Included below are fifty things Blogtor has noticed from the recent Doctor Who 50th Anniversary. Now it’s just fifty but there’s loads more going on in the background – this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means. Fifty just seemed like a good number to stop. Watch the trailer HERE.
1. Policeman
What better way to start than to honour the very first episode, An Unearthly Child (which also gets a numerical reference later in the trailer, it’s original broadcast time and date – though not included in this list). The British bobby pops in Hartnell’s first outing and many have speculated that it looks like actor John Hurt (The “introducing as” Doctor), don’t see it myself.
2. Totter’s Lane
Another reference to where it all began. I.M. Foreman, Scrap Merchant, 76 Totter’s Lane. And, again, fitting that a trailer celebrating fifty years of the world’s greatest show should nod so fervently in the direction of its first story. Oh, and it’s in black and white – neat! (Older readers may remember “black and white”.)
3. Fez
And bringing it bang up to date is The Eleventh Doctor’s favourite headwear, the Fez. Though before the youthful-faced one adorned it in The Big Bang, The Seventh Doctor had fezzed it up beforehand in an “adventure” with the Cybermen. And look, we’ve gone into colour…. Ooooooo….. [Fact fans note – fezes also turned up worn by other people in Pyramids of Mars and The Evil of the Daleks.]
4. Roboform helmet
Christmas gets a double-nod here with the helmet of a Roboform. “Traditionally”, these guys liked to dress up as Santas and scare the willies out of innocent passers-by with their hot trombone action. Very hot. Interestingly, and I use the word quite wrongly, they make for quite good drivers, as lovely Donna Noble discovered on her wedding day.
5. Clockwork Droid mask
Aw, from one of my favourite episodes this one (see The Girl in the Fireplace in the Blogtor Who Top 50 HERE), this creepy~as~eff mask markedly deserves its place in Whostory. Not necessarily a bad lot, the Clockwork Droids were quite keen on frightening kids and killing women in their Thirties. Not very good drinkers though.
6. Wooden Yeti
It’s almost like they knew The Web of Fear was back! The wee Wooden Yeti used in the story got an outing the other week at the announcement of the recently discovered story (see pics HERE) and it makes another show here. Handily, it sits in front of a pyramid – which may, or may not, house The Great Intelligence…
7. Adipose/Snowman/White Guardian’s Hat
This is a tricky one, ‘cos I rotated the image and it looks a bit like a Snowman from The Snowmen too but let’s just say it’s an Adpiose as those little guys are the cutest. First seen in Partners In Crime, the tiny fatty ones popped back in Turn Left and The End of Time Part 2 ensuring their place in the “returning aliens” of Doctor Who chart. ETA: It has also been suggested that it’s actually the White Guardian’s hat – which seems the most likely of the three as it’s sitting beside the Black Guardian’s hat (which you can just make out).
8. The Ninth/Tenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver
This sonic actually pops up again at the end of the trailer if you’ve got your eyes peeled (just as The Eleventh Doctor grabs his own) but here it is at the start. This will not be the first we see of the Time Lord’s “weapon” of choice… (Must be wanting to sell some for Christmas.)
9. The Fob Watch
Ah, the feels! Poor The Doctor as he became human, fell in love and then  caused the deaths of lots of innocent people. The old romantic. Human Nature‘s resonance spilled out of that particular story when his BF The Master returned to the Universe after he’d been hiding his persona in a Fob Watch too. It’s like they were born to be with one another…


