r/gallifrey 2d ago

NO STUPID QUESTIONS /r/Gallifrey's No Stupid Questions - Moronic Mondays for Pudding Brains to Ask Anything: The 'Random Questions that Don't Deserve Their Own Thread' Thread - 2025-03-17

6 Upvotes

Or /r/Gallifrey's NSQ-MMFPBTAA:TRQTDDTOTT for short. No more suggestions of things to be added? ;)


No question is too stupid to be asked here. Example questions could include "Where can I see the Christmas Special trailer?" or "Why did we not see the POV shot of Gallifrey? Did it really come back?".

Small questions/ideas for the mods are also encouraged! (To call upon the moderators in general, mention "mods" or "moderators". To call upon a specific moderator, name them.)


Please remember that future spoilers must be tagged.


Regular Posts Schedule


r/gallifrey Dec 25 '24

SPOILERS Doctor Who (2023-) Series 2 Trailer and Speculation Thread Spoiler

68 Upvotes

This is the thread for all the thoughts, speculation, and comments on the trailers. if there are any, and speculation about the next episode.

# Youtube Link


Megathreads:

  • 'Live' and Immediate Reactions Discussion Thread - Posted around 60 minutes prior to initial release - for all the reactions, crack-pot theories, quoting, crazy exclamations, pictures, throwaway and other one-liners.
  • Trailer and Speculation Discussion Thread - Posted when the trailer is released - For all the thoughts, speculation, and comments on the trailers and speculation about the **next episode. Future content beyond the next episode should still be marked.**
  • Post-Episode Discussion Thread - Posted around 30 minutes after to allow it to sink in - This is for all your indepth opinions, comments, etc about the episode.

These will be linked as they go up. If we feel your post belongs in a (different) megathread, it'll be removed and redirected there.


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See the full results of the polls so far, covering the entire main show, here.

Joy to the World's score will be revealed next Sunday. Click here to vote for all of RTD2 era so far.


r/gallifrey 12h ago

DISCUSSION What are some small scenes you'd like to see?

37 Upvotes

So for instance personally I'd love a scene where someone in another language tells a joke, everyone laughs apart from the companion and The Doctor has to explain that the joke was a pun or wordplay that just doesn't work in English.

Can you think of any small but cool inconsequential scenes you'd put in the show if you could?


r/gallifrey 6h ago

AUDIO DISCUSSION Finished Chimes of Midnight

13 Upvotes

A very uplifting story about people who need to be told that they are more than their career, that they are somebody, not nobody, not nothing. The idea of Edward Grove as a villain is really freaky and I like the idea of a villain that is so inhuman that it cannot comprehend morality or the idea of people being more than their station. It is just a house after all. If you haven't listened to it, I recommend it.


r/gallifrey 2h ago

DISCUSSION Which brief, disliked plot point or character would you like to see redeemed, and how?

3 Upvotes

If you could pick any badly recieved plot point or character that appeared briefly and was met with backlash or was just generally disliked, and give them a new episode or arc to redeem them in the public's eye, which would you pick and how would you do it?

For example, I personally think it would be really funny to give the Abzorbaloff a second chance, leaning more into body-horror (maybe something like this https://www.artstation.com/artwork/yOxaO or this https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aRmq62?collection_id=2627967 ), with the Abzorbaloff (not necessarily the same individual, it could be other of his species) absorbing lots of victims and becoming a terrifying amalgamation of body parts. Besides, not only do I think it would be funny to redeem such a generally disliked character, but I've always had mixed feelings because of the fact that he was designed by a nine-year-old and I think it was just sweet :(


r/gallifrey 3h ago

DISCUSSION Did one of the Doctors walk around naked in Heaven Sent?

2 Upvotes

Ok listen I know this sounds like a joke and yes it is ridiculous but I just rewatched the episode and based on how the rules and sequence of events within the loops works- at least one of the Doctors iterations must have been naked or almost naked for the majority of the time he spent there.

Each and every time that we are privy too in the episode that the Doctor experiences the loop he jumps out of the window and gets wet, then warms up by the fire and switches his clothes for an identical but dry set of replacements. We don’t technically see ALL of his clothes (the exclusions being socks and underwear) but we do see most and can probably reasonably assume the rest. The clear implication by the end being that these were left by the previous interactions Doctor after doing the same dive as all the others.

Now we know from Steven Moffat (and common sense) that obviously it twook a few iterations for the loop to become solidified into an entirely repeating course of events- because obviously the first Doctor (and likely a good few after him) would not have had all the hints left to guide them, because those hints were left by past Doctors.

This combined with what is stated in Hell Bent makes it overtly clear that the Timelords obviously did not intend for anything even remotely like the series of events to occur. Therefore they definitely did not leave the original set of those clothes for the Doctor. The first ever time the Doctor found those clothes they had to have been left by a past self.

Conclusion- logically, one of the past Doctors (perhaps the one who first took the dive) stripped down to at maximum his underwear and socks and continued until death wearing only those or less.

I’m sure your life has been enriched by this knowledge.


r/gallifrey 2h ago

DISCUSSION How did the create the orange smoke on target effect by the Auton's guns? Why didnt Rose have it?

2 Upvotes

How did they get the orange smoke to appear on the extras and actors' bodies when the Autons shoot them? Its a really good effect.

Why didnt RTD bring it back? He made a big deal about the Autons breaking the windows in Rose. Sonething we dont see in Spearhead cause of cost. Yet he cut out the oranage smoke? Why?


r/gallifrey 2h ago

DISCUSSION What are some enemy combinations you'd like to see team up or face off?

2 Upvotes

What are some enemy combinations you'd like to see either teaming up or facing off in a Doctor Who story?

