DW Christmas Special 2017: Twice Upon A Time

A Guide to Classic Who references in new Who.

Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special in which the Doctors refuse to regenerate.

Warning: May contain spoilers for

"Twice Upon a Time"

Viewing Order

"The Doctor Falls"  < Twelfth Doctor's Timeline > ?

"The Tenth Planet Part 4"  < First Doctor's Timeline >"The Tenth Planet Part 4"

References

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

For context, the following are also covered:

[1ST] -  The first appearance of things in Doctor Who series.

[NEW] - Things that first appeared previously in the new series.

[OTH] - Things that first appeared in other media.

Ongoing References...

• [OLD]  The TARDIS - The Doctor's time and space travel vehicle.  TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space.  Like a lot of Time Lord technology, it is "bigger on the inside."  The Doctor stole his Tardis when fleeing Gallifrey.  It is an older model ("Type 40") and unreliable, often ending up in the wrong location and the chameleon circuit - designed to make the Tardis appear inconspicuous in any surroundings it appears has failed so it always appears as a police telephone box from 1960s England.

• [OLD] The Doctor - The central character of both series of Doctor Who.  This is the First Doctor.  He's a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.

• [OLD] Bill Potts - The Doctor's companion in Doctor Who (2005) Series 10.  As noted she was turned into a cyberman ("The World Enough and Time" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 10, episode 11)) and gave her life to protect other, only to be revived by Heather and travelled with her ("The Doctor Falls" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 10, episode 12)).

• [OLD]  Sonic Screwdriver - A sonic device first used by the Second Doctor, and used in various forms ever since.

• [NEW] Sonic Sunglasses - A sonic device similar to the Doctor's famed Sonic Screwdriver and first appeared in "The Magician's Apprentice" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 1)

• [NEW]  Clara Oswald - Companion for the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors.  His memory of her was erased in "Hell Bent"  (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 12).

• [NEW]  Nardole - Companion for the Twelfth Doctors.  They parted company in "The Doctor Falls" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 10, episode 12)

This episode...

• [OLD]  709 episodes ago - The events of the First Doctor story "The Tenth Planet" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 4, serial 2) set in the Antarctic in 1986.

• [OLD]  The First Doctor - The Doctor before (or during) his first regeneration.

• [OLD]  Ben & Polly - The First Doctor's final companions, joining him in "The War Machines"  (Doctor Who (1963) Season 3, serial 10) and leaving in "The Faceless Ones" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 4, serial 8)   It was later revealed that they were running an orphanage together in India ("The Death of the Doctor Part 2" Sarah Jane Adventures Series 4, episode 6).

• [OLD]  Regenerative ability - Regeneration is a way that Time Lords cheat death by changing form (or just do it for a change).   He regenerated a number of times in classic Doctor Who (1963) and new Doctor Who (2005) and other Time Lords have been shown regenerating.  While this is presumably the beginning of the regeneration of the Twelfth Doctor to the Thirteen.

• [1ST]  The First Doctor refused to change - In "The Tenth Planet" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 4, serial 2) the weaken First Doctor broke away from his companions saying he needed to urgently return the TARDIS.  When they arrived he was unconscious on the floor.  The Twelfth Doctor even states he doesn't remember trying to not change.

• [NEW]  The First Doctor meets the Twelfth Doctor - These events were shown from the Twelfth Doctor's POV in "The Doctor Falls" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 10, episode 12).

• [OLD]  "The original you might say" - A claim made previously by the First Doctor in "The Five Doctors" (Doctor Who (1963) 25th Anniversary Special).

• [OLD]  "The ship" - Term used by the First Doctor to describe the TARDIS ("The Daleks" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 1, serial 2) and "The Sensorites (Doctor Who (1963) Season 1, serial 7)).

• [OLD]  "I don't remember trying not to change" - The Twelfth Doctor claims not to remember trying not to change.  Meeting versions of yourself from other moments in time often causes the younger version to forget events until he relives them, but this is hardly a consistently followed rule.

