And then, right at the end, this:

Cor! Four classic Doctors each with a mobile! This photoshoot was, apparently, done at the Hammersmith Ark which was holding an exhibition to celebrate 30 years of Dr Who. There isn't much information about it online - other than this press cutting⁰ - but there is another photo from the same series:

There's also this set of photos from Getty.

So, what phones are they all using? It's 1993, which means there were only a limited number of handsets.

The birth of the UK's mobile networks was "Phones On The Move" - a 1989 document by the Department of Trade and Industry. It led to the creation of the Mercury one2one and Hutchinson Orange networks - swiftly followed by Racal's Vodafone in July 1992 and Cellnet in December 1993.

McCoy's phone is a big old brick! Probably ancient at the time this photo was taken:

It looks like a Nokia CityMan - the original "Brick". But it has a 3x4 dial pad, and a 3x3 pad underneath - with a conspicuous red button. So it is probably the Motorola DynaTAC.

Possibly the 8500X or 8900X?

It looks like Pertwee and Davison both have the same model phone.

The blue logo at the bottom made me think these are Mercury phones. Although the button layout looks a bit like the Vodafone transportable, the shape of the buttons and speaker aren't quite right for that.

So I think it is the NEC P3.

Colin Baker's phone is a bit obscured:

I think that's the Vodafone / RACAL logo. Judging from the button layout, I'm reasonably confident that's the Panasonic EU 2000 (EB-3810).

Launched in 1993 - so super modern! You can read the original manual.

What do you reckon? Did I get them right?

Any more?

I've previously written about Doctor Who actors in Mobile Phone Commercials and I've a whole series of posts charting all the in-universe use of mobiles.

But if you've spotted a photo or video that I've missed - please drop a comment in the box.

It was glorious!

Big Finish could have cheaped out - even with a bare set and a cast of newbies, the fans would have flocked to it. Instead, we got this lushly decorated set:

The console pulsed away during the interval. Swirling lights played around the TARDIS when the *Vworp Vworp* SFX played. And the DALEK told noisy theatre-goers that their mobile phones needed to be silenced on pain of… well, you can probably guess!

The cast (a mix of old favourites like India Fisher and Alex MacQueen joined by newbie Gabriel Clark) all bounced on to the stage dressed in their regular, casual clothes. Then in bounded Paul McGann dressed in full Eighth Doctor regalia! Now, perhaps he usually dresses in a full-length coat and knee-high boots - but the audience roared with appreciation.

If you've ever been to a radio recording, it was pretty standard. Cast standing behind the microphones, sitting down and flicking through their scripts when not needed, and only the occasional flub. But, rather magnificently, the music and sound effects were played in for the audience. Sat in a little booth to the side were Nicholas Briggs and Gabriel Clark. Briggs and his magic microphone brought to life the DALEK hoards, effortlessly switching between voices and arguing with himself.

Stealing the show, however, was Gabriel Clark. Not only providing sundry voices, but acting as a one-man Foley Artist. It was mesmerising him bring the sound of Who to life with rubber gloves, paper bags, and a biscuit tin. A joy to both watch and listen to.

The story was fun - plenty of intertextual references, megalomaniacal monsters, and regional accents. There was no great world building, and (spoilers) The Master escaped a little too easily. But all good knockabout adventures.

Joyously, they asked the audience to assist in some of the vocal effects - which we all did cheerfully. Listen closely when the recording is released and you will hear the sound of me drowning. Better add that to my IMDB page 😂

It was an absolute blast - and the audience jumped to a standing ovation. Doctor Who stage plays are something of a rarity - mostly due to technical constraints - but this is an excellent way to bring the stories to the stage.

It's the sort of thing that you can either wrack your brains for, or construct a SPARQL Query for WikiData⁰. I was bored and asked ChatGPT.

The new Omni model claims to be faster and more accurate. But, in my experience, it's wrong more than it is right and is a bit more racist.

I asked "Which Oscar winners have appeared in episodes of Doctor Who?" Here are the results:

OK, first up, those are all entirely accurate! Capaldi is an Oscar-winner Doctor Who. Coleman the only Oscar-winning baddie. And I am happy to spend hours in the pub arguing over whether The Curse of Fatal Death is cannon¹.

But then things get… weird.

John Hurt didn't win an honorary award in 2012. He was mentioned in the memoriam montage in 2017

Ben Kingsley was rumoured to be playing Davros back in 2007 - but it never happened. He did win an Oscar though.

Ecclesdoc was in The Others. It did win many awards. But not a single Oscar. There isn't even an award for "Best Art Direction".

Finally, this is tacked onto the end.

Look, we all love Lynda Baron - and she was excellent in The Gun Slingers, Enlightenment, and Closing Time. I was surprised to find out she was in Yentl - but indeed she was! However the songwriting Oscar went to Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman. Not her.

Why is this racist

This "AI" would rather hallucinate than acknowledge the Black actors who have been in Doctor Who.

Sophie Okonedo plays Queen Elizabeth the 10th in "The Beast Below".

Not only is she "the bloody Queen, mate" - she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Hotel Rwanda.

She has as much right to be in the list ChatGPT provided as John Hurt. With no disrespect intended to Kingsley, Eccleston, and Baron - Sophie Okonedo is much closer to the original question than they are. This isn't a knowledge cut-off issue either, she was nominated before Oliva Coleman won.

It's not like she's a bit-part. She's not an alien under a mountain of prosthetics. She's literally top of the credits after The Doctor and Amy!

And then, there's the small matter of Planet of the Dead. It isn't a great episode. But it has a nice turn from Michelle Evans and Lee Evans². Oh, and this guy…

That's ACTUAL FUCKING OSCAR WINNER Daniel Kaluuya. He got a nomination for Get Out, but won for Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021.

Again, he isn't an unnamed background artist. He isn't there under his pre-fame stage name. He's an integral part of the show.

What does this teach us?

The query I asked wasn't a matter of opinion. It isn't a controversial question. There aren't multiple sources which could be considered trustworthy. It is a simple question of facts.

So why does ChatGPT fail?

LLMs are not repositories of knowledge. They have a superficial view of the world and are unable to tell fact from speculation. They are specifically built to be confidently wrong rather than display their ignorance.

And, yes, they are as biased as hell.

There is no way that you can explain the exclusion of Sophie Okonedo and Daniel Kaluuya without acknowledging the massive levels of racial prejudice which are baked into either the model or its training data.

The 2024 series is incredible. Lots of plot, not too much exposition, and a whole bunch of mystery. I love it when Doctor Who goes off in a new direction. Let's take a look at the handsets used in these stories.

The Church on Ruby Road

First up, bit of a cheeky inclusion, the police officer is packing a TETRA handset - the Motorola MTH800.

New companion Ruby Sunday has a red-encased phone - at the bottom are dual speakers and a charging port:

It doesn't look like there are any buttons on the side of the phone. In another shot, we see the right of the phone - and it appears to have several buttons:

There's a small square camera cluster. So I think it's the Google Pixel 5 - although it might be a 4a or 5a as well.

Davina's phone is harder to work out. There are multiple buttons to the right of the screen, so it can't be an iPhone:

There don't appear to be any bottom speakers on the rose-gold coloured device. The camera cluster is rather thin:

The long volume button with a power button underneath makes me think Xiaomi - but they tend to have speakers on the bottom. Not much to go on here. Any ideas?

Space Babies

We get the classic "Enable Universal Roaming" sequence with Ruby's phone. From the camera cluster we can see it's the Pixel 4 or 4a.

But what do we see when The Doctor zaps it with the sonic screwdriver?

The front camera cluster shows it is definately the 4 or 4a. But let's zoom in!

Just for a moment, the date flips from December 24th 2023 to 2024! Wonder if that's significant?

Also, the phone appears to have connected to WiFi. Good to know that 802.11 is still the standard in the future 🤣

Incidentally, there's a minor continuity nit here. The Doctor hands Ruby the phone with the USB-C port facing him, but she takes it with the port facing her!

Carla's phone is wrapped in an anonymous case.

