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About the show itself
"He is impulsive, idealistic, ready to risk his life for a worthy cause. He hates tyranny and oppression and anything that is anti-life. He never gives in and he never gives up, however overwhelming the odds against him.
The Doctor believes in good and fights evil. Though often caught up in violent situations, he is a man of peace. He is never cruel or cowardly.
In fact, to put it simply, the Doctor is a hero."
The Doctor believes in good and fights evil. Though often caught up in violent situations, he is a man of peace. He is never cruel or cowardly.
In fact, to put it simply, the Doctor is a hero."
"The Doctor symbolizes the best values of British life. Eccentricity, the creative amateur, and civilization."
"It’s hard to talk about the importance of an imaginary hero. But heroes are important. Heroes tell us something about ourselves. History books tell us who we used to be, documentaries tell us who we are now, but heroes tell us who we want to be. And a lot of our heroes depress me. But, you know, when they made this particular hero up, they didn’t give him a gun — they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn’t give him a tank or a warship or an X-Wing fighter, they gave him a call box from which you can call for help. And they didn’t give him a superpower or pointy ears or a heat ray. They gave him an extra heart. They gave him two hearts, and that’s an extraordinary thing. There will never come a time when we don’t need a hero like the Doctor."
— Steven Moffat, 50th Anniversary convention panel
"Doctor Who has never pretended to be hard science fiction… At best, Doctor Who is a fairy tale, with fairy tale logic, about this wonderful man in this big blue box who at the beginning of every story lands somewhere where there is a problem."
"No, look, there's a blue box. It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. It can go anywhere in time and space and sometimes even where it's meant to go. And when it turns up, there's a bloke in it called the Doctor and there will be stuff wrong and he will do his best to sort it out and he will probably succeed cos he's awesome. Now sit down, shut up, and watch 'Blink'."
Craig Ferguson: Tonight's show is about a man... who's not really a man. He's a Doctor, but he's not really a doctor, like Dr. Phil, but AWESOME! Most people in the United States of America have not heard of him. He's just like me in that regard!
[later, while singing along with the theme music]
One thing is consistent though
and this is why the show is so
beloved by geeks and nerds...
It's all about the triumph of intellect and romance
over brute force and cynicism!
[speaking again] And if there is any hope for any of us in that giant explosion in which we inhabit, surely that's it, intellect and romance triumphs over brute force and cynicism... right, Doctor?
Matt Smith: [stepping in from stage right] Absolutely, Craig!
[later, while singing along with the theme music]
One thing is consistent though
and this is why the show is so
beloved by geeks and nerds...
It's all about the triumph of intellect and romance
over brute force and cynicism!
[speaking again] And if there is any hope for any of us in that giant explosion in which we inhabit, surely that's it, intellect and romance triumphs over brute force and cynicism... right, Doctor?
Matt Smith: [stepping in from stage right] Absolutely, Craig!
"It's completely terrifying!
But it's so, so exciting!
He said I was brilliant and I could change the world,
So many places I've been, there's so much more more to see!
We got galaxies and planets and moons,
And an awful lot of running to do-ooooooooh-ooooooh-oooooh-ooooooh!"
But it's so, so exciting!
He said I was brilliant and I could change the world,
So many places I've been, there's so much more more to see!
We got galaxies and planets and moons,
And an awful lot of running to do-ooooooooh-ooooooh-oooooh-ooooooh!"
"Travelling man,
Such secrets to be told,
Alien man, running from the days of old.
Out of his world, with nothing left to lose.
Traveling man, coming down to rescue you!"
Such secrets to be told,
Alien man, running from the days of old.
Out of his world, with nothing left to lose.
Traveling man, coming down to rescue you!"
"Star Trek has a reputation for attracting a certain class of obsessive, socially stunted fan. But when the latest Trek fan film isn't geeky enough to fully satisfy the escapist yen of your Linux-loving, Zaurus-toting, polyester-wearing ass, there is only one fully pedigreed alternative suitable for your viewing needs — the one and only Doctor Who.
(Unless you're British, in which case loving Doctor Who comes as naturally as loving Seinfeld does to Americans.)"
(Unless you're British, in which case loving Doctor Who comes as naturally as loving Seinfeld does to Americans.)"
