10 Times Doctor Who Gave Fans Exactly What They Wanted
The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in the same episode? Doctor Who doesn't get much better than that.
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00:00 From the long-awaited return of a fan-favorite character to inside baseball references that
00:05 have us all pointing at the TV like that Leonardo DiCaprio meme, Who fanatics might butt heads
00:10 on a lot of things, but we can all agree that the following moments are Doctor Who fan service
00:15 at its finest.
00:16 And so, with that in mind, then, I'm Ellie with WhoCulture, here with 10 times Doctor
00:21 Who gave fans exactly what they wanted.
00:24 10.
00:25 Fully exploring the depths of the TARDIS
00:27 Though the TARDIS has been around since the opening moments of the show, it wasn't until
00:33 2013 that we finally got to explore its labyrinthine innards in great detail.
00:39 The idea for Journey to the Center of the TARDIS stemmed from Stephen Moffat's frustration
00:43 with the 1978 serial The Invasion of Time, which he deemed "disappointing" due to its
00:49 depiction of the TARDIS interior.
00:51 Production issues forced these scenes to be filmed in a not-so-visually-impressive disused
00:56 hospital.
00:57 As a result, Moffat wanted Journey to the Center of the TARDIS to atone for what he
01:00 thought was a lackluster portrayal of the Doctor's iconic machine.
01:04 And though you could argue that the episode doesn't go far enough in showcasing all the
01:08 weird and wonderful sights lurking within, it nonetheless provided our most in-depth
01:13 TARDIS experience to date, something fans have been hankering to see for quite some
01:17 time.
01:18 The intriguing architectural reconfiguration room, the huge TARDIS library, a blistering
01:23 sequence set inside the Eye of Harmony, swimming pools, storage rooms, and more - it made the
01:29 TARDIS feel as expansive as we often are told it was.
01:33 The episode's main plot certainly could have been better, but the TARDIS element was a
01:37 well-executed tribute to the Doctor's most loyal companion.
01:42 9.
01:43 Christopher Eccleston's comeback
01:45 The fact that we only spent one series with Christopher Eccleston's ninth Doctor left
01:50 many a frustrated fan wanting more.
01:52 A lot more.
01:54 As with Paul McGann, Eccleston's time on screen was far more brief than your average Doctor's.
01:59 And though Big Finish came to McGann's rescue towards the end of The Wilderness years, a
02:03 comeback for Nine just didn't seem on the cards.
02:06 And that's because in the years after his 2005 exit, Eccleston made it clear that he
02:11 wasn't on great terms with Doctor Who, even stating that he didn't enjoy working on the
02:16 show.
02:17 And that's exactly why the announcement of his audio-exclusive return was such a great
02:21 moment of fan service.
02:23 Absolutely nobody expected it to happen.
02:26 So far, Nine has battled Cybermen, Ravagers, ancient psychic aliens, and more, and his
02:31 Big Finish run has been very well-received.
02:34 Eccleston himself is also enjoying it, even enthusiastically teasing a 60th anniversary
02:39 story with the late David Warner, after all the behind-the-scenes drama we've heard about
02:44 over the years, to see him embrace the Whoniverse once again, albeit just in audio form, was
02:49 a fantastic surprise, and it's something that fans have been eager to see, but never thought
02:54 they would since Nine regenerated in the Series 1 finale.
02:58 Number 8.
02:59 Classic Doctors Unite
03:01 Any TV show episode in which heroes past and present combine forces is going to be a fan
03:07 favorite, and Doctor Who has been doing this for longer than most.
03:11 The internet may not have been around during the classic years, but that doesn't mean there
03:15 weren't hordes of fans excitedly discussing the possibility of seeing multiple Doctors
03:20 in the same story.
03:21 It's been apparent since Day 1 that the show's timey-wimey premise would allow for this,
03:26 and indeed, a multi-Doctor adventure was an idea that was often mentioned behind the scenes,
03:31 well before it actually happened.
03:33 Producer Barry Lett finally delivered the goods in 1972/1973 with The Three Doctors,
03:40 a serial that received a rapturous response from Whovians at the time, with Part 4 racking
03:45 up 11.9 million viewers, the highest-rated single episode for both John Pertwee and Patrick
03:51 Troughton.
03:52 The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors would follow in 1983 and 1985, respectively, and
03:58 though none of these classic Doctor team-ups had particularly great stories, The Five Doctors
04:03 fares the best despite having the largest cast.
04:06 Multi-Doctor adventures are fan service at its finest, and it's undeniably delightful
04:10 to watch the likes of Pertwee's suave gentleman butt heads with Troughton's nutty professor.
04:16 7.
04:17 Captain Jack Harkness Returns
04:19 Throughout the 2010s, ask any Doctor Who fan to pick a character they wanted to see return,
04:25 and there was a good chance that Captain Jack Harkness would be at the top of the list.
04:29 Despite having a consistent presence in the Who-niverse during the first few years of
04:33 the 2005 revival, the cheeky time agent mysteriously vanished from our screens after the conclusion
04:39 of Torchwood's fourth series in 2011.