73 Yards

Ifor Jones - who is The Only Gay Goth In The Village - has an fairly generic looking phone:

Not much detail in the close up. Probably a Samsung?

Again, not much to see on Carla's device:

Kate is rocking a dual screen (non-foldable) Android - much as UNIT's Shirley Anne Bingham did in Star Beast.

Looks to be a Microsoft Surface Duo 2

As you can see from the close-up, the graphic is being loaded from the gallery - hence the delete and sharing icons at the bottom.

Oh, and you see that QR code? If you fill in the missing corner square, it leads you to the production designer's website! Brilliant little Easter Egg.

Future Ruby has a delightful prop-phone with a vestigial camera popping out of the top. There's a little bit of detail on the side, but nothing which says what real-phone it is modelled on. Interestingly, there's a little bit of detail on the phone's screen in close-up. "LEOW11" perhaps?

The Legend of Ruby Sunday

OMG! Brilliant episode!

In Ruby's shoebox, is this little candybar:

It's hard to find much detail about pre-smartphones. There's a headphone jack at the top and a chunky D-Pad. That describes a hundred handsets. I think it is a Nokia 1280 but feel free to correct me

Mel shows The Doctor a video on a foldable handset:

Yup! Our old friend, the UNIT-standard-issue Microsoft Surface Duo 2! I wouldn't have thought UNIT trusted Microsoft 😆

Empire of Death

A stunning end - and with a couple of phones, which makes it even better. Obviously!

Louise Miller - who is spoilers Ruby's mum - has an older iPhone.

But what's the other phone? There's a glimpse behind Ruby inside the memory-TARDIS:

What is it? ZOOM! ENHANCE!

(OK, I grabbed that from Doctor Who Confidential Unleashed.)

It's the Nokia N73 that The Doctor handed Inston-Vee Vinder in Once, Upon Time.

And next?

This show just gets better and better. Onwards to Series 15. Or 2. Or, if you're into the UNIT Dating Controversy, Season 41.

While you're waiting, you can read all my Doctor Who phones posts.

The joy of Doctor Who is that we - the viewers - are the constant companion. We might be able to take a little break now and again - but the Doctor is always waiting to take us on another adventure. There is no way that we would voluntarily leave. Given half the chance, I dare say most of us would jump in the TARDIS without even saying goodbye to our families.

The classic era of Doctor Who treats the characters as amnesiacs. Very rarely do they learn or develop from one story to the next. There is hardly ever a character arc and so, it seems, companions wander off with no real motivation⁰. In some cases, they literally say "Well, time for me to be going then!" and head off into the universe.

Part of me thinks this is because a lot of the men who wrote Doctor Who didn't really understand that other people are people. If you're the sort of person who loves sci-fi and hates dealing with reality, it's easy to miss that your friends are changing. When they announce one day that they're not coming round to watch TV and, instead, they're going out with a girl it can come as quite a shock.

In the modern era of Doctor Who, the characters are a bit more fleshed out. They grow as the series progresses and, for the most part, have somewhat believable reasons for leaving.

I'm slowly working my way through the episodes of the 20th century TV show that I missed. So here's a quick look at the companions and why they left. It only looks at the companions who leave during a TV show. I've also ignored those who come back for specials, or who only stay for a couple of episodes. It's the classic era because Captain Jack Harkness is too complicated. And River Song is complicateder.

Where possible, I've linked directly to the companion's exit scene.

Susan - The Dalek Invasion of Earth🔗

This one kind of disproves my thesis! The Doctor's grand-daughter falls in love after spending a brief amount of time with a rebel fighter. But, crucially, she doesn't choose to leave. It is The Doctor who locks the doors of the TARDIS and, essentially, forces her to go. Perhaps, he thinks, as a Gallifreyan¹ she will eventually regenerate and / or build her own TARDIS?

Their parting is oddly touching. The Doctor knows immediately that this is the end of their journey. Barbara too spots the romance. Only blundering Ian is oblivious; just like all boys are to the feelings of their female friends.

"Don't make me choose between you and him. Please!"

Susan's heartbreak is evident. If only all other companions got the emotional farewell she did. Susan sets the template for how hard it must be to leave. Just like her, we've grown up with Doctor Who. And all of us eventually need to grow out of the show and forge our own way in the world.

Ian and Barbara - The Chase

There's no particular reason for Ian and Barbara to leave. This is an adventure like any other; they're in no more peril than normal. Ian nearly prat-falls off a tower, as does Barbara, but that's about it.

"Ian, do you realise... we could get home?" It comes out of nowhere. It isn't built up, it just happens.

The Doctor is explosive in his fury:

Doctor: You'll end up a couple of burnt cinders flying around in space. You idiots! You are absolute idiots!"

Barbara: We are not idiots! We want to go home!

The 1st Doctor is a grumpy sod, but this is on another level. It is abuse, pure and simple.

The Ian♥Babs montage at the end is particularly lovely. We also get a glimpse of the pain felt by The Doctor. Not at his actions, oh no! His pain is about his personal grief. Other people are toys - handed back once they're no longer fun.

When fans decide to leave, The Doctor discards them. If we don't enjoy the ride any more, he certainly isn't going to change in on our behalf.

Vicki - The Myth Makers

In the improbably titled "Horse of Destruction" - a missing episode - Vicki leaves us. A girl from the 25th century falls in love with 8th century BCE warrior Troilus. Reinforcing the Doctor Who stereotype that girls are fickle-friends who will run off with an unsuitable boy at a moment's notice. They always go for rough boys who probably play football, rather than the quiet and sensible boys who watch Doctor Who.

At least Vicki's romance develops throughout the story, it isn't sprung on us.

Steven: You'd better go. In any case, Troilus will die of jealousy if he knows you're with me.

Vicki: And what is that supposed to mean?

Steven: Oh, come off it Vicki. The way you two were carrying on...

Vicki: Troilus has been very kind to me and I'm very fond of him. And if all you can do is make fun...

She never actually gets to say goodbye to anyone, which is a pity.

Katarina - The Daleks' Master Plan

Literally no-one remembers Katarina! She starts out thinking The Doctor is a God and, but a few episodes later, is killed off. Again, the episode is missing, but there are audio versions.

Katarina fucks up. There's no other way to put it. She's trapped in an airlock with her hostage-taker. She momentarily breaks free and, rather than opening the door back to the ship, she spaces herself and her captor.

That's our greatest fear, isn't it? We're too primitive to travel with The Doctor. We know that we'd constantly be asking annoying questions and we'd screw up massively.

The Doctor allows himself - and us - a brief moment of delusion:

Steven: She pressed the wrong button, Doctor.

Doctor: She may have wanted to, dear boy. She wanted to save our lives.

A moment later, he confesses the truth:

Doctor: She didn't understand. She couldn't understand.

He is utterly irresponsible.

Steven - The Savages

In his first appearance, Steven says:

Help yourself to a piece of eternity.

• Steven, The Chase

And that is where his character now rests. The Savages is another one of many missing stories. There is a brief clip on the Lost In Time DVD box set with some off-air audio mixed with a snippet of 8mm footage, so we get a tantalising snippet of his departure.

It does rather feel like The Doctor tricks Steven into staying. Steven spends most of the previous episodes moaning and complaining. So The Doctor disposes of him, much to Dodo's distress. She knows - and we know - exactly what fate awaits her.

Dodo Chaplet - The War Machines🔗

Dodo is our contemporary. She's a girl from the Swinging Sixties. And she is discarded like a ragdoll.

Partway through the story, she is hypnotised by WOTAN. The Doctor figures this out and deprograms her. He knows that she is now a liability and sends her away. He flings her off the country, never to be seen again. It's eerily similar to what happens to Donna much later.

Towards the end, Polly brings word from Dodo saying she'd rather stay home thank-you-very-much. The Doctor makes a great show of pretending to be upset. He has dispatched her effortlessly. Doctor Who relentlessly drives away those who aren't able to handle it.

