History Trivia / DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors

* TheOtherDarrin: Richard Hurndall does a wonderful job trying to fill in the shoes of the late Creator/WilliamHartnell. It does help that he looks quite a bit like the previous actor, but it didn't stop some from lovingly nicknaming the special "Three Doctors and a Bloke in a Wig" during the DVDCommentary. (A funny nickname, considering that Hartnell too wore a wig throughout his era.) The episode itself acknowledges and lampshades the "Other Darrining" by beginning with archive footage of Hartnell.

* WrittenInAbsence: When Creator/TomBaker declined to appear, the Fourth Doctor was caught in a time eddy.

* ActorAllusion: Three insults Two by calling him a scarecrow. Three had gone on to play Literature/WorzelGummidge (not only that, but Three had enjoyed a hit record with a song he recorded as Worzel).

** Just about everyone on the DVD commentary gets a laugh out of, "No, not the mind probe!"

*** Jamie was supposed to have a bigger role and paired with the Second Doctor, but Fraser Hines was only free for a day.

* {{Irony}}:
** While the story is called ''The FIVE Doctors'' and five Doctors are seen, only THREE of the original actors are seen in new footage as their Doctors between TheOtherDarrin and WrittenInAbsence. In effect, this special has the same number of actual doctors as "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors The Three Doctors]]" ten years previously. Bonus points with two of them being in both specials.
** The Second Doctor was called "scarecrow" by the Third Doctor. Later in the former's life, he's executed by scarecrows brought to life by the Time Lords in order to enforce his sentence of forced regeneration.

* WriterRevolt: Creator/TerranceDicks didn't share Eric Saward's enthusiasm for the Cybermen, so he came up with ways to have them destroyed.

* {{Irony}}: While the story is called ''The FIVE Doctors'' and five Doctors are seen, only THREE of the original actors are seen in new footage as their Doctors between TheOtherDarrin and WrittenInAbsence. In effect, this special has the same number of actual doctors as ''The Three Doctors'' ten years previously. Bonus points with two of them being in both specials.

* {{Irony}}: While the story is called ''The FIVE Doctors'' and five Doctors are seen, only THREE of the original actors are seen in new footage as their Doctors between TheOtherDarrin and WritteninAbsence. In effect, this special has the same number of actual doctors as ''The Three Doctors'' ten years previously. Bonus points with two of them being in both specials.

* Irony: While the story is called ''The FIVE Doctors'' and five Doctors are seen, only THREE of the original actors are seen in new footage as their Doctors between TheOtherDarrin and WritteninAbsence. In effect, this special has the same number of actual doctors as ''The Three Doctors'' ten years previously. Bonus points with two of them being in both specials.

** As stated before, Creator/TomBaker was originally going to be part of the special, but dropped out at the last minute. If he stayed in the project, he would've been the Doctor that went to Gallifrey and later confronts Borusa at the end. Dicks state that Baker dropping out actually helped out because it gave more screen time for Creator/PeterDavison since he was the current Doctor at the time. It also had the bonus of allowing producer Creator/JohnNathan-Turner to utilize footage from the unfinished story "Shada," which he'd been trying to get on TV for several years, in order to allow Baker to appear anyway, and said footage also allowed Lalla Ward's popular Romana to make a cameo which would not otherwise have been possible.[[note]]Ward and Baker had divorced by this time and wouldn't work together again for another 30 years; and Romana had been left in a pocket universe when last seen, making it unlikely she could have appeared in the special.[[/note]]

** The story was originally conceived as "The Six Doctors", with the "sixth" referring to one of the Doctors being a robot impersonator(!) Ironically enough, the [[Creator/ColinBaker actor]] who would take up the mantle as ''the'' Sixth Doctor [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity had just appeared in the series]], and the next year, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani made his debut as the next Doctor.]] In fact, Colin Baker's previous character, Maxil, was originally intended to be the commander who kills the Castellan.
** Creator/JohnNathan-Turner asked veteran Who directors Warris Hussein and Douglas Camfield to direct, but they couldn't come to terms.
** The original script featured an appearance by the Autons, last seen in Terror of the Autons. After being dropped into the Death Zone, Sarah would have been attacked by a group of them before being rescued by the Third Doctor. However, due to budgetary restrictions, the scene was dropped and replaced in the finished version.