04:42 And despite fans clamoring for his return, the character remained MIA as the years ticked
04:47 by.
04:48 This wasn't just something that everybody wanted to see, either.
04:51 It was also something that seemed like a natural fit for the show.
04:54 Jack was still involved with Torchwood, so there was every chance he'd bump into the
04:58 Doctor while investigating an alien threat.
05:00 He was also known to use a vortex manipulator, meaning that he could jump around the universe
05:05 and into the Doctor's life at will.
05:08 Presumably noticing the fan outcry, Chris Chibnall ultimately brought back Jack in the
05:12 Series 12 episode "Fugitive of the Jadoon."
05:15 His role here had little relevance to the plot, but nobody actually cared.
05:19 This was nothing more than fan service, and Whovians lapped it up like a steaming hot
05:24 bowl of fish fingers and custard.
05:26 Number 6.
05:27 Would you like a Jelly Baby?
05:29 Possibly more than any other show on television, Doctor Who has a habit of reusing catchphrases,
05:34 quips, and other iconic lines.
05:37 Every single time this happens, you just know the writer was sat there with a proud smirk
05:41 on their face, thinking, "Oh yeah, the fans will love this!"
05:44 Because let's be honest, we're quite easy to please as a fanbase.
05:47 Just mention "Jelly Babies" or "Fezes" and we'll immediately start whooping and cheering.
05:51 Some of our favorite examples of repeat quips include the Fourth Doctor offering Davros
05:55 a Jelly Baby, the Twelfth Doctor poking fun at the Third Doctor's reverse the polarity
05:59 quip in The Girl Who Died, Ganger Eleven spouting out several iconic catchphrases in The Almost
06:05 People, bonus points for the Jelly Baby line in this scene which is actually Tom Baker's
06:09 voice dubbed over Smith's, the Cyber Planner exclaiming "Alan Z!" in Nightmare in Silver,
06:15 and the Thirteenth Doctor's Geronimo upon rope-swinging between ships in Legend of the
06:19 Sea Devils.
06:20 Is this shamelessly pandering to the fans?
06:23 Yes.
06:24 Are we totally okay with it?
06:25 Also yes.
06:27 Number 5.
06:28 The Doctor and River on Deryllium
06:30 River Song's debut in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead brought with it more
06:35 questions than answers.
06:36 Who exactly was she, how did she know the Doctor so well, and would we ever see the
06:41 character again?
06:42 Back then, there were no guarantees that River would return.
06:45 Even Alex Kingston thought it was a one and done, which would have been a massive shame
06:49 considering all the backstory hints that were just begging to be expanded upon, not to mention
06:54 how well she clicked with the Doctor.
06:56 One of those backstory hints was so important that River used her last living moments to
07:01 tell the Doctor about it, describing a previous encounter where the Doctor, who knew her death
07:06 was imminent, took her to see the Singing Towers of Deryllium, where they spent their
07:10 final night together.
07:11 "All the time we've been together you knew I was coming here.
07:14 The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean.
07:18 You turned up on my doorstep with a new haircut and a suit.
07:21 You took me to Deryllium to see the Singing Towers.
07:23 What a night that was.
07:25 The towers sang and you cried."
07:27 This instantly became an off-screen adventure that fans were desperate to see, and in 2015,
07:34 Stephen Moffat, the king of the long-term payoff, delivered the goods.
07:37 Christmas special The Husbands of River Song depicted their Deryllium getaway in stunning
07:42 detail, rewarding those fans who'd spent the last seven years wondering if they'd ever
07:47 get to see it brought to life.
07:49 And you know, we all know that I maybe love River Song a little bit, so if they wanted
07:53 to do a little bit more fan service, they could, you know, bring her back.
07:57 Again.
07:58 Soon.
07:59 Please.
08:00 Thank you.
08:01 Number 4.
08:02 The coming together of the RTD-verse
08:04 Russell T. Davies was ahead of the curve when it came to the cinematic universe craze in
08:09 the 2010s.
08:10 With Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures, he was running an interconnected
08:15 franchise years before Marvel Studios made it cool, something he lamented in a 2021 interview,
08:21 saying, "I was in the middle of running an empire, and my God, I did that ten years too
08:25 soon, didn't I?"
08:26 Back when this small-screen universe first kicked off, fans obviously knew that these
08:30 shows existed in the same world, and though it was fun when they referenced each other,
08:34 what we really wanted to see was a huge crossover episode.
08:38 Knowing that such an episode would be a ratings juggernaut, RTD made good on that potential
08:43 with 2008's The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, episodes with such large casts that the
08:48 opening credits hilariously struggled to keep up with their names.
08:52 Watching Sarah Jane rub shoulders with Martha and having Donna fire quips at Captain Jack
08:56 was glorious, and the fact that RTD managed to stuff all of these characters into a story
09:02 that actually worked was almost unbelievable.