— The Rotten Library, Doctor Who
"Watching Doctor Who is like having a relationship with God."
"For every inexplicable time pretzel or hmm-hummer it presents, though, it’s one of the most distinct shows I watch: its mercurial protagonist, who can flip between Implacable Intimidator and Goofy Ultrapacifist in a harrowing instant is one of the more intriguing things about it. It’s a romp, for lack of a better term. It’s a joke that you’re in on, and if you don’t watch it enough to pass through the membrane and get to that inside portion, you’ll probably feel like the show is teasing you most of the time. You’ll see those 'special effects' and probably be insulted by them, when for the regular audience they are, in their amalgamation, a kind of 'wink'. You can see the strings and stagey bits, and if you agree to believe it, you’re off to the races. It’s a show you must meet half-way, which I do, and I’ve been repaid for it many times over."
"There are many things that are brilliant about Doctor Who — the likability of a clever and unpredictable hero, the flexibility of the format, several of the monsters and concepts. But in the end, this is, I think, what made the show great. The fact that it is a profoundly delightful blow against the cruelty of 'the way things are'."
— Elizabeth Sandifer, TARDIS Eruditorium
"Listen girl to what I say
About the man from Gallifrey
He can show you the planets
He can show you the stars
He can love you more because
He's got two hearts
Doctor Who, Doctor Who,
Doctor Who, whatcha gonna do
Doctor Who, Doctor Who,
Doctor Who, whatcha gonna do
From the nearest world to The farthest,
he'll take you there in his TARDIS
Who will you find? Are you a risk-taker?
Will it be David Tennant or Colin Baker?
[Chorus]
As you travel through the void
Your adventures will be great
But as you experience the freedom of time,
there's no escaping your ultimate fate
For though you fly through the
Galaxies at supersonic speeds
You only lie in wait to hear the word
To hear the word
To hear the word
EXTERMINATE!"
About the man from Gallifrey
He can show you the planets
He can show you the stars
He can love you more because
He's got two hearts
Doctor Who, Doctor Who,
Doctor Who, whatcha gonna do
Doctor Who, Doctor Who,
Doctor Who, whatcha gonna do
From the nearest world to The farthest,
he'll take you there in his TARDIS
Who will you find? Are you a risk-taker?
Will it be David Tennant or Colin Baker?
[Chorus]
As you travel through the void
Your adventures will be great
But as you experience the freedom of time,
there's no escaping your ultimate fate
For though you fly through the
Galaxies at supersonic speeds
You only lie in wait to hear the word
To hear the word
To hear the word
EXTERMINATE!"
— Parry Gripp, "Doctor Who"
"Star Wars is adolescent nonsense; Close Encounters is obscurantist drivel; Star Trek can turn your brains to puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is Doctor Who! And I'll take you all on, one-by-one or all in a bunch to back it up!"
— Harlan Ellison, recalling an address to science-fiction fans, in his Introduction to a series of Doctor Who novelizations published in the US in the late '70s.
"The world would be a poorer place without Doctor Who."
"It is, locally, your one-stop shop for weird ideas, unconvincing aliens, and serious pacing problems."
"Donna was there to tell the Doctor when to stop. Clara has taken the brakes off and is going WHEEEEEE!!!!!"
— Verity Doctor Who podcast
"I’ll just say this and I’ll get into terrible trouble with certain people... I don’t think Doctor Who is that kind of show. Doctor Who is a big hearted, optimistic show that believes in kindness and love and that wisdom will triumph in the end. I don’t believe it’s the kind of show that says there are bitter, twisted, nasty endings because it’s not. It’s not gritty; it’s aspirational. It says, ‘It can work. And wisdom and kindness will triumph. And love will always come through in the end.’ I think there aren’t enough people or enough shows saying that and I’m damned if Doctor Who is going to join in with the general chorus of despair. So, she doesn't die. She nearly dies and becomes something else."
— Steven Moffat, acknowledging potential haters towards Bill being brought Back from the Dead in "The Doctor Falls", via Steven Moffat & Rachel Talalay - The Aftershow - Doctor Who: The Fan Show
Joe: So now it's space and time. You ever watch Doctor Who on PBS?
Brianna: All the time, on the BBC. And don't think I wouldn't sell my soul for a TARDIS.