* FanNickname: Terrance Dicks nicknamed the new version of the Time Scoop WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost.

** Elisabeth Sladen and Terrance Dicks weren't very pleased of the infamous scene where Sarah Jane falls off the cliff.

* TheOtherDarrin: Richard Hurndall does a wonderful job trying to fill in the shoes of the late William Hartnell. It does help that he looks quite a bit like the previous actor, but it didn't stop some from lovingly nicknaming the special "Three Doctors and a Bloke in a Wig" during the DVDCommentary. (A funny nickname, considering that William Hartnell too wore a wig throughout his era.) The episode itself acknowledges and lampshades the "Other Darrining" by beginning with archive footage of Hartnell.

** As stated before, Tom Baker was originally going to be part of the special, but dropped out at the last minute. If he stayed in the project, he would've been the Doctor that went to Gallifrey and later confronts Borusa at the end. Dicks state that Baker dropping out actually helped out because it gave more screen time for Peter Davison since he was the current Doctor at the time. It also had the bonus of allowing producer John Nathan-Turner to utilize footage from the unfinished story "Shada," which he'd been trying to get on TV for several years, in order to allow Baker to appear anyway, and said footage also allowed Lalla Ward's popular Romana to make a cameo which would not otherwise have been possible.[[note]]Ward and Baker had divorced by this time and wouldn't work together again for another 30 years; and Romana had been left in a pocket universe when last seen, making it unlikely she could have appeared in the special.[[/note]]
** A large number of other characters were planned to appear, but the actors were unavailable. The continuity error of the Second Doctor remembering an incident that happened moments before his regeneration was a last-minute replacement for the original reason he recognised his old companions as illusions. This would have featured Victoria saying "The Brigadier's right", but the Doctor remembering that he was a Colonel when she met him. But, Deborah Watling had to pull out and the replacement line was hastily added.

* OldShame: Liz Sladen and Terrance Dicks weren't very pleased of the infamous scene where Sarah Jane falls off the cliff.
** On a similar note, Carole wasn't please that had to trip over her own ankles after the Doctor teleported to Gallifrey.

* TheOtherDarrin: Richard Hurndall does a wonderful job trying to fill in the shoes of the late William Hartnell. It does help that he looks quite a bit like the previous actor, but it didn't stop some from lovingly nicknaming the special "Three Doctors and a Bloke in a Wig" during the DVDCommentary. (A funny nickname, considering that William Hartnell wore a wig throughout his era.) The episode itself acknowledges and lampshades the "Other Darrining" by beginning with archive footage of Hartnell.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: As stated before, Tom Baker was originally going to be part of the special, but dropped out at the last minute. If he stayed in the project, he would've been the Doctor that went to Gallifrey and later confronts Borusa at the end. Dicks state that Tom dropping out actually helped out because it gave more screen time for Peter since he was the current Doctor at the time. It also had the bonus of allowing producer John Nathan-Turner to utilize footage from the unfinished story "Shada," which he'd been trying to get on TV for several years, in order to allow Baker to appear anyway, and said footage also allowed Lalla Ward's popular Romana to make a cameo which would not otherwise have been possible.[[note]]Ward and Baker had divorced by this time and wouldn't work together again for another 30 years; and Romana had been left in a pocket universe when last seen, making it unlikely she could have appeared in the special.[[/note]]

** The story was originally conceived as "The Six Doctors", with the "sixth" referring to one of the Doctors being a robot impersonator! Ironically enough, the [[Creator/ColinBaker actor]] who would take up the mantle as ''the'' Sixth Doctor [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity had just appeared in the series]], and the next year, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani made his debut as the next Doctor.]] In fact, Colin Baker's previous character, Maxil, was originally intended to be the commander who kills the Castellan.

