DW 12-04: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

A guide to classic Who references in new Who.

Doctor Who Series 12, episode 4 in which the Doctor meets Nikola Tesla.

May contain spoilers for 

"Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"

References

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

The following are also covered:

[NEW] - Things that first appeared in the new series.
[1ST] - Things appearing for the first time in the episode.

Previously on Doctor Who...

The Doctor

• [OLD] The main character of Doctor Who, classic series and new. Born on Gallifrey, she is a Time Lord. Due to Time Lords' ability to regenerate this is the Thirteen Doctor and the first time she's been female.

Sonic Screwdriver

• [OLD] The Doctor's favourite tool: the sonic screwdriver. First shown to be used by the Second Doctor in "Fury of the Deep" (Doctor Who (1963) season 5), it has been used almost constantly since. She built her current version in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (Doctor Who (2015) series 11). It can usually read everything.

The TARDIS

• [OLD] The Doctor's time and space travel vehicle.  It stands for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space.  Like a lot of the Doctor's race's technology, it is "bigger on the inside."  The Doctor stole her second-hand TARDIS when fleeing her homeworld.  It is an older model ("Type 40") and unreliable, often ending up in the wrong location, and being unable to blend into its environment (a feature TARDISes should have). As a Time Lord the Master also has one. Well, a couple really.

This episode...

Silurian

• [OLD] Reoccuring race in Doctor Who, first appearing in "Doctor Who & the Silurians" (Doctor Who (1963) season 7).

Orb of Thessa

• [1ST] The first appearance of this device. 

Psionic Image Cloaking

• [1ST] The first use of this specific term for mental-based cloaking.

Braxium Bouncer, Mk III

• [1ST] The first mention of this device. 

Skithra

• [1ST] The first appearance of this race. 

Venusian

• [OLD] From Venus. Presumably like the martial art Venusian Akido, used mostly by the Third Doctor, but by multiple Doctors since. In "The World & Time Enough" (Doctor Who (2005) series 10, Nardole believed in required 5 arms which may say something about Venusians. 

Klendov

• [1ST] The first mention of this race/civilisation/planet/organisation.  

Delerian Resonator

• [1ST] The first mention of this device. 

~ DUG.

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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.