Brianna: All the time, on the BBC. And don't think I wouldn't sell my soul for a TARDIS.
Stephen Colbert: Did you watch Doctor Who when you were growing up?
David Tennant: Oh yeah, it was hugely important to me. It was a- it was a- Because it was a show where- where the hero wasn't a jock. Y'know, and that was...
Stephen: Ohh...
David: As someone sitting in Paisley with a snotty nose and... and glasses with scotch tape 'round the- 'round the leg, that was very important to me.
Stephen: 'Cause Bond is the jock.
David: Exactly. I love Bond too, but I could- I could be the Doctor. Turned out I was!
David Tennant: Oh yeah, it was hugely important to me. It was a- it was a- Because it was a show where- where the hero wasn't a jock. Y'know, and that was...
Stephen: Ohh...
David: As someone sitting in Paisley with a snotty nose and... and glasses with scotch tape 'round the- 'round the leg, that was very important to me.
Stephen: 'Cause Bond is the jock.
David: Exactly. I love Bond too, but I could- I could be the Doctor. Turned out I was!
"Change my dears and not a moment too soon — She IS the Doctor, whether you like it or not!"
— Colin Baker on Twitter, after the announcement that Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor
, after the announcement that Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor"When Millie first came into that room, I just thought, 'Oh, me and you would have gotten in so much trouble at school'. We would have been in detention every day. We would have given the teachers hell. And I love that, because that's perfect for the Doctor. This mad, mad scientist that loves adventures, loves getting themselves into scrapes, and loves walking into situations where they have absolutely no idea what's going on but they are going to fix it. I felt that I needed someone that has that same sort of slightly tapped, slightly crazy energy. I loved the image of two troublemakers — two people that can't help themselves but get into trouble — that I got from Millie Gibson. I was like, 'That's it! That's it right there! We're going to get into trouble together, and it's going to be so much fun.' I can't wait for the world to meet Ruby this Christmas."
Companions, Foes, and Others
"What are you doing here?"
— Recurring phrase said by nearly everyone
First Dalek: Exterminate all humans!
Second Dalek: Exterminate all humans!
First Dalek: Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!
All Daleks: Daleks conquer and destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!
[repeats until the out-of-step chanting blends together]
Second Dalek: Exterminate all humans!
First Dalek: Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!
All Daleks: Daleks conquer and destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!
[repeats until the out-of-step chanting blends together]
"It's a great pity you're not a prince. You'd have made rather a good one."
— Princess Rapunzel to Jamie, "The Mind Robber"
"Oh, don't underestimate them, Jimmy. They may look like amateurs, but that man has an incredible knack of being one jump ahead of everyone."
— Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, "The Invasion"
Rossini: Who the heck are you? ...Well?
The Master: I am usually referred to as "the Master".
Rossini: Oh? Is that so?
The Master: Universally.
The Master: I am usually referred to as "the Master".
Rossini: Oh? Is that so?
The Master: Universally.
— The Master's introduction, "Terror of the Autons"
"I am the Master, and you will obey me."
— The Master, "Terror of the Autons"
Davros: Wait! Those men are scientists, they can help you! Let them live! Have pity!
Dalek: "Pi-ty"? I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
"There is no point in further discussion. Discussion is for the wise and the helpless, and I am neither."
— Leela, "The Invasion of Time"
Romana: They taught me at school how to stop my hearts.
Tyssan: Hearts? How many have you got?
Romana: One for casual, one for best.
Tyssan: Hearts? How many have you got?
Romana: One for casual, one for best.
Countess Scarlioni: My dear, I don't think he's as stupid as he seems.
Count Scarlioni: My dear, nobody could be as stupid as he seems.
Count Scarlioni: My dear, nobody could be as stupid as he seems.
— Discussing the Fourth Doctor, "City of Death"
Duggan: You know what I don't understand...?
Romana: I expect so.
Romana: I expect so.
Fifth Doctor: All this carnage isn't necessary.
Terileptil: It's survival, Doctor. Just as these primates kill lesser species to protect themselves, so I kill them. [turns to leave]
Fifth Doctor: That's hardly an argument!
Terileptil: [angrily] It's not supposed to be argument! It's a statement!
Terileptil: It's survival, Doctor. Just as these primates kill lesser species to protect themselves, so I kill them. [turns to leave]
Fifth Doctor: That's hardly an argument!