10. The 500 Year Diary
I think it’s the 500 Year Diary at least, doesn’t actually say. Of course, it could be The Doctor’s little black book full of numbers of past companions should he ever feel lonely one night. Time Lords need love too, you know.
11. TARDIS key
There’ll be another TARDIS key coming up later but here’s the design currently favoured by Gallifrey’s finest. Simple, elegant and handy for giving to young girls he’s just met on Earth.
12. TARDIS console
Wait a minute! The TARDIS console outside the TARDIS?? The Third Doctor was adept at that but here’s the original in the junkyard outside its “proper home”. Lovely colour though.
13. Cloven Hoof pub sign
Hey kids, don’t drink! It’s bad for you! But if you do want a snifter or two, then why not pop back in time to 1971 and enjoy the delicacies offered by The Cloven Hoof – as seen in the Pertwee classic, The Dæmons. If you see Bert, do say hello from us. (Though he may be dead by the time you get there.)
14. The Key To Time
Hubba hubba hubba – it’s only the flippin’ Key to Time! Sprawled across the universe, and twenty-six episodes back in 1978/9, it’s heartening to see a device so awesome, so powerful that we’re still not quite sure what it was all about. Arguably, towards the end of the trailer, you can see bits of the Key to Time floating around The Eleventh Doctor.
15. Polyphase Avatron
And from that very series arc is this little beauty – the Polyphase Avatron. The star of The Pirate Planet, the buddy of The Captain had a particularly erotic showdown with The Fourth Doctor’s chum K9 (coming up later). Sadly, for the robotic pirate, his bird-like pet was returned slightly worse for wear. Nice one tin dog!
16. The Brain of Morbius
Hhhmm, not sure about this one. Either that, or it’s The Tenth Doctor’s hand in a jar. But there’s definitely something there, in some kind of receptacle. It’s visible from afar and then in between the UNIT soldier’s legs as he takes one in the face from a Dalek (who we’ll meet below).
17. Daleks
No great shock to see one in the trailer and, in fact, there are quite a few spotted throughout – from the original Sixties to the RTD era Noughties. You’ll also find Skaro’s finest popping up behind Sarah Jane Smith and then towards the end beside Rose and another sneaky one hiding under the arm of The Sixth Doctor.
18. Fourth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver
At least, I’m pretty sure it is. Tommy B’s sonic did have a noticeable red spot on it but due the speed of the trailer, it’s difficult to see it properly. Given the other sonics that appear (and they’re coming up too), this is his. Apt as the next person we see is The Fourth Doctor.
19. Jelly Babies
Staying with The Fourth Doctor, here’s his treat/weapon/comedy tool of choice – the Jelly Baby! And there’s loads of them to enjoy as the Time Lord flails around with his scarf and hat. Fact fans may note that both The Second and Third Doctors also carried Jelly Babies and The Master was also a fan of the “soft confectionery that are shaped as babies in a variety of colours”.
20. The Third Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver
Whilst we witness Tommy B fall into the background, the Pertwee era looms large and we find his sonic just before we meet the man himself (well, almost). I’m now getting bored of talking about Sonic Screwdrivers, and I know there’s more to come. I should really have done all the sonics together. Ah well…
21. No More
Regenerations? Doctors?? Gallifrey??? War???? Trousers??? I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks…
22. K9!
Yay! Everyone’s favourite robo-pooch gets his own full screen shot as we move on. Given his integral part in the show from The Fourth Doctor’s time to his return in The Five Doctors and then School Reunion and Journey’s End, it’s no wonder he gets such a prominent slot. I mean, who can forget K9 & Company or his short lived spin off series, K9 [*coughs* let’s not “go there” – Ed.]. Thankfully, he was treated slightly better in The Sarah Jane Adventures, speaking of which…
23. Sarah Jane Smith
Aw, lovely Lis. So nice to see her honoured so wonderfully here. From her first appearance alongside Jon Pertwee in The Time Warrior right through to her heartfelt and memorable send off in The Hand of Fear to her triumphant return in School Reunion (via The Five Doctors and K9 & Company) and her own brilliant series, there’s no other companion quite like Sarah Jane. The memory of Elisabeth Sladen lives on as strong as ever.
24. Cybermen
Like The Daleks, these bad boys pop up a few times in the trailer. Their very first appearance is actually earlier on but it’s very difficult to screen grab. As you watch the Dalek blasting the UNIT soldier, and as the camera pans, you can make out a Cyberman helmet in the background. Here, they are much more recognisible in all their excellent Eighties glory. You’ll find another later on in the trail, and another Eighties one, across from The Fifth Doctor on the right. 

25. Big Ben

Despite being an iconic London landmark, it was until Rose where we first enountered Large Benjamin. But it wasn’t until the Slitheen crashed the Space Pig into it that we really got a good old look at the “clock”. It’s popped up numerous times in Doctor Who since but the most fun fact is that Clara Oswald claimed she was born behind the clock face. There’s also a Dalek saucer in this pic, but we’ll see that again later.

26. Sea Devil
Very difficult to make this one out but it is most assuredly a Sea Devil (or however the hell they refer to themselves as). Their opening story The Sea Devils is an absolute corker (and just missed a place in the Blogtor Who Top 50), so do seek it out if you haven’t caught it already. Personally, I would rather have seen a Terileptil in here but given the Sea Devils came back to Who (for the atrocious Warriors of the Deep), I’ll let it slide.
27. The Master
To be honest, I actually thought this was The Valeyard that The Third Doctor was battling with as it looks not unlike him from behind but that wouldn’t make much sense now, would it? The “renegade” Time Lord gets another reference down the line which isn’t surprising given the amount of screen time he has faced off against Gallifrey’s finest. Pity we didn’t see any floating beards in the trailer though.

