Doctor Who Minus Context

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Out-of-context images from Doctor Who. Feel free to DM suggestions. Also on Mastodon and Threads. Managed by @dgriffinjones.bsky.social

Peter Davison episode. The Doctor is standing just outside the TARDIS with Flight Engineer Scobie and First Officer Bilton, two men wearing an airline pilot’s sort of uniform, with the dark suit, stripes on the collar and gold lapel pin, inside some grungy concrete room. Very brutalist looking. The Doctor looks a bit frazzled, not really paying attention to what they’re saying. Scobie says, “I’ve heard of a football team getting into a telephone kiosk, but this was ridiculous.” This is in reference to the World Cup game, which I’ll admit I’m not entirely aware of, but I am told something ridiculous has happened with England’s team.
Episode with Peter Capaldi, teenage heartthrob — although, tragically, the Doctor is not on screen. Instead, disappointingly, we are in a modern NASA mission command room. Two people are on screen, presumably scientists of some sort, looking forward. Very shallow depth of field shot, so only the woman is in focus, the background and the man both heavily blurred. Wish I could do that to men in real life. Anyways, captions read, “Fingers crossed, Alan.” “I got everything crossed.” Sounds like that’d hurt.
Jon Pertwee episode. The Doctor (Patrick Troughton’s Doctor, actually), Benton and the Brigadier are standing around in UNIT HQ, just outside the TARDIS, with its doors open. Benton has his hands on a gun, though he’s not pointing it at anything or anyone in particular, just resting his hands on it like a deadly fidget toy. There’s a giant hole in the wall as well. Yellow light is peering through the sunshades in the windows, as the entire building is inside an alternate universe, which you can’t see right now for budget reasons. The Doctor looks chipper, and asks, “What’s it like out there?” The Brig is furious, and yells, “There’s sand everywhere!” The Doctor clasps his hands together, and says, “Splendid! Who’s for a swim?” The other two look unimpressed.
David Tennant episode. Sally Sparrow and Kathy Nightingale are standing in an old decrepit house. Broken mirrors, aged and grimy wallpaper that’s a bit torn up, shattered windows. Kathy looks alarmed and confused, and says, “What are you doing?! It could be a burger!” Sally asks, “A burglar who rings the doorbell?” Well, they could be Canadian.
Patrick Troughton episode. The Doctor, Zoe and Jamie (his lover) are in a rocket ship; it’s really crowded and there are tons of switches and screens and panels of things behind them. They should be in zero gravity, although absolutely no attempt is being made at depicting that. They’re all sitting in chairs. The Doctor is speaking to someone over an intercom. Captions read, “But they’ll kill you!” “Oh, well, we’ll just have to take that risk,” the Doctor says, with a bit of a shrug. whatevs
Matt Smith episode. River Song is standing in Nazi Germany, in front of some big stone archway, surrounded by a bunch of (literal) literal Nazis pointing guns at her. Captions read, “Well, I was on my way to this gay gypsy Bar Mitzvah for the disabled, when I suddenly thought, ‘Gosh, the Third Reich’s a bit rubbish. I think I’ll kill the Führer.’ Who’s with me?” ✋
Patrick Troughton missing episode tele-snap. The Doctor is standing around with Ben, Polly and Jamie, his lover, with a few others in a city in the future, and you can tell, because there’s a big future TV screen on the wall and their clothes are all shiny and slick with big weird future collars. They’re all standing around looking pleasant, smiling, the Doctor with his hands folded and a goofy grin. Caption reads, “Well, this is gay!”
Matt Smith episode. Two men in military uniforms, one thin and one fat, stand in a hallway of some kind of space station. Caption reads, “We’re the thin-fat, gay, married Anglican Marines.” Normal Steven Moffat dialogue.
Patrick Troughton missing episode tele-snap. The Doctor is in the TARDIS with Ben, Polly and Jamie (his future lover). The Doctor is at the TARDIS controls, pressing buttons, looking up at something (probably the scanner) while the uppy-downy-thing goes up and down, covering the lower portion of the screen. Ben stands close to him, mouth in a rather odd expression. Caption reads, “I get a sort of queer feeling.” He can sense the tension between the Doctor and Jamie.
Christopher Eccleston episode. The Doctor is standing in the apartment Rose shares with Jackie. Beige walls (council estate, after all) various bits of decorative china dishes on shelves and hanging, with an abstract painting of a flower that looks like An Art from a hotel. He’s holding a magazine, staring at one of the middle pages, brows furrowed. Caption reads, “That won’t last. He’s gay and she’s an alien.”