Terileptil: [angrily] It's not supposed to be argument! It's a statement!
"Splendid fellows, all of you."
— Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, to the First through Fifth Doctors, "The Five Doctors"
The Master: I am the Master!
Peri: So what? I'm Perpugilliam Brown, and I can shout just as loud as you can!
Peri: So what? I'm Perpugilliam Brown, and I can shout just as loud as you can!
"You have the mouth of a prattling jackanapes. But your eyes: They tell a different story."
— Sharaz Jek speaking to the Fifth Doctor, "The Caves of Androzani"
"Your sense of humour will be the death of you, Doctor. Probably quite soon."
— Sharaz Jek, "The Caves of Androzani"
"The truth? Hex wants the truth. Where to start? The most important truth you never learned, Hexxie boy, is that when the chips are down, the Doctor only ever thinks about himself. You see, it's just a chess game for him. He is the King — All clever and very impressive but very hands-off with the nitty-gritty. He sits at the back and sends everyone else rushing about, doing his dirty work, all those plans and strategies and tinkering, sending wave after wave of pawns to die while he keeps his conscience clean."
— On the Seventh Doctor, "A Death in the Family"
Artron: I hate to interrupt... But can one of you explain what is going on?
The Master: (smirking) Doctor, be my guest.
Eighth Doctor: Artron, that man there is one of the worst criminals that Gallifrey has ever produced.
The Master: Ooh, ho ho! Flattered.
The Master: (smirking) Doctor, be my guest.
Eighth Doctor: Artron, that man there is one of the worst criminals that Gallifrey has ever produced.
The Master: Ooh, ho ho! Flattered.
— "Day of the Master"
Clive: The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes he's there. He brings a storm in his wake and he has only one constant companion.
Rose: Who's that?
Clive: Death.
Rose: Who's that?
Clive: Death.
— "Rose"
"Are you my mummy?"
— The Child, "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances"
Captain Jack: Captain Jack Harkness.
Lynda: Lynda Moss.
Captain Jack: Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss.
Ninth Doctor: You mind flirting outside?
Captain Jack: I was just saying hello.
Ninth Doctor: For you that's flirting.
Lynda: I'm not complaining.
Lynda: Lynda Moss.
Captain Jack: Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss.
Ninth Doctor: You mind flirting outside?
Captain Jack: I was just saying hello.
Ninth Doctor: For you that's flirting.
Lynda: I'm not complaining.
"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space, every single atom of your existence. And I divide them."
— Bad Wolf in one of the show's great Badass Boasts, "The Parting of the Ways"
Rose: (on K-9) How come he looks so... disco?
Tenth Doctor: Oi! Year 5000, this was cutting edge!
Sarah Jane: The Doctor likes traveling with an entourage. Sometimes they're human, sometimes they're aliens and sometimes they're tin dogs. ...What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?
Mickey: Me? I'm their man in Havana. I'm their technical support. I'm– oh my god. I'm the tin dog!
Mickey: Me? I'm their man in Havana. I'm their technical support. I'm– oh my god. I'm the tin dog!
Ricky: You see? No earpods. While the rest of the world downloads from Cybus Industries, we, we, have got freedom. You're talking to London's Most Wanted, but Target No. 1 is Lumic and we are going to bring him down.
Mickey: From your kitchen?
Ricky: Have you got a problem with that?
Mickey: No, it's a good kitchen.
Mickey: From your kitchen?
Ricky: Have you got a problem with that?
Mickey: No, it's a good kitchen.
President of Britain: Lumic, I demand to know, who were these people?
John Lumic: They were poor! And wretched, and useless! Until I elevated them, and gave them life eternal, and now I leave you in their capable hands, sir!
President: [to Cyberman] I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for what's been done to you. But I promise, this ends tonight.
John Lumic: They were poor! And wretched, and useless! Until I elevated them, and gave them life eternal, and now I leave you in their capable hands, sir!
President: [to Cyberman] I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for what's been done to you. But I promise, this ends tonight.
Cyberman: Upgrading is compulsory.
President: What happens if I refuse?
Tenth Doctor: Don't.
President: What happens if I refuse?
Tenth Doctor: I'm telling you, don't.
President: What happens if I refuse?