• [OLD]  The changing TARDIS - Although the TARDIS is stuck in the form of a 1960s police box its specific look has changed over time.

• [1ST]  The Testimony Foundation's Glass Avatars - First appearance of these benevolent beings and their foundation.

• [NEW]  The Captain meets the First and Twelfth Doctor - These events were shown from the First and Twelfth Doctor's POV in "Twice Upon A Time" (Doctor Who (2005) 2017 Christmas Special).  You must have seen it, it was just before the opening credits.

• [OLD]  A Level 5 Civilisation - Although the TARDIS is stuck in the form of a 1960s police box its specific look has changed over time.  While traveling with the Fourth Doctor, Romana II noted that a microneson scanner was "a very sophisticated device for a level five civilisation." ("City of Death" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 17, serial 2).  The Captain of the Starship Titanic noted: "It should be nice and quiet. It's only a level five planet down below. They don't even know we're here. Silent Night, I believe they call it. A silent night."  A Raxacoricofallapatorian noted of Sarah Jane's sonic lipstick that: "That woman had some sort of sonic disruptor. This is a level five planet, they're primitives. How did she get that? Who is she?"  ("Revenge of the Slitheen Part Two" (Sarah Jane Adventures Series 1, episode 2)).  The Tenth Doctor pointed out that: "Seeding a level five planet is against galactic law." ("Partners in Crime" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 4, episode 1)).  The Eleventh Doctor declared: "Article fifty seven of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established level five planet, and you were going to burn it? What? Did you think no-one was watching?" ("The Eleventh Hour" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 5, episode 1)).

• [OLD]  "And it is protected" - Apart from the galactic laws mentioned previously, the Doctor spends a lot of his life protecting Earth from invaders.  The First Doctor himself had just helped stop an invasion by Cybermen.

• [OLD]  "The Doctor of War" - In "Hell Bent"  (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 12)) Gastron, a Gallifreyan soldier who fought in the Time War said: "The first thing you will notice about the Doctor of War is he's unarmed. For many, it's also the last."  The soldier has fought with the War Doctor (the Doctor between the Eighth and Ninth Doctor who fought in the Time War) but was applying the label also to the Twelfth Doctor.

• [OLD]  Memories of the Doctor - Imagines and sound from previous episodes.

• [VAR]  Titles of the Doctor - 
• [NEW]  The Destroyer of Worlds - A sample of Davros from "Journey's End" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 4, episode 13).
• [NEW]  The Imp of the Pandorica - A reference to the "The Pandorica Opens" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 5, episode 12).  The "Imp" part is new.
• [NEW]  The Shadow of the Valeyard - The Valeyard was the villain in "Trial of a Time Lord" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 23).  He was revealed to be the amalgam of the Doctor's dark sides, which actually more makes the Valeyard the Shadow of the Doctor.
• [NEW]  The Beast of Trenzalore - A reference to the events of the Siege of Trenzalore and the many deaths he caused while defending it, partially depicted in "The Time of the Doctor" (Doctor Who (2005) Christmas Special 2013).
• [NEW]  The Butcher of Skull Moon - Skull Moon was the site of a battle during the Time War, during which the Gallifreyan soldier Gastron fought under the Doctor of War. "Hell Bent"  (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 12)
• [1ST]  Last Tree of Garsennon - A completely new reference, but it's meaning should be quite clear.
• [OLD]  The Destroyer of Skaro - The Seventh Doctor destroyed Skaro in "Remembrance of the Daleks."  (Doctor Who (1963) Season 25, serial 1).  It got better.
• [NEW]  The Doctor of War - See above.

.

• [OLD]  The Matrix -  A Gallifreyan VR and appeared in the Fourth Doctor story "The Deadly Assassin" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 14, serial 3), the Fifth Doctor story "Arc of Infinity" (Doctor Who (1963)  Season  20, serial 1) and "The Ultimate Foe" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 23, serial 4), a part of it in most of  Doctor Who (2005) Series 8, especially "Death in Heaven."