Jon Pertwee episode. Five of the most 1970s old British men you can possibly imagine are standing and sitting in a circle in an old pub, with two taps just on screen. They’re all varying levels of gray haired, wearing suits with varying levels of tweed and beautiful disasters of plaid. One gentleman on the right has a squinty face as he says, “There have been a lot of queer goings-on the last few weeks.”
William Hartnell episode. Shot of a weird alien thing called a fungoid, a vaguely tree-shaped gross algae-like thing covered in suckers and things. The title card for the episode says “THE DEATH OF DOCTOR WHO.” This is in reference to the BBC announcing that the Christmas special is canceled, there is no plan in place for the future of the show, and RTD is out.
David Tennant episode. (Aren’t they all?) The Doctor and Rose are sitting at a table in a dingy spaceship in the future. You can’t really tell, because it’s a really close up shot on the Doctor’s face, Rose cackling off to the side, but there’s a metal wall with a bunch of Stuff on it. The Doctor is staring into the middle distance in dread. Caption reads, “I’m dying. That’s it, I am dying. It’s all over.” This is in reference to the BBC announcing that the Christmas special is canceled, there is no plan in place for the future of the show, and RTD is out.
William Hartnell episode. The Doctor, Ian Chatterton and Barbara Wright are standing in the TARDIS. The Doctor has a bandage around his head, and is standing very Hartnelly, his hands bracing his jacket, head turned up at the camera, staring it down. Ian is looking at him a bit confused, wearing a robe. Barbara is looking deeply concerned, staring offscreen. Caption reads, “Can it be possible then, that this is the end?” This is in reference to the BBC announcing that the Christmas special is canceled, there is no plan in place for the future of the show, and RTD is out.
Ncuti Gatwa episode. The Doctor is standing in an orchestra room. Maestro is wearing a lovely marching band-inspired uniform. Ruby is suspended in the air by a swarm of music, somehow. Maestro says in a mocking tone, “Playing lovesick songs for heartbroken lesbians,”
Patrick Troughton missing episode tele-snap. Polly is standing by a barn by some docks, looking off-camera to the Doctor. Next to her is another woman named Kirsty. Caption reads, “I liked you better in your dress, Doctor.”
David Tennant episode. (Aren’t they all?) Two boys are kicking around a football in a front garden of a townhouse, in front of a small goal. One of them is wearing an obscenely 2005 outfit of a longsleeve dark gray shirt with a yellow graphic tee on top, with blue/dark blue/lime green pants. Caption reads, “♪ Gay your life must be ♪”
Jon Pertwee episode. The Brigadier is standing in a concrete brick room at UNIT, alongside the Doctor, Jo Grant and Mike Yates, although only the Brig is onscreen. He’s looking a bit confused, eyebrows furrowed, which I can only assume is his natural resting facial expression. Caption reads, “Well, it’s the… the trans…”
Episode with Peter Capaldi, teenage heartthrob — although, tragically, he is not on screen. The Master, portrayed by John Simm, is talking to a Mondasian Cyberman in a picturesque green field with some trees. The leaves are a little thin, so it must be nearly fall. A scarecrow is in the background, although it’s in all white (and isn't really a scarecrow). The Master says, “I’m going to be a woman, fairly soon. Any tips?”
William Hartnell missing episode reconstruction. A policeman, who is mighty handsome for a pig, is standing in front of the TARDIS on a brick street. Caption reads, "Aye, you seem to know all the queer people."
Christopher Eccleston episode. The Doctor and Rose are sitting on a rooftop. The Doctor is holding his hand to his cheek, and although he's describing an event that happened in the past, he still looks as though he's holding back tears. He says, "It hurt!" Rose is laughing hard, and says, "You're so gay!"
Episode with Peter Capaldi, teenage heartthrob. The Doctor is wearing That orange spacesuit, helmet off as he’s indoors on a moon base in the future, and you can tell it’s the future because it’s a moon base. The Doctor’s speaking to Clara and a few others, mostly out of frame or out of focus. There’s a weird web thing pinned to the wall behind him. Caption reads, “The moon’s an egg.” Always has been.
Colin Baker episode. The Doctor and Peri are outside, running up a muddy, coaly hill. Well, the Doctor is running; he’s leaving Peri behind in high heel boots and several layers of dress that she’s in the process of picking up to begin going after him. Caption reads, “PERI: Ugh.” girl same
Jodie Whittaker episode. Two people, Lin and Mitch, are speaking in a dark underground area, which you can’t really make out because most of it is out of focus. That’s the Jodie Whittaker era summed for you. Not much interesting about this scene to riff on, honestly. Caption reads, “Eh, they found Richard III in a car park in Leicester.” Wonder what he was doing there.
