Merry Christmas Doctor Who (TV story)

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Merry Christmas Doctor Who
Doctor:	Fourth Doctor
Companion(s):	Romana, K9
Main setting:	The TARDIS
Key crew
Writer:	Adblibed
Release details
Premiere broadcast:	December 1978
Format:	1.2 minutes
Production code:	BBCX

Merry Christmas Doctor Who, also known as Doug Who or Dr. Doug Who, was a short sketch made for Christmas of 1978 by the BBC production team.

Synopsis

The Doctor, Romana and K9 drink in the TARDIS in celebration of Christmas.

Plot

The Doctor and Romana share a kiss behind K9. They stiffen suddenly and cough awkwardly.

The Doctor offers K9 some gin, which he takes cheerfully. Afterwards, K9 sings "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" by suggestion of the Doctor.

The Doctor asks K9 what he wants for Christmas and K9 replies "enough ball bearings to last the series through and fewer sill irons on the floors of the planets they visit." K9 asks the Doctor what he would like for Christmas, and the Doctor thinks deeply, then turns affectionately towards Romana.

Everyone, including the crew, laughs.

Cast

• The Doctor - Tom Baker
• Romana - Mary Tamm
• K9 - John Leeson

References

• The Doctor, Romana and K9 drink gin.
• K9 sings "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
• K9 wants ball bearings for Christmas, as well as less sill irons on the floors of the planets they visit.
• The Doctor wants Romana for Christmas.

Story notes

• This story bears a striking similarity to the 2012 sketch Songtaran Carols. Both were made for or at Christmas as a joke, both break the fourth wall, and both end with the cast and crew bursting out laughing.
• Played for laughs, and never intended for public release, this is nonetheless the first BBC-made Doctor Who production to show the Doctor and his companion in a romantic scenario. Ironically, behind the scenes Tom Baker would later romance and marry Lalla Ward, the actress who would soon replace Mary Tamm as Romana.
• It is not, however, the first to show the Doctor consuming alcohol, and he had done so on several previous occasions in televised episodes, such as at the conclusion of TV: The Green Death.
• "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" would later be sung by the next K9 in TV: A Girl's Best Friend which aired during Christmas 1981.

Filming locations

• BBC Television Centre

Home video releases

DVD releases

• This sketch was included on the DVD release of The Armageddon Factor.

External links

to be added