Tenth Doctor: Don't.
President: What happens if I refuse?
Tenth Doctor: I'm telling you, don't.
President: What happens if I refuse?
Cyberman: You are no longer necessary.
President: What happens then?
Cyberman: You will be deleted. [kills him with an electric shock]
Tenth Doctor: There's no need to damage us. We surrender. Take us to be processed.
Cyberman: You are rogue elements.
Tenth Doctor: But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!
Cyberman: You are inferior. Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you shall perish under Maximum Deletion. Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete.
"Y'know, when you're a kid, they tell you it's all grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid and that's it. But the truth is the world's so much stranger than that, and so much darker, and so much madder, and so much better."
— Elton Pope, "Love & Monsters"
Cyber Leader: Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen.
Dalek Sec: This is not war. This is pest control!
Cyber Leader: We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?
Dalek Sec: Four.
Cyber Leader: You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?
Dalek Sec: We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek! You are superior in only one respect.
Cyber Leader: What is that?
Dalek Sec: You are better at dying!
Dalek: You will identify!
Rose: All right, then, if you really wanna know. That's the Doctor.
[all three Daleks in the room jerk away]
Rose: Five million Cybermen, no problem. One Doctor... now you're scared.
[all three Daleks in the room jerk away]
Rose: Five million Cybermen, no problem. One Doctor... now you're scared.
"But of all the strange, strange creatures
In the air, at sea, on land,
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
I love you, you understand."
In the air, at sea, on land,
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
I love you, you understand."
— Neil Hannon singing "Love Don't Roam", "The Runaway Bride"
Dalek: Daleks have no concept of "worry".
Diagoras: Yeah? Well, lucky you.
Dalek: This day is ending. Humankind is weak. You shelter from the dark. And yet, you have built all this.
Diagoras: That's progress. You gotta move with the times or you get left behind.
Dalek: My planet is gone. Destroyed in a great war. Yet versions of this city stand throughout history. The human race always continues.
Diagoras: We've had wars. I've been a soldier myself. And I swore then I'd survive, no matter what.
Dalek: You have rare ambition.
Diagoras: Oh, I want to run this city, no matter what it takes. By any means necessary.
Dalek: You think like a Dalek.
Diagoras: ...I'll take that as a compliment.
Hutchinson: Latimer, you filthy coward!
Tim Latimer: Oh, yes sir, every time, sir!
Tim Latimer: Oh, yes sir, every time, sir!
Tim Latimer: He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun.
John Smith: Stop it.
Tim Latimer: He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe.
John Smith: Stop it! I said stop it.
Tim Latimer: And... he's wonderful.
John Smith: Stop it.
Tim Latimer: He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe.
John Smith: Stop it! I said stop it.
Tim Latimer: And... he's wonderful.
— Tim Latimer describing the Tenth Doctor, "The Family of Blood"
"Oh...! [picks up an electric cable] Now I can say I was provoked."
— "Professor Yana" upon being threatened with a gun by Chantho, "Utopia"
"Professor Yana": All those years, standing beside me, and it never occurred to you to ask me about the watch. Did it never occur to you, not ever, that you could set me free?
Chantho: Chan - Professor Yana -
"Professor Yana": And you, with your "chan" and your "tho", driving me insane!
Chantho: Chan - Professor, please -
"Professor Yana": THAT IS NOT MY NAME! The "Professor" was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am...
Chantho: Chan - who are you? - tho
"Professor Yana": I. Am. The Master.
Chantho: Chan - Professor Yana -
"Professor Yana": And you, with your "chan" and your "tho", driving me insane!
Chantho: Chan - Professor, please -
"Professor Yana": THAT IS NOT MY NAME! The "Professor" was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am...
Chantho: Chan - who are you? - tho
"Professor Yana": I. Am. The Master.
— "Utopia"
"Oooh, new voice. Hello. Hello. Hello. Now then, Doctor. Why don't we have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you figure out a way to stop me, I don't think!"
— The freshly-regenerated Master, "Utopia"
The Master: [on the gas mask he's wearing] Because of the gas.
Albert Dumfries: What gas?
The Master: This gas.
Albert Dumfries: What gas?
The Master: This gas.
The Master: Anything I can do? I could make the tea– or isn't that American enough? I dunno, I could make grits. What are "grits", anyway?