Jon Pertwee episode. The Doctor is wearing his black outfit with the bright red cape, tossed dramatically over his shoulder. He’s speaking to two men, one of whom is wearing an excellent grey tweed coat with a bow tie. They’re in a big scientific control room, lots of people in lab coats doing Things and looking at consoles, blinking lights and panels and such in the background. Caption reads, “Well, I think that certain people ought to pay a lot more attention to the warnings of this computer.” Word.
Matt Smith episode. The Doctor is leaning against his TARDIS outside, grey sky (typical), holding up a newspaper of The Leadworth Chronicle. He’s looking at someone off screen, pointing at it, bemused, and says, “Seriously?” The headline story is LEADWORTH’S CROP CIRCLE. Cut to an aerial shot of a cornfield. The Doctor and the TARDIS are in the middle of the crop circle, which spells out “Doctor.” Cut to Amy and Rory facing him, standing with a beautiful Morris Mini. Rory says, “Well, you never answer your phone.”
Jon Pertwee episode. Orum and Kalik, two Inter Minorans, are gray skinned men who are bald on the top of their heads, with bushy eyebrows, in the future — and you can tell, because their outfits are all silvery. Kalik is walking away while Orum continues speaking nervously, their default state. Captions read, “One has no wish to be devoured by alien monstrosities, even in the cause of political progress.” Fair enough.
Jodie Whittaker episode. An injured Sontaran soldier with a bandage around his big ’ol potato head is casually strolling through Mary Seacole’s sanctuary, a small wooden building in the middle of the Crimean war. The Sontaran is making his way to the door, the Doctor and Mary following obviously, a man reaching for a gun in surprise. The whole room is quite realistically very dark and hard to see anything from the candlelight. Captions read, “You will be stamped beneath the boot of Sontar! At a future point to be determined.” That would be the Sontaran speaking, not the Doctor.
William Hartnell episode. We’re in a house in the future on Earth, but for some reason it looks like a run down hovel from the 1800s. Barbara and Jenny are joined by an old woman and her daughter (probably). The older woman says, “You can make your bed out of this cloth.” Sounds comfy.
Matt Smith episode. We’re on a pirate ship; extreme closeup of someone’s hand. You can see the frilly shirt on their arm and you’ve got a really great view of their dirty fingernails. There’s a small cut on the middle finger near the second knuckle. Caption reads, “You’re a dead man, McGrath.” You could never recover from a fatal linjury like that.
Sylvester McCoy episode. Ace is standing on a street outside a shop window, speaking to her friend Ange. Very close-up shot, so you can only barely see how totally rad both of them look. Anyways, Ace looks totally bewildered, and says, “Darth Vader, the brain-dead plumber?” Yeah, that’s him.
Jodie Whittaker episode. We’re looking at a title card, with orange text on a black screen. I feel like I’ve seen something like this before, but I can’t quite place it. Text reads, “A LONG TIME AGO… (2019) FAR, FAR AWAY… (CHELTENHAM)”
Tom Baker episode. (Aren’t they all?) Leela is standing outside the TARDIS in a brick alleyway at night. She’s buttoning up some ludicrous looking outfit with a big beret, looking very out of place. The Doctor is speaking from inside the TARDIS, and peering around through the open door. Captions read, “If you walk around Victorian London in skins, you'll frighten the horses.” Naturally.
David Tennant episode. (Aren’t they all?) The Doctor is clinging to the frame of a London taxi cab, speaking to Shaun Temple, who’s sitting in the driver’s seat, window rolled down. The Doctor is holding up the psychic paper, and says, “Grand Master of the Knowledge.” Shaun looks at it and says, “That says, ‘Grand Mistress.’” The Doctor looks down at it frustrated, smacking it against the mirror, saying, “Oh, catch up!”
Jon Pertwee episode. The Doctor and Jo Grant are in a throne room that’s somehow very old looking and also in the future. I guess in a kind of Star Wars way. Dimly lit, as there are a lot of torches on the walls. A man wearing weird bedazzled robes is speaking to them, along with a few guards barely visible. He has oddly colored red and silver hair that you can’t see too well in this particular shot. He says, “His manifestation is holy!” The Doctor says, “Rubbish. His manifestation, as you call it, is solid, hairy fact.” What is it, some kinda gay bear angel?