28. Clara
New girl Clara also gets a rather prominent feature in the trailer and, strangely, her “reflection” is that of Sarah Jane Smith (Clara was one of Elisbath Sladen’s middle names, fact fans). Undoubtedly this will spark the “are Clara and Sarah Jane the same person debate” in deep dark corners of the “internet”. Let me settle it for you, they’re not. Clara, like SJ, gets to appear in a multi-Doctor story, not a bad accomplishment for the latest addition to the TARDIS.
29. Clara’s leaf
Despite being reminded of The Rings of Akhaten, it’s heartening to see the new mixed with old so effortlessly as the leaf blows in on the computer-generated breeze. Again, a testament to the appeal and popularity of the fairly new character, played so stoutly by Jenna “don’t call me Louise” Coleman.

30. Weeping Angel
One of “new” Who‘s most striking monsters (if not the), the Weeping Angel is a welcome addition to the trailer, and just look who it’s scaring off – The Seventh Doctor! The stone creatures sit happily beside Daleks and Cybermen safe in the knowledge that they are the scariest villains around.
31. TARDIS key
Slightly more aesthetically pleasing than the previous key, The Eighth Doctor liked to brandish this one around and even stuck it in a “cubby-hole above the P” (the dirty devil). Small, ornate and rather pleasing on the eye, The Eighth Doctor only received one television outing… [*coughs* so far – Ed.]

32. Robot of Death!
Ok, technically this guy isn’t a “robot of death”. D84 was one of the good guys and had no intention of murdering any of us innocent humans. Or even the guilty ones. This automaton befriended The Fourth Doctor and Leela as it worked undercover against Taren Capel in the superb, The Robots of Death. Curiously, both myself and Steven Moffat have, at different times, described this story as “perfect” – which it is. And the design of the robots is equally perfect and justly shown off to new fans here.

33. The Fifth Doctor’s “brainy specs”
What, he didn’t actually need them??? Dear, oh, me. Bad boy. Anyway, Petey D sometimes adorned the non-functioning eye wear in stories such as Castrovalva and Frontios but it wasn’t until he met himself (as The Tenth Doctor) when we all discovered he wore them to look smart. For shame.


34. Cricket ball
Sticking with the Fifth, and best, Doctor Who, the cricket ball got a few outings in his time, notably Four To Doomsday and Black Orchid but “fact” fans will remember that The Fourth Doctor also produced one from his pockets in The Ark In Space, where it was promptly destroyed on the Nerva Beacon. The Fifth’s son-in-law, The Tenth Doctor, also used one rather spectacularly in Human Nature to prevent piano-based injuries.

35. The Silence
What do you mean you didn’t see them? Watch the trailer again. Go on. *waits* Yeah? What do you mean “no”? Look, I’ve taken a screengrab, look to the left. See it? No????? Arg! #BadSilenceJoke
36. Ood
Yay! The Ood! Certainly my favorite alien of post 2005 era, these guys were a surprise hit when they first appeared in the fabtacular two-parter from 2006, The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit. Loved from the off, they made a swift return in the Planet of the Ood and then again for Davey T’s finale, The End of Time. They’ve been back since (The Doctor’s Wife) and it’s so nice to see them here in the trailer, especially in their classic “red-eye” look.

37. Judoon scanner
This trailer is full of super sweet little touches, and here’s another. The Judoon, like the Ood, were a great new alien and whilst they’re not here, their scanner is. The item was used in the cracking 2007 opener Smith & Jones to detect their prey (straw-loving Plasmavore, Florence Finnegan).

38. Auton
The classic foe from the Pertwee era (and in his very first story Spearhead From Space) took a while before it returned to Doctor Who and it took Russell T Davies and his smart-thinking to do so. The show returned in 2005 with a new TARDIS interior, new Doctor and a new companion who faced up to these old monsters. Emotionless, shiny-faced and clumsy of movement, Rose Tyler is next up…

39. Rose
Only joking, I heart her. Like a number of shots featuring various Doctors, we only see Miss Tyler from behind (I’m assuming their look~a~like wasn’t very good). Despite her massive popularity and the number of times she’s returned (look out 50th Anniversary Special!), we don’t get a full frontal of the Powell Estate inhabitant but she does get an appropriate placing in between a Dalek, an Ood and an Auton.

40. Bessie
Vroom vroom! The Third Doctor’s vehicle of choice is dusted off after its recent appearance in The Name of the Doctor. Oddly, the poor thing looks like she’s been abandoned.