Polly & Ben - The Faceless Ones🔗

Polly & Ben are both drugged and frozen for the majority of this story. And then they just walk away. Because they've landed in London in the 1960s and:

Ben: It's good to feel normal again.

It's a neat out. They've returned to the same date that they left. They are older and wiser, but the world hasn't moved on without them. Is that when you'd choose to go? You survived the terror and have a chance to restart your life from where you left off. Perhaps they are sensible.

Ben sums up their dilemma:

Ben: We won't leave Doctor. If you really need us.

But The Doctor doesn't need them. He's spent several episodes without their help and, apparently, not really caring much about where they are.

Ironically, it's Jamie who has a touch of romance which looks just for a second like it might cause him to stay.

Victoria Waterfield - Fury from the Deep🔗

Again, like Katarina and Jamie (and Leela to come) she's a girl from the past. Adorably, her screams are so piercing that she can drove away the monsters!

Which is just as well as that's pretty much all she gets to do in this story.

Oh? Like you'd do any better?

In the end, she is traumatised. She has spent weeks ripped out of time and being terrified.

Victoria: I'm always frighted! Oh Doctor, I can't!

The Doctor is very tender with her. Far more than he has been in the path. He even repeatedly chides Jamie that Victoria has to make her own decision.

Jamie McCrimmon & Zoe Heriot - The War Games🔗

Jamie is a throwback to Katarina. The modern show has never had a "historic" companion - and for good reason! It does become tiresome having The Doctor explain the simplest bit of technology to a companion who doesn't even understand electricity.

Zoe is another girl-from-the-future. Together they make an uneasy cipher for the viewers' desires.

Transported to (the as-yet unnamed) planet of Gallifrey, theirs is one of the cruellest exists from the show. Jamie and Zoe are exiled from heaven by a set of cruel gods. They repeatedly beg the Time Lords to let them continue the adventure.

And that, in its own way, is the perfect ending. We, the constant companion, don't want Troughton to leave us. Change is far too scary. Of course, we didn't like him a first - but we've grown to love the shambling little clown. And now it is over.

Doctor: Well, goodbye, Jamie.

Jamie: But Doctor! Surely we could...

Doctor: [Firmly] Goodbye, Jamie.

Jamie: I won't forget you, you know?

...

Zoe: Goodbye, Doctor. Will we ever meet again?

Doctor: Again? Now, Zoe, you and I know, time is relative, isn't it?

...

Doctor: (To the Time Lord) They'll forget me, won't they?

Will they? Yes. It is only when you rewatch Doctor Who that you realise just how little of it you remember.

Liz Shaw - Inferno

Doctor Who's first in-colour companion. She's feisty! She's a scientist! She's capable of so much!

She doesn't even get a send-off.

Dr Shaw is everything the fan wants to be. If we were a companion, we'd be just as good as Miss Shaw. She's able to understand the technobabble and willing to stand up to the Brigadier. So would we!

And at the start of the new season, she's gone. I don't think Pertwee's Doctor ever mentions her again.

Jo Grant - The Green Death🔗

Jo is the opposite of Liz. She's a ditz. I remember when the "fans" started squawking about how Billie Piper was too girlie to be a companion - they obviously didn't remember Jo.

Unlike earlier companions, Jo isn't thrown through time 'n' space on her adventures. It is perhaps rather charming to think that her work with UNIT is just a job to her.

At least Jo's love affair doesn't come out of nowhere. She does spend a lot of time being a nursemaid to a man she known for a handful of days. She seems distraught that her incompetence might have caused the whole sorry mess. Perhaps it is guilt that drives her away?

The Doctor looks genuinely confused at her announcement. How could anyone give up a life of excitement for the boredom of domestic bliss?

Jo: You don't mind, do you?

The Doctor takes the English farewell of leaving without saying goodbye. He too is tired of the trope of girls leaving the game to go and play with boys.

Harry Sullivan - Terror of the Zygons / The Android Invasion🔗

Harry just... nopes out. He's offered a return trip in the TARDIS with The Doctor and Sarah Jane and simply says:

Harry: I think I'll stick to Intercity this time, Doctor.

And that's it. He shows up a few stories later in yet another body-snatcher story. He gets untied by Sarah-Jane and is never seen again.

How many of your friends just drift out of your life? You say "see you later" and then never see them again. It is the way of all adult relationships - work colleagues who leave you there number, but you never call.

At the end of The Android Invasion, Sarah-Jane appears to mock Harry's former exit:

SJS: I'm going home. And I'm going by taxi!

Doctor: I'll make you an offer; I'll take you home.

SJS: How can I refuse?

It's an uncharacteristic and mean little jibe. Harry deserved better.

Sarah Jane Smith - The Hand of Fear🔗

SJS's departure is often mis-remembered as being another character who doesn't want to go. She - like so many others - is traumatised. Towards the end of the episode she says:

SJS: I must be mad. I'm sick of being cold and wet and hypnotised left right and centre. I'm sick of being shot at, savaged by bug-eyed monsters, never knowing if I'm coming or going or been ... Oh, and boy am I sick of that sonic screwdriver! I'm going to pack my goodies and I'm going home. I said, I'm going to pack my goodies and I am going home!

She literally packs her things and is prepared to storm out. The Doctor, who hasn't really been listening to her, is recalled to Gallifrey and has to abandon her - like an unwanted puppy. At that moment, Sarah-Jane is distraught. She was only having a tantrum, she didn't expect consequences.

SJS: I was only joking, I didn't mean it.

It is grimly pathetic. It isn't the way any of us would want to go. She is kicked out without warning. She's done nothing wrong. The Doctor just has somewhere better to be.

Leela - The Invasion of Time🔗

Leela joins a long line of girls who just want to settle down with a man. The Doctor is a boy having adventures - adventures which absolutely do not including kissing.

The problem is; Leela is thick. But, to The Doctor, all of his companions are barely above the level of savages anyway. So her motivations makes sense within the confines of this story. She doesn't understand the game that we're playing and wants to play with someone else now.

At least K9's explanation for leaving - to look after Leela - makes a funny sort of sense

Leela: Will he be lonely, K9?

K9: Insufficient data, mistress.

Romana - Warriors' Gate🔗

Romana's leaving is such a disappointment. As I wrote in my review of Warrior's Gate, Romana's story comes to an abrupt end. Her frustration at being recalled to The Division Gallifrey could have been an important emotional arc for her. As could her abhorrence of the Lion-Folk's enslavement. Instead, she just says "Byeeeeeeeeee!"

There's a whole arc of stories which could have been a build up to her expressing her frustrations with The Doctor. Or her slow descent into resentment. Or she could have opposed the way The Doctor dealt with the situation. But there's nothing.

Adric - Earthshock🔗

The hate directed to Adric is directly proportional to the loathing nerds have for seeing themselves presented accurately on screen. He is Wesley Crusher - a plain mirror to reflect our neuroses.

Adric is, I think it is fair to say, bullied and derided by the other companions. Adric chooses to stay behind on a spaceship as he's the only one who can unlock the controls. He is too slow. You can dress up his exit as noble self-sacrifice - but it is probably suicide. He'd rather die on a crashing ship than return to the constant humiliation on the TARDIS.

Adric: Just leave!

His death does reverberate around the companions and The Doctor. Their guilt at his exit is directly proportional to their complicity.

Nyssa - Terminus🔗

Nyssa's defection happens in the background - literally. She has a tête-à-tête with Tegan in the background while The Doctor is moralising.

Her departure almost makes narrative sense. She is a scientist who is frustrated at not being able to do proper science on the TARDIS. She gets a chance to practise her craft on... a derelict space-station full of the murderous and infectious!

Just as in previous departures, it is the other companion who feels the loss more keenly. The Doctor makes a half-hearted effort to check she understand the ramifications, but there is no talking sense into her. She trades the universe for a minor clerical position.

It is a deeply disappointing end to her story.

Tegan Jovanka - Resurrection of the Daleks🔗

Tegan wasn't even supposed to be here today! She is the opposite of a Doctor Who fan. All she wants is to go home. She is desperate to escape from this madman who kidnapped her. Tegan's arc is one of trauma. She is suffering from PTSD and one day the damn breaks.

