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 1 short story)|A Letter from the Doctor]]'')


=== In the 20th century ===
[[Kevin the Gerbil]] enters and asks if Roland has the [[ratings]] for [[Roland Rat: The Series Series 1 Episode 1|the previous episode]]. Roland asks Maureen to hand him the very important [[blue]] [[envelope]], but it is revealed that she has deposited it in the [[Bin|rubbish bin]]. It is revealed that [[7438000]] people were watching. It is further revealed that Kevin has, in fact, read out the [[BBC (in-universe)|BBC]]'s [[telephone number]], and that the actual number of people watching was [[20000000 (number)|20 million]]. This fact is celebrated by all present, until Roland realises that 20 million viewers is actually a very small number, proclaiming that "even [[EastEnders]] got more than that!". Maureen says that she never misses an episode of EastEnders, to which Roland tells her to shut up. [[D'Arcy De Farcey]] says that "the whole world is obsessed with [[Soap opera|soap operas]]", at which Roland decides that they are now a soap opera.
==== Development ====
After becoming too well recognised [[The Doctor in Earth history|in Earth history]], [[the Doctor]] presumably had retconned themselves into [[The Doctor in popular culture and mythology#On Earth|popular culture]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Afterword (short story)|Afterword]]'')


Later, on the [[26 March|26th of March]], [[1963]], [[Winston Churchill]] sent a letter a [[Newman (Stop, Thief!)|Mr Newman]], to pitch the concept of a show about Churchill's old friend, the Doctor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Stop, Thief! (short story)|Stop, Thief!]]'')
D'Arcy De Farcey, who is [[boo|booed]] by [[Audience (Roland Rat: The Series)|the crowd]] as he walks on stage, then proceeds to introduce Roland Rat (whom he wrongly calls Raynard), and Roland comes on stage. He welcomes them to [[the Ratcave]], and a [[train]] goes overhead, as they are underneath [[King's Cross station]]. He then says what's going to happen later on in the show, and introduces [[Cooking with a moron|their cooking slot]], presented by Maureen.


A young woman, [[Verity Lambert (Verity)|Verity]], went to the [[BBC]], and became the [[producer]] of the show, despite the protests of the "[[Men Who Knew What To Do]]". By standing her ground against their blatant [[sexism]], she helped the ''Doctor Who'' series flourish with her creative ideas. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Verity (short story)|Verity]]'')
[[File:Secrets of the World's Greatest Chefs.jpg|thumb|D'Arcy De Farcy's book.]]
Maureen begins to introduce the slot, but is interrupted by D'Arcy De Farcey, who wants to promote his new book, [[D'Arcy De Farcey's Secrets of the World's Greatest Chefs]]. He manages to sell several copies, before it is revealed that the book is in fact, completely blank. Maureen believes that it is entirely blank because they're secrets. Maureen says that what she is cooking is a surprise, then is surprised by a [[custard pie]] in the face from [[Ron Rat]], aimed at [[Errol the Hamster]].


==== November 1963 ====
Roland Rat then proceeds to introduce [[Curiosity Killed the Cat (in-universe)|Curiosity Killed the Cat]], who play their song [[Misfit]].
[[File:Remembrance Who.jpg|thumb|The series on [[Mrs Smith]]'s television. ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'')]]
A BBC science fiction series beginning ''Doc-'' was first broadcast on [[BBC television|television]] at 5:15 [[PM|pm]] on [[Saturday]] [[30 November|30th of November]], 1963. ([[TV]]: ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')


Early on, there was a novel called ''[[Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks]]'', which, according to the [[Eighth Doctor]], contradicted another book, ''[[Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child]]''. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bafflement and Devotion (short story)|Bafflement and Devotion]]'') This book was later illicitly shared around on [[Gallifrey]] during [[The War]], albeit with its title partially censored for security reasons. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)|The Taking of Planet 5]]'')
Kevin then informs Roland that there are more ratings, and that [[4 (number)|four]] out of [[5 (number)|five]] people in [[China]] watch the show. A supposed "special message of thanks and support" in Chinese, as arranged by Kevin, goes up on the screen. It is then revealed that they have accidentally ordered [[Chinese (food)|Chinese takeaway]].


[[File:TV Terrors watch Dr. Who.jpg|thumb|left|The children watch Dr. Who. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[TV Terrors (TVC 709 comic story)|TV Terrors]]'')]]
[[Iris Rat|Iris]] and [[Freddy Rat|Freddy]], Roland's parents, sit on [[Bench (Roland Rat: The Series Series One Episode Two)|a bench]] in [[Park (Roland Rat the Series Series One Episode Two)|a park]]. Iris and Freddie then complain about Roland Rat going "Yeeeeaaah!" all the time. Iris wonders where he gets it from, then realises that Freddy does it as well. Freddy then protests that he does not, in fact go "Yeeeaaah!" but instead "Yay". Iris then wonders why Roland Rat is a [[superstar]], because he doesn't dance or sing or juggle or anything else that could conceivably be construed as things that a superstar would do. She then goes on to conclude that Roland is a superstar because he goes "Yeeeaaah!", and that Freddy too can be a superstar if he goes "Yeeeaaah!". He attempts to go "Yeeeaaah!" but fails, and Iris tells him disappointedly that he isn't a superstar.  
Sometime in the mid-1960s, [[Monica (TV Terrors)|Monica]], [[Buttons (TV Terrors)|Buttons]], and [[Cuthbert (TV Terrors)|Cuthbert]] tried to get Dr. Who's [[autograph]] after seeing him on television, but after they arrived at the studio and chased by [[Guard (TV Terrors)|a guard]], they took refuge in [[The Doctor's TARDIS|Dr. Who's TARDIS]] that had been "parked" outside the studio. Buttons pressed [[Dematerialisation circuit|a button]], causing the TARDIS to take them to the [[Stone Age]], which they spent little time exploring due to [[Caveman (TV Terrors)|a caveman]] chasing them for trying to access a [[Stone Age TV Studio]]. After they returned to the 20th century, they left the TARDIS, and were chased by the guard once again. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[TV Terrors (TVC 709 comic story)|TV Terrors]]'')


==== 1970s ====
Roland Rat, back in the Ratcave, concludes that his parents are slightly embarrassing, and says that it's time for the new soap opera. Acting as their [[Official soap adviser]] is [[Wendy Richard (in-universe)|Wendy Richard]] from [[EastEnders]], who knows all about soap through working in a laundrette, whom Roland interviews.  
Sometime in the [[1970s]], [[Terrance Dicks (Bafflement and Devotion)|Terrance Dicks]] listened in on a conversation a [[Doctor Who fan (U.N.I.T. On Call)|''Doctor Who'' fan]] from the [[2020|future]], who was asking [[UNIT]] for help regarding [[COVID-19]]. He would join in on the conversation a few minutes later, where he came up with a name for a ''Doctor Who'' story, "who's for a brew". He wrote it down, intending to share it with [[Barry Letts (U.N.I.T. On Call)|Barry]], before disconnecting from the call. ([[WC]]: ''[[U.N.I.T. On Call (webcast)|U.N.I.T. On Call]]'')