President Winters: If you could just sit?
The Master: [to Lucy] Misery-guts.
President Winters: If you could just sit?
The Master: [to Lucy] Misery-guts.
Donna: I'm not drifting... I'm waiting.
Wilf: What for?
Donna: The right man.
Wilf: [chuckles] Same old story, a man!
Donna: No, I don't mean like that, but he's real. I've seen him. I've met him, just once, and then, I let him fly away.
Wilf: Well, there you are, go and find him.
Donna: I've tried. He's... nowhere.
Wilf: Eh? Not like you to give up. D'you know? I remember when you were six years old, your mother said "No holiday, this year". So off you toddled all on your own and you got on a bus to Strathclyde! We had the police out and everything! "Where's she gone, then? Where's that girl, eh?"
Donna: ...You're right. 'Cause he's out there, somewhere. And I'll find him, gramps. Even if I have to wait a hundred years, I'll find him.
Wilf: What for?
Donna: The right man.
Wilf: [chuckles] Same old story, a man!
Donna: No, I don't mean like that, but he's real. I've seen him. I've met him, just once, and then, I let him fly away.
Wilf: Well, there you are, go and find him.
Donna: I've tried. He's... nowhere.
Wilf: Eh? Not like you to give up. D'you know? I remember when you were six years old, your mother said "No holiday, this year". So off you toddled all on your own and you got on a bus to Strathclyde! We had the police out and everything! "Where's she gone, then? Where's that girl, eh?"
Donna: ...You're right. 'Cause he's out there, somewhere. And I'll find him, gramps. Even if I have to wait a hundred years, I'll find him.
— Donna Noble speaking of the Doctor, "Partners in Crime"
Donna: [answering the phone, whispering] Not now!
Sylvia: I need the car. Where are you?
Donna: I can't, I'm busy.
Sylvia: Why are you whispering?
Donna: I'm in church.
Sylvia: What are you doing in church?
Donna: ...Praying.
Sylvia: Bit late for that, madam.
Sylvia: I need the car. Where are you?
Donna: I can't, I'm busy.
Sylvia: Why are you whispering?
Donna: I'm in church.
Sylvia: What are you doing in church?
Donna: ...Praying.
Sylvia: Bit late for that, madam.
"'Cause the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean that's gotta be a hoax."
— Donna Noble, "Partners in Crime"
Pompeiian Stallholder: 'Afternoon sweet'art. What can I get you, miluv?
Donna: [clears her throat] Veni, vidi, vici. note
Stallholder: Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No. Can. Do. Missy.
Donna: Yeah! [to the Tenth Doctor] How's he mean, Celtic?
Tenth Doctor: Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are, learnt something.
Donna: [clears her throat] Veni, vidi, vici. note
Stallholder: Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No. Can. Do. Missy.
Donna: Yeah! [to the Tenth Doctor] How's he mean, Celtic?
Tenth Doctor: Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are, learnt something.
— Donna Noble tests out the TARDIS' recursive translation circuits, "The Fires of Pompeii"
"He's like fire. Stand too close, and you get burned."
— Martha Jones warns Donna about the Doctor, "The Sontaran Stratagem"
"He saves worlds, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures, and runs a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."
— Donna Noble describing the Tenth Doctor, "The Doctor's Daughter"
Jenny: And what's it like, the travelling?
Donna Noble: Ah, never a dull moment. Can be terrifying, brilliant, and funny, sometimes all at the same time.
Donna Noble: Ah, never a dull moment. Can be terrifying, brilliant, and funny, sometimes all at the same time.
"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever, for one moment, accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair and the Doctor comes to call, everybody lives.''
— River Song, "Forest of the Dead"
Davros: Supreme Dalek, is there news?
Supreme Dalek: Earth has been subjugated.
Davros: I mean, is there news of him?
Supreme Dalek: Negative. No reports of Time Lords.
Davros: Fascinating. If I had not elevated you beyond crude emotion, I would almost mistake your tone for one of victory. Beware your pride.
Supreme Dalek: We are beyond the Doctor's reach!
Davros: And yet... Dalek Caan remains uneasy.
Supreme Dalek: The abomination is insane!
Davros: Show more respect! Without Dalek Caan, none of this would be possible, and his word speaks only truth.
