The Only Story Where...

[Rob McCow]

I was thinking about Time and The Rani the other day for The Chains of Morbius thread - and it occurred to me that it has a number of unique features. I wonder if anyone could confirm or deny whether:

- It's the only story where the Doctor uses the word 'Scruples'.
- The Tetraps are the only monsters to have 360 degree vision.
- It's the only time where another character pretends to be the Doctor's companion, rather than the companion being cloned or substituted with a double.
- It's the only appearance of pink slime in the series.

What other stories might have unique features?

[Si Hunt]

Do you count the phantoms in "The Five Doctors" pretending to be the Doctors companions?

Also the Android Romana in "The Androids of Tara". And Princess Strella in that story also pretends to be, or at least is mistaken for, Romana.

Si.

[P-Bal]

Also, Dodo pretends to be the Doctor's companion for a handful of stories.

[shada pavlova]

And don't forget Cassandra/Rose in New Earth.

[Antony Cox]

Don't the Daleks technically have 360° vision?

Poor Steve - all we're doing is picking apart your original points!

[Andrew Curnow]

He may have a point with the pink slime though - unless the 'fondant surprise' from Happiness Patrol counts. Isn't it also the only story to mention Elvis?

On a similar note, is The Idiot's Lantern the only DW story to mention Cliff Richard?

[Rob McCow]

The Daleks certainly don't have 360° vision!

I'm quite happy for the points to be picked apart. I can't remember every detail from Doctor Who!

New Earth is the best example of companion impersonation similar to Time and The Rani - where another character is pretending to be the companion, which is kind of what I was getting at.

[Andrew Curnow]

What about Black Orchid? Doesn't Anne actively pretend to be Nyssa?

[Si Hunt]

The Daleks certainly don't have 360° vision!

Surely they do, as in "Doomsday" when Rose circles the Dalek and talks about knowing the Doctor, we see a Dalek's dome (and eyestalk) turn a full 360° round to follow her.

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Surely the Happiness Patrol was the only story where candy turned bad?

[Andrew Curnow]

I think the Daleks have 360 degree vision... except where it suits the story for them to trundle straight past people without noticing them. So I guess they have the capacity for 360 degree vision, but not the ability to see all 360 degrees at the same time (unlike the Tetraps).

[Logo Polish]

He may have a point with the pink slime though - unless the 'fondant surprise' from Happiness Patrol counts. Isn't it also the only story to mention Elvis?

No, he's mentioned in The Christmas Invasion too.

[Jason Thompson]

The Daleks don't have 360 degree vision any more than humans do, because they have to turn their heads to do it. The ability to turn your head 360 degrees is not the same as being able to see 360 degrees as the Tetraps can by virtue of (literally) having eyes in the back (and sides) of their heads.

[shada pavlova]

The Two Doctors is the only story to mention Shepton Mallet. I think.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

The Tenth Planet is the only story in which William Hartnell changes into Patrick Troughton.

[Si Hunt]

What about Doctor Who and the Time Quest Of Fear?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Oh yes I forgot that one.

As far as I know, Mindwarp is the only story in which the TARDIS doesn't have a phone panel on the door. Have a look when it materialises in the sea at the start.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Oooh - where did you get those figures? I remember they used to do a load of Citadel figures for Doctor Who in the 80s, but then stopped. Are they them?

[Si Hunt]

No, they're Harlequin Miniatures. They bought out hundreds of the buggers in the '90's, you collected them and painted them. I've got about two bags of them still to paint! I shall do them when I'm retired.



Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Pretty smart - I've seen on some wargaming site I was researching for my son a place where they run some kind of giant Dalek vs Cybermen super-game annually.

They obviously don't play by Doomsday rules where the Dalek player automatically wins!

But always wondered where they got the figures from.

[Si Hunt]

They did more or less every single Doctor Who character from Rohm Dutt to Remus, Kara to Azal, Urak to Ranquin the Swampie.

Except, oddly, Glitz.

And the Rani.

Si.