The legendary BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who has been around for 50+ years, inspiring and delighting fans with the adventures of the time-traveling alien known simply as The Doctor, and his/her companions from across the galaxy.
Fans of the show - typically known as Whovians - are passionate and dedicated; they write fanfiction, hold conventions and more. But even with this serious love, Whovians are always ready to make jokes about the series. Sometimes this is pointing out one of the sillier aspects of the long-running program, or just making an unexpected connection with another franchise; whichever form they take, Doctor Who memes are almost always hilarious - especially if you’re a true fan of the show.
It’s time (lord) to tickle those funny bones: here are 10 hilarious Doctor Who memes only true fans will understand.
10. It’s a British show, after all
Although the Doctor often promises their companions exciting adventures throughout all of time and space (with emphasis on ‘space’) - the majority of their adventures tend to occur right on Earth - and more specifically, in London and around England in general, where most of the companions come from.
Of course, these episodes are no less thrilling for the audience, but sometimes we have to wonder why so many aliens seem to choose Earth to invade in the first place.
9. We’ve all been through it
When a new actor is announced as the Doctor, most fans go through a similar cycle of disbelief, rejection, and ultimately acceptance - until it starts all over again the next time!
It’s a tough road, but something that all Whovians have gone through at some point. Considering this cycle as a rite of passage.
8. That was one intense regeneration
In 1969, the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) ended his era with a bang in the epic 10-part serial “The War Games.” At that stage, the Doctor had only regenerated once before, and the process was still not fully conceptualized; that’s why, at the end of Troughton’s last episode, the Time Lords forced him to ‘change his face’ - without explicitly mentioning regeneration.
When the regenerated Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) arrived on Earth in 1970, the show had finally jumped to color - so this traumatic experience seems to have changed more than just his face: the whole universe changed alongside him!
7. One for the Star Wars fans
In the David Tennant-era Doctor Who episode “The Idiot’s Lantern,” a villainous alien creature known as The Wire was sucking up the minds of unsuspecting humans through their TV screens, leaving them as (literally) faceless husks of their former selves. Unfortunately, poor Rose (Billie Piper) became a victim of The Wire during the course of the episode, before thankfully being restored by the end.
Although she was ultimately saved, the scene with Rose’s faceless body is somewhat eerie and off-putting - or, if you’re the creator of this meme, the source of great jokes. In this case, it’s a reference to the famous scene with Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope, where he uses the force to choke a subordinate who dares to question him and utters, ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing’. Well played, Doctor Who meme.
6. Fashion regrets
The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) had a bit of a rocky road during his time on the series. For one, many stories were receiving mixed reviews from fans, and producers behind the scenes were far from passionate about the program. Although Baker’s portrayal has found renewed love amongst fans for his roles in Big Finish audio dramas, one thing that most fans can agree upon is that his character’s costume is rather garnished.
In this image of his successor, the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), it seems obvious that the character himself may be looking back on his outfit choices with a twinge of regret.
5. Oh, Rose
In the 2005 series finale “The Parting of the Ways,” it seemed certain that the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) was doomed to die at the hands (er…plungers) of a Dalek army aboard Satellite Five. Rose was back on Earth with the TARDIS, and all hope appeared lost.
That is until Rose - with the help of her mum and Mickey - managed to force open the TARDIS console and absorb the time vortex to pilot the ship back to the satellite and save her beloved Doctor. It was a powerful moment, with Rose standing in a glow of light, her eyes burning yellow like stars. Of course, as memorable as this was, we know that everything is better with cats - as this meme clearly demonstrates.
4. That’s one way to make a statement
Although generally regarded as the most pacifist and mild of The Doctor’s incarnations, Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor still managed to spice things up by sticking a single leaf of celery to the English cricketing uniform he called an outfit.
As strange as it is to see celery on someone’s lapel, it’s still funny to think that this prominent eccentricity makes him a sort of ‘wild man’ all of a sudden.
3. It’s hard to say, really
As a show, Doctor Who began its life with the idea that it would be more than just a time-traveling adventure series: It was supposed to be somewhat educational and teach younger viewers about science and history.
While this explicit goal was dropped fairly quickly, the Classic series still tended to have a slightly higher emphasis on stealthily teaching us things while The Doctor and friends fought aliens across the universe.
2. RIP everyone
Whether you love him or hate him, long-time Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat gained a reputation over his tenure for axing off several key beloved characters.
By the end of his time, it felt like none of the Doctor’s friends had managed to stick around - just like the poor dinosaur in this famous picture book.
1. No regrets
Let’s be totally honest with ourselves for a moment. Maybe we were sick that day, had nothing else to do or just wanted to catch up on some episodes, but many Whovians (or just TV fans in general) have had that one day where we just marathoned to our heart’s content and didn’t care what anyone else thought about it.
Like David Tennant in this meme, it’s hard not to feel just a little bit proud.