Dalek Caan: He's coming. The Three-Fold Man. He dances in the lonely places. Oh, creator of us all... the Doctor is coming! [cackles insanely]
Dalek Caan: He's coming. The Three-Fold Man. He dances in the lonely places. Oh, creator of us all... the Doctor is coming! [cackles insanely]
Dalek: Yes, we know who you are.
Harriet: Oh, you know nothing of any human. And that will be your downfall.
Rose: What was that?
Davros: Electrical energy, Miss Tyler. Every atom is held together by an energy field, the Reality Bomb cancels out the field. Structure falls apart.
Rose: The stars are going out...
Tenth Doctor: This station functions as a giant transmitter, blasting out the wavelength.
Davros: Across the entire universe. Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People, planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will become atoms, and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel! Every corner of creation! This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The DESTRUCTION! OF REALITY! ITSELF!
Davros: Electrical energy, Miss Tyler. Every atom is held together by an energy field, the Reality Bomb cancels out the field. Structure falls apart.
Rose: The stars are going out...
Tenth Doctor: This station functions as a giant transmitter, blasting out the wavelength.
Davros: Across the entire universe. Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People, planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will become atoms, and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel! Every corner of creation! This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The DESTRUCTION! OF REALITY! ITSELF!
Father Octavian: You promised me an army, Dr. Song.
River Song: No, I promised you the equivalent of one. This is the Doctor.
River Song: No, I promised you the equivalent of one. This is the Doctor.
"You know what's dangerous about you, Doctor? It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around."
— Rory Williams, "The Vampires of Venice"
[on the legend of the Pandorica and what's trapped inside it]
Eleventh Doctor: There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.
Amy Pond: How did it end up in there?
Eleventh Doctor: You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it.
River Song: I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him.
Eleventh Doctor: There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.
Amy Pond: How did it end up in there?
Eleventh Doctor: You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it.
River Song: I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him.
— "The Pandorica Opens" (the intended occupant of the Pandorica is later revealed to be the Doctor himself)
[River Song faces off against a very weak Dalek after said Dalek has killed the Doctor]
Dalek: You will be EXTERMINATED!
River: Not yet. Your systems are still restoring, which means your shield density is compromised. One Alpha-Meson burst through your eyestalk would kill you stone dead.
Dalek: Records indicate you will show mercy, you are an associate of the Doctor.
River: I'm River Song. [points her weapon at the Dalek's eyestalk] Check your records again.
[beat]
[beat]
Dalek: ...Mercy?
River: Say it again.
Dalek: Mercy!
River: One. More. Time.
Dalek: MERCY!!!
[cut to River Song walking alone through the halls]
Amy: What happened to the Dalek?
River: [nonchalant] It died.
Amy: What happened to the Dalek?
River: [nonchalant] It died.
"Rule #1: The Doctor Lies."
— River Song, "The Big Bang"
"Raggedy Man, I remember you, and you are LATE FOR MY WEDDING!"
— Amy Pond, "The Big Bang"
"The only water in the forest is the river...
Silence will fall (when the Question is asked).
Tick-tock goes the clock..."
Silence will fall (when the Question is asked).
Tick-tock goes the clock..."
— Arc Words, Series 6
Amy: What's the matter with you?
Rory: You... called me stupid.
Amy: I always call you stupid.
Rory: No... but... my face.
[Amy sees the transmitter, and realizes that Rory heard her saying that she loves his "stupid face", which he thought was referring to the Doctor]
Rory: I wasn't sure who you were talking about... You know, me or...
Amy: Him?
Rory: Well you did say "dropped out of the sky".
Amy: It's a figure of speech, moron! [kisses him]
Rory: You... called me stupid.
Amy: I always call you stupid.
Rory: No... but... my face.
[Amy sees the transmitter, and realizes that Rory heard her saying that she loves his "stupid face", which he thought was referring to the Doctor]
Rory: I wasn't sure who you were talking about... You know, me or...
Amy: Him?
Rory: Well you did say "dropped out of the sky".
Amy: It's a figure of speech, moron! [kisses him]
The Doctor: You know, since we're talking, with mouths — not really an opportunity that comes along very often — I just wanna say you have never been very reliable.
The TARDIS: And you have?
The Doctor: You didn't always take me where I wanted to go.
