The Shrink (TV story)

The Shrink
Doctor:	Third Doctor
Main enemy:	Cyberman
Main setting:	Consulting room, 1980s
Key crew
Producer:	Martin Hughes
Release details
Premiere broadcast:	6 May 1989
Premiere network:	BBC One
Format:	1x3-minute episode

The Shrink was a mini-episode of Doctor Who aired during On the Waterfront series 2, episode 3. It was released to promote the stage play The Ultimate Adventure and was one of Jon Pertwee's final licensed appearances as the Doctor.

Kate Copstick, Russell T Davies, Andrew O'Connor, Terry Randall, and John Sayle all receive writing credits in the episode's closing titles, but it is unknown which of them wrote the script for the Doctor Who mini-episode. Either way this was Russell T Davies' first contribution to a piece of live action Doctor Who as he also served as script editor for the story.

Synopsis

The Third Doctor sees a "shrink" as he is assumed by said shrink to be imagining his life.

Plot

Lying down, the Third Doctor talks about his life as a shrink sits and listens. The Doctor explains that his name is "Doctor John Smith" and only other people call him "Doctor Who".

Later the Doctor goes on to tell the shrink of the enemies he has faced as well as the places he will visit. After a lengthy discussion the shrink wrongly decides the Doctor's life is a figment of his imagination.

A Cybermen bursts into the room and convinces the shrink that perhaps he is the mad one. The Doctor leaps from out of the bed and lays the shrink on it. The Doctor then asks the shrink his name to which he responds "Doctor Who".

Cast

• Jon Pertwee - The Doctor
• Andrew O'Connor - The Shrink

Crew

• Series Producer - Martin Hughes
• Film Editor - Edward Pugh
• Designer - Barry Roach
• Makeup Artist - Julie Vincent
• Unit Manager - Shirley Chadwick
• Property Buyer - Mike Fallon
• Lighting - Ron Minty
• Script Editor - Russell T Davies

Worldbuilding

• The Doctor says his real name is not "Doctor Who" but that other people do refer to him as such.
• The Doctor names the Master as his deadliest enemy, over the Daleks and Cybermen.
• The Doctor states the TARDIS is "dimensionally transcendental".
• The "shrink" mentions Margate.
• The Doctor says he thinks "in all probability" he's next going to Wales to sort out a problem, then to Birmingham and then to Manchester, Oxford, Bristol.
• The shrink repeats the Doctor's claims that he is "thousands of years old" and can regenerate.
• The Doctor states he has two hearts.

Story notes

• This mini-episode was released to tie in with the release of The Ultimate Adventure: the places the Doctor names as his next destinations on his travels are in fact references to the cities where The Ultimate Adventure would be showing.
• It is one of many appearances of Jon Pertwee as the Doctor on screen between 1989 and 1996. Others include an officially licensed appearance on a special edition of the 1993 game show Happy Families (overseeing a segment titled Crank Up Your Granny), a short fourth-wall-breaking scene with Noel Edmonds aired before the charity special Dimensions in Time as well as Dimensions in Time proper, a scene for the fan film Devious which was later released officially, an advert for Vodafone and a sketch for Surprise Surprise.
• During the end of the episode the theme used during Season 23 is played.
• This is the second time the Cybermen have appeared on screen with the Third Doctor - the first being The Five Doctors.
• It was included as a bonus feature on the blu-ray release for The Collection Season 9.

Continuity

• When pressed to give his name, the Third Doctor gives it as Doctor John Smith. (TV: Spearhead from Space)
• The Third Doctor states he's been followed by Daleks, (TV: Day of the Daleks) Cybermen, (TV: The Five Doctors) Draconians, (TV: Frontier in Space) Sea Devils (TV: The Sea Devils) and Mutants. (TV: The Mutants)

External links

to be added