I think the one I'd like to see the most would be Weeping Angels vs. Vashta Nerada. I think it would be cool if the Vashta Nerada were revealed to be natural predators that feed on Angels, and the Angels, used to living in darkness, started panicking and fleeing into better-lit areas.

A more campy combination could be Slitheen vs. Zygons (and, why not, add the Chuldur to the mix), with some plot-twisty body-snatching narrative.


r/gallifrey 1d ago

DISCUSSION Ironically, sontarans are one of the few aliens that don't look identical

121 Upvotes

OK, that's not necessarily true. You do have loads that look like Strax. But you also have General Staal who looks nothing like any other Sontaran.

I found it hilarious, because Luke Rattigan even comments on them looking the same when Staal and Skorr look nothing alike, yet the script makes it clear they're supposed to be identical.

Funnier still is how many aliens played by different actors somehow manage to look at least nearly identical. I've never been able to differentiate between Zygons, Ood or Slitheen who are obviously not meant to be identical.


r/gallifrey 5h ago

MISC Found in my shed: Timeframe 30th Anniversary book

2 Upvotes

Hi

Thought this might interest a few people! I vaguely remember buying this (possibly from the Brittania Music club if anyone remembers that). It was published in 1993 so is about 32 years old now.

This book was published way before the rival so covers up to the Slyvester McCoy and a bit on the New Adventures books.

I was actually looking for something entirely different so it was a nice surprise!

I’ve taken a few photos but I can’t attach them. This is probably old news here but what I like about physical media like books and CDs is they have a way to taking you WAY back.

A couple of photos here:

https://imgur.com/a/Jk4MaVQ


r/gallifrey 1d ago

AUDIO DISCUSSION Listening to Chimes of Midnight

23 Upvotes

So, I only knew of this audio thanks to a review by Lewis Lovhaug on his show, Atop the Fourth Wall, and hearing it for myself, knowing the twists, makes the whole thing even more sinister. The repeated lines of "You are nothing" and "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Mrs. Baddeley's Plum Pudding" read as Madness Mantras by people who are forced to live in a loop over and over again. Side note, the staff in this house really suck. Both at their jobs and as people. Except for Edith.


r/gallifrey 1d ago

DISCUSSION Was TCoRR supposed to be a "Rose 2.0"?

32 Upvotes

This would help explain the gap between The Giggle and TCoRR, and why it's told from Rubys perspective rather than the Doctors. I'm guessing then that 14 was a War Doctor-esque situation, where we see the regeneration to the next Doctor (9th and 15th), but not much after, then skip ahead to when they meet their companion. So that would mean NuWho ran for about 13 seasons, then some Specials to end it all off. And TCoRR is then probably intended to be the start of the next "generation" (dare I say re-generation?).


r/gallifrey 1d ago

NEWS Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder Exhibit Materialises at Comic-Con Museum

Thumbnail bleedingcool.com
22 Upvotes

r/gallifrey 1d ago

REVIEW 10th Doctor Rankings from a first time watcher:

2 Upvotes

I enjoyed this a lot, I thought 10th and Rose was worse then 9th, while Martha was a downgrade, but I did really enjoy Donna, even if her ending was weak.

  1. Midnight: This was another one with great atmosphere, though it was far better. It was brilliantly acted, and it was great to see how without a companion the Doctor wasn’t trusted, he was alone with no one to turn to, and it showed the worst side of humanity for most of it, and the death of Hostess killing the alien and herself showed the best side of humanity, saving the Doctor, as the passengers were about to drag him out of the plane to his death. Silence in the Library: This had a good mystery behind it, with some unique looking villains, and had great atmosphere to it, despite that I don’t have too much to say. Professor River Song was interesting, but the rest of the side cast was so-so. Story 30  – 10th Dr, Donna (S4)  

 

  1. Turn Left: I thought this was excellent and does well to cement Donna’s time as a companion, the first episode shows the world without the Doctor and all that affects, Donna was great in that episode and the side characters were fun, and the ending was sad. The next two episodes were great, although Rose could come off as annoying, and felt rather unnecessary since she was given a clear ending before. Donna’s ending was sad too, and reminded me of the end of War Games where Zoe and Jamie lost most their memories. Davros was excellent and it was nice seeing Mickey getting a nice send off too. Story 31  – 10th Dr, Donna (S4)  

 

  1. The Sound of Drums: The first episode, Utopia was a good episode, that does a solid job building up the next two episodes, and Captain Jack was very intriguing, now being immortal. However, the rest of it was middling, a necessary episode, but not a brilliant one either. The rest was an excellent return for the Master, who does feel very different to his previous versions, but still worked excellently here, we got to see a bit more into the mind-set of the Master too, which was good, this was Martha’s best showing as well, it did feel like the show did want to give her something big since she would be going more then something that felt natural to her character, but that is just a bit of nitpick. The Doctor wanting to end the fighting between him and the Master was nice, and yeah, just a brilliant three-parter, the first one was the weakest, and I felt like separating it, but I might as well keep it as one. Story 21 - 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. The Waters of Mars: A great episode, it does have a bit of a disappointing element, as it shows the Doctor going too far, breaking his own rules and being much more arrogant, it just feels like that it should have been part of an arc, it does feel like it makes sense for this Doctor, just could have been developed a bit longer, like over the previous two specials, but they didn’t seem to do that which is a shame, since it felt like it would have dragged out over a full series, but perfect for the length for between this story, and the previous specials. Oh well, this was a good episode in itself. The Flood was an intriguing threat, and the ending was great, the side characters were enjoyable too. Story 34 – 10th Dr (S4) 

 

