Gladiators Keepy Uppy (TV story)
Gladiators Keepy Uppy was the name given on BBC iPlayer to a short sketch in the episode of Saturday Mash-Up! Live entitled Gladiators and Minions. It was the first instalment of the Doctor Doctor series of Doctor Who parodies on that show, and it was broadcast on 13 July 2024. It starred Joe Tasker as Doctor Doctor and Shereen Cutkelvin as his companion Patience. It was a crossover with BBC One reality TV show Gladiators.
Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]
Doctor Doctor and Patience want to go to the European football finals, but their anti-gravity ball is more lightweight than expected. They enlist the help of Time Scooped gladiators to retrieve the ball, but things don't go to plan.
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
Doctor Doctor is doing keepy uppies in the STARSHED, but is interrupted by AIEIO, who claims that he has only got into football since England got into the European finals. Doctor Doctor retorts that AIEIO is simply jealous of Doctor Doctor's football skills. AIEIO finds this amusing. Patience enters, distraught, saying that Doctor Doctor had promised to take her to the finals. Doctor Doctor is annoyed, saying she has made him lose count of his keepy uppies, and so starts from the beginning, which Patience is displeased about, worrying that they will miss kick-off. Doctor Doctor reminds her that the STARSHED is a not just a timeship, but also a spaceship, so time is no problem, and begins to work the controls, trying to get to the stadium in time for kick-off. In response to AIEIO enquiring if he has worked out how to work the controls, Doctor Doctor replies in the negative. Doctor Doctor also reminds Patience that he has managed to get free seats for the concert, claiming to be the intergalactic football champion, a false claim. However, he intends to use an illusion anti-gravity football to put on a half-time performance. Their plans are scuppered by the football's increasing anti-gravity effect as they get closer to the Earth. Doctor Doctor attempts to retrieve it with his sonic spatula, but this does not work, as it is simply an ordinary spatula.
Doctor Doctor, seeing this has failed, instructs AIEIO to prepare the Time Scoop, only for use in an "absolute emergency". Despite AIEIO's misgivings as to the gravity of the situation, Doctor Doctor assures him that it is most certainly an absolute emergency. The Time Scoops scoops two gladiators named Apollo and Sabre. Sabre and Patience joke a bit, and Doctor Doctor explains the situation to the gladiators. The gladiators lift up Doctor Doctor and Patience, who race to get the ball. The ball gets a hole in it and deflates. Doctor Doctor accuses the gladiators, before rapidly backing off. Patience is upset that they won't be able to go to finals now, but AIEIO assures her that he can use the Time Scoop to get a new ball. However, he accidentally inputs the wrong number, and 111 balls are scooped, and descend upon the STARSHED.
Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Joe Tasker - Doctor Doctor
- Shereen Cutkelvin - Patience
- Dave Chapman - AIEIO
- Alex Gray - Apollo
- Sheli McCoy - Sabre
Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]
more to be added
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Patience claims that the beginning of "STARSHED" stands for "Space, Time, Sciencey, And Really", however she cannot remember the rest as Doctor Doctor has lost the manual. Possible things she suggests the remaining letters could stand for are "handstand" and "elephant".
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Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- AIEIO is likely a pun on the common abbreviation of Artificial Intelligence and the lyrics of popular nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Later in the episode, he is referred to as AIEIOU, adding a further pun on IUOs.
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Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The concept and name of the Time Scoop first appeared in TV: The Five Doctors [+]Loading...["The Five Doctors (TV story)"], however in its original appearance it is a thing only in use on Gallifrey, while in Gladiators Keepy Uppy it is implied to be a component of Doctor Doctor's ship.
- The concept of the Doctor having lost the manual to their ship originates from TV: The Ribos Operation [+]Loading...["The Ribos Operation (TV story)"].
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Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
References[[edit] | [edit source]]
- ↑ John Loydall. LinkedIn. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved on 22 July 2024.