In [[1971]], the serial ''[[The Claws of Axos]]'' aired. There was, at least according to [[Claudia Winkleman]] in [[2013]], an "alien [[duplication unit]]", present in the story. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Appears (TV story)|The Doctor Appears]]'')
[[File:RatEnders title card.jpg|thumb|RatEnders.]]
The new soap opera, [[RatEnders]], starts. Roland Rat asks [[Glenys the Guinea Pig]] to try and speak with a cockney accent, which she fails to do. In character, she then tells Roland that he is a mean and dreadful husband, as he is always looking at other guinea pigs. He, again in-character, replies that he is very cruel and ruthless, but fails to confirm that he looks at other guinea pigs, saying instead that other guinea pigs look at him because he is so handsome. He then tells Glenys to have a drink on the house, which [[Little Reggie]] misinterprets, and sprays drinks all over everyone. Errol then enters, asking if he's in it. Roland replies that he is, because they ''have'' to have customers. Errol notes that there aren't many in at the moment, to which Roland replies that they can't afford the extras, and that Errol will have to play a grumpy old man. Errol is worried that he won't be able to play a grumpy old man, at which Roland replies that he has great faith in Errol's acting abilities, and tells him that he'll have to have a [[cockney]] accent, which Errol tries and fails to do. Maureen, playing [[Glenda Jackson]], notes that she can do a good cockney accent, at which the others object that she can't act. She says she can, and that she could play one of Roland's girlfriends, at which Roland objects, saying she isn't pretty enough, and says that she can play the beermat. Little Reggie, at Roland's behest, then sprays her with beer. Kevin then objects to playing a pregnant woman, at which Roland notes that somebody has to be pregnant, and [[Colin the Flea]] assures Kevin that he thinks that he's very attractive. Errol notes that it's very boring, and asks if anything ever happens in the soap opera, at which Roland notes that nothing ever happens in any of the others. Roland tells Glenys to have another nag at him, which she does. She tells him that she's fed up of him looking at other women, at which Roland, in-character objects that he doesn't even know any other women, at which several young women enter the pub. Glenys, still in-character, tells Dirty Roland that she is leaving him. Errol, somewhat bored, leaves as well. Kevin partially in-character, says that he'd better go off to have his baby. Little Reggie then sprays the young girls, and RatEnders ends.


In [[1974]], [[Planet of the Spiders|a serial]] of the series aired, portraying the regeneration of [[Third Doctor]] into his next incarnation, the [[Fourth Doctor]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Fanboys (short story)|Fanboys]]'') The Fourth Doctor was played by [[Tom Baker (Bafflement and Devotion)|Tom Baker]], and was [[Paul Magrs (Bafflement and Devotion)|Paul Magrs]]' favourite actor to portray the Doctor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|The Story of Fester Cat]]'')
Roland asks Wendy Richard what she thought of his acting ability, and, when she gives it a "0", he threatens her, so she changes it to a "10". Roland then says that it's the end of the show, thanks Richards, and the audience cheers.  


[[File:Sutekh destroys Fury from the Deep.jpg|thumb|Unbeknownst to him, [[Sutekh]] destroys ''Fury from the Deep''. ([[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Oh Mummy! (home video)|Oh Mummy!]]'')]]
After the credits, Roland notes that it was a brilliant show, and that RatEnders was a great idea of his. He imagines that the ratings will have gone right up, at which D'Arcy De Farcy reveals that, according to the [[preliminary audience reaction]], everybody but one viewer had switched off, at which the solitary viewer switches off. Roland Rat notes that the reason RatEnders was a failure was due to everyone's bad acting. Kevin the Gerbil is then carried out by some [[paramedic]]s, who believe that he is actually having a [[baby]]. 
When [[Sutekh]] auditioned for the role of himself, [[Philip Hinchcliffe]] set [[fire]] to many objects to see if Sutekh could hold back the [[flame]]s. Unbeknownst to him at the time was that one of these objects was a copy of ''[[Fury from the Deep]]''. ([[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Oh Mummy! (home video)|Oh Mummy!]]'')


On [[Christmas]], [[1977]], eight-year old Paul received a [[Doctor Who jigsaw|''Doctor Who'' jigsaw]], which had a picture of Tom Baker on it. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|The Story of Fester Cat]]'')
[[File:Sixth Doctor is prodded with a pole.jpg|thumb|The Sixth Doctor is rudely awakened.]]
After the episode finishes, the Doctor is [[sleep|awoken]] by the prodding of a [[pole]]. He recaps the audience on what they had been watching, and then excitedly tells them to switch over to [[BBC television|BBC1]] to watch ''[[Doctor Who (N-Space)|Doctor Who]]'', which he refers to as "''the'' series". [[Ron Rat]] jumps up, calling ''Doctor Who'' "rubbish" — an act for which the Doctor attempts to murder Ron, using a ray-gun he just happens to have on his person. Fortunately for Ron, the Doctor is a lousy shot.


In [[1978]], {{Fonda|c }} was sent by [[The Ministry (Femme Fatale)|the Ministry]] to investigate [[Geoff Love]] as the Ministry suspected him of secreting in subliminal messages into his reworkings of classic TV sci-fi themes. Iris helped Geoff develop a remixed [[Doctor Who theme (Bafflement and Devotion)|''Doctor Who'' theme]] while proving that the Ministry was indeed correct with their suspicions. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bafflement and Devotion (short story)|Bafflement and Devotion]]'')
== Cast==
*[[Sixth Doctor]] - [[Colin Baker]]
*[[Maureen (Roland Rat: The Series)|Maureen]] - [[Anna Karen]]
*[[D'Arcy De Farcey]] - [[James Saxon]]
*[[Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot (in-universe)|Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot]] - [[Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot|himself]]
*[[Julian Godfrey Brookhouse (in-universe)|Julian Godfrey Brookhouse]] - [[Julian Godfrey Brookhouse|himself]]
*[[Nick Thorpe (in-universe)|Nick Thorpe]] - [[Nick Thorpe|himself]]
*[[Migi Drummond (in-universe)|Migi Drummond]] - [[Migi Drummond|himself]]
*[[Wendy Richard (in-universe)|Wendy Richard]] - [[Wendy Richard|herself]]
*Voice of [[Roland Rat]], [[Ron Rat]], [[Kevin the Gerbil]], [[Errol the Hamster]], [[Little Reggie]], [[Fergie the Ferret]], [[Glenis the Guinea Pig]], [[Colin the Flea]], [[Iris Rat|Iris]] and [[Freddy Rat|Freddy]] - [[David Claridge]] {{fact}}


