DW 02-02: Tooth & Claw

A Guide to Classic Who references in New Who episodes.

Warning: May contain Spoilers for

"Tooth & Claw"

Doctor Who (2005) series 2, episode 2 (Story 13).  Rose & the Doctor meet Queen Victoria and a werewolf.

Viewing Order

• 01-01  "Rose" (Suggested viewing - introduction of characters.)
• 01-02 "The End of the World" (Suggested viewing - story connections.)
• Children in Need - "Born Again" or Christmas Special 2005 - "The Christmas Invasion" (Suggested viewing - reintroduction of character.)
• Tardisode 2 - "Tooth & Claw" (Not recommended - teaser trailer.)

References

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series.
[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new series.

[OLD] - Things that first appeared in the classic series (or the film.)  Episode List.

• [OLD]  1979 - The year the Doctor & Rose intended to got to was previously visited by Romana & the Fourth Doctor who spent time in Paris.  At that time the Doctor considered it a "table wine year."

• [OLD]  Jamie McCrimmon - The name the Doctor uses is the name of a companion of the Second Doctor, an 18th century Highland Scot.

• [OLD]  University of Edinburgh - Previously the Second Doctor has claimed to have studied medicine at the University of Glasgow (but graduated in 1888).  Obviously, like the name, it's all fake, but it matches the Edinburgh accent (Tennant's own) the Doctor uses here.  Doctor Bell is Doctor Joseph Bell believed to be the main inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.

• [OLD]  Queen Victoria - The Third Doctor claimed to have been present at her coronation ("The Curse of Peladon").  The Fourth Doctor claimed that she had traveled with him ("Pyramids of Mars").  Another assassination on Queen Victoria attempt was stopped by the Seventh Doctor in "Ghost Light."

• [OLD]  1879 - Not previously visited, but "The GunfighterS" (First Doctor) was set in 1881.

• [NEW]  Torchwood House - The Torchwood Institute was the answer to a question in The Weakest Link in "Bad Wolf" and in "The Christmas Invasion" Harriet Jones, PM, was aware of it and used one of its weapons.

• [OLD]  A werewolf (or werewolf-looking alien) - The Doctor has met a variety of werewolfy aliens before:  In "Inferno," the Third Doctor met Primords: humans slowly transformed into primitive green beasts by contact with other Primords or ooze released by Professor Eric Stahlman's drilling.   "Mindwarp" (The Sixth Doctor) included the beastial Dorf who had become wolf-like humanoid after the experiments of bio-engineer Crozier.  Mags in "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" (The Seventh Doctor) was a werewolf-like alien.

• [NEW]  The Wolf in Rose - Obviously a reference to Bad Wolf from series 1.

• [OLD] Knighted as Sir Doctor - Not the first time as it previously happened to the Fifth Doctor ("The King's Demon) but not by the real King.

The 10 Rules to Doctor Who.

(Read the rules here.)

10.  The TARDIS is for arriving at the location of the story at the beginning of the episode and leaving at the end.  This is because Time Travel is the excuse for the story, not that the story is about.  Unless the episode is written by Steve Moffat, then it's definitely about Time Travel.

Not about Time Travel. [0]

9.  No one can cross their own Time Stream, except when they do.

No one tries.  [NA]

8.  There's no situation that can't be briefly defused by a non sequitur.

In this one it often makes thing worse.  [1]

7.  The Doctor is both the most serious and most frivolous person in the room - any room - at the same time.  And he does that without becoming insane.  Mostly.

Yup.  [1]

6.  The last episode of every series must contain the Master or at least one Dalek.  Every time.  However briefly.

Not a series final.  [NA]

5.  The main companion will be a young contemporary British female.  Although, to be

fair, almost everyone in the Universe is British and most things happen in contemporary London.

Young contemporary British female companion (Set in the past in Britain.)  [1] 

4.  The more emotionless a species, cyborg or robot the more likely they are to be destroyed by emotions.  This is true of the Daleks.  It is particularly true of the Cybermen.

No emotionless species.  [NA] 

3.  Even if the episode title contains the words "Dalek(s)" or "Cyberman/men" the presence of the Daleks and or Cybermen will at the beginning be treated as a mystery and their revelation a surprise.

No real title spoilers.  [0]

2.  The nature of the threat will be revealed to the audience before the Doctor.  The truth behind the threat will be unknowable by the audience until it is explained by the Doctor.

We knew about the werewolf before the Doctor, the Doctor was able to name what it was and work out how to defeat it.  [1]

1.  The most dangerous creature in any situation is the last of its kind.  This sometimes also applies to aliens other than The Doctor.

It's never said that the werewolf is the last of its kind.  The Queen declares that the Doctor is dangerous and must be exiled.  [.5]

Score:  7.5/7.

~ DUG.

The Time Crash blog was created to help New Who fans understand Classic Who references - and to know if something isn't a reference but a new idea.  If there's a reference I missed or a subject that you feel needs more explaining, please comment.