Episode with Peter Capaldi, teenage heartthrob. The Doctor and Clara are in a posh late 19th century train car, full rich mahogany wood paneling on the walls, brass trimmings, fancy lamps with red cloth shades, fancy champagne flutes, the Doctor in an excellent suit and Clara in a stunning bedazzled dress. Looking out the window, we see a black hole. Oh right, they’re in space. Except this is a made-for-TV black hole before the processing of the first images, so it’s a very dramatic swirly cloud, not like the one in Interstellar. Caption reads, “…you’ll be able to see the soaring majesty of the Magellan black hole.” The Doctor is looking at it, waving his hand dismissively, saying, “Ah, I remember when this was all planets as far as the eye could see.” ok old man
Sylvester McCoy episode. Jean and Phyllis, extremely lesbians from the mid-1940s, are outside in a foggy quarry wearing some excellent button-down shirts and cardigans, holding their hands up dramatically, showing their long claw-like fingers and nails. No caption.
Jodie Whittaker episode. The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham are all standing around outside Park Hill in contemporary Sheffield, around the TARDIS. Yaz is looking at her phone, not living in the moment, and says, “And I’ve got a mobile signal again. But no messages.” Oof.
Tom Baker episode. (Aren’t they all?) We’re on a set that’s supposed to be some kind of city carved into stone walls and small caves, except the ground and walls are suspiciously flat and squared off with hard corners and the sunlight looks a lot like studio lighting and the city is surprisingly crowded, as though it’s a small set. A bunch of old white guys are wearing dark brown and mustard yellow robes. One of the guys is sitting in a cave, allegedly in thought, although it kind of just looks like he’s on the toilet. Tegan, Nyssa and Adric are following closely behind three guys, carrying a really small TARDIS. No caption, it just looks a bit silly.
Episode with Peter Capaldi, teenage heartthrob. The Doctor and Bill Potts are standing around the TARDIS console, the Doctor fiddling with controls, Bill wearing a truly excellent multicolored top. Captions read, “I told you. You don’t steer the TARDIS, you reason with it.” “How?” “Unsuccessfully, most of the time…”
Jon Pertwee episode. The TARDIS is in a UNIT office. Brick walls, the lower half is an extremely ’70s yellow, a coat rack to the left, and a framed image of a spitfire on the wall. The TARDIS door is open, the Doctor shuffling his way out, squinting, holding something in his right hand you can’t quite make out, lots of smoke coming out through the door. Caption reads, (DOCTOR COUGHING)
Tom Baker episode. (Aren’t they all?) The Doctor is in a somewhat plain yellow room that we can’t see much of, leaning against some kind of metal railing. Very close up on his face, resting against his arm, somewhat uncomfortable looking. Captions read, “I suppose you could call it a galactic weed, except it's deadlier than any weed you know.”
Ncuti Gatwa episode. Belinda Chandra is standing on a spaceship in the future, and you can tell, because the walls are all shiny and there’s a big white panel with lights and Stuff on it. A man is standing behind her in an orange suit, out of focus, kind of ominous tbh. Belinda is speaking to someone off screen who’s secretly hiding horns under her tall hair, but that’s not important right now. Belinda looks concerned, and asks, “Is that like, drugs?”
William Hartnell episode. Ian, Barbara and Susan are all crowded around the Doctor in a locked room in the future, and you can tell, because the walls are all shiny and silvery. They all look varying levels of distraught, the Doctor being the worst, very sweaty as well, hair a little wild, not wearing his coat. He’s sitting against a wall looking weak, head aside. Ian says desperately, “Doctor? Doctor? I must get that drug quickly.”
Jodie Whittaker episode. Shot of a pond on an overcast day, looking a bit gray and greenish. Lily pads covering half of the water surface. A swan sits in the middle, looking down into the water. Caption reads, “Morning, Reggie.” A very good morning indeed.
Sylvester McCoy episode. The Doctor and Ace are in a dirt pit, a dead Cyberman on the ground in front of them. They’re struggling to stand up, bracing each other, the Doctor rubbing his eye, his scarf all up in a twist, his coat covered in dirt. Gonna need that dry cleaned. Caption reads, “My lady, who is that little man?” Who is correct.
Christopher Eccleston episode. Henry Van Statten, the most punchable man in the world, is walking through an underground concrete brick hallway. Some industrial looking metal panels and things are on the wall, in gray and yellow. A crowd of people are walking with him, some wearing plain clothes, some in wannabe military outfits. Van Statten is talking to someone off-screen. Caption reads, “The President is 10 points down. I want him replaced.” If only it were that easy.