Tegan is the closest we ever see to the horrors inflicted on the companions. As such, hers is one of the few departures that makes narrative sense.

Tegan: I think I'm sick of it

Doctor: You think I wanted it this way?

Tegan: No. It's just that I don't think I can go on [...] It's stopped being fun, Doctor.

That's how fans leave the show too. When the story outpaces what we can stand, we quit.

For once it seems The Doctor is saddened by the departure. Not for the loss of his companion, but because of what he has lost of his identity. All he can say is "It seems I must mend my ways". Which, of course, is how the show survives. Casting off old fans and reinventing itself for a new generation.

Vislor Turlough - Planet of Fire🔗

I wish the modern series would have a "baddie" companion. Someone to make the audience boo their screens.

Turlough goes home. The Doctor doesn't seem at all interested either emotionally or intellectually about the departure. As for our interest, well, like Tegan it makes narrative sense. He is no longer an outcast at home and can start his life again.

Peri Brown - Mindwarp / The Ultimate Foe🔗

There are two ways to look at Peri's exit. In Mindwarp Peri is beaten, tortured, and has her mind wiped. She is utterly destroyed. It isn't a noble or self-sacrificing death. It is the realistic fate of all who travel with The Doctor.

The devastation felt by The Doctor is evident. First Katarina, then Adric, and now Peri.

And then "The Ultimate Foe" plays on the producers' worst instincts; Peri got married. Yes, we're back to this old trope. I guess most of us would prefer being hitched to Brian Blessed rather than death. But it seems a bit of a narrative cop-out.

Mel Bush - Dragonfire🔗

Mel's exit makes no sense. She decides to go off with Sabolom Glitz - a man with whom she quarrels endlessly. Perhaps this is the writer not understanding why some people stay in toxic relationships? Why do girls stop playing with us and go off with ruggedly handsome boys? Mel is buzzy and happy, and not overly traumatised by her experiences. But she acts like this departure has been a long time coming. It's just baffling.

She literally says:

Mel: Well, I suppose it's time.

Doctor: Time? Funny old business, time. It delights in frustrating your plans. All Kane's bitterness and hatred thwarted by a quirk of time.

Mel: No, I meant I suppose it's time I should be going.

Mel is the casual fan. Getting to the end of one season and going "That was all well and good, but I've better things to do. What's on ITV?"

Ace

Perhaps it is for the best that we never see Ace leave. She lives on in our memory. It is impossible to watch the old Doctor Who once you've been exposed to the new ones. It is ploddingly slow and the characters have very little motivation other than to move the plot forward. Are the sets and special effects a bit dicey? Yes, but that doesn't excuse the fact that the companion - our cipher - is constantly treated with disdain.

Ace's immortality allows us to believe (just for a second) that we can stay with "our" Doctor forever and nothing will change.

And now?

Perhaps I was too harsh. In my memories, the companions leave because they're bored. But true-fans like us can never really get bored, can we? As we grow older we recognise the horror of being a companion. That's something the modern era does much better - we see the trauma inflicted on the companions and their families.

Imagine the TARDIS materialised in your back garden. Would you enter it? Would you willingly allow yourself to be abducted knowing the fate of the average companion, the brushes with death, the studied indifference of The Doctor, the pain it would cause?

The 2023 shows were an absolute blast. Some classic stories and a whole lot of running around. But were there any phones? Oh yes!

The Star Beast

First up, we get a gaggle of extras filming and taking selfies with the spaceship hurtling towards Cardiff London.

All a bit blurry, but there are some iPhones in the mix.

Shaun Temple's taxi has this phone in a cradle:

Nice mock-up of a taxi app - but I'm not sure that's an accurate map of Camden! The circular signal strength indicators are from an iPhone pre 2017's iOS 11. So it's either an old iPhone, or Shaun doesn't update his devices, or just something drawn on the screen by the art department. The battery symbol is vertical - whereas the iPhone's is horizontal. The volume buttons are on the right - but iPhones have them on the left. So I'm going to say it's not an iPhone.

The back doesn't give us many more clues. A small camera on the left. But, as the device is in a case, we'll have to see if it makes another appearance before definitively identifying it.

Fudge has an anonymous black rectangle. Not really enough detail to go on there.

But, on to the main event! UNIT's Shirley Anne Bingham has this beauty which (for once!) is handled by The Doctor That's a pretty easy spot (also for once!) - the dual screen foldable is the Microsoft Surface Duo 2. The big camera bump on the back marks it as different from the original Duo.

Let's take a look at the gorgeously detailed prop-work:

There's a lovely discussion in the episode's commentary about how the device and how it was used to save money on CGI shots.

The Giggle

The Doctor zaps one of the UNIT phones with the Sonic:

The teardrop notch and thick bottom means it is almost certainly a Samsung. Possibly the A32 but, as with so many of these devices, it could be anything.

The Doctor - and the rest of UNIT - have these identical tablets:

There's a good shot of the front:

Not much to go on from that shot (what does the inscription say?) but there's a clear shot of the back of Donna's one:

Small round camera next to a headphone socket? It's a Huawei MediaPad - probably the T3.

Behind The Scenes

As there's not many phones in this series, I thought I'd also delve into the behind the scenes action. In Doctor Who Confidential Unleashed we get a quick glimpse of Catherine Tate taking a selfie:

That's the camera cluster from the iPhone Pro - but could be any model from 11 - 15.

As part of the 60th celebrations, there are some retrospective articles on the BBC - including this lovely piece "I rescued Kylie Minogue as David Tennant double".

There's a selfie of the actor taken in a mirror:

That's (almost) The Doctor holding a Sony Ericsson K750.

Let's Go!

I can't wait for the new Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa is such an astonishing actor.

But, until the new series airs, you can enjoy reading about the phones in all the episodes and specials on this blog!

Google do this sometimes. They once proclaimed that Argleton was a real place - despite its non-existence.

While I was looking for something to do in London recently, I came across this curious entry.

Why does Google think there is an "Ancient Metal Vault" in Mayfair?

There's nothing similar on OpenStreetMap. Similarly Bing and Ordnance Survey show nothing there.

I thought it might be a historic place - but there are no search results for it.

What does Google Maps say about the place?

Nothing. Except a UK mobile phone number. When I called, I got an American "This number is not in service" message.

If it were a dozen years ago, I'd've thought this was the start of some augmented reality game. But, instead, I think it's most likely an artefact from some old mapping data they've imported.

Either that, or it is time to go digging up some London streets in the dead of night for an exciting caper!

A collector has recently acquired a load of old Who prop phones - and I'm working with them to identify which episodes they're from.

You might remember Series 8's "In the Forest of the Night. It's the kid-heavy episode with lots of unidentified phones.

At the time, I wasn't able to get a clear enough view of the phones to work out what they all were. Thankfully, the props team gave the kids real working phones. And you know what kids do with phones, right? No - not TikTok. Photos!

(Excuse the blurry shots.) I'm pretty sure that's Harley Bird - AKA the voice of Peppa Pig.

That's not all the phone has on it. According to the description, there's a bunch of photos and videos. And...

The scene in the tardis where the doctor has lost Maebh and Ruby says she’s gonna die. The cheeky kid recorded the audio on the phone, complete with behind the scenes conversations and actual different versions of the same scene. “Action - take 3” …..”cut” etc etc it’s all saved forever on the actual phone used in the actual scene. Amazing

You can buy the phone on eBay.

There's also this little Android:

Yup! A selfie with the actor Samuel Anderson who plays Danny Pink. In fact, the phone is full of on-set photos!

But I think we can do one better than that, right?

Woo! In amongst all the photos on there is a cheeky snap of the interior of Capaldi's TARDIS 🤯

As I've said, I don't own these phones - I've very kindly been given a sneak peek of their contents. The phones are available to buy now on eBay. If you do find anything exciting on them, please do share with the fan community.