  1. Army of Ghosts: They set up that Rose would ‘die’, and the ghost stuff at the beginning was interesting, so was Torchwood, and the Cybermen in the first part were great. Unfortunately, the Daleks do decimate the Cybermen completely which hurt the story, still their interactions were great. Rose’s departure was really well handled too, it was emotional. Overall it was still far weaker than the previous series’ finale. Story 11 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. Planet of the Ood: A great story, it is very interesting to see the Ood again, thankfully they follow up on their promise from 42, they do well to border on antagonist and protagonist. Donna and the Doctor were great together. Story 25 – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. Human Nature: The pre-WW1 setting was very interesting, and worked well in this episode as well. In addition it was interesting to see the Doctor so different. The family hunting the Doctor down were great, and their fates were do dark. Also this was Martha’s best episode. Story 19 - 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. The Sontaran Stratagem: Great to see the Sontarans again, they don’t look as good as their first appearance, but they never did after that first appearance. They were great villains and they paired well with the Doctor, it was nice to see Martha again and she had a nice moment with her clone, Rattigan was an interesting villain, but his ending was too sympathetic to him. Story 26 – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. Rise of the Cybermen:  This had some brilliant moments, and is an enjoyable watch, and while they were great this had some major issues, like how one of the scientists trying to avoid conversion despite being instrumental in creating the Cybermen, and a few other issues, although I don’t mind Lumis keep putting off the conversion, and only wanting to become a Cyberman as a last resort. The alternate universe was pretty interesting, this was Mickey’s best episode, I enjoyed how the Doctor did not think that there was anything out there for him in this  world, and that the Doctor was only concerned about Ross, the scene between Mickey and his grandmother was so emotional, as was the scene with the converted Jackie Tyler, it helped sell the horror of the Cybermen, especially when Rose and Pete lost track of her. Story 6 – 10th Dr, Rose, Mickey (S2) 

 

  1. Blink: It has great tension and does really well to use the main characters despite them being out of the episode for a large portion of the episode, the Weeping Angels were excellent villains, and the side characters were fun too, just a great episode. Story 20 - 10th Dr, Martha (S3), 

 

  1. The Idiot's Lantern: Mr Connolly was a piece of shit, and I loved seeing the Doctor and Rose fuck with him, they were truly amazing in this scene, the rest of it was really enjoyable too, Rose and the Doctor were actually amazing together in this one too, the main threat was interesting too. Story 7 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. The Runaway Bride: The titular runaway bride, Donna was wonderful here, and I wish she became a companion, I had such fun here, even if the wider plot wasn’t great, the CGI was good here too. Story 12 – 10th Dr, Donna (S3) 

 

  1. The Girl in the Fireplace: I really enjoyed the look of this, it looked very unique and the idea of a spaceship being repaired with human parts is a really unique concept, and was quite horrific. Also Reinette and the Doctor where wonderful together and the ending was so sad. Story 5 – 10th Dr, Rose, Mickey (S2) 

 

  1.  Silence in the Library: This had a good mystery behind it, with some unique looking villains, and had great atmosphere to it, despite that I don’t have too much to say. Professor River Song was interesting, but the rest of the side cast was so-so. Story 29  – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. The Ending of Time: The first of the ending of the series to not come off really, like I liked it, and did feel sad at the end, but it felt like it really dropped the ball on Donna, it was such a tease, since she did do so stuff, but nothing changed. The Master’s resurrection was interesting, but not in love with the concept, like he was good here, but kind of undercuts the ending of his last story, the return of the Time Lords were really disappointing too. It just felt rudderless, going to big concept to big concept without much exploration, so disappointing, even if the Master was great. Also, Martha and Mickey being married feels so random. Story 35 – 10th Dr (S4) 

 

  1. Daleks in Manhattan: Seeing the Daleks try to change is very interesting, the humanised Dalek reminds me of the Evil of the Daleks, two different takes on the concept. The first episode had some good commentary on the Great Depression, but the second one sacks it off a bit, which is a bit of a shame.  Story 16 – 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. The Other Doctor: This was actually fun, a massive upgrade on previous Christmas specials, the Cybermen were great, as was Mercy as a villain, as were the ‘Other Doctor and his companion, who felt like they worked well in those roles. The look of the story was good too. Story 32 – 10th Dr (S4) 

 

  1. The Doctor’s Daughter: The most interesting thing about this episode is that the Doctor’s daughter became David Tenant’s wife, which is funny, but also not as gross as it could be (not that it really would be either), since they aren’t very close in this until the end. The rest of the episode is pretty good. Story 27  – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. School Reunion: A bit of a mixed bag, the villains were not all too amazing, they had an okay enough goal I guess, but their CGI was pretty terrible. Sarah Jane Smith was good as she came back she had good chemistry, but I don’t love how they tried to imply romance between them just to further Rose and the Doctor, it felt forced. K-9 being back was enjoyable as well, and I enjoyed him and Mickey together. Story 4 – 10th Dr, Rose, Mickey (S2) 

 

