Cultural references to the Doctor Who universe: Difference between revisions

Occasionally, elements of the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]] are '''referenced in the broader popular culture'''. This page exists to throw a spotlight on some of these casual references made in television, comics, films and other media.

 

* "Get Off My Cloud", the final episode of the third season of the [[BBC]]'s anthology series {{wi|Out of the Unknown}} was partly set in the subconscious mind of a science-fiction writer. It featured in-character appearances by the [[Dalek]]s as fictional creations in the mind of the writer. (The episode's designer was [[Raymond Cusick]], who was responsible for the original Dalek design.)

* "Arrivederci Roma", the first episode of Channel 4's comedy programme {{wi|Chelmsford 123}}, showed the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] materialising in the background in one scene. The Doctor briefly stepped out before going back in and dematerialising.

* Several episodes of the 2008 series {{wi|The Middleman (TV series)|The Middleman}} include references to ''Doctor Who''. In one episode a character is identified as "[[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Lethbridge-Stewart]]". Only twelve episodes were produced, with the decision made not to produce a thirteenth. That episode, ''The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalpyse'', also contained several references to ''Doctor Who'', most notably having the Middleman recite the [[First Doctor]]'s farewell speech to [[Susan Foreman]] in ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'' ("There must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties..."). The script for this unmade episode was performed by the cast in a "read through" at the 2009 San Diego ComicCon, and adapted into a graphic novel by Viper Comics, both with the Doctor's speech intact. Given the series' acknowledged debt to ''Doctor Who'', the fact that the lead character is never referred to by name, only as "the Middleman", is probably a reference to the fact that the Doctor's real name is never revealed. (The final episode, however, does reveal the Middleman's real name.)

[[File:BETTER OFF TED DALEK.jpg|thumb|Better Off Ted Season 2 Episode 5 - Dalek in a room with robot parts]]

* In the fifth episode of the second season of the ABC television series {{wi|Better Off Ted}}, the scientists Phil and Lem name the small robot designed to clean up spills in their laboratory [[Chumbley]]. This is the name that [[Vicki]] gives the robots that [[Steven Taylor|Steven]], the [[First Doctor]] and she encounter in ''[[Galaxy 4 (TV story)|Galaxy 4]]''. Later in the same episode, Phil and Lem enter a room full of used robot parts. A [[Dalek]] can be seen clearly in the corner nearest the door.

[[File:SARAH SILVERMAN SEASON 2 EP 14 DR LAZER RAGE.jpg|thumb|The Sarah Silverman Program Season 2 Episode 14 - Chris Eccleston as Dr. Lazer Rage]]

[[File:SUPERNATURAL NIGHT SHIFTER SEASON 2 EP 12 MANDROID CYBERMEN.jpg|thumb|Supernatural Night Shifter Season 2 Ep 12 "Mandroid" aka Cybermen]]

* In ''Nightshifter'', an episode of the series ''Supernatural'', a character is convinced that a "mandroid" is responsible for several crimes and holds up a magazine with a [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cyberman]] on its cover to illustrate his point. In "The Girl Next Door" Sam confronts a Kitsune with the name Amy Pond.

* In the television cartoon, ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'', there is a recurring background pony named Time Turner who bears a resemblance to the Tenth Doctor. In the episode "The Super Speedy Cider Sqeezy 6000", Time Turner can be seen wearing a tie similar to the Tenth Doctor's and operating an elaborate hourglass. Another reference is seen on one of the covers of the official comic, in which Time Turner can be seen wearing the Fourth Doctor's scarf, holding the fob watch, and standing in front of a statue that resembles a Weeping Angel, and a street light that bears a resemblance to the TARDIS. On top of all his official trading card says "Time Turner keeps Ponyville's clocks in sync, sets the hourglass for cider competitions, and takes care of all things timey-wimey.". In the episode "One Bad Apple", Time Turner wears a pear costume and a polka-dotted bowtie. It's also worth noting that various forms of the Doctor and possibly the Master have been seen in pony form.

* [[Marvel UK]] created more than one character who appeared in titles owned by the company, including ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]''. The characters of the [[Special Executive]] (troubleshooters employed by the [[Time Lord]]s, who had appeared in ''[[4-D War]]'' and ''[[Black Sun Rising]]'') appeared with {{w|Captain Britain}} in the "{{w|Jaspers' Warp}}" storyline written by the Special Executive's creator, [[Alan Moore]].

* The ''Doctor Who'' comics version of [[Merlin]] appeared briefly in ''Captain Britain'' in a sequence demonstrating that Merlin had several alternate appearances and personalities that he could adopt as he saw fit. The Doctor has also appeared in cameos in several prose novels based in the {{w|Marvel Universe}}.

* In ''[[The Crossroads of Time]]'', published in ''Doctor Who Magazine'', the [[Seventh Doctor]] ran into (literally) [[Death's Head]], who was thrown from the ''Transformers Generation 1'' universe into the [[Time Vortex]]; he sent Death's Head to the future Earth of ''Dragon's Claws'' (a Marvel UK title that may be set in the ''Doctor Who'' universe, since [[Josiah W. Dogbolter|Dogbolter]] and [[Keepsake]] are both residents of this Earth). Later, the Doctor guest-starred in Death's Head's comic book from [[Marvel UK]], a crossover that ended with the Doctor depositing Death's Head in the main Marvel universe (Earth-616) atop the Fantastic Four's headquarters, Fours Freedom Plaza - providing a direct link between the ''Doctor Who'' universe and Marvel's universe. Death's Head himself interacted with mainstream superheroes from the Marvel universe, which provides another, indirect, link between the mainstream Marvel Universe and the ''Doctor Who'' universe.