Also in 1978, [[Douglas Adams (The Wormery)|Douglas Adams]] became the [[script editor]] for ''Doctor Who'' after he finished writing ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' for [[Radio 4]]. [[John Lloyd (radio producer)|John Lloyd]], who had assisted Adams with the writing for ''Hitchhiker's'', submitted a story treatment entitled ''[[The Doomsday Contract]]''. Despite putting a lot of work into multiple drafts, the episode was never produced and Lloyd moved onto other projects. ([[WC]]: ''[[Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract (webcast)|Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract]]'')
==Crew==
*[[Puppeteer]]s - [[Louise Gold]], [[Anne Prior]], [[Leslie Herbert]], [[Maggie Danylewycz]], [[Darryl Worbey]], [[John Blundall]]
*[[Writer]] - [[David Claridge]], [[Colin Bostock-Smith]], [[John Cangoon]], [[Sean Carton]], [[David Tomlinson]]
*[[Director]] - [[Marcus Mortimer]] {{fact}}
*[[Producer]] - [[Marcus Mortimer]] {{fact}}
*[[Music]] - [[Matt Aitken]], [[Mike Stock]], [[Pete Waterman]]
*[[Cameraman]] - [[Dave Grey]]
*[[Sound recordist]] - [[Doug Mawson]]
*[[Film editor]] - [[Nick Hutchings]]
*[[Properties buyer]] - [[Bob Warans]]
*[[Graphic design]] - [[Iain Greenway]], [[Simon Everson]]
*[[Vision effects designer]] - [[Malcolm James]]
*[[Camera supervisor]] - [[Spencer Payne]]
*[[Technical co-ordinator|Technical Co-ordinators]] - [[Jeff Jeffery]], [[Terry Wild]]
*[[Vision mixer|Vision Mixer]] - [[Angela Beveridge]]
*[[Videotape editor|VT Editors]] - [[Peter Bird]], [[Mykola Pawlock]]
*[[Make-up designer]] - [[Cecile Hay-Arthur]]
*[[Costume designer]] - [[Ken Trew]]
*[[Production assistant]] - [[Claire Sharp]]
*[[Assistant floor manager]] - [[Simon Spencer]]
*[[Sound department|Sound]] - [[Bob Foley]], [[Len Shorey]]
*[[Lighting]] - [[Henry Barber]], [[Graham Aimmington]]
*[[Production manager]] - [[Nick Fiveash]]
*[[Designer]] - [[Grenville Horner]], [[Donal Woods]]
*[[Executive producer]] - [[Michael Hurll]]


On Christmas, [[1979]], Paul was given a [[Dr Who Paint-by-Numbers kit]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Party Like it's 1979 (short story)|Party Like it's 1979]]'')
==References==
*The Doctor compares the [[Dalek]], [[Cybermen]], and even "[[Terry Wogan (Roland Rat: The Series)|Wogan]] from the planet [[Shepherd's Bush (planet)|Shepherd's Bush]]" and [[green slimy things]] to ''Roland Rat: The Series''.
*According to [[Kevin the Gerbil]], there are [[4684356738 (number)|4,684,356,738]] people in the world.
*[[D'Arcy De Farcey]] considers [[Roland Rat]] to be "a legend in his own lifetime", and one of the most caring, sensitive [[performer]]s he knows, apart from [[Bob Monkhouse]].
*[[Wendy Richard (in-universe)|Wendy Richard]] believes that the secret to a good [[soap opera]] is having someone like her in it.
*Roland Rat never misses an episode of [[EastEnders]].
*[[Fergie the Ferret]] cannot stand a cheap [[opening title sequence]].
*According to several individuals, nothing ever happens in EastEnders.


==== 1980s ====
==Notes==
Prior to [[1981]], serials known as ''[[The Seeds of Doom]]'', ''[[State of Decay]]'', ''[[Planet of the Spiders]]'' were broadcast,  the latter of which depicting the Fourth Doctor's regeneration into the [[Fifth Doctor]], who was set to return in the [[Doctor Who Season 19|following season]]. By this time, the [[Wirrn]], [[Zarbi]], [[Sontaran]]s, [[Krynoid]]s, [[Zygon]]s, [[Mechanoid]]s, [[Yeti]], and the [[Brain]] of [[Morbius]] all had been featured in the show, serving the role of the villains.
* The story was broadcast in conjunction with ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord (TV story)|The Trial of a Time Lord]]'', with the Doctor wearing his stripy waistcoat and yellow star-speckled necktie from ''[[Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)|Terror of the Vervoids]]''.
*The entirety of the episode takes place in a then-fictional [[BBC Three (in-universe)|BBC Three]], despite the series actually airing on BBC One.
*[[RatEnders]] is a parody of [[EastEnders]].  


In early 1981, [[David Taylor (Fanboys)|David]] and [[Chris (Fanboys)|Chris]] were major fans of the series. They obsessed over the series, and when they went to [[Darlington]] on a semi-regular basis, where they would treated by their parents by taking them into [[WHSmith]]'s to buy [[Target Books (Bafflement and Devotion)|Target novelisations]] of ''Doctor Who'' stories. On one such occasion, they bought copies of ''[[State of Decay (book)|State of Decay]]'' and ''[[Planet of the Spiders (book)|Planet of the Spiders]]''. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Fanboys (short story)|Fanboys]]'')
==Continuity==
*This story is not the first to depict the ''Doctor Who'' series [[Doctor Who (in-universe)|existing in-universe]], having been depicted in [[Doctor Who (in-universe)/Appearances|in many sources]] released both before and after this episode.


''[[K9 and Company]]'' premiered around Christmas 1981. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|The Story of Fester Cat]]'')
==Footnotes==
===Notes===
{{Notelist}}


After the [[Sixth Doctor]] finished telling the audience that they had been watching ''Roland Rat: The Series'', and that they should now switch over to [[BBC1#In the DWU|BBC1]]'s ''Doctor Who'', [[Ron Rat]] jumped up, shouting that ''Doctor Who'' was "rubbish", which caused the Sixth Doctor to promptly attempt to [[murder]] the rat. ([[TV]]: ''[[Roland Rat: The Series special (TV story)|Roland Rat: The Series special]]'')
===Sources===
{{reflist}}
{{DWU Doctor Who stories}}


==== 1990s ====
[[:Category:Stories that crossover with non-DWU series]]
In the late [[1990s]], an unspecified incarnation of the character was portrayed by [[Paul McGann (Hospitality)|Paul McGann]] in the [[Doctor Who TV movie|''Doctor Who'' TV movie]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Hospitality (short story)|Hospitality]]'')
[[:Category:1986 television stories]]
 