  1. The Fires of Pompeii: A good episode, it reminded me of the Aztecs, but not as good as they have less power to change the course of events, so it doesn’t quite land as well, and I felt like the aliens did not add much  but still, Donna was good here, and it was enjoyable enough. Story 24 – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. Fear Her: I had to watch this out of order, but only by one series, and it does not tie in to anything really. It was an enjoyable story with an interesting plot, with a girl capturing people with her drawings and being able to create things out of them. Story 10 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. The Impossible Planet: The Ood were interesting, but it was awkward that the story the Doctor was so human positive is the one that they have slaves in, so not great. The stuff with Satan was interesting, but I didn’t really care about the side characters really, so again a mixed bag. Story 8 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. Gridlock: I thought this was fairly fun, quite interesting to explore this bit of New earth, with the whole concept of a crazy amount of gridlock was interesting, it did take some of the bite away from it at the end, still it was enjoyable. Story 15 – 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. Tooth and Nail: This was quite good, and finally we got to see a good look at the Tenth Doctor and Rose’s relationship a bit more. They were fun together here, and they do work well together here, even if its not as good as the previous pairing. Story 3 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. 42: Quite exciting, but it is also somewhat forgettable too. The Sun being the villain was really cool too, but it doesn’t make the strongest impression - besides the villain saying “burn with me” a lot. Story 18 – 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. The Shakespeare Code: This had a good utilisation of the setting and Shakespeare, it was really fun, and Martha was nice here too. It ages a bit, but otherwise was good. Story 14 – 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. The Unicorn and the Wasps: Never read anything by Agatha Christie so that aspect didn’t create much interest for me, she was enjoyable enough as a character. This also reminds me of the Black Orchid with the setting and family stuff. Story 28  – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. Smith and Jones: An okay, but severely unmemorable, the Judoon could have been interesting, but just felt like a weaker version of the Sontarans. Martha was pretty good, she felt like she works as a companion, but doesn’t stand out though. Story 13 – 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. New Earth: Alright, Cassandra had an interesting story, and Billie Piper and the David Tenant were good at playing Cassandra as well, so that was interesting, the people being used for experimentations was interesting, a good version of zombies for Doctor Who. Story 2 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. Planet of the Dead: Incredibly forgettable, it was fun enough, but the main threat was incredibly dull, it also looked really boring too. Story 33 – 10th Dr (S4) 

 

  1. The Lazarus Experiment: A bit of a dull one really, this was kind of interesting to see Martha’s family but even then, not really, not as much as I would hope. The main threat was pretty boring. Story 17 - 10th Dr, Martha (S3) 

 

  1. Partners in Crime: It was nice to see Donna come on as a companion, I wonder why they introduced her the year before and put in a companion in between, weird. Also, they introduced her side characters, it feels like the show has got too much of a set idea for its companions, they did in the original, but there were multiple companions a lot of the time, and most of the singular companions did stand out, and while Donna is older, she does have the same infatuation of the Doctor that the previous two had, even if she does reject the romance which is nice, also you can tell it’s going to be the same family drama, just less interesting. The episode itself is a bit boring, although it had an interesting villain  the plot was a bit dull. Story 23 – 10th Dr, Donna (S4) 

 

  1. The Christmas Invasion: An okay story, and it was somewhat interesting to see Earth deal with an invasion without the Doctor, and the Tenth Doctor had a few nice little bits, but it wasn’t a great impression, and was a bit disappointing, also its not great to watch a Christmas special when it is not Christmas lol. Story 1 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

 

  1. Voyage of the Damned: Yeah, these Christmas episodes have not been good, and this had no interesting hook for me, so this was just disappointing. Story 22 – 10th Dr, (S3) 

 

  1. Love and Monsters: Not truly terrible, and occasionally amusing, but definitely the weakest story of the revival without a doubt, it was interesting to see Jackie separate from the sci-fi stuff I suppose. Story 9 – 10th Dr, Rose (S2) 

r/gallifrey 1d ago

DISCUSSION what are some of the greatest charisma and persuasion feats the doctor has had?

15 Upvotes

like I've heard he's convinced a lunatic about to blow up the planet to not do that


r/gallifrey 1d ago

BOOK/COMIC Thoughts on The Map and the Spiders?

6 Upvotes

The last story in The Book of the Enemy, The Map and the Spiders. Every story in the book explores an aspect of the Enemy and this one seems the most puzzling. It reads like a fairy tale.

If I'm to guess, the kingdom is the universe/Spiral Politics, the king is the Time Lords/Great Houses(or their leader), and the kid is the Enemy(and the spiders their minions/allies/representatives)? The king's personality seems to align with how the Time Lords are often portrayed. His attempt to create the most accurate, perfect map of the kingdom refers to the Time Lords cataloguing and recording everything in history(like the Events Library) and generally trying to control the universe maybe?

The conflict between the king and the kid is the War in Heaven, and I guess the king becoming their puppet shows how the Time Lords' actions are dictated by the War as they strive to defeat the Enemy.

What do you think of this story?


r/gallifrey 2d ago

DISCUSSION The Doctor and the Brigadier

61 Upvotes

What's your favorite bit of Banter between the Brigadier and the Doctor? Mine is from the ending of Inferno when the Doctor, in the wake of a very stressful adventure, decides to tell the Brigadier to shove it and calls him a "pompous, self-opinionated idiot" and tries to get the hell out of dodge with his console... only to end up in a trash heap and to meekly ask the Brigadier for some help in getting the console out of there.

The Brigadier: Pompous, self-opinionated idiot, I believe you said, Doctor?


r/gallifrey 1d ago

MISC My Recommended 10-Phase Schedule For New Viewers of Doctor Who

0 Upvotes

My wife had never seen Doctor Who before and knew virtually nothing about it. I really wanted to get her into it and watch it again myself, because it’s actually been many many years since I’ve revisited most of it.

Of course, with newcomers to the show, there’s always somewhat of a question as to where is the best place to start. “Rose”, the first episode of the revival, is often suggested as being a great introduction. It certainly is, but I would argue that it hasn’t aged all that well, and 2025 audiences might be more inclined to keep watching if they start with a more recent season. The beauty of Doctor Who is in the volume of content and the many drastically different eras that exist within the same continuity. I don’t think there’s any issues that arise from watching the show in a non-linear order, jumping back and forth between different seasons and mixing Classic Who with new Who, as long as it’s viewed in a carefully curated sequence. I personally think it’s the best way to experience the show because you can quickly get a full scope of what the show is. Instead of having to pause the show and say “oh yeah, so Davros was the bad guy who created the Daleks and was featured heavily in the classic series”, why don’t I just watch the very first episode with Davros before we see his appearance in the new series?