• [NEW]  Villengard - As noted the home of  weapons factories.  These factories existed until the Doctor visited, once, and were replaced by a banana grove.  Jack Harkness's sonic blaster was made there. "The Doctor Dances" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 1, episode 10).

• [OLD]  The Seven Galaxies - In "Genesis of the Daleks" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 12, serial 1) A resident of Skaro notes:  "It is an established scientific fact that in the seven galaxies only Skaro is capable of supporting intelligent life."  The Fourth Doctor points out that: "It is also an established scientific fact that there are more than seven galaxies."

• [1ST]  Mutated Daleks - Mutated mutant Kaleds.

• [OLD]  Smacked bottom - This is probably a reference to "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 2, serial 2) where the First Doctor said to his 15 - 16 year old granddaughter Susan: "What you need is a jolly good smacked bottom!" after she sprained her ankle.  Still not clear if that's better or worse than saying it to a stranger.

• [NEW]  Rusty - The Dalek from "Into The Dalek" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 8, episode 2).

• [NEW]  Dalek Hive Mind - The Pathweb introduced in "Asylum of the Daleks" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 7, episode 1):

'The Daleks, they have a hive mind. Well, they don't, they have a sort of telepathic web" ~ Oswin Oswald.

"The path web, yes" ~ The Doctor 

• [NEW]  New Earth, 
• 5,000,000,0
12 - New Earth was visited by the Tenth Doctor in 
• 5,000,000,023 ("New Earth" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 2, episode 1) and 
• 5,000,000,053 
("Gridlock" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 3, episode 3) 

• [OLD]  Lethbridge-Stewart - Presumably making him the ancestor of UNIT leaders The Brig (Brigardier Alistair Lethbridge Stewart) and his daughter (Kate Stewart).

• [NEW]  "The Long Way 'Round" - A phrase used by the Eleventh Doctor in "Day of the Doctor" (Doctor Who (2005) 50th Anniversary Special): "It's taken me so many years, so many lifetimes, but at last I know where I'm going. Where I've always been going. Home, the long way 'round."  When the Twelfth Doctor returned home in "Heaven Sent" (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 11)  he said: "Tell them, I'm back. Tell them, I know what they did and I'm on my way. And if they ask you who I am, tell them I came the long way round."

• [NEW]  "Never be cruel, never be cowardly." - According to "Day of the Doctor" (Doctor Who (2005) 50th Anniversary Special) part of the promise The Doctor made:

"Be a doctor. You told me the name you chose was a promise. What was the promise?" Clara Oswald. 

"Never cruel or cowardly," The Tenth Doctor. 

"Never give up, never give in." The War Doctor. 

• [OTH]  "And never, ever eat pairs." - In the Doctor Who novel "Human Nature" the Seventh Doctor asked companion Bernice Summerfield to make sure he never ate a pair while disguised as human as he didn't like them and didn't want to wake up tasting that.  The line was filmed for adaptation ("Human Nature" Series 3), with the Tenth Doctor asking the same thing of his companion Martha, but the line didn't make the final cut.  The human-disguised Doctor is shown eating a pear.  The Twelfth Doctor warned Clara not to eat pears as they were too squishy and made your chin wet ("Hell Bent"  (Doctor Who (2005) Series 9, episode 12)).

• [OLD]  The Doctor's Name - Remains unknown.  The bit about only being able to be heard when the stars are just right comes from an answer actor Peter Capaldi gave when a child asked if he knew the Doctor's name.

• [OLD]  Ring - The Second Doctor also discarded a ring worn by his previous incarnation because it didn't fit.  ("Power of the Daleks" (Doctor Who (1963) Season 4, serial 3).

• [OLD] The Doctor - The central character of both series of Doctor Who.  This is the Thirteenth Doctor.  She's a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey.

~ 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.

"The Doctor Falls"  < Twelfth Doctor's Timeline > ?

"The Tenth Planet Part 4"  < First Doctor's Timeline >"The Tenth Planet Part 4"

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