41. Racnoss
I initially thought this would have been one of the Metebelis III spiders (or Eight Legs) but the official site have stated that it is, in fact, a Racnoss. Pfft. What do they know? [probably quite a bit – Ed.]

42. Sontaran Spaceship

Another classic returning alien, the Sontarans travel in big shiny balls and the design was used both pre- and post-2005. Can’t say I’m the biggest fans of the inhabitants of Sontar (though Strax is an utter hoot whenever on screen) but their Whostorical significance cannot be ignored. And, just in case you missed the phrase earlier, big shiny balls.

43. Gallifreyan text
Probably translates as “Peter Capaldi Was Here.”
Or maybe, “Where’s the trailer?”
Possibly, “I heard the Rani is coming back.”
Or even, “more missing episodes to come?”

44. Dalek saucer and ships
We caught a glimpse of the Dalek saucer earlier beside Big Ben but here it is again with some spaceships in tow. It appeared a few times in the “classic” era but it made a dazzling return in the 2005 two-part finale which saw an army of Daleks attack the Ninth Doctor and his chums.

45. San Francisco
What better way to celebrate the 1996 Paul McGann TV Movie than to have the Golden Gate Bridge featured? Well, there’s probably a lot of other better ways but let’s not quibble. Fact fans will note that the bridge took over four years to build and was completed back in 1937. It is also the second most common suicide site in the world. Aren’t facts fun?

46. The Shard
From an old cultural landmark to a very modern one (unless this is the repost for the 100th Anniversary trailer), The Shard was utilised most amusingly in last year’s opener, The Bells of Saint John. Fans are advised not to drive a motorbike up its side, even if you have converted it to an anti-gravity bike. Personally, I would rather have seen St Paul’s Cathedral in the trailer (maybe it is, somewhere…).

47. The Master’s Laser Screwdriver
And we’re back to screwdrivers. And it takes The Doctor’s best bud The Master to sex up the sonic into a laser (or lazer if you like “z”s). He showed it off to the extreme in the 2007 finale, The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords as he Gollumed The Tenth Doctor, as I believe the expression is known. When The Master returned for his pal’s final story, he didn’t need a screwdriver as he was able to shoot bolts from his own fingers. Handy that.

48. Miss Foster’s Sonic Pen
Slightly bizarre choice this one but undeniably that’s what it is (having said that, wait until you see the next one). Matron Cofelia, as she was also known, brandished her sonic pen at The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble as they investigated Adipose Industries during Partners In Crime. Thankfully she was disarmed, though the pen was just flung in an ordinary bin. Careless.

49. An Actual Screwdriver/Jackson Lake’s Sonic Screwdriver
Yup. An actual screwdriver. Normal screwdrivers must have turned up in Doctor Who loads of times over the years. Mustn’t they? Fact fans note: Tegan ordered a Screwdriver in Black Orchid. ETA: As pointed out in the comments section, this could well be Jackson Lake’s Sonic Screwdriver.
50. The Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver
Did I mention I was bored of writing about screwdrivers? Think how Steven Moffat must feel every time he writes one into his script (which he does a lot). Poor SteeMo. Regardless, a fitting way to end the trail with the current Doctor (though not for much longer) as he points to the sky and purrs about The Day of the Doctor. Not long now, huzzah!
Watch the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary trailer HERE

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45 COMMENTS

  1. Like the first and third Doctors, Sarah Jane's appearance is slightly askew. They seem to have given her her debut outfit but changed the jacket to blue for no apparent reason and her hair is more S13 in length.

    Just a bit odd

  8. Damn it, I was certain that Clara's reflection was Susan but your screenshot has deftly disproven me.

  9. I dare say I'm late to the party with this, as usual – but is that Amy Pond lurking behind the ninth Doctor…?

  11. Can no one else see the Mandragora Masque above the clockwork one? Am I the only person who's spotted that?

  14. I thought The Silents were the alien species who led a religious order known as the Silence? As there is only one shown it should be referred to as a Silent, no?

  15. The first mask is the one from Leisure Hive isn't it?
    Also, SJS is reflected in the globe because she's holding it and light is bouncing off her, onto the glass, and into your eye. That's your actual physics, that is.

  16. The Silent/Silents terminology is never used on-screen, so in fact they aliens themselves are still called the Silence, even when there's only one of them.

  17. One thing I was thinking about it after listening to the trailer for the second time! is the sound of the masters drumbeats getting louder and louder until the end. Is that a audial reference to the master!or a spoiler?