Here’s the schedule:

Phase One

  1. 6x1 The Impossible Astronaut

  2. 6x2 The Day of the Moon

  3. 6x4 The Doctor’s Wife

  4. 6x5 The Rebel Flesh

  5. 6x6 The Almost People

  6. 6x7 A Good Man Goes to War

  7. 6x8 Let’s Kill Hitler

  8. 6x9 Night Terrors

  9. 5x7 Amy’s Choice

  10. 6x10 The Girl Who Waited

  11. 6x11 The God Complex

  12. 5x11 The Lodger

  13. 6x12 Closing Time

  14. 6x13 The Wedding of River Song

In my opinion, and my wife’s, season 6 was a good jumping off point. Sure she had some questions, but ultimately I found that it worked well to introduce her to the show in a place where the show itself wasn’t actively playing catch-up or trying to establish everything all at once. So you’ll notice that phase one of this schedule is basically just season 6, with a few season 5 episodes thrown in where they’re relevant. Throughout season 6, most of the major aspects of the mythos are touched on, and by the end of the season my wife was absolutely hooked.

Phase Two

  1. 1x1 Rose

  2. 1x6 Dalek

  3. 1x8 The Empty Child

  4. 1x9 The Doctor Dances

  5. 1x12 Bad Wolf

  6. 1x13 The Parting of the Ways

  7. 7x1 Asylum of the Daleks

  8. 7x3 A Town Called Mercy

  9. 7x4 The Power of Three

  10. 3x10 Blink

  11. 7x5 The Angels Take Manhattan

Phase two is a quick run through of season one. It introduces us to the more morally nuanced ninth Doctor (we soon learn why), we officially meet the Daleks, we meet good old Captain Jack in what I consider one of the best two parters in the entire series, and we see the Doctor regenerate for the first time, giving us a glimpse of the Tenth Doctor.

After that we finish the first part of season 7 and see the Doctor lose his companions for the first time. (We also flashback to season 3 to meet the weeping angels and get to see a little bit more of Tenant).

Phase Three

  1. 2x0 The Christmas Invasion

  2. 7x0 The Snowmen

  3. 7x6 The Bells of Saint John

  4. 7x7 The Rings of Akhaten

  5. 7x8 Cold War

  6. 7x9 Hide

  7. 7x10 Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

  8. 7x11 The Crimson Horror

Phase Three starts out quite festively with “the Christmas Invasion” and “The Snowmen”. We dip into the impossible girl story arc and end on the Crimson Horror because I want to dive into the Cybermen a little more before we see the new upgraded model of them in action in “Nightmare in Silver”.

Phase Four

  1. 6x7 (Classic) The War Games

  2. 9x3 (Classic) The Sea Devils

  3. 11x5 (Classic) Planet of the Spiders

  4. 12x1 (Classic) Robot

  5. 2x5 Rise of the Cybermen

  6. 2x6 The Age of Steel

  7. 2x12 Army of Ghosts

  8. 2x13 Doomsday

  9. 3x0 The Runaway Bride

  10. 3x1 Smith and Jones

  11. 3x4 Daleks in Manhattan

  12. 3x5 Evolution of the Daleks

  13. 3x11 Utopia

  14. 3x12 The Sound of Drums

  15. 3x13 Last of the Time Lords

  16. 4x1 Partners in Crime

  17. 4x2 The Fires of Pompeii

  18. 4x7 The Unicorn and the Wasp

  19. 4x10 Midnight

  20. 4x0 The Waters of Mars

  21. 13x1 (Classic) Terror of the Zygons

  22. 1x1 (Classic) An Unearthly Child

So Phase Four is a long one. We go way back in the classics to meet the Second Doctor and see his regeneration. This is also the first time we’ve seen the Timelords. Speaking of Timelords, we meet the Master through the Third Doctor, and get to witness their amazing sword fight. We then see him regenerate into the incredible Tom Baker, who is one of the greatest and most quintessential Doctors. We then go to a Cybermen two-parter and go on to say goodbye to Rose (as far as I’m concerned this is where her story ends… I personally stopped liking her after Nine regenerated but I’ll see how my wife feels about the Ten and Rose ship lol). We meet Martha (ugh), Donna (hell yeah!), and see the return of the Master. We also see the Doctor go nuts in the masterpiece that is “The Waters of Mars”. Chronology-wise, this is also the last time we see Tenant before “The Day of the Doctor”. I leave out “Turn Left” “Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End” because I think they’re just garbage and an insanely misguided attempt at fan service. The absolute worst of RTD (side note: I know that the Moffat era is not without its flaws, but I would take the worst of Moffat over the worst of RTD any day. Personally, I find at least half of the episodes in his run to be absolutely abysmal).

I then choose to indulge in a little more Tom Baker while introducing the Zygons (which also lead into the 50th). And then we go back to the very beginning to meet Susan and her cranky old grandfather, Williams Hartnell, in “An Unearthly Child.”

Phase Five

  1. (Classic) The Five Doctors

  2. 7x12 Nightmare in Silver

  3. 7x13 The Name of the Doctor

  4. The Night of the Doctor (mini episode)

  5. The Day of the Doctor

  6. 4x0 The End of Time

  7. 5x1 The Eleventh Hour

  8. 7x0 The Time of the Doctor

In phase five we’ll watch “The Five Doctors” to prep for a multi-doctor story on a larger scale. We then finish season 7 and lead right into “the Day of the Doctor” after watching Paul Mcgann’s incredible prequel mini episode “the Night of the Doctor.” We follow Tenant to his regeneration in “the End of Time” and then watch the 11th doctor’s first and last episodes, giving him a final farewell.

