The Doctor

The Doctor is a fictional character from the BBC science-fiction series *Doctor Who*. In the context of Teatime With Matt, The Doctor has been a recurring character in sketches and the Bedtime Story.

Matt frequently references *Doctor Who* on air and discusses his and the audience's opinions on the show. In November 2013, Matt presented a special *Doctor Who* themed episode of Teatime With Matt to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.

Teatime's clothing style and mannerisms are heavily influenced by the character of the Doctor. He is portrayed as wearing a bow tie, waistcoat and velvet jacket. He is also shown to carry a sonic screwdriver. In a video trailer for the 2012 series, it is implied that Teatime arrives at Matt's house in a TARDIS.

There is a running joke that Emily Caroline Edwards, one of Matt's co-hosts from MUD Radio, should be cast as the next incarnation of The Doctor. This joke is the subject of several sketches and is frequently referenced in passing on the show. A Facebook group (Emily Edwards Should Be The Next Doctor Who) was created by Matt in December 2009 to petition the BBC to cast Emily in the role. The BBC did not respond.

Matt claims that he came up with the joke long before the idea that a woman could be cast as The Doctor was in any way controversial or could cause an argument. Given that people on the internet will argue about pretty much anything, this is unlikely to be true.

When Jodie Whittaker was announced as the 13th Doctor in July 2017, Matt was reportedly amused because the BBC were "only 8 years behind me and MUD Radio".

In the first show of the 2017 series, Matt introduced a one-off feature entitled "Things Doctor Who Has Nicked From Teatime With Matt". Apart from the obvious one, Matt has identified at least four other examples of ideas he apparently came up with first. This show also featured a parody of Jodie Whittaker's reveal trailer, implying that the 13th Doctor is actually Emily.

## Christmas Crackers

In December 2009, Matt wrote a sketch for the Christmas Special which was implied to be a clip from the The End of Time, which marked the departure of David Tennant in the role of The Doctor. During the sketch, the Doctor is played by Emily Edwards, making this the first appearance of the running joke that Emily should be cast as the Doctor. The sketch also featured Matt as The Master, Hannah Stanbury as Colonel Important Military Companion and Scru Love as Plucky Female Companion.

The sketch opens with The Master gloating to the Doctor's companions about how he used big sciencey words to do evil sciencey things and take away the Doctor's ability to regenerate, before shooting him. The Master now plans to unleash his doomsday device upon the world.

As the Doctor's companions fail to come up with a plan, they realise the only thing that can save them now is a convenient plot device accompanied by some heroic, inspiring music. At that moment, the TARDIS materialises accompanied by some heroic, inspiring music. The Doctor steps out and asks "Did someone call a Doctor?"

The Master and The Doctor's companions are shocked at the arrival of the TARDIS and are particularly surprised that The Doctor has regenerated into a woman. The Doctor doesn't seem to have realised this before being told, commenting "I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later."

The Doctor asks The Master to pack up his doomsday device and go away. When The Master refuses, the Doctor uses a Magical Plot Solving button to defeat him. After some further plot exposition, The Doctor says farewell to her companions and flies off in the TARDIS to save the universe once again.

This sketch was followed by an interview with Emily about being "cast" as the Doctor, in which she expressed her surprise at being offered the role (presumably because she had no previous acting experience).

## The BBC Spring Drama Lineup

The BBC Spring Drama Lineup was a sketch parodying several BBC Television Dramas, including *Ashes to Ashes* , *EastEnders* and *Casualty*.

The sketch references David Tennant (played by Matt doing a bad Scottish accent), who is said to be starring in a comedy-drama, entitled *David Tennant In A Comedy-Drama*. David Tennant's only line in the sketch is "I used to be Doctor Who you know."

Emily then interjects with "Not any more you're not!" This leads into Matt introducing a clip of a brand new episode of Doctor Who. In the clip, the TARDIS materialises on an alien world. The Doctor emerges, accompanied by Female Companion Who Is Back For A Token Cameo Role and New Female Companion With Slightly Better Acting Skills. The three start to explore the planet, but are accosted by a group of Daleks. The Doctor expresses surprise, stating that she thought the Daleks were destroyed in the series 4 finale.

The Daleks monologue that they have a plan to exterminate lots of people using big sciencey words and that the Doctor can do nothing to stop them. The Doctor tells his companions that their only option is to run away, creating a dramatic cliff hanger. The three proceed to run away, pursued by the Daleks firing their guns and repeatedly yelling "Exterminate!"

## Planet of the Huggable Teddy Bears

When Matt announces on air that there is going to be a Valentine's Day Special of *Doctor Who*, Emily is completely unaware of it. She jumps in the TARDIS and flies off to speak to Steven Moffat, executive producer and head screen writer (played by Matt).