  18. There's a bicycle's handlebars at the very start. Obviously a reference to Doctor Who's greatest and best guest star, Mr Pigbin Josh 😉

  19. I listened to this on sub-par speakers but it sounds like Tom Baker's voice doubling underneath Smith's narration when he says the word "years" as the 4th Doctor appears onscreen

    • I too am convinced there is more than one doctor over dubbing the 11th
      I'm sure the 5th voice is over the very beginning when he says I've been running all my lives

  20. It's been maddening me trying to see if the spacesuit from The Impossible Astronaut et al is against the background in Totters Lane (in the back of the Fob Watch bit). I think it is but can't quite tell.

  21. It's interesting that no one is discussing what the trailer actually seems to imply – that events in the Doctor's life might be getting altered (perhaps due to the events of Name of the Doctor). For example, the First Doctor could not possibly have encountered a Dalek in Totters Lane – he didn't know they existed yet – much less was there an attack on an officer. Similarly, though we know the Doctor was already familiar with the Weeping Angels before Blink, it's odd to see Seven attacked by one. Are these plot clues?(Of course, the officer being shot by the Dalek could be a reference to the events of Remembrance of the Daleks too).

  22. !st Doctor there is a reel to reel video recorder with the spool missing, representing the missing episodes, i think.

  24. Interesting what the person above says about the events in the Doctors life being altered – might be an explanation as to why the 4th Doctor is standing over the wrong console?

  25. I don't think its the shard, I think it's surely The Dark Tower of Rassilon? look at the two prongs on top..

  26. at the end, The 11th Doctor was standing atop a large stone monument, any past Who reference to that?

  27. Antoz71 – here's a picture of the shard…

    [img]http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02448/Pinnacle_The_View__2448728k.jpg[/img]

  28. One thing I see that I haven't seen anyone mention is the pram near the beginning that resembles the one in 'A Good Man Goes To War". And I keep wondering about Susan. Will she finally reappear. Great to see Sarah Jane so prominently. That's a great tribute!

  29. You had me until you said, "The fifth, and best, Doctor Who". Wrong in so many ways. Regardless, nice coverage.

  30. To Mike H: I think what you're seeing is actually the soldier who's getting exterminated by the Dalek. He's frozen in mid-air at the very beginning, as we see Hartnell. The 'camera' sort of goes into the room and then turns right, where we're suddenly looking over the soldier's shoulder at the Dalek and move into the rest of the scene.
    Am I the only one who sees a face in the stone monument that Eleven is standing on? I could swear I see a nose and eye very clearly, a la Mt. Rushmore.

  34. It looks to me at the end like the Doctor is standign on top of some kind of Rockier Nelson's column or am I seeing things?

  35. It's Tennant's voice behind the word "lives".

    It's John Hurt's voice (unfortunately) behind the word "years" (I assume that would have been for Eccs, since that's who Hurt is replacing).

    Sarah's face is reflected in the crystal ball, even after who holds it turns into Clara.

    The writing on the cliffside Smith is standing on top of is his name in Gallifreyan (the circles from the side of the crib).

    And the only thing this trailer implies for me, plot-wise, is that if any Doctors make an appearance, it will be Smith, Tennant, Tom Baker, and probably Bradley standing in for Hartnell. That's why they got the face-time and the others didn't. Just a guess, of course.

    Also, given that Murray Gold described this as "controversial", I'd say the Time War has erupted into the universe, scrambling history, and in the end after it's all repaired, The Doctor's history will be changed/retconned.

    I pray I'm wrong, though, as I would hate to quit this show after 35 years….

  39. Hi Cameron – nice try! No. 7 is indeed the White Guardian's skull-cap nestling next to the Black. But No's 10, 16 and 49 are incorrect, I'm afraid 🙂 (NB There are more than 80 "Doctor Who specific" artefact/references in this trailer – (i.e. excluding items form the real world such as Big Ben, Golden gate Bridge, the Shard etc.))

  41. Do you personally plan on doing an exhaustive list? I'd love to see one from you 🙂 keep up the great work!

  44. Excellent Article.

    I love the extra tiny touches and time references. At the end the black hole from the 3 Doctors morphs into the BBC symbol, there are nets and a macra claw near the TARDIS at one stage.

    Tom Baker's doctor is wearing the Android Invasion outfit which was also worn by his fake double… so his digital double is dressed like his android double. Speaking of doubles, Sarah is holding a Nestene aka Auton sphere and I believe the clothes she wore in Robot.

    And Pertwee and the Master seem to be dueling in the Master's TARDIS as per the story with Troy and Chronos.

    And is the soldier Colonel (as he was then) Lethbridge-Stewart from Web of Fear?

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