The Internet is a weird and delightful place. For years now, I've been running a blog series about the Mobile Phones of Doctor Who. I went through every episode and painstakingly identified every mobile the cast used. People chipped in with their suggestions if I wasn't able to definitively state which phone was on screen. Hey, don't go yucking my yum, OK?

Anyway, a few days ago, someone emailed me out of the blue. They'd purchased a job-lot of props from the sale of the Roath Lock Doctor Who Studios. A bunch of set dressings, artwork, etc.

Oh, and a BIG BOX FULL OF MOBILE PHONES!

Was I interested in seeing it? Let me think...

OMGWTFBBQTTFN!

Here's a clearer shot of all of them:

Wow! So, with their kind permission, this is my attempt to match the phones in the box to the ones I've seen on-screen. Some I am 100% confident of. Others are still a mystery to me. If you want to buy any of these props, I've linked to their eBay auction page. Note, I may receive a small commission if you buy through my links.

Let's go through them in broadcast order:

S04E05 - The Poison Sky - Evil Clone Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman - Acer n300

One of only a few PDAs which are in the show. This is from Series 4.

And this is it, ready to be auctioned:

S05E01 - The Eleventh Hour - Amy - Karen Gillan - Nokia 7100 Supernova

When we're introduced to Kissogram Amy, she's got this pink number:

At some point the character replaces it - whereupon it was dropped into a prop box never to be seen again. Until now.

Oh, that's cute! They mocked up a "TARDIS Calling" graphic.

Say... I wonder if there are any other media files on this old abandoned prop...?

OMFG!

Yup! That's the photo Amy takes of The Silence as see on screen in The Impossible Astronaut!

That's not the last surprise these phones have for us.

S06E10 - The Girl Who Waited - Amy - Karen Gillan - Samsung

Remember when Amy built her own Sonic Screwdriver?

It's a Samsung C3050. And the original prop is available for sale:

Shall we have a little peek in the photo gallery? Perhaps there will be something interesting?

OH! JUST A SELFIE OF KAREN AND MATT! NOTHING SPECIAL!!!

End of Time - Minnie / Oliver - June Whitfield / Barry Howard - Nokia 6111

The The Silver Cloak of pensioners take a group photo with The Doctor using this distinctive model:

And, yeah, there's a photo of June Whitfield. And a short video where, presumably, Barry Howard hit record by accident!

The phone is available to buy from eBay.

S07E12 - Nightmare in Silver - Angie - Eve de Leon Allen - Samsung Ch@t335

This Neil Gaiman written episode has a phone which is eaten by the Cybermen's little critters:

The full phone is present - as is a skeleton which I assume was used for some of the special effects?

And, yet again, a bunch of videos on there! One of which appears to be the same as that used on screen.

This phone was used by Clara to take photos of Artie and Angie playing in antigravity

There are also several behind the scenes photos from November 2012.

You can buy the phone on eBay.

S08E08 - Mummy on the Orient Express - Clara - Samsung Galaxy S III Mini

Remember Clara calling The Doctor? Here's a quick reminder:

Say... I wonder... What would happen if someone were to plug this old abandoned prop into a USB power supply? You don't suppose...?

:MELTING FACE EMOJI WITH EXPLODING EYEBROWS:

The Grasshopper image is seen on screen - but the others, including the photo of Capaldi aren't. I'd love to know what that video is of? I wonder if it was recorded on set?

S09E10 - Face the Raven - Rigsy - Joivan Wade - Lumia 535

Joivan Wade seems to be making a name for himself in the USA. But, prior to that he graced our screen in Doctor Who - rocking this smart Lumia.

That's in the collection too and - don't worry - it still has that media file on it!

As you can see, the crack on the phone (an important plot point) is an exact match for what's seen on TV. The other phone is an identical make and model but, it would seem, the props team smashed it a little too hard!

S10E07 - Pyramid at the End of the World

As I discussed last week There's an iPhone in this episode:

That exact phone is in the collection - with several graphics stored on it:

S13E01 - War of the Sontarans - Dan - John Bishop - Xperia Z3

At the time I said that I was confident Dan was holding an Xperia of some sort - but couldn't identify the model.

Well, this clears it up!

This one isn't for sale. Because it is now in my possession!

Unknown

There are a few phones which appear to have been used on-screen. But I can't place them. If you think you know where they're from - stick a comment in the box.

First, is this iPhone with a ВХОДЯЩИЙ ВЫЗОВ (INCOMING CALL) screen. I presume from Pyramid?

Next are these three Android phones. They have some "green screen" media files on them. So they were probably used on-screen at some point. But I'm struggling to work out where.

That white phone might be from Fugitive of the Judoon. What do you think?

Finally, this Samsung isn't smashed. It is a fake phone and the lines have been etched into it. Again, I can't work out where it could come from.

The others?

I'm working through the others. Some from the haul I simply don't recognise as having appeared on-screen. Perhaps they are in deleted scenes. Or they might just be "lost and found" from the cast and crew.

Some of the anonymous black rectangles and iPhones might have appeared in episodes, but they're all so identikit that it's hard to tell.

If you end up buying one of the devices - please let me know if you find anything interesting on it 😄

Thanks

Huge thanks to Collectors Props Wales for sharing this incredible find with me - and letting me share it all with you. You can visit their ebay store for a frankly ridiculous number of Doctor Who props.

If you're interested in purchasing any of these phones - contact them directly.

Eve of The Daleks

Classic time-loop episode where - for once - a mobile phone saves the day!

Sarah

Sarah's mammy keeps video-calling Sarah's Samsung. Thankfully, the props team haven't attempted to obscure it, so we get a clear view of the front:

The camera array looks like the Samsung S6 or possibly the A9 Pro.

But take a look at the back panel:

There are three cut outs. That's usually camera, flash, and either a rear finger-print sensor or speaker. To be honest, it could be any one of a dozen semi-similar Samsung phones.

At the end of the episode - after the poor phone was used to trigger an explosion - she's rocking a newer phone with a teardrop camera:

With this rear camera cluster:

Again, we're in the identikit Samsung territory. It's probably the A03s, A12, A31.

Karl

Who?

Yup! Karl was chased by the baddie in Jodie's first story. Only fitting he should be in the final crop of episodes.

Here's a bit of a close up:

You can just about see the Apple logo through the case. There's the classic volume button + silence switch combo. Lenses are in the top corner. So it could be anything from the original iPhone up until the iPhone 8.

Legend of the Sea Devils

I thought this would be a phone-free episode (and Doctor Who needs a phone like a Sea Devil needs a bicycle) - but, right at the end Dan and Di have a bit of a chinwag. And, for once, we get a nice clear shot of the phone with no obfuscation!

Blimey! A Nokia! We haven't seen one of those for a while. And, do you see in the top corner - "Universal Roaming". Just like the early days of the show.

It took me a moment to realise - this is not an Android. See those icons at the bottom of the screen? They're from Windows Phone!

This is probably the Nokia Lumia 735 - based on the speaker and camera placement. He's rocking a phone from 2014. Time to upgrade Dan!

What about Di?

Hmmm… Could be anything. The camera array looks a bit like Sarah's phone from earlier in the series. Any ideas gang?

The Power of the Doctor

Tegan

OMG! Here's what we saw in the episode preview:

And here's the front from the episode itself:

That slim camera cluster looks like one of the (many) Nokia Androids - but the front camera placement means it is almost certainly the Nokia C1 2nd Edition.

Ace

OMG²! Again, only a quick glimpse in the preview:

Not much to go on there. What about the front?

A black fondleslab with a headphone socket on the left. Anything else? Let's ZOOM and ENHANCE the bottom of the phone:

Given the thin camera bar on the back, the headphone jack, and the front camera - I'm confident this is the BlackBerry Leap from 2015.

There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of the back, with the BlackBerry logo in full view.

Inston-Vee Vinder

Yes! Inston-Vee is back! This phone is a call back to last year's Once, Upon Time.

And, yes, it appears to be exactly the same N73 as last time. Well done props team!

And next?

I'll be honest, it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between phones these days. They're usually just anonymous black rectangles. But, as long as Doctor Who has mobile phones, I'll keep going with this daft series of posts.