Peter Davison episode. The Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are all at the TARDIS console, the Doctor fiddling about with some controls. The neat looking hat and coat rack is in the background. The Doctor says, “All the wonders of Victorian science and technology.” Tegan says, deadpanned, “Well, the Tardis should feel at home.” Burn.
Christopher Eccleston episode. Closeup on the Doctor; Rose is with him too, but off screen. They’re standing outside, although it’s a really shallow depth of field shot such that you can’t make out much of the background. Caption reads, “The past is another country. 1987 is just the Isle of Wight.” With a goofy smile on his face.
Jon Pertwee episode. The Doctor, the Brigadier, Ralph Cornish, and Liz Shaw, who could make an onion cry, are standing in Space Control, with a capsule behind them labeled Recovery 7, in front of a console. Liz Shaw, who can build a snowman out of rain, is holding a microphone. Everyone is looking around at each other in shock, including Liz Shaw, who can refrigerate her food simply by giving it her cold shoulder. Caption reads, “Will you clear us for re-entry?” in reference to Artemis II making its re-entry burn later tonight.
Sylvester McCoy episode. The Doctor, Mel and Burton, a man wearing an extremely 1950s bright red pinstripe suit, are outside at the bottom of some stairs. Mel and Burton are tied together back to back, but two soldiers are undoing them. Another is standing off to the side. The Doctor says, “Gavrock, it's over! You're finished! And we're leaving.” Cut to four other soldiers, all with weird pink sunglasses, pointing their guns at them. Close up on the Doctor, who says, “Actually, I think I may have gone a little too far.” You think?
Jodie Whittaker episode. The Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan are all standing around in the TARDIS, the Doctor working the controls, the fam standing around like NPCs. Yaz and Ryan are well out of focus; they don’t have much in the way of dialogue, anyway. The Doctor says, “Kolos. Roughly translated, means ‘disintegrator of the soul.’” Graham says, “Ooh, another cheery one.” Indeed.
Patrick Troughton animated missing episode. Closeup on Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, inside a pretty dark room, the only feature of the background a light on the ceiling, as he speaks to the Doctor, Jamie (his lover), Zoe, Isobel and Corporal Benton. The Brig says, “Spaceships? On the other side of the moon?” with an eyebrow raised. Obviously an impossibility.
David Tennant episode. The Doctor is sitting down on a sparsely populated London bus at night, holding a half-eaten half-unwrapped chocolate egg, offering it to someone just off-screen (Christina de Souza). He’s got a big, goofy Tennant grin on his face. Caption reads, “Hello, I’m the Doctor. Happy Easter!”
David Tennant episode. The Master is wearing a black and white suit, standing in a cabinet meeting room in 10 Downing Street, a very posh room with wood paneling on the red walls, fancy marble mantle, the lot. There are other people in the room with him, but all we see is him in the frame, making it look a little silly, as if he’s talking to himself. With a giant goofy smile, captions read, “funny is like this…” then close-up as he makes an exaggerated angry frown, “Not funny is like this…” Thank you for the lesson, carry on.
David Tennant episode. (Aren’t they all?) The Doctor is standing in a bedroom in a posh British school in the early 1910s, beautiful wood paneling and a framed drawing of a castle behind him. He’s holding a newspaper, staring at it, sunlight shining on his face, saying, “Hmm, that’s me. Completely human.” With total 100% conviction. (Definitely.)
Sylvester McCoy episode. The Doctor, Ace and a few others are running around on an alien planet, and you can tell, because it looks exactly like a quarry. Everyone except the Doctor is running around really fast, and a bunch of furry cheetah people are chasing them. The Doctor yells, “No, Ace! Stay still! Will you fucking stay still? You idiots!” (This is a blooper.)
Tom Baker episode. (Aren’t they all?) The Doctor and K9 are in the TARDIS. K9 on the ground (well, I guess he always is), the Doctor sans jacket, hat and scarf, looking down on him, both literally and figuratively. Captions read, “How long, K9?” “Insufficient data.” “Yeah, you never fucking know the answer when it’s important.” (This is a blooper.)
Sylvester McCoy episode. Captain Cook, a man with an excellent moustache and an explorer’s beige hat and jacket, is standing in a dark room, with a somewhat unsettling clown standing right behind him, holding the Doctor’s question mark um-br-ella (ella) (ella) (ella). Caption reads, “These hippy fellows weren’t quite as dumb as they looked.”
Jodie Whittaker episode. John Polidori, a young doctor (not that one) is in a dark 18th century house, rainy blue sky peering through a window, lots of candles out of focus behind him. He’s speaking to others in the room, offscreen; captions say, “I’ve never known air as dank”