* ''JLA Classified'' #1 reveals that Batman keeps a Dalek in his "Sci-Fi" closet.

* The {{w|Wildstorm}} title {{wi|Albion (comics)|Albion}}, scripted by {{w|Leah Moore}} and plotted by her father [[Alan Moore]], featured a [[Cyberman]] and an [[Ice Warrior]]. It is unclear whether the Cyberman was meant to be "real" or a costume, as the scene was set in an SF-themed bar (although the "real" {{w|Robot Archie}} is also on display). Like ''The Establishment'', which featured a [[Doctor Who pastiche]] character, ''Albion'' was deeply rooted in English popular culture.

* The {{wi|2000AD}} strip {{wi|Caballistics, Inc.}} features ''Doctor Who'' references so often that they are practically part of the series' format. However, it also depicted a character clearly intended to be [[Tom Baker]] being murdered by Scottish nationalist demons. This would appear to undermine the frequent suggestion by ''Caballistics, Inc'' fans that the series is unofficially set in the ''Doctor Who'' universe.

* [[Alan Moore]]'s crossover series {{wi|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen}} links the [[Silurian]]s to {{w|Gill-man|the Creature from the Black Lagoon}}. Additionally, the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] appears in the background of the Black Dossier.

* In ''La donna che cambiò la storia d'Italia'' (The woman who changed Italy's history), 14th volume of ''Storie da Altrove'', a spin-off of italian comic series {{wi|Martin Mystère}}, the [[TARDIS]], [[K9]], [[Donna Noble]], the [[Eleventh Doctor]], [[Amy Pond]], Captain [[Jack Harkness]] (with [[Torchwood Institute|Torchwood]]'s logo), a [[Silurian]], a [[Dalek]] and a [[Weeping Angel]] appear in the background in different panels. The main character's cover name throughout the story is "Lady [[Christina de Souza]]" and another character directly quotes [[Tenth Doctor]]'s explanation of time heard in ''[[Blink (TV story)|Blink]]''. The villain mentions being addressed as "The Oncoming Storm" and that his name "[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself]]".

* In {{w|Christopher Paolini}}'s novel, {{wi|Brisingr}}, a reference is made to a 'lonely god' 'adrift on the seas of time.' Paolini later admitted in the acknowledgements that he is a massive Doctor Who fan and that he believes the Doctor might have visited his world of Alagaësia at some point. In the sequel to this novel, Inheritance, the herbalist Angela begins to tell another character what she has inscribed on her blue hat- "Raxacori- Oh, never mind. It wouldn't mean anything to you anyway." Also, someone mentions having seen rooms that are bigger on the inside.

* {{w|Barbara Hambly}}'s ''[[Star Trek]]'' novel {{wi|Ishmael (Star Trek)|Ishmael}} contains references to ''Doctor Who'' and a cameo appearance by the [[Fourth Doctor]] and [[Leela]].

* Lady [[Jennifer Buckingham]] from ''[[The War Games]]'' appears in the second volume of [[Kim Newman]]'s crossover-intensive {{wi|Anno Dracula}} universe. [[Charles Beauregard]], the hero of several ''Anno Dracula'' stories, is referred to in ''[[All-Consuming Fire (novel)|All-Consuming Fire]]''. One of Newman's books in the {{w|Dark Future}} series makes references to an alternative timeline, ultra-nationalist, pro-English version of the ''Doctor Who'' television series in which the Doctor visits famous events in English history while fighting off extraterrestrial threats to the Crown. Newman's ''Life's Lottery'', a playful exploration of the concept of [[alternate universe]]s, references ''[[Inferno (TV story)|Inferno]]'' in some detail (and a character fantasises somewhat colourfully about [[Jo Grant]]).

* [[Michael Moorcock]], an admirer of ''Doctor Who'', had "Doctor Who" and a Dalek appear, amongst many other fictional characters, in his {{wi|The Condition of Muzak}}.

* {{w|Richard Calder (writer)|Richard Calder}}'s Dead trilogy features numerous dark alternative time lines involved in a sex war between men and woman. At least one features a version of ''Doctor Who''. The last scene of the final volume, ''Dead Things'', shows the young protagonist watching a scene of the "Daleks exterminating the slave girls of [[Skaro]]" on television.

* The {{wi|Red Dwarf (TV Series)|Red Dwarf}} novels have a number of references. Kryten, for example, owns a [[sonic screwdriver]].

* The TARDIS [[w:c:fallout:Dr. Who|can be found]] in the Desert, although it disappears after a while. K9 can also be found.

* A cosmetic item in the game called "[http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Dr._Whoa Dr. Whoa]" closely resembles the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s signature bowtie.

* In the 20 August 2010 episode of ''Eureka'' on SyFy ("Stoned") Zane, while searching through government files mentions TARDIS blueprints as something he might be searching for.

* ''Community'' would later make frequent references to the fictional TV show ''Inspector Space Time'', an obvious parody of ''Doctor Who''. A British programme, ''Inspector Space Time'' is said to be the oldest sci-fi show on television, dating from 1962, centring around "The Inspector" and his companion, who travel through Time and Space in a telephone booth. The main recurring villains are mechanical Dalek-like creatures named Blorgons, and a brief glimpse of the opening credit sequence is strikingly similar to the ''Doctor Who'' credits from the Ninth/Tenth Doctor.