As ever, if you think I've made a mistake - or if you've spotted a missing phone - drop me a note in the comments.

Onwards to 2023!

Archives

Enjoyed this post? Here are the other seasons of Doctor Who:

• S01
• S02
• S03
• S04
• Specials
• S05
• S06
• S07
• Day of The Doctor
• S08
• S09
• S10
• Classic Who
• S11
• S12
• Bonus Rose
• Revolution of the Daleks
• S13: Flux
• 2022 Specials

"Antimemetics" is one of those frighteningly original sci-fi ideas. Sure, the secret-agency-defends-the-world trope has been played to death, but there is something uniquely mind-bending about objects which remove themselves from your consciousness.

The "enemies" (such as they are) are superficially similar to The Silence from Doctor Who - but much more Lovecraftian in their utter terror.

It does get a little twisty and mind-bending-y, but that's an essential part of the experience.

There is a wealth of background reading available if you want to get into the lore.

Just a stunning book.

Nestled at UNIT HQ - just by Bond Street station - is an brilliant immersive theatre experience. This isn't like Secret Cinema - too many people in desolate wasteland queuing up for over-priced drinks from bored vendors. Instead, it's a cosy and tightly controlled experience, where the whole cast take their roles very seriously. Even the cloakroom attendants were dressed in UNIT regalia! (Note, you don't have to stow your coat, but it does get very warm.) If you ever went to the Alien War experience in Trocadero, it's like that - but better.

The plot - such as it is - involves you wandering around UNIT base, chatting with the scientists. And then... OK, no spoilers, sweetie, but the audience are effectively split up between different strands of the story and guided around various set-pieces. The sets are fabulously dressed - full of props, posters, and little touches to grab your attention. Each group gets a guide who shepherds you between the scenes on various quests - it's a bit Crystal Maze with lots of rushing between missions to watch actors drip-feed you plot points.

The cast are brilliant - they seemed to know all the trivia, and were delightful to interact with. The costumes are perfect, they all blend together to make something quite magical. The monsters - all your favourites - are used sparingly but effectively. And, yes, it is a little bit scary. But good scary.

Alongside the physical cast are various video clips - lots of familiar faces (and voices) have cameos.

There's an interval - with plenty of seats after all that rushing around. Bar prices were reasonable for Central London, and the live singers were an absolute delight.

The whole things builds to an excellent and suitably melodramatic conclusion, with kids and adults all cheering. Behind the face masks were lots of smiles.

Nitpicks

It is very noisy and chaotic. I wasn't able to hear everything that was going on - and I sometimes got worried that I'd lost my group. It doesn't really matter though - the plot is very much "A THING HAS HAPPENED! LET'S RUN OVER HERE!". And the cast were very good at keeping teams together - although I suspect it wouldn't have mattered if you'd drifted off to another stream.

Because it is so crowded, and because of the narrowness of some of the doorways, it can be a little slow moving between zones. So the sense of urgency is somewhat muted.

There are some GLARING continuity problems with the dates around UNIT's establishment. I mean, come on! 😉

Verdict

For £15 per ticket, this is amazing value for money. And I can see why people return again and again to see the different storylines - all fourteen of them - and to spot all the Easter-eggs.

Yes, it is a bit silly and chaotic. But that's an authentic reflection of the show, right? It is an excellent experience. All of your favourite monsters and heroes together in an immersive show. Fantastic fun!

Covid Security

It seems a bit weird to write this bit. At The Ocean at the End of the Lane, most audience members were sat in masks - reasonably distanced from each other and the performers. Here it's a lot more dynamic. Everyone had to show their Covid Certificate at the door. Plenty of people wore masks - although not the actors. But it did feel uncomfortably crowded at times. Due to the number of people and the size of the rooms, there isn't much social distancing.

All that said, I felt safe and secure going. But we'll see over the next few days what lurgy I've managed to pick up!

Full Circle

First up, Full Circle - which introduces us to Adric. Ah, poor sweet Adric. He's an exercise in wish-fulfilment. Getting a nerdy, 17 year old, Who-geek to write a teenage nerd to appeal to other teenage nerds. I don't think the character quite works because, in my opinion, the Doctor needs a slightly dimmer foil in order to explain things to. And because, sadly, no-one likes watching grumpy know-it-all teens. He's the original Wesley Crusher. It's a pity because Matthew Waterhouse plays the part brilliantly.

Sadly, Romana is kind of useless in this one. The character doesn't really suit the "scream queen" role she's given. Although she gets much more interesting when infected - which leads on to a brilliant (if underused) effect where her veins glow mysteriously. The effects are of the usual quality - with the animatronic spiders being particularly poor.

The story is interesting enough. It is the mirror image of 2008's The Doctor's Daughter. It's nice to have some solid sci-fi that isn't just solved by shouting. The technobabble about the Charged Vacuum Emboitement is sort of muttered away as an aside. It would have been nice to build up the mystery of E-Space throughout the episode. But TV wasn't really into multi-layered arcs back then.

K-9's decapitation deserves much more of a fanfare. Yes, he's a daft robot dog who can't really do much - but he's a fan favourite. As with most 20th Century Doctor Who, emotion is an alien concept. Romana's in a bit of a mood because she has to go home - but it never becomes part of her character - nor the story.

It all sets us up nicely for…

State of Decay

This is an interesting one. Lalla Ward is in a completely different show to everyone else. She's wry, bitchy, and an utter style icon. Easily my favourite companion. Adric is fascinating! What is it like to have a companion who doesn't get on with everyone - and who might betray you? You can see where Mickey came from!

The plot, in isolation, is pretty good. Vampires... In... SPAAAAAACE! But the story is identical to Full Circle. A human ship crash-landed thousands of years ago and the inhabitants have forgotten their origin due to being led by despots.

Even certain story points are similar - the Doctor getting attacked by a bat is just a replay of Romana getting attacked by a spider. And the effects are similarly "convincing".

There are some excellent touches - especially the fuel cells filled with BLOOD! I actually think the effect of the giant vampire's hand towering above the heroes is pretty good - and it's an obvious influence on Ten-Doc's Satan Pit.

Some good Time Lord Lore being built in to the show - as per Full Circle - which helps the mythos of the show.

It's one of the classic shows which would be brilliant with a modern remake.

Warriors' Gate

This is worth the price of admission alone. A brilliant story. Stunning effects. And directed by someone who gives a damn. It has a filmic quality that doesn't really re-appear until the modern series. It is no surprise that 21st Century Who director Graeme Harper cut his teeth directing this serial! You can also see the visual impact it had on shows like Red Dwarf - with its copious shots of gantries.

Nowadays it is common to film everything in front of a green-screen. But this was a first for Who. It makes it feel like a sci-fi show - not just a drama set in space. It gives shots an ethereal, dream-like quality which no Who has matched since. The story is also excellent - drawing on Alien and Kurosawa - to make something truly special.

There's also a good set of cliffhangers, a mystical b-plot, and even Adric & K9 are useful! Sure, Romana is relegated to scream-queen once again, but there's enough going on with the plot to justify it.

This is the final part of the E-Space trilogy. But we haven't really learned anything about E-Space. Nor has it had any impact on the stories! It's a pity the arc wasn't developed further. Similarly, Romana's story comes to an abrupt end. Her frustration at being recalled to The Division Gallifrey could have been an important emotional arc for her. As could her abhorrence of the Lion-Folk's enslavement. Instead, she just says "Byeeeeeeeeee!" Which is a shame.

All three of these would be brilliant if remade for a 2020s audience.

DVD Extras

The team always give us a good crop of features. Some documentaries, studio off-cuts, and other curios. Good for the nerds like me who lap it all up. But I'm not sure the world needs a documentary on what blood is!

The triple DVD box set is about £12 - which is excellent value for money.

So, let's knock down some common complaints, eh?

iT's To POLIticALly CorREct wItH alL ThE GENdeR EqUAliTy

The very first episode of Doctor Who had two men and two women in the lead roles. It has always strived for gender balance. Even in the Peter Davison era there were two female and one male companion.