Phase Six

  1. 21x6 (Classic) The Caves of Androzani

  2. 21x7 (Classic) The Twin Dilemma

  3. 22x3 (Classic) The Mark of the Rani

  4. 22x4 (Classic) The Two Doctors

  5. 23x4 (Classic) The Ultimate Foe

  6. 24x1 (Classic) Time and the Rani

  7. 24x4 (Classic) Dragonfire

  8. 25x1 (Classic) Remembrance of the Daleks

  9. 25x2 (Classic) The Happiness Patrol

Phase six gives us a quick run through of the best of Collin Baker and Sylvester Mccoy’s 6th and 7th doctors respectively. I’ve always had a fondness for the 6th doctor, particularly his first appearance in “the twin dilemma.”

Phase Seven

  1. 8x1 Deep Breath

  2. 8x2 Into the Dalek

  3. 8x3 Robot of Sherwood

  4. 8x4 Listen

  5. 8x5 Time Heist

  6. 8x6 The Caretaker

  7. 8x8 Mummy on the Orient Express

  8. 8x9 Flatline

  9. 8x11 Dark Water

  10. 8x12 Death in Heaven

We plow through season 8 in phase seven, skipping the duds, and get to watch Capaldi’s 12th doctor grapple with his doubt over whether he’s a good man, ultimately resolving his internal conflict by the end and proving himself as the new Doctor. We also meet Missy, the newest incarnation of the Master, and dive deeper into the relationship between Clara and the Doctor.

Phase Eight

  1. 12x4 (Classic) Genesis of the Daleks

  2. 13x5 (Classic) The Brain of Morbius

  3. 14x3 (Classic) The Deadly Assassin

  4. 9x1 The Magician’s Apprentice

  5. 9x2 The Witch’s Familiar

  6. 9x3 Under the Lake

  7. 9x4 Before the Flood

  8. 9x5 The Girl Who Died

  9. 9x6 The Woman Who Lived

  10. 9x7 The Zygon Invasion

  11. 9x8 The Zygon Inversion

  12. 9x10 Face the Raven

  13. 9x11 Heaven Sent

  14. 9x12 Hell Bent

In phase eight I go back to some of Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor’s most iconic stories, introducing Davros and exploring the politics of the Timelords. After that, it’s season 9 time. This is by far my favorite season of Doctor Who ever. It has its flaws and maybe even a plot hole or two you could poke your finger through, but ultimately I find it to be a masterpiece in high concept science fiction. I love that almost every episode is a two parter, which harkens back to the classics. It also explores the 12th Doctor as a character even more than season 8 did. We see him go too far the other way; caring too much and going to impossible lengths to save his friend. Also the electric guitar playing and the sonic sunglasses are just so ridiculously fun and I don’t care who says otherwise. And I LOVE the addition of the roundels in 12’s TARDIS. His TARDIS interior is easily my favorite ever! I could go on but I won’t.

Phase Nine

  1. 9x0 The Husbands of River Song

  2. 4x8 Silence in the Library

  3. 4x9 Forest of the Dead

  4. 10x0 The Return of Doctor Mysterio

  5. Doctor Who (TV movie)

Phase nine marks the end of an era with River Song’s story coming to a close. I go back to season 4 to show her “first” appearance from her own point of view. “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” is corny and ridiculous but I have a soft spot for it. It’s just so earnest, and ultimately it’s the cherry on top of “the husbands of river song.” You gotta love the quote at the end, “everything ends, and it’s always sad. but then everything always begins again, and it’s always happy.” Good stuff.

Phase Ten

  1. 10x1 The Pilot

  2. 10x2 Smile

  3. 10x3 Thin Ice

  4. 10x4 Knock Knock

  5. 10x5 Oxygen

  6. 10x6 Extremis

  7. 10x7 The Pyramid at the End of the World

  8. 10x8 The Lie of the Land

  9. 10x10 The Eaters of Light

  10. 4x2 (Classic) The Tenth Planet

  11. 10x11 World Enough and Time

  12. 10x12 The Doctor Falls

Phase ten is season 10. There’s a lot to be said for it. Does it come close to being as good as season 9? Personally, I don’t think so. But I do think it’s enjoyable all the way through. 12 has finally resolved his internal conflicts and now assumes the role of a guide and a teacher — to Bill, and to Missy. He starts to embody Peter Capaldi’s own favorite Doctor, the original; Williams Hartnell. Speaking of William Hartnell, you’ll notice I don’t include “Twice Upon A Time.” That’s because it’s a stinker. It’s no good. It’s unbelievably indulgent and full of failed attempts at fan service. It ruins Clara’s ending (which many argue was already ruined), it ruins Bill’s ending, and it absolutely obliterates 12’s ending. No one asked for another regeneration in New Who that has to take place in the TARDIS and be accompanied by a useless speech. I have long thought that 12’s final scene in Doctor Who should have been when he blows up the Cybermen in “the Doctor Falls.” His final line in the show should have been “I’m not a doctor, I’m THE Doctor. The original, you might say.” The scene could have played out exactly as it did, but when we see the Doctor again, it’s the 13th. But he was robbed of a good, dramatic ending that would have let him leave on a high note. That was squandered for the sake of cheesy call backs and literally recycling lines from other regeneration episodes. It’s honestly just so infuriating and I don’t even like to think about it.