[[:Category:Sixth Doctor television stories]]
=== In the 21st century ===
[[:Category:Stories about Doctor Who]]
==== 2000s ====
Around the early [[2000s]], [[Paul Magrs (Bafflement and Devotion)|Paul Magrs]] wrote in a short [[Prose piece (Bafflement and Devotion)|piece of prose]] about his books and inspirations. In this piece, he stated that the [[Second Doctor|second]] and [[Fourth Doctor|fourth]] incarnations of the Doctor were [[Patrick Troughton (Bafflement and Devotion)|Patrick Troughton]] and [[Tom Baker (Bafflement and Devotion)|Tom Baker]], respectively, and that his collection of all [[150 (number)|150]] [[Target Books (Bafflement and Devotion)|Target novels]] written by Terrance Dicks had been [[theft|stolen]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bafflement and Devotion (short story)|Bafflement and Devotion]]'')
 
[[File:Fury from the Deep DVD cover.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sardoth]]'s [[DVD]] copy of ''[[Fury from the Deep]]''. ([[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Eye on... Blatchford (home video)|Eye on... Blatchford]]'')]]
In his home, [[Sardoth]] read ''[[The Dr Who Annual 1979]]'', and in his attic, had a [[DVD]] copy of ''[[Fury from the Deep]]'' in a cardboard box. ([[HOMEVID]]: ''[[Eye on... Blatchford (home video)|Eye on... Blatchford]]'')
 
Inviting [[Human (Attack of the Graske)|a human]] aboard [[the TARDIS]], the [[Tenth Doctor]] voiced his awareness that they had been watching his [[adventure]]s. He in turn admitted to having watched some of theirs. ([[GAME]]: ''[[Attack of the Graske (video game)|Attack of the Graske]]'')
 
[[File:Doctor Who annuals in Books UnLtd.jpg|thumb|left|Various ''Doctor Who'' annuals stacked on [[table]]s and placed on [[shelf|shelves]] in [[Books UnLtd]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Groatsworth of Wit (comic story)|A Groatsworth of Wit]]'')]]
By [[2006]], [[Books UnLtd]] stocked ''Doctor Who'' annuals, which [[Robert Greene]] walked past as he entered the shop. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[A Groatsworth of Wit (comic story)|A Groatsworth of Wit]]'')
 
By the [[21st century]], [[Cybermen]], [[Weeping Angel]]s, [[Sontaran]]s and [[Slitheen family|Slitheen]] had appeared. [[David Karpagnon]], an [[orphan]] with [[dissociative personality disorder]], watched the show around this time. The Doctor helped him with his problems from inside his head. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Terror of the Umpty Ums (short story)|The Terror of the Umpty Ums]]'') In the early [[2010s]], [[Matt Smith (The Doctor Appears)|Matt Smith]] was an actor in the series. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Drops In (TV story)|The Doctor Drops In]]'', ''[[The Doctor Appears (TV story)|The Doctor Appears]]'')
 
In [[2008]], Paul Magrs worked on several [[script]]s for [[Doctor Who CDs|''Doctor Who'' CDs]], which, once completed, would require Paul to travel to [[London]] and help with the production, where he got to meet Tom Baker. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|The Story of Fester Cat]]'')
 
==== 2010s ====
[[File:Plush TARDIS.png|thumb|The plush TARDIS prize within a claw machine. ([[WC]]: ''[[Web of Lies (webcast)|Web of Lies]]'')]]
In [[2011]], there was a [[pink]] TARDIS as a prize in a claw machine in a fairground on [[Coney Island]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[Web of Lies (webcast)|Web of Lies]]'')
 
On [[21 June]], [[2012]], a live news broadcast was filmed outside the [[Doctor Who Experience|''Doctor Who'' Experience]], when the exhibits (a [[Cyberman (Monster Escape)|Cybermen]], a [[Animated scarecrow (Monster Escape)|Scarecrow]], an [[Ood (Monster Escape)|Ood]], a [[Silent (Monster Escape)|Silent]] and the [[Eternal Dalek]]) turned out to be the real deal, and they burst through the wall of the experience, terrorising the public. ([[WC]]: ''[[Monster Escape (webcast)|Monster Escape]]'')
 
On [[Red Nose Day]] [[2013]], [[Dermot O'Leary (The Doctor Appears)|Dermot O'Leary]] surprised his co-presenter [[Claudia Winkleman]] with a guest appearance of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]. At the event, an [[The Snowmen|episode]] of ''Doctor Who'' played on screen behind them with [[Richard E Grant (Independence Day)|an actor]] portraying [[Walter Simeon]], and flirtatiously Claudia chased the Doctor around. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Appears (TV story)|The Doctor Appears]]'') Later that year, ''[[The Day of the Doctor]]'' was broadcast in [[3D]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor Appears (TV story)|The Doctor Appears]]'', [[WC]]: ''[[The Zygon Isolation (webcast)|The Zygon Isolation]]'')
 
[[Peter Capaldi (A Letter from the Doctor)|Peter Capaldi]] was cast as the [[Twelfth Doctor#Legacy|Twelfth Doctor]] in [[2013]], where he attended a [[meeting]] with [[Steven Moffat (Afterword)|Steven Moffat]]. Capaldi prepared for this meeting by reading issues of [[Doctor Who Magazine (periodical)|DWM]]. Later, he wrote [[Letter (A Letter from the Doctor)|a letter]] to the readers of DWM, writing about his more than positive opinions of the magazine. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 464 short story)|A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 464)]]'')
 
[[File:Doctor Who bus.jpg|thumb|A poster on a [[double decker bus]] in [[2014]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'')|left]]
In [[November]] [[2014]], ([[PROSE]]: "[[The Time Lord Letters (novel)|Assessing the Risk]]") when the [[Earth]] became overgrown with [[tree]]s, a [[double decker bus]] had an [[advertisement]] on its side, depicting [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] and individuals closely resembling the [[Twelfth Doctor]] and [[Clara Oswald]]. An unknown source rated the show four stars out of five commenting "A-MAZE-ING ENTERTAINMENT!". ([[TV]]: ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'')
 
Around [[October]] of [[2015]], the [[Doctor Who Series 9|ninth series]] of the show was broadcast on [[BBC One#In the DWU|BBC One]], starring another unspecified incarnation, who travelled with a companion called [[Clara Oswald#Legacy|Clara]]; the [[Twelfth Doctor|twelfth incarnation]] of the Doctor bore a great similarity to this fictional depiction, and the same could be said about [[Clara Oswald]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Zygon Isolation (webcast)|The Zygon Isolation]]'')
 