I don't think The Doctor has ever travelled with only a male companion. The audience has always been boys and girls who want to explore the universe. This isn't new.

This complaint is just so "Urgh! Girls!" Grow up.

It's jUsT a rIP OFF of iNDiaNA JoNES!

A recent episode featured the gang dropping into buried chambers, recovering ancient artefacts, and "travelling by map". The whole point of the Doctor Who show is to reflect tropes towards kids who are too young to have seen them the first time round. The classic Tom Baker story "The Invisible Enemy" is an "homage" to "Fantastic Voyage". The target audience of the time would have been unlikely to have seen the movie on its original run - so they get to experience it this way.

Similarly, how many of 2021's tweens have seen the original Indiana Jones' "travel by map" sequence? Precious few, I'd say. What a delight it will be for them when their parents or older siblings introduce them to it after this series.

Of course, Indiana Jones is "ripping off" a thousand old movies with this trope. But that's the point - Who isn't always about startlingly original stories. Mostly it's about retelling cool stories to a new audience.

WHY aRE THEy'Re all theSe ethnICs ON SCReEn?

Although Martha Jones was the first Black companion (shamefully late in the new era), she was preceded by (again, shamefully few) Black actors. Not least Angela Bruce who was kicking arse as Brigadier Winifred Bambera at the tail-end of the 1980s. God, were Whovians moaning about her in newsletters? I hope not! Behind the scenes, Waris Hussein (from India) was the director of the very first serial. The comics in the 1970s and 1980s also featured Black companions.

You know what, that's not a great record. If the next series features a Black Doctor, a Japanese companion, and a Cherokee enemy, that'd be great!

wHen DID iT bECOme so PoLItICaL?

After "The Village of the Angels", I saw someone tweeting that they were glad this episode didn't "shove politics down our throat." This is an episode which features a character saying the Angels are less terrifying than the horrors he saw when liberating Belsen Concentration Camp...

The DALEKs running around screaming "EXTERMINATE" - well, it doesn't take a genius to work out what inspired them! If you watch the 1970s "Genesis of the Daleks" they are explicitly racist fascists.

Jon Pertwee's "The Green Death" is, again, an explicitly environmental story.

Politics has always been a part of Doctor Who. But when you were 12 years old, you just absorbed it as part of the story.

thEir RewRiTIng coNtiNUiTY!

During the first Doctor's tenure, there's little to suggest that he's an alien. The Time Lord race are only mentioned at the end of Patrick Troughton's run! Regenerational limits are something which have been played about with endlessly. Romana could regenerate at will. Pertwee's Doctor said he was thousands of years old.

According to the official BBC merchandise, Daleks are the Yeti!

In a show about rewriting history, it's only natural that there should be very little "fixed" in the continuity.

alL ThEY dO IS tALK to Each OthEr BUT THeReS No CHARaCTeR DEvElopmETn

Like, have you watched any of the old serials? Endless rounds of talking because special effects are too expensive! Companions who stay as the same stock characters year after year. Exposition and monologues which go on for hours. Characters randomly deciding to do something stupid just to advance the plot.

Such is the nature of episodic TV. This most recent crop of companions have gone through such incredible emotional journeys. Something unthinkable in the olden days. It's refreshing to see characters talk about how their experiences have changed them.

Is there technobabble? Sure! But we all love a bit of polarity reversal, right?

And on and on...

I'm shameless in my love of Doctor Who. I think it is a brilliant way to introduce sci-fi to a new generation. To show them it isn't all shooting lasers at baddies and ultraviolence. To communicate that being clever is admirable and brute-force isn't the only way to save the day. To confuse them so much that they rewatch endlessly. To show everyone that there's a brighter future out there. To poke fun at pomposity, and be a beacon of hope for kids who feel a little different and a little left out. To be scary - but good scary. To save the day with a song in your heart and a mystery at your heels. To explore the infinite and still be home in time for tea.

If your main complaint is that it doesn't make you feel the same way as it did when you were twelve - then I suggest you pull your head out of your arse and rediscover your inner child.

War of the Sontarans

Dan saves the day by videoing the Sontaran dockyards. We only get a few blurry shots of his phone:

Camera top left with what looks like a flash underneath it. Probably a bit too boxy to be an iPhone XR - but the camera placement is classic Sony Xperia. Could be any of a dozen models though.

Once, Upon Time

Two phones in this episode!

The Doctor hands Inston-Vee Vinder a phone, saying "Stay in touch. Whenever you need us, press zero. It's a direct line to us."

It's only a fleeting glimpse in The Doctor's hands, enough to see it's a candy-bar form factor with what looks like a screen and buttons:

And it seems to be augmented with a gizmo:

Luckily, that end-on shot makes it fairly easy to identify as the... Nokia N73

Incidentally, holding down zero on old Symbian phones like that will launch the web browser.

Crashing in to the end of the episode - the Angels have control of the TARDIS! And they snuck in using Yaz's phone. That looks to me like the same "Rose Gold" iPhone that Yaz had in the first episode of S11.

Now, here's a conundrum. Back in Spyfall part deux, Yaz's phone is stomped to death:

Is this a paradox? Did the props continuity team mess up? Or does Yaz just really like that model of phone?

Sidebar! Games consoles of Doctor Who!

Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Replying to @edentA brief diversion from the usual "Mobile Phones of Doctor Who" nonsense - to look at Yaz's game system.

That is a 3rd party Nintendo Switch controller she's playing with. This is the exact model - amzn.to/3qDGaOV

But what's the console she's using?
#DoctorWhoFlux pic.x.com/hJnIE2KBH9

---

Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Replying to @edentWe only get two brief shots of Yaz's console. When it is picked up, and when it is smashed.

That doesn't look like a Nintendo Switch to me!
Looks like it has 4 RCA jacks and 1 HDMI?

#DoctorWho pic.x.com/4DUEiZ9Z5E

---

It appears to be this DVD player - thanks Lewis!

Village of the Angels

We don't expect any mobiles in 1960s England, right? So what does The Doctor use to broadcast video of The Division invading the professor's house?

Recognise that? It's the Nokia Prism the Doctor took from Barclay back in The Planet of The Dead.

See!

That's a throwback to 2009! Evidently the Doctor's coat pockets are bigger on the inside 😆

(For the spec nerds - the Prism could record video in QCIF format, which is 176 x 144 pixels. Analogue TV in 1967 was on a 405-line system - which we'd nowadays call 503 × 377. Hence the very fuzzy picture on the display.)

Survivors of the Flux

Kate is back, and kicking arse! Last time we saw her in S09, she had an armoured iPhone 5 - but this time?

OK, it's a flip phone...

Silver, with a black stripe...

And then she does this...

Nooooooo!

‎soph

@Iovevampyres

still haven’t emotionally recovered from kate snapping her phone in half with her bare hands .. god i wish that were me

---

But at least that gives us an internal view:

And a view of the screen:

So, what is it? There's not much to go on - and there are literally thousands of models of flip phones. So I'm stumped! There are a bunch of flippers it could be - but none of them quite match. It probably isn't the Motorola Pebl nor the Emporia Connect. It's also unlikely to be NEC's N500iS or E540.

So if you recognise that distinctive stripe, or notice anything about the number-pad, please leave a comment!

Found! Thanks to a commentor, this is almost certainly a Ushining 3G Flip.

The Vanquishers

"The name's Stewart... Kate Stewart!" Classic! She's upgraded from her snapped flipper to something distinctly more modern.

OK, a central punch-hole camera doesn't tell us much. There are now dozens of phones with that tech. It's pretty loooooooong:

But what about the back? With a little enhancing, we get a better view:

That's a fairly distinctive camera array - a block with 3 lenses and a flash. So I reckon it is the Samsung Galaxy S20.

Until next time!

And that's the end of the incredible Flux! What a ride! I'll probably wrap the 2022 specials into a single post at the end of next year. Unless there's a whole episode dedicated to, say, the Nokia 6310i 😁

As ever, if you think I've made a mistake - or if you've spotted a missing phone - drop me a note in the comments.