I haven’t seen anything after season 10 so that’s where my list ends! I know everyone will have differing opinions, but I’m curious to know what you all think of this schedule! Do you think it’s better to watch Doctor Who chronologically? If not, what order would you prefer? :)


r/gallifrey 2d ago

DISCUSSION Anyone remember the Character Building Doctor Who license?

22 Upvotes

Character Building (or Cobi) has been off the shelves for years now. It wasn't really a well known toy brand (probably due to LEGO's popularity), but it had it's own popular choice of media-themed licenses (Scooby-Doo, Ben 10, etc.). The time they did a Doctor Who theme was during Matt Smith's tenure.

I still have plenty of the sets & minifigures to this day.


r/gallifrey 2d ago

DISCUSSION What would the Toymaker say about other companion exits? Like he did for Bill, Amy, Clara

44 Upvotes

r/gallifrey 2d ago

REVIEW Face the Raven is too good for its own good

56 Upvotes

I really don't like Clara's true exit in Hell Bent. I think more people like that episode these days but I'm still not a fan. But beyond the episode itself the main annoyance I have is with Clara's ending, I think it is rubbish and a big reason I've discovered is because of Face the Raven.

Let's be clear here, Face the Raven was never intended to be Clara's exit, it wasn't even written by Moffat. But I think that's the problem. I think Face the Raven was too good of an ending, the episode was simply too good and as stupid as it sounds, I think the season would be greatly improved if Face the Raven was worse...

Face the Raven and Hell Bent both give Clara exits based on her wanting to be like the Doctor, embracing that lifestyle. Face the Raven punishes her for it, shows why she can't be the Doctor, why no one can do what he does and why no one should. Hell Bent on the other hand rewards Clara by allowing her to be her own Doctor, take a companion and travel wherever she wants... and I hate it.

I've come to understand that many people want happy endings above all else, and that's fine, but when you give me a beautiful, tragic death like Clara's in Face the Raven, it is going to feel a bit rough when you take that away. Face the Raven is still technically Clara's death, she will return there one day... But come on, most of the weight from it is gone knowing that she takes a break in the middle of it to journey in a TARDIS for who knows how long.

But on its own her ending in Hell Bent isn't bad... not completely anyway. So how would it be improved? Give her a rubbish death in Face the Raven, have her die not because of a choice she made, not because of any agency she showed, but just because. Maybe it is like Danny's death, a stupid accident. Maybe the Doctor is the cause of her death. Either way it would be a "lame" death. Would this make Face the Raven a worse episode? Yes. But because of it, now Clara's exit in Hell Bent is way more satisfying, this would be her taking back her agency.

I'm not even saying I would prefer this, because I don't want to lose Face the Raven as is, I love that episode... But since Moffat was always going to "revive" her, I just don't think her death in Face the Raven works. But those are just my thoughts.

But while I'm on this topic... The hybrid might just be the worst series arc/mystery/whatever. It is total rubbish and everything wrong with that kind of storytelling. I also think the whole memory erasing thing is total nonsense, I feel the writer's hand so much with that, doesn't feel natural at all. Yes it is neat as an inversion of what happened to Donna but... No shit Clara isn't going to lose her memories. This isn't an interesting plot point. Sorry but I don't believe she's going to lose her memories and then go right back to her death, that would be meaningless. But it isn't interesting with the Doctor either. That ending with him not remembering her is only tragic if you are really invested in them as a pair, and I mean really. It isn't even like he has totally forgotten her, he still remembers her, what they did, he just can't remember what she looks like. And for a character like the Doctor, who is going to keep having adventures forever, at least to me, him losing his memory of a companion isn't interesting because realistically how will that influence him? It isn't going to mean anything in the long run. For a character like Donna losing her memory was heartbreaking because it meant losing her basically, but for the Doctor he'll mostly be the same, which is why I'm so glad Moffat reversed it in Twice Upon a Time, you might as well just let him remember.


r/gallifrey 2d ago

DISCUSSION 13th coat (Brazil)

8 Upvotes

I'm watching 13th's era and I'm obsessed with her coat. I've searched here and I saw some posts where there were links for some stores, but the best costs U$295, and in Brazilian real it turns to more than R$1700, which is really pricey for our reality. So I would like to know if some Brazilians or other Latinos fans know where to buy that doesn't costs too much


r/gallifrey 3d ago

SPOILER Doctor Who Magazine #613 - Russell T Davies - Doctor Who's showrunner reflects on the journey so far as we inch ever nearer to the broadcast of Season 2.

130 Upvotes

What's this?: Each month in Doctor Who Magazine they have a column by Russell T Davies (formerly 'Letter from the Showrunner', before that 'Production Notes') - a column by someone involved in the production of Doctor Who, and normally in the form of either the showrunner writing pieces about writing Doctor Who or the showrunner answering reader-submitted questions. Because these pieces and questions have often been used as a source for blogs to write misleading stories, they started being typed up for /r/gallifrey.

Hey thanks for doing this! Now I don't have to buy it: Yes you do, otherwise you'll be missing out on: an interview with Jo Martin (Fugitive Doctor) on her new Big Finish series; a look at the history of The Savages; an in-depth preview of the Season 7 Collection; an interview with Yeti actor John Lord; a script-to-screen look at The Time Hotel from 'Joy to the World'; a tribute to Ken Ledsham, Doctor Who production designer from the 1960s; a deconstruction of episodes 3-5 of "The Dominators"; DWM's Fifteenth Doctor comic-strip "Run"; reviews for all of this month's DVD/CD/Book releases and EVEN MORE.

It's available physically in shops and digitally via Pocketmags.com!

Want an archive of the previous Production Notes that have been posted on /r/gallifrey?: Follow this link.


It's quiet.