On [[29 April]] [[2016]], Peter Capaldi was asked by ''[[Doctor Who Magazine (periodical)|Doctor Who Magazine]]'' to write a [[letter (A Letter from the Doctor)|letter]] for the [[Doctor Who Magazine Issue 500|five-hundredth issue]]. He had written another letter for the magazine a while back, but couldn't remember if it was for the [[Doctor Who Magazine Issue 1000|one-thousandth]] or the [[Doctor Who Magazine Issue 100000|one hundred-thousandth]] issue. In his letter, he noted that the magazine had a [[comic strip]], and he was proud to have his likeness be captured so well, as well as how inspirational the magazine was to its fans. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 500 short story)|A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 500)]]'')
 
[[File:Colin Baker's iPad.jpg|thumb||[[Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN!)|Colin Baker]]'s [[iPad]] showing evidence beamed directly from [[the Matrix]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN! (webcast)|The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN!]]'']]
[[Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN!)|Colin Baker]] was once put on [[trial]] for not paying a [[parking fine]], which he recieved whilst filming ten [[hour]]s of new content for ''[[Doctor Who Season 23]]'', which included updated [[special effect]]s and extended versions of every [[episode]], as well behind the scenes material such as ''[[The Writers' Room: The Missing Season 23]]'', ''[[The Doctor Who Cookbook Revisited]]'', and ''[[The Doctor's Table: Season 23]]''. Despite showing [[Lisa Hollander|the magistrate]] evidence of this on his [[iPad]] which had been beamed directly from [[the Matrix]], he was "put away" in a cell with his friend [[Nicola Bryant (The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN!)|Nicola Bryant]], who had been put there for marrying [[Brian Blessed (Interference)|Brian Blessed]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN! (webcast)|The Sixth Doctor is on trial AGAIN!]]'')
 
==== 2020s ====
n her garden, [[Louise Jameson (The Home Assistants of Death?!)|Louise Jameson]] spoke to her friend [[Tom Baker (Bafflement and Devotion)|Tom Baker]] about how wonderful her new [[V14|Home Assistant]] is, until she gave it too many orders, causing it to malfunction so severely it attempts to kill Louise, so hanging up on Tom, she grabs ''[[Doctor Who Season 14|Doctor Who The Collection Season 14]]'', using it to bludgeon the Home Assistant down. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Home Assistants of Death?! (webcast)|The Home Assistants of Death?!]]'')
 
[[File:Osgood's desktop.jpg|thumb|left|Osgood's desktop. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Zygon Isolation (webcast)|The Zygon Isolation]]'')]]
By [[2020]], the show had 12 series and 167 episodes that were available on [[BBC iPlayer]]. The [[Doctor Who Series 9|ninth series]] appeared to include episodes such as ''[[The Magician's Apprentice]]'', ''[[The Witch's Familiar]]'', ''[[Under the Lake]]'', ''[[Before the Flood]]'', ''[[The Girl Who Died]]'', ''[[The Woman Who Lived]]'', ''[[The Zygon Invasion]]'', ''[[The Zygon Inversion]]'', ''[[Sleep No More]]'', ''[[Face the Raven]]'', and ''[[Heaven Sent]]''. There also a periodical called ''[[Doctor Who Magazine (periodical)|Doctor Who Magazine]]''. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Zygon Isolation (webcast)|The Zygon Isolation]]'')
 
On [[10 May]], 2020, the two [[Osgood]]s conversed over [[Zoom]]. Afterwards, one of the duo went onto [[BBC iPlayer]] after ending the chat, scrolling past several episodes of ''Doctor Who'' from series nine, until she decided to watch ''The Zygon Invasion''. ([[WC]]: ''[[The Zygon Isolation (webcast)|The Zygon Isolation]]'')
 
In late 2020, after a [[Doctor Who fan (U.N.I.T. On Call)|fan]] finished watching an [[Turn Left|episode]], she rang UNIT in the 1970s, asking for help from the real Third Doctor, Jo, and the Brigadier, and they told her to remain positive despite the hardships. They disconnected, and Terrance Dicks then applauded the trio, and told the fan a tea break was deserved. He then came up with an idea for the name of a story, and then too disconnected. The fan then drank a [[TARDIS mug|cup]] of tea while watching an older episode of ''Doctor Who''. ([[WC]]: ''[[U.N.I.T. On Call (webcast)|U.N.I.T. On Call]]'')
 
The [[Thirteenth Doctor]] and everybody at ''Doctor Who'' once wished their audience "[[love]] and [[luck]]" for [[2021]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[A New Year's message from the Doctor... (webcast)|A New Year's message from the Doctor...]]'')
 
In [[2021]], [[Big Finish (The Zygon Isolation)|Big Finish]] produced a "full cast audio version" of the unproduced serial ''[[The Doomsday Contract]]'', written by [[John Lloyd (radio producer)|John Lloyd]] and [[Nev Fountain (Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract)|Nev Fountain]], starring [[Tom Baker (Bafflement and Devotion)|Tom Baker]], [[Lalla Ward (The Dying Days)|Lalla Ward]], [[John Leeson (Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract)|John Leeson]], and [[Julian Wadham (Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract)|Julian Wadham]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract (webcast)|Tom Baker stars in John Lloyd's lost Doctor Who adventure, The Doomsday Contract]]'')
 
==== 2060s ====
By [[2065]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Peaceful Thals Ambushed! (short story)|Peaceful Thals Ambushed!]]'') [[William Hartnell (Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks!)|William Hartnell]] was playing the part of "Dr. Who" in "the television series". ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks! (short story)|Lady Penelope Investigates the stars of the Sensational new film Dr. Who and the Daleks!]]'')
 
=== In the 26th century ===
==== 2590s ====
In [[2596]], [[Chris Cwej]] and [[Clarence]] once watched a show on a [[vidscreen]] that ran for "thirty-odd years" and mostly comprised of "people being captured and escaping, a lot of [[running]] and an [[explosion]] at the end". Clarence found this series to be predictable, but they both preferred it to the alternative, which were [[cookery]] shows. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Twilight of the Gods (BNA novel)|Twilight of the Gods]]'')
 
=== Undated events ===
[[David Fisher (The Stones of Spookiness)|David Fisher]] wrote the story ''[[The Stones of Blood]]'', a story which involved a [[stone circle]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Stones of Spookiness (short story)|The Stones of Spookiness]]'')
 
[[Justin Richards (The Secret Lives of Monsters)|Justin Richards]] was the author of many stories about the Doctor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Summer Falls and Other Stories#Notes|Summer Falls and Other Stories]]'')
 
[[Kelly Hale (Contributors)|Kelly Hale]] once co-[[author]]ed a [[Grimm Reality|''Doctor Who'' tie-in novel]] and another novel, ''[[Erasing Sherlock]]''. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Contributors (short story)|Contributors]]'')
 