The Doctor argues with Steven about how terrible the story is and flat out refuses to act in it. Steven then reveals that he isn't Steven Moffat at all, but is in fact Russell T Davies, the previous showrunner. Russell plans to masquerade as Steven Moffat and make *Doctor Who* so terrible that the BBC will beg him to come back.

The Doctor uses a magical plot solving button to defeat Russell, quipping "you always use it". She gets back into the TARDIS and sets off to find the real Steven Moffat so that he can write her a proper episode.

## The Last Doctor

The Eleventh Doctor, as portrayed by Matt Smith (voiced by Matt), is in the middle of stand-off with the Daleks, who are planning to use a Big Sciencey Sounding Machine to destroy the Earth. The Daleks claim there is nothing the Doctor can do to stop them. The Doctor threatens to defeat them with a Magical Plot Solving Switch, but the Daleks have disabled all Magical Plot Solving Switches using a Magical Plot Solving Switch Disabling Device.

At that moment, the TARDIS materialises and Emily's Doctor emerges. She address the Eleventh Doctor as 'Matthew Smith', chastising him for 'ruining' their show. The Dalek Supreme interrupts, causing Emily's Doctor to begin insulting the Daleks' new casing design, which she claims has only been done for merchandising opportunities.

Emily's Doctor uses a Magical Plot Solving Button to defeat the Daleks, quipping "Who'd use a switch?" The Daleks are destroyed by Weird Space Things occurring.

Emily's Doctor then flirts with the Eleventh Doctor, claiming he's cute when he's flustered. She suggestively invites him into her TARDIS, with the Eleventh Doctor asking her to call him The Master. The two enter the TARDIS and fly away.

Matt claims that the ending of this sketch was pinched by Steven Moffat as the basis for the Multi-Master storyline in the series 10 episodes World Enough And Time and The Doctor Falls.

## The Spinoff Media Of Doom

The Doctor's agent (Voiced by Matt) is in the process of lining up some work for her, when she arrives in the TARDIS, fresh from the set of *The Sarah Jane Adventures*. She complains that she doesn't want to do any more spin-off shows and tells her agent that she wants him to chase up the next series of *Doctor Who*.Strangely, her agent has no idea what she's talking about, believing that *The Doctor* is a character from a special science-fiction episode of a Channel 4 show called *Queer As Folk*.

At that moment, the Doctor's agent is shot by an unknown assailant, who is revealed to be Russell T Davies. Russell tells the Doctor that he has erased *Doctor Who* from history and made her a character in *Queer As Folk*. From this, he will write all the spin-off media that he has created. The Doctor says she will stop him, but Russell reveals that their whole conversation is taking place in a script for a spin-off called *K-9 and Company*. Because *K-9 and Company* was cancelled by the BBC, the script will end up locked in a dusty drawer that no-one ever goes in. Russell then leaves, with the parting words "don't piss off the executive producer!" The sketch ends with the Doctor seemingly trapped forever.

Emily's Doctor has not appeared on Teatime With Matt since this sketch, so this cliffhanger has never been resolved. It is assumed that she is still trapped in the *K-9 and Company* script.

## Bedtime Story Appearances

The Doctor has appeared as a character in several Bedtime Stories.

The Twelfth Doctor, as played by Peter Capaldi, featured as the main character in a story titled *Doctor Who and The Curse of Krampus* (right) in December 2016.

## External Links

1. ↑ Wikipedia - *Doctor Who (TV series)*
2. ↑ Wikipedia - Sonic Screwdriver
3. ↑ Wikipedia - TARDIS
4. ↑ Facebook Group - Emily Edwards Should Be The Next Doctor Who
5. ↑ Wikipedia - Jodie Whittaker
6. ↑ BBC News - Jodie Whittaker: Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord to be a woman
7. ↑ YouTube - Things Doctor Who Has Nicked From Teatime With Matt
8. ↑ Wikipedia - *The End of Time* (*Doctor Who*)
9. ↑ Wikipedia - David Tennant
10. ↑ Wikipedia - *Ashes to Ashes* (TV series)
11. ↑ Wikipedia - *EastEnders* (TV series)
12. ↑ Wikipedia - *Casualty* (TV series)
13. ↑ Wikipedia - Dalek
14. ↑ Wikipedia - Journey's End (*Doctor Who*)
15. ↑ Wikipedia - Steven Moffat
16. ↑ Wikipedia - Russell T Davies
17. ↑ Wikipedia - Matt Smith (Actor)
18. ↑ Wikipedia - World Enough and Time (*Doctor Who*)
19. ↑ Wikipedia - The Doctor Falls (*Doctor Who*)
20. ↑ Wikipedia - *The Sarah Jane Adventures*
21. ↑ Wikipedia - *Queer as Folk* (UK TV series)
22. ↑ Wikipedia - *K-9 and Company*
23. ↑ Wikipedia - Peter Capaldi