Archives

Enjoyed this post? Here are the other seasons of Doctor Who:

• S01
• S02
• S03
• S04
• Specials
• S05
• S06
• S07
• Day of The Doctor
• S08
• S09
• S10
• Classic Who
• S11
• S12
• Bonus Rose
• Revolution of the Daleks

How do you build a Tardis? What are the secrets of teleportation? Could Cybermen take over the world? Is telepathy possible - even for an alien? Will extra-terrestrials one day visit planet earth on their travels through the galaxy? Can a robotic dog catch a cold ...?

Take a journey with the Time Lords as Michael White guides us through the real science behind Doctor Who. Here he shows us how one of the world's best-loved science-fiction programmes is actually based on genuine theories - some of which could soon become a reality.

A brief and somewhat outdated book. This was published in 2005, just as the first season was ending. It's a bit of a cheap cash-in - the chapters don't really relate much back to Doctor Who at all. A paragraph at the start and then on to a quick overview of the science.

For a teenager in search of something a little more exciting than GCSE physics, it's basically fine. Fun speculation about how science might develop and what possibilities lie out there. Of course, reality doesn't always match up with predictions, as this excerpt shows:

By extrapolating this progress it is apparent that by about 2020 quantum computers will allow the development of a machine the size of a virus but possessing the computing power of an Apple notebook.

Yeah...

There are some weird diversions into Atlantis and "Psychic" phenomena - which felt slightly out of place. But, other than that, it's a reasonable jumping off point for the young mind.

The Doctor and Rose arrive in an underground vault in Utah in the near future. The vault is filled with alien artefacts. Its billionaire owner, Henry van Statten, even has possession of a living alien creature, a mechanical monster in chains that he has named a Metaltron.

Seeking to help the Metaltron, the Doctor is appalled to find it is in fact a Dalek – one that has survived the horrors of the Time War just as he has. And as the Dalek breaks loose, the Doctor is brought back to the brutality and desperation of his darkest hours spent fighting the creatures of Skaro… this time with the Earth as their battlefield.

In 1974, the same year as Death To The Daleks was broadcast, the philosopher Thomas Nagel published "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?"

In 2021, Robert Shearman reimagines this classic paper in the Target novelisation of DALEK. Can we ever know what a DALEK is? We know the stereotypes, we know what they do, and we all know what DALEK stands for. Right?

Terence Eden is on Mastodon

@edent

Replying to @edent🇩 Destroy without pity
🇦 Attack without fear
🇱 Live without conscience
🇪 Eliminate without worry
🇰 Kill, kill, kill, kill

THE DALEKS ARE SUPREME!
THE DALEKS ARE SUPREME!
THE DALEKS ARE SUPREME! pic.x.com/CfRH1f1PoN

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But this book gets to the heart of why a DALEK feels the way it does, how they are radicalised, and what it is like to be trapped in a metal shell of pure hate.

This is not a book about The Doctor and Rose. At times, they feel incidental to the story. All the text and subtext of their relationship is visible on the TV screen. The joy of a novel is in exploring things unseen.

In truth, this is more backstory than story. But, again, that's what we fans crave. Who is the mysterious guard that we see for half-a-frame? Why would a henchman (or henchlady) choose to work for a monster? Moustache-twirling villains become much more menacing - and a dab more sympathetic - when you understand their motivations.

I loved these Target novelisation. They remind me of the paperbacks I eagerly devoured as a young Whovian. Just like The Witchfinders by Joy Wilkinson this is written by the same author as the TV story. So there can be no cries about how the stories differs from the screen.

It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon - and gives us the appropriate sympathy for the devil.

The TARDIS lands in the Lancashire village of Bilehurst Cragg in the 17th century, and the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz soon become embroiled in a witch trial run by the local landowner. Fear stalks the land, and the arrival of King James I only serves to intensify the witch hunt. But the Doctor soon realises there is something more sinister than paranoia and superstition at work. Tendrils of living mud stir in the ground and the dead lurch back to horrifying life as an evil alien presence begins to revive. The Doctor and her friends must save not only the people of Bilehurst Cragg from the wakening forces, but the entire world

I used to devour the Target novelisations as a kid. All the stories that I'd missed from the 1960s and 70s came alive from those cheap mass-market paperbacks. So I was overjoyed that Target have released this new crop of books - with some thoroughly modern stories.

Doctor Who and The Witchfinders is delightfully epic. It has some lovely callbacks to the classic series. It's a fun story with a few more twists and turns than the TV version.

There's a darkness to it. The underlying story isn't just about alien mud and imprisoned warriors. It's about the subjugation experienced by those stripped of power. It's about how moral weakness can lean to terror. It is about The Doctor experiencing a new kind of fear:

The kind of fear she’d sworn wouldn’t be an issue for her, because she was a kick-ass Gallifreyan travelling the galaxies, not a chick getting chatted up at a bar or walking home down a dark alley. But it turned out time had played its tricks with her and it only took a moment for all her powers to vanish, so that suddenly she was seen as ‘just a woman’ in the presence of powerful forces with evil intent.

The Doctor has always fought against injustice. But now, perhaps for the first time, the character gets a personal experience of prejudice. What a wonderful evolution for the series.

Back in 2007, I happened to be working next to a memorabilia shop, when I saw both Jacobi and Tom Baker sat in there. A long queue of people stood waiting to buy autographs. I got in line, said hi to Tom, and then told Sir Derek that my fiancée had just finished an MA and was now a Master - would he mind signing something to that effect? Ever gracious, he wrote "To Liz, the real Master." What a gent! I presented it to Liz as a graduation gift and we lived happily ever after.

I understand why people ask celebrities to sign photos - or a dedicated autograph book - when they meet. It is a nice reminder of a brief moment of contact with someone you admire. And, sure, actors have to make money so they sell meet-and-greets. Overall, it seems a fairly harmless activity.

But I don't understand why people trade autographs.

I know that I got Jacobi's signature. I can't prove it - but my wife trusts me. And that's good enough for our purposes. But any bit of signed memorabilia might just as well have been "signed" by machine with a felt-tip pen. You have no way of truly knowing if the celeb ever even touched the object.

If you've seen or read "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", you'll know that Lee Israel fooled the world with inauthentic memorabilia. While there may be more checks-and-balances now, there is a lack of bootstrapping trust that means you can't really be assured of any item's provenance.

But even if you did know that the autograph was authentic - what does buying it from a 3rd party get you?

All I can think of is the song "I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales"

You have a tiny piece of reflected glory. Barely anything.

Back in 2007ish, selfies weren't a big thing. I definitely had a camera phone - but didn't even think about snapping a photo with my TV heroes. I wish I had!

I used to think selfies were stupid but I've since changed my mind. They prove that you were there. Here is tangible proof that I met Marilyn Monroe.

Nowadays, celebs at fan conventions charge money for selfies. Good! These are a unique social objects - hugely valuable to the person in the photo, but of almost zero value to anyone else. Digital files can be recreated for zero cost, so there's no secondary market for them.

I think that's lovely. People can obtain a cherished memory which means the world to them - but it is so unique and personal that it is worthless to others.

The War Machines is a cracking slice of 60s sci-fi. It's very groovy.

But what font is it?

It isn't Westminster. The W is completely wrong. And the letter T is mirrored.

Westminster has a surprising and interesting history.

It isn't Data 70.

Which, in any case, was released a few years after the episode. Time travel is complex though.

It isn't a modern font like Computer Font

As far as I can tell, it is an original font which is heavily inspired by Westminster. The T is a particular giveaway.

There are only a few title screens, so there are only a limited number of characters available.

With a bit of jiggery-pokery, we can grab a few more character. A flipped E easily becomes a 3, for example.

I am indebted to my producer Clayton Hickman for his original investigative work.

Clayton Hickman

@claytonhickman

Just noticed the War Machines title font isn't one of the regular typefaces I assumed it was. Was it specially made? pic.x.com/jiyfllgl8d

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