[[File:Doctor Who Season 8.jpg|thumb|left|[[Melanie Bush|Mel]] looks down at her present. ([[WC]]: ''[[24 Carat (webcast)|24 Carat]]'')]]
In [[Melanie Bush]]'s [[Mel's spacestation headquarters|spacestation headquarters]], the [[Seventh Doctor]] gave Mel a copy of ''[[Doctor Who Season 24|Doctor Who The Collection Season 24]]'', which he claimed was a "[[holographic]], [[6 (number)|six]]-[[dimension]]al record" of his and Mel's adventures. They had decided to watch an episode, but not [[Time and the Rani|the one with the Tetraps]]. ([[WC]]: ''[[24 Carat (webcast)|24 Carat]]'')
 
=== Other accounts ===
{{Section stub|Info about ''[[The Time Surgeon]]'', ''[[Doctor X]]'', ''[[Professor X]]'', ''[[Doctor Omega]]'', ''[[Doctor (series)|Doctor]]'' and ''[[Comic Relief spectacular]]'' needs to be added.}}
Other accounts of [[The Doctor in popular culture and mythology|the Doctor appearing in Earth fiction]], sometimes as a [[Doctor Who (Salvation)|character called "Doctor Who"]], suggested that some of the movies [[The Doctor in popular culture and mythology#On television|and TV programmes]] about the character were based on records and testimonies of the real Doctor. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Stop, Thief! (short story)|Stop, Thief!]]'', ''[[Salvation (novel)|Salvation]]'', ''[[The Day of the Doctor (novelisation)|The Day of the Doctor]]'') It has been suggested that when the Doctor's existence has become too noticeable to a world, they have a favorite "panic button", going back in time and introducing themselves as a fictional character in that world's mythology. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Afterword (short story)|Afterword]]'')
 
Premiering in the [[1950s]], ([[PROSE]]: ''[[In Search of Doctor X (short story)|In Search of Doctor X]]'') the television series ''[[Doctor X]]'' shared similarities ''Doctor Who'', ([[PROSE]]: ''[[In Search of Doctor X (short story)|In Search of Doctor X]]'', [[WC]]: ''[[Doctor X (webcast)|Doctor X]]'', et al.) with the series both being primarily [[science fiction]], centering around a mysterious, epynomynous time traveller, with similarly named books<ref>''[[Doctor X in an Amazing Adventure in Space]]'' and ''[[Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks]]''</ref>, ([[PROSE]]: ''[[In Search of Doctor X (short story)|In Search of Doctor X]]'', ''[[Bafflement and Devotion (short story)|Bafflement and Devotion]]'') as well as a dedicated fanbase. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Bafflement and Devotion (short story)|Bafflement and Devotion]]'', ''[[The Story of Fester Cat (novel)|The Story of Fester Cat]]'', [[WC]]: ''[[Doctor X (webcast)|Doctor X]]'')
 
=== Parallel timelines ===
In [[Godfrey Porter's World|one reality]], where the Doctor did not appear to ever have existed as a real individual, from [[19 September]] to [[24 October]] [[1964]], a six-part story entitled ''[[The Outlaws]]'' was first broadcast, starring actor [[William Hartnell (The Thief of Sherwood)|William Hartnell]] as a version of the [[First Doctor]]. The six episodes were titled: "The Deserted Castle", "The Thief of Sherwood", "The Alchemist", "Errand of Mercy", "Ransom" and "A Guest For the Gallows". Episodes 3 and 5 were missing but still existed as off-air recordings. It had the production code "I".
 
The guest cast for "The Deserted Castle" included [[William Russell (The Thief of Sherwood)|William Russell]] in a dual role also as [[Robin Hood (The Thief of Sherwood)|Robin Hood]], [[Archie Duncan]] as [[Little John (The Thief of Sherwood)|Little John]], [[Ronald Hines]] as [[Will Scarlet (The Thief of Sherwood)|Will Scarlet]], [[Frank Thornton (The Thief of Sherwood)|Frank Thornton]] as the [[Sheriff of Nottingham (The Thief of Sherwood)|Sheriff of Nottingham]], [[Anneke Wills (The Thief of Sherwood)|Anneke Wills]] as [[Maid Marion (The Thief of Sherwood)|Maid Marion]], [[Milton Johns (The Thief of Sherwood)|Milton Johns]] as the [[Peddler (The Thief of Sherwood)|peddler]], [[Carl Bernard]] as a [[Villager (The Thief of Sherwood)|villager]] and [[Ivor Colin]] as a [[Man-at-arms (The Thief of Sherwood)|man-at-arms]]. The [[writer]] was [[Godfrey Porter]], the [[title music]] was by [[Ron Grainer (The Thief of Sherwood)|Ron Grainer]] with the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop (The Thief of Sherwood)|BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], the [[incidental music]] was composed and conducted by [[Harper C Bassett]], the [[story editor]] was [[David Whitaker (The Thief of Sherwood)|David Whitaker]], the [[designer]] was [[Barry Newbery (The Thief of Sherwood)|Barry Newbery]], the [[associate producer]] was [[Mervyn Pinfield (The Thief of Sherwood)|Mervyn Pinfield]], the [[producer]] was [[Verity Lambert (The Thief of Sherwood)|Verity Lambert]] and the [[director]] was [[Patrick Whitfield]].
 
While doing an [[alchemy]] demonstration for the Sheriff in Episode 3, the Doctor nearly blows himself up while mixing chemicals, leaving him absent for two episodes while Hartnell recovered from a short illness.
 
The [[Dalek (The Thief of Sherwood)|Daleks]] appeared in one of the first eight stories of this version of ''Doctor Who''; the tenth story was titled ''[[Planet of Giants]]'' and followed on from a [[cliffhanger]] in which the [[Fault locator (The Thief of Sherwood)|fault locator]] warned of a build-up of pressure within [[The Doctor's TARDIS (The Thief of Sherwood)|the TARDIS]].
 
In [[1986]], Godfrey Porter wrote a [[novelisation]] of ''The Outlaws'' entitled ''[[The Thief of Sherwood]]'' for [[Target Books (Bafflement and Devotion)|Target Books]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Thief of Sherwood (short story)|The Thief of Sherwood]]'')
 
The [[Eighth Doctor]] encountered a [[Doctor Who (TV Action!)|version of the ''Doctor Who'' TV series]] in [[Parallel universe (Deadline)|a parallel universe]] where he realised that he did not exist as a real individual; instead, he encountered the actor [[Tom Baker (TV Action!)|Tom Baker]], who resembled the Doctor's [[Fourth Doctor|fourth self]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[TV Action! (comic story)|TV Action!]]'')
 