** The story was originally conceived as "The Six Doctors", with the "sixth" referring to one of the Doctors being a robot impersonator! Ironically enough, the [[Creator/ColinBaker actor]] who would take up the mantle as ''the'' Sixth Doctor [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinity had just appeared in the series]], and the next year, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani made his debut as the next Doctor.]]

** The story was originally conceived as "The Six Doctors", with the "sixth" referring to one of the Doctors being a robot impersonator! Ironically enough, the [[Creator/ColinBaker actor]] who would take up the mantle as ''the'' Sixth Doctor [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E1ArcOfInfinityhad just appeared in the series]], and the next year, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E6TheCavesOfAndrozani made his debut as the next Doctor.]]

** The story was originally conceived as "The Six Doctors", with the "sixth" referring to one of the Doctors being a robot impersonator!

** Just about everyone gets a laugh out of, "No, not the mind probe!"

* OldShame: Liz Sladen and Terrance Dicks weren't very please of the infamous scene where Sarah Jane falls off the cliff.

* ActorAllusion: Three insults Two by calling him a scarecrow. Three had gone on to play Literature/WorzelGummidge.

** A large number of other characters were planned to appear, but the actors were unavailable. The continuity error of the Second Doctor remembering an incident that happened moments before his regeneration was a last-minute replacement for the original reason he recognised his old companions as illusions. This would have featured Victoria saying "The Brigadier's right", but the Doctor remembering that he was a Colonel when she met him. But, Deborah Watling had to pull out and the replacement line was hastily added.

* TheOtherDarrin: Richard Hurndall does a wonderful job trying to fill in the shoes of the late William Hartnell. It does help that he looks quite a bit like the previous actor, but it didn't stop some from lovingly nicknaming the special "Three Doctors and a Bloke in a Wig" during the DVDCommentary. (A funny nickname, considering that William Hartnell wore a wig throughout his era.)
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: As stated before, Tom Baker was originally going to be part of the special, but dropped out at the last minute. If he stayed in the project, he would've been the Doctor that went to Gallifrey and later confronts Borusa at the end. Dicks state that Tom dropping out actually helped out because it gave more screen time for Peter since he was the current Doctor at the time.

* OldShame: Liz Sladen and Terrance Dicks weren't very please of the infamous scene where Sarah Jane falls off the cliff. On a similar note, Carole wasn't please that had to trip over her own ankles after the Doctor teleported to Gallifrey.

** A large number of other characters were planned to appear, but the actors were unavailable. The continuity error of the Second Doctor remembering an incident that happened moments before his regeneration was a last-minute replacement for the original reason he recognised his old companions as illusions. This would have featured Victoria saying "The Brigadier's right", but the Doctor remembering that he was a Colonel when she met him.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: As stated before, Tom Baker was originally going to be part of the special, but dropped out at the last minute. If he stayed in the project, he would've been the Doctor that went to Gallifrey and later confronts Borusa at the end. Dicks state that Tom dropping out actually helped out because it gave more screen time for Peter since he was the current Doctor at the time.

TheOtherDarrin: Richard Hurndall does a wonderful job trying to fill in the shoes of the late William Hartnell. It does help that he looks quite a bit like the previous actor, but it didn't stop some from lovingly nicknaming the special "Three Doctors and a Bloke in a Wig" during the DVDCommentary. (A funny nickname, considering that William Hartnell wore a wig throughout his era.)

* OldShame: Liz Sladen and Terrance Dicks weren't very please of the infamous scene where Sarah Jane falls off the cliff. On a similar note, Carole wasn't please that had to trip over her own ankles after the Doctor teleported to Gallifrey.