09:05 This was Doctor Who's Avengers endgame, and it was a dream come true for fans at the time,
09:10 not just that it happened, but also the fact that it was really damn good.
09:14 Number 3.
09:15 Tom Baker's curator cameo
09:18 Commenting on why he chose Tom Baker as the only classic Doctor to return for The Day
09:23 of the Doctor in 2013, Stephen Moffat said that the idea was simply irresistible.
09:28 He said,
09:29 "To have the longest-standing and the oldest Doctor from longest ago make an appearance
09:33 and be the one who briefs the new Doctor on where to go, well, it's irresistible, isn't
09:38 it?
09:39 You get to hear that voice again.
09:40 It was just wonderful."
09:41 In other words, he knew that this particular Baker, as the most popular classic Doctor
09:45 by a mile, would be the one that fans would want to see the most.
09:48 With the Day of the Doctor being a celebration of the first 50 years of Who, it also made
09:53 perfect sense to bring back the man who'd represented the show for the longest period
09:57 of time.
09:58 And the great thing about the cameo was that it wasn't just there for the sake of it.
10:01 Baker, as the mysterious curator, was there to round out the episode's story and New Who's
10:06 ongoing time war arc by confirming to the 11th Doctor that his attempt to save Gallifrey
10:11 was successful.
10:12 Gallifrey falls no more.
10:14 It was the very definition of a crowd-pleasing moment, and there were undoubtedly a lot of
10:19 tears in the audience when Baker's booming voice rang out across the gallery.
10:24 Number 2.
10:25 Everything about the 60th anniversary
10:28 If you told someone a year ago that Doctor Who's 60th anniversary celebrations would
10:32 be written by Russell T. Davies and star David Tennant and Catherine Tate, they would have
10:37 probably laughed in your face.
10:38 The 50th anniversary was so wonderful that it almost felt like it would be impossible
10:42 to top, but the 60th not only looks set to match its predecessor in the fan-pleasing
10:47 department, there's a strong chance it's going to blow it out of the water.
10:51 Not only do we have the returns of RTD, Tennant, and Tate, but director Rachel Talalay, who
10:56 helmed several terrific episodes during the Peter Capaldi era, and there's lots more,
11:01 too.
11:02 We're getting the late Bernard Cribbin's final Doctor Who performance, the rumored, much-requested
11:06 return of the Doctor Who Christmas special, a spiritual successor to fan-favorite Doctor
11:11 Who Confidential, and presumably an appearance from our newest Doctor, Shruti Gatwa.
11:15 There are also constant whispers that the likes of Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Karen
11:20 Gillan, and Paul McGann will be involved, speculation that David Tennant recently fueled
11:24 by saying that he'd filmed with "other people" behind closed doors.
11:28 It's basically RTD going, "Oh, Steven, the 50th was cute.
11:32 Now watch this."
11:33 And honorable mention does need to go to Chris Chibnall here, too, who also knows what Whovians
11:38 want and is about to give it to them in a matter of weeks.
11:41 Classic fan-favorite Ace and Tegan are set to return for Jodie Whittaker's final episode
11:46 later this year, which should be a nice warm-up before the full-on craziness of the 60th in
11:52 2023.
11:53 1.
11:54 The 10th and 11th Doctors joining forces
11:58 Now yes, we know we just said that the 60th anniversary could blow the 50th anniversary
12:02 out of the water, and it very well might, but we couldn't give the top spot to something
12:07 that hasn't happened yet, could we?
12:09 Just as he knew that Tom Baker's curator would be an instant win for fans, Stephen Moffat
12:13 knew that bringing back David Tennant and linking him up with Matt Smith was the safest
12:18 bet he could possibly make when crafting a multi-Doctor story to celebrate the show's
12:23 half-century milestone.
12:24 So that's exactly what he did.
12:26 With Tennant regularly topping Best Doctor polls and the Smith era taking the show to
12:31 international stardom, the 10th and 11th Doctors had made the mighty Whovian army bigger than
12:36 ever, so it's no surprise that they were top of fan wishlists when the 50th was looming,
12:41 making it something of a no-brainer for Moffat to pick up the phone and ask Tennant to return.
12:46 Though it was a tad disappointing that Christopher Eccleston couldn't complete the trifecta of
12:51 New Who Doctors, watching Tennant and Smith poke fun at each other's outfits, Sonics,
12:55 and Zygon-infused love lives was such a treat that any potential disappointment quickly
13:00 faded away.
13:01 And with 12.8 million viewers, making it one of the most popular modern episodes and
13:06 positive reviews all around, the Day of the Doctor was a huge success in every possible
13:11 way.
13:12 And that concludes our list.
13:14 If you think we missed any, then do let us know in the comments below.
13:16 And while you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe and tap that notification bell
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13:22 Also, head over to Twitter and follow us there @WhoCulture, and I can be found across various
13:27 social medias just by searching "Ellie Littlechild."
13:30 I've been Ellie with WhoCulture, and in the words of River Song herself, "Goodbye, sweeties."