The [[Eleventh Doctor]] also found himself stranded in a "[[meta-fictional]]" [[Parallel universe (The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who)|Parallel universe]] where [[Doctor Who (The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who)|''Doctor Who'']] existed as a TV programme with a long and storied history; to his surprise, all of the series' episodes matched events in his past exactly. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who (comic story)|The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who]]'')
 
[[Parallel universe (Deadline)|Another universe]] existed where ''[[Doctor Who (Deadline)|Doctor Who]]'' was the failed creation of [[Martin Bannister]]; in the original timeline, it was extremely popular, but excessive [[time travel]] caused the programme to be effectively replaced by ''[[Juliet Bravo]]''. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Deadline (audio story)|Deadline]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[All Our Christmases (short story)|All Our Christmases]]'')
 
== Behind the scenes ==
=== History of the concept ===
The existence of the TV series ''[[Doctor Who]]'' within the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] is a metafictional gimmick with a long and storied history within licensed ''Doctor Who'' fiction. The show itself stopped just shy of confirming the existence of a series called ''Doctor Who'' within its universe on two occasion; the first was in ''[[Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)|Remembrance of the Daleks]]'', where a [[TV series (Remembrance of the Daleks)|TV series]] whose title began with "Doc…", and which debuted on the same date as the real-life ''Doctor Who'', was briefly mentioned — only for the characters (and viewers) to miss the full name of the programme. Many years later, a poster featuring the [[Twelfth Doctor]], [[Clara Oswald]] and [[the Doctor's TARDIS]] was glimpsed in the background of the [[Series 8 (Doctor Who)|Series 8]] episode ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'', but with no title visible.
 
As a significant part of [[The Doctor in popular culture and mythology|popular culture]] of [[The Doctor in Earth history|Earth history]] in their own universe, [[television]] programmes and [[book]]s based upon the Doctor have also been referenced in other in-universe sources; some, like [[Sarah Jane Smith]]'s [[Doctor (series)|''Doctor'' series]], were reminiscent but distinct from real-life ''Doctor Who'' productions, while others, such as the mention of the two [[Peter Cushing]] movies in [[Steven Moffat]]'s [[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|''Day of the Doctor'' novelisation]], intentionally matched pieces of real-life ''Doctor Who'' fiction. However, though instances such as the short story ''[[Stop, Thief! (short story)|Stop, Thief!]]'' (where [[Winston Churchill]] commissions a "BBC TV programme about the Doctor's life") push the implication as far as it may be pushed, no story deemed [[Tardis:Valid sources|valid]] by this Wiki has yet directly posited an in-universe TV series called ''Doctor Who'' as existing in [[N-Space|the Doctor's own universe]] ''and'' being based in some obvious causal manner on the Doctor's "real" exploits. Several television and prose stories (''[[The Doctor Drops In (TV story)|The Doctor Drops In]]'', ''[[The Doctor Appears (TV story)|The Doctor Appears]]'', and ''[[A Letter from the Doctor (DWM 1 short story)|A Letter from the Doctor]]'') have come rather close, showing the Doctor to endorse and promote the series, but still did not explicitly spell out that the in-universe ''Doctor Who'' series was based on the real Doctor's adventures.
 
As an in-universe concept, ''Doctor Who'' has been additionally used in [[Meta-fiction universe|parallel universes]] — where the logically thorny implications of the series known to the viewer simultaneously being a true account of a time-traveller's life, ''and'' a piece of fiction which the same individual could theoretically watch, would be lessened. The [[Eighth Doctor]] discovered the existence of ''[[Doctor Who (TV Action!)|Doctor Who]]'' in ''[[TV Action! (comic story)|TV Action!]]'' while the [[Eleventh Doctor]] dealt with chapters of his life being chronicled as [[episode]]s of a [[Doctor Who (The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who)|television programme]] in ''[[The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who (comic story)|The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who]]''. The articles from ''[[The Thief of Sherwood (short story)|The Thief of Sherwood]]'', which depict an adventure with the [[First Doctor]], [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Campbell|Barbara]] where they meet [[Robin Hood]], is placed in "an alternate version of our world", belonging to [[the Doctor]]'s [[multiverse]], by authorial intent.
 
=== Other notes ===
[[File:Bus advert.jpg|thumb|The fan-made poster used on the [[bus]] in ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]''.]]
The bus seen in ''[[In the Forest of the Night (TV story)|In the Forest of the Night]]'' was cardboard, as it was too hard to transport a real [[bus]] into the [[forest]]. The [[advert]] seen on the bus was a fan-made poster for [[Series 8 (Doctor Who)|series 8]] of ''Doctor Who'', made by [[Logan Fulford]].
 
The ''Doctor Who'' annuals seen in [[COMIC]]: ''[[A Groatsworth of Wit (comic story)|A Groatsworth of Wit]]'', while are clearly recognizable, the specific years are too small to make out. In the real world, these annuals correspond to the [[Doctor Who Annual 1968|1968]] and [[Doctor Who Annual 2006|2006]] annuals.
 
In some stories, vague allusions towards ''Doctor Who'' stories have been made, such as in [[PROSE]]: ''[[I Am the Doctor (short story)|I Am the Doctor]]'', where Nardole watches ''[[The Chase]]'', and in [[TV]]: ''[[The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)|The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]'', where a cinema was shown to be playing something titled ''[[The Mind of Evil]]''; whether these stories were meta-fiction references to ''Doctor Who'', or were references to {{w|The Chase (TV series)|the gameshow called ''The Chase''}} and an unrelated film are currently unclear. Similar instances have occurred with characters, where they've been named after or in homage to real world individuals involved with ''Doctor Who'', with ambiguity surrounding whether they're supposed to be direct, in-universe counterparts, equivalents of, or even entirely unrelated individuals in all but name.
 
Many of [[Douglas Adams]]' ''[[Doctor Who]]'' stories, such as [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[Shada (TV story)|Shada]]'', have implied a shared universe with ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' series, however an authorised sequel ''[[w:hitchhikers:And Another Thing...|And Another Thing...]]'' seems to contradict this by having [[Arthur Dent]] compare the destruction of Earth to early [[special effect]]s on ''Doctor Who'', however by the content gathered on this page, this disparity can be easily reconciled.
 
== External links ==
{{Lockx}}
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Doctor Who}}
{{DWU DW stories}}
{{Marvel Comics}}
[[:Category:Doctor Who (N-Space)| ]]
[[:Category:Television series from the real world]]
[[:Category:BBC]]
[[:Category:Science fiction television series]]

Latest revision as of 22:16, 25 February 2024

RealWorld.png

The second episode[nb 1] of the first series of Roland Rat: The Series produced by the BBC,[1][2] sometimes mistakenly identified as the third,[3] was broadcast on 13 September 1986.[1][2][4] The episode was notable for being a crossover with Doctor Who; it starred Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor presenting continuity announcements for the in-universe series, as the series was shown to be a show-within-a-show.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Sixth Doctor disdainfully introduces an episode of BBC3's Roland Rat: The Series, and then proceeds to inanely cry out "Yeeeaaah!" — Roland Rat's catchphrase.