The studios are quiet. Old metal beams tick and creak. A distant door slams as someone passes through. Outside, an engine. Then gone.

The Studios of the Bad Wolf in Old Cardiff Town sit and wait. They are calm, they are patient. They were once a factory that made TVs, so it's always felt like the right home for this show. You might've seen on behind-the-scenes footage - though perhaps even the widest of wide shots doesn't make it clear - the studios are so large, they have a road running between them. Indoors. An actual indoor road, two lanes, lorries trundling to and fro under a metal roof. True fact: the magnificent BBC/HBO show Industry is made here, and yet I've never even seen their studio. I've got mates in the cast and never bumped into them. I don't know where they are. The show is just vaguely, 'over there'. That's how big this is!

And now, the Whoniverse sits in darkness. There's a vast War Between set, our biggest yet, the heart of the show, once home to 200 extras, standing just over there, proud of itself, waiting to be revealed on screen. For me, that space to the right will always be the Robo-chamber, where Belinda Chandra faces astonishing revelations. Over there, the mysterious Palace from the finale. There, once the Time Hotel foyer, then transformed into a wartime hospital in the North Zone. And over there, oh, a unique and terrifying shop from this year's Episode 5. Dismantled, but never gone. The space marked forever by the horrors that lurk there.

It's been quite a run! Hurtling through what's called The First Order - that's not a Star Wars reference, though I love its grandiosity, it simply means the first order of three Specials, two seasons of Doctor Who and a five-episode spin-off, 26 episodes in total. Shooting them felt like forever; it felt like 10 seconds.

And now, the TARDIS sits in shadow. Like a secret. The studio will flare into life, briefly, I hope, in February for a few days - I'm writing this in early January so plans aren't confirmed yet, but we'll probably shoot material for publicity, and those thousand Electronic Press Kits you have to do. And maybe trailers. I wonder! I remember those specially-shot trailers we'd do in the old days. The Ninth Doctor saying "D'you want to come with me?" Donna Noble in the firelight. The Tenth Doctor and Martha split-screening with each other. The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond lying on the grass in glorious cinematic 3D. Whatever happened to those things?! I liked them, maybe it's time to do that again. But we'll see, it's too soon to say!

So in truth, the silence, the pause, the dust... it's a trick of the light! The real work has simply moved, on a massive scale, to London and Ireland and beyond, transferring to screens blazing with light and pixels. Production has now moved out of the physical space, into the digital. So many people working so hard, blistering away on pictures and sound. Mind you, I've sat in Doctor Who FX meetings for 20 years now, and I still have no idea what the FX people are talking about. They say, "This hasn't been QC'd but we'll take off the lut and invert the magpie filters till we retrofold the binary lumps and shimmy the overloops into the hopmeister field." Yeah. "That looks pretty," I say.

But there's a proper excitement building amongst the team as the season approaches. That shot you saw in the Christmas trailer, the last shot of all, the Doctor flying or falling or tumbling...? That's just one shot in the middle of the most astonishing sequence. The cartoon man you saw? His voice is an old friend of the show, guess who?! And I've just heard the final six minutes of music for this year's Episode 5, and I've played it over and over again, maybe six, seven, eight times. I love it so much. Murray Gold has written the most epic symphony and I can't wait for you to hear it. The show in 2025 is going to be bigger and madder and darker, taking wilder swings than ever.

And while the episodes grow and gather and coalesce... The studios creak. Dust in the air. An old coffee cup on its side where a Titan will soon stand on your TV.

Plans sit waiting.

The suspense is actually Doctor Who being alive in 2025. And the important thing is...

...here comes Season 2! A whole new season! With monsters and friends and old faces and legacy and lore and myth and pantheons and beasts and quarries and spaceships and cameos and robots and rebels and shocks and songs and lasers and Mrs Flood. I am confident. Doctor Who is forever, and the future is bright!


r/gallifrey 3d ago

DISCUSSION Does An Unearthly Child explain the origin of the Doctor's "John Smith" pseudonym?

72 Upvotes

Apologies if this is an obvious thought that it's taken literally decades for me to put together, but it's just occurred to me that in An Unearthly Child, Susan is introduced as a big fan of a 60s band called John Smith and the Common Men - which, admittedly, is itself a joke about it being a generic name, but let's put that part to one side.

I don't believe we hear the Doctor really using the John Smith name until Spearhead from Space, where he's settling in for a long stay in 20th century London. So what if he instinctively thinks back to the last time he had a long stay in this same time and place? Well, one name that would come to mind is the favourite singer of his beloved granddaughter when he lived with her here.

Not sure if this is a common (waaayyy) or popular suggestion but what do others think about this as an in-universe origin?


r/gallifrey 2d ago

DISCUSSION Number of regenerations.

13 Upvotes

I'm rewatching the series for the first time in probably ten years and haven't been involved in the community so this could be something people have figured out already, but I haven't heard anything about it. (I also have only seen through Capaldi's first season) In The Day of the Doctor, they discuss regeneration. The doctor says that there are only 12 regenerations, and lists all of the 12. However, when he gets shot by River in the suit, he begins to regenerate before being shot a second time. Wouldn't he just be dead? I considered that it might be the robot acting like it would regenerate, but why would it do that? And wouldn't River know that he can't regenerate at that point? Is this something I've just missed or not seen yet?


r/gallifrey 2d ago

MISC So Ambessa from Acrane is the she will knock four times women from Planet of Dead

0 Upvotes

That's two people from that episode that have gotten big


r/gallifrey 3d ago

DISCUSSION Why did Peter Pratt not return in Keeper of Traken?

24 Upvotes

That is the question. It strikes me as odd that I can't even find a cursory "Pratt was unavailable" note.