The TARDIS: No, but I always took you where you needed to go.
[…]
The TARDIS: Are all people like this?
The Doctor: Like what?
The TARDIS: So much bigger on the inside.
[…]
The TARDIS: Do you ever wonder why I chose you, all those years ago?
The Doctor: I chose you. You were unlocked.
The TARDIS: Of course I was. I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Time Lord and ran away. And you were the only one mad enough.
[…]
The Doctor: She’s a woman. And she’s my TARDIS.
Amy: Did you wish really hard?
[…]
The TARDIS: There's something I didn't get to say to you.
The Doctor: …goodbye.
The TARDIS: No. I just wanted to say... Hello. Hello, Doctor. It's so very, very nice to meet you.
The TARDIS: And you have?
The Doctor: You didn't always take me where I wanted to go.
The TARDIS: No, but I always took you where you needed to go.
[…]
The TARDIS: Are all people like this?
The Doctor: Like what?
The TARDIS: So much bigger on the inside.
[…]
The TARDIS: Do you ever wonder why I chose you, all those years ago?
The Doctor: I chose you. You were unlocked.
The TARDIS: Of course I was. I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Time Lord and ran away. And you were the only one mad enough.
[…]
The Doctor: She’s a woman. And she’s my TARDIS.
Amy: Did you wish really hard?
[…]
The TARDIS: There's something I didn't get to say to you.
The Doctor: …goodbye.
The TARDIS: No. I just wanted to say... Hello. Hello, Doctor. It's so very, very nice to meet you.
"I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved. That you'll be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't the time for lies. What you are going to be, Melody, is very very brave. But not as brave as they all have to be, because there's somebody coming. I don't know where he is, or what he's doing, but trust me; he's on his way. There's a man who's never going to let us down, and not even an army can get in the way. He's the last of his kind; he looks young, but he's lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. And wherever they take you, Melody, however scared you are, I promise you, you will never be alone. Because this man is your father. He has a name, but the people of our world know him better... as the Last Centurion."
— Amy Pond, Badass Boast-ing in Rory's name, "A Good Man Goes to War"
“Demons run when a good man goes to war/Night will fall and drown the sun/When a good man goes to war/Friendship dies and true love lies/Night will fall and the dark will rise/When a good man goes to war/Demons run, but count the cost/The battle's won, but the child is lost”
'River Song, reciting the "Demons Run" poem, "A Good Man Goes To War"
"Where. Is. My. Wife?!"
— Rory Williams, asking the Cybermen a question, "A Good Man Goes To War"
"How can you be so clever and so completely stupid at the same time?"
— Amy Pond to the Doctor, prequel to "Let's Kill Hitler"
Rory: Shut up, Hitler!
Eleventh Doctor: Rory, take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there, now, do it.
Rory: Right. Putting Hitler in the cupboard.
Eleventh Doctor: Rory, take Hitler and put him in that cupboard over there, now, do it.
Rory: Right. Putting Hitler in the cupboard.
Melody Pond: It was never going to be a gun for you, was it? The man of peace who understands every kind of war...except, perhaps, the cruelest.
Older!Amy: All those boys chasing me. And it was only ever Rory. Why was that?
Amy: You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful, and then you actually talk to them, and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? But then there's other people, and you meet them and you think, "Not bad, they're okay." And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful.
Both: Rory's the most beautiful man I've ever met.
[...]
Older!Amy: You're asking me to defy destiny, causality, the nexus of time itself for a boy.
Amy: You're Amy. He's Rory. And oh, yes I am.
Amy: You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful, and then you actually talk to them, and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? But then there's other people, and you meet them and you think, "Not bad, they're okay." And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful.
Both: Rory's the most beautiful man I've ever met.
[...]
Older!Amy: You're asking me to defy destiny, causality, the nexus of time itself for a boy.
Amy: You're Amy. He's Rory. And oh, yes I am.
River: I've been sending out a message. A distress call. Outside the bubble of our time. The universe is still turning and I've sent a message everywhere. To the future and the past, the beginning and the end of everything. "The Doctor is dying. Please, please help."
The Doctor: River! River! This is ridiculous! That would mean nothing to anyone. It's insane. Worse, it's stupid! You'll embarrass me!
River: Those reports of the sun