Entering the Ratcave, Roland Rat enquires to Maureen if there have been any telephone calls. Maureen answers in the positive, but when asked if she had written it down, it is revealed that she only wrote the number of telephone calls down, not the actual substance of the calls.

Kevin the Gerbil enters and asks if Roland has the ratings for the previous episode. Roland asks Maureen to hand him the very important blue envelope, but it is revealed that she has deposited it in the rubbish bin. It is revealed that 7438000 people were watching. It is further revealed that Kevin has, in fact, read out the BBC's telephone number, and that the actual number of people watching was 20 million. This fact is celebrated by all present, until Roland realises that 20 million viewers is actually a very small number, proclaiming that "even EastEnders got more than that!". Maureen says that she never misses an episode of EastEnders, to which Roland tells her to shut up. D'Arcy De Farcey says that "the whole world is obsessed with soap operas", at which Roland decides that they are now a soap opera.

D'Arcy De Farcey, who is booed by the crowd as he walks on stage, then proceeds to introduce Roland Rat (whom he wrongly calls Raynard), and Roland comes on stage. He welcomes them to the Ratcave, and a train goes overhead, as they are underneath King's Cross station. He then says what's going to happen later on in the show, and introduces their cooking slot, presented by Maureen.

D'Arcy De Farcy's book.

Maureen begins to introduce the slot, but is interrupted by D'Arcy De Farcey, who wants to promote his new book, D'Arcy De Farcey's Secrets of the World's Greatest Chefs. He manages to sell several copies, before it is revealed that the book is in fact, completely blank. Maureen believes that it is entirely blank because they're secrets. Maureen says that what she is cooking is a surprise, then is surprised by a custard pie in the face from Ron Rat, aimed at Errol the Hamster.

Roland Rat then proceeds to introduce Curiosity Killed the Cat, who play their song Misfit.

Kevin then informs Roland that there are more ratings, and that four out of five people in China watch the show. A supposed "special message of thanks and support" in Chinese, as arranged by Kevin, goes up on the screen. It is then revealed that they have accidentally ordered Chinese takeaway.

Iris and Freddy, Roland's parents, sit on a bench in a park. Iris and Freddie then complain about Roland Rat going "Yeeeeaaah!" all the time. Iris wonders where he gets it from, then realises that Freddy does it as well. Freddy then protests that he does not, in fact go "Yeeeaaah!" but instead "Yay". Iris then wonders why Roland Rat is a superstar, because he doesn't dance or sing or juggle or anything else that could conceivably be construed as things that a superstar would do. She then goes on to conclude that Roland is a superstar because he goes "Yeeeaaah!", and that Freddy too can be a superstar if he goes "Yeeeaaah!". He attempts to go "Yeeeaaah!" but fails, and Iris tells him disappointedly that he isn't a superstar.

Roland Rat, back in the Ratcave, concludes that his parents are slightly embarrassing, and says that it's time for the new soap opera. Acting as their Official soap adviser is Wendy Richard from EastEnders, who knows all about soap through working in a laundrette, whom Roland interviews.

RatEnders.

The new soap opera, RatEnders, starts. Roland Rat asks Glenys the Guinea Pig to try and speak with a cockney accent, which she fails to do. In character, she then tells Roland that he is a mean and dreadful husband, as he is always looking at other guinea pigs. He, again in-character, replies that he is very cruel and ruthless, but fails to confirm that he looks at other guinea pigs, saying instead that other guinea pigs look at him because he is so handsome. He then tells Glenys to have a drink on the house, which Little Reggie misinterprets, and sprays drinks all over everyone. Errol then enters, asking if he's in it. Roland replies that he is, because they have to have customers. Errol notes that there aren't many in at the moment, to which Roland replies that they can't afford the extras, and that Errol will have to play a grumpy old man. Errol is worried that he won't be able to play a grumpy old man, at which Roland replies that he has great faith in Errol's acting abilities, and tells him that he'll have to have a cockney accent, which Errol tries and fails to do. Maureen, playing Glenda Jackson, notes that she can do a good cockney accent, at which the others object that she can't act. She says she can, and that she could play one of Roland's girlfriends, at which Roland objects, saying she isn't pretty enough, and says that she can play the beermat. Little Reggie, at Roland's behest, then sprays her with beer. Kevin then objects to playing a pregnant woman, at which Roland notes that somebody has to be pregnant, and Colin the Flea assures Kevin that he thinks that he's very attractive. Errol notes that it's very boring, and asks if anything ever happens in the soap opera, at which Roland notes that nothing ever happens in any of the others. Roland tells Glenys to have another nag at him, which she does. She tells him that she's fed up of him looking at other women, at which Roland, in-character objects that he doesn't even know any other women, at which several young women enter the pub. Glenys, still in-character, tells Dirty Roland that she is leaving him. Errol, somewhat bored, leaves as well. Kevin partially in-character, says that he'd better go off to have his baby. Little Reggie then sprays the young girls, and RatEnders ends.

Roland asks Wendy Richard what she thought of his acting ability, and, when she gives it a "0", he threatens her, so she changes it to a "10". Roland then says that it's the end of the show, thanks Richards, and the audience cheers.

After the credits, Roland notes that it was a brilliant show, and that RatEnders was a great idea of his. He imagines that the ratings will have gone right up, at which D'Arcy De Farcy reveals that, according to the preliminary audience reaction, everybody but one viewer had switched off, at which the solitary viewer switches off. Roland Rat notes that the reason RatEnders was a failure was due to everyone's bad acting. Kevin the Gerbil is then carried out by some paramedics, who believe that he is actually having a baby.

The Sixth Doctor is rudely awakened.

After the episode finishes, the Doctor is awoken by the prodding of a pole. He recaps the audience on what they had been watching, and then excitedly tells them to switch over to BBC1 to watch Doctor Who, which he refers to as "the series". Ron Rat jumps up, calling Doctor Who "rubbish" — an act for which the Doctor attempts to murder Ron, using a ray-gun he just happens to have on his person. Fortunately for Ron, the Doctor is a lousy shot.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

References[[edit] | [edit source]]

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Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Documentation of the series is scarce online, with the appearance of the Sixth Doctor not even being noted on many television listing pages. This Wiki has instead found that the performance of Curiosity Killed The Cat within this episode is attributed to episode 2 by several sources, so the Wiki has identified the episode as such.

Sources[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Programme Index 13/09/1986 on genome.ch.bbc.co.uk
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Roland Rat: The Series - Aired Order on TVDB
  3. ↑ Roland Rat on Qsulis
  4. ↑ From the Vaults: Colin Baker Era on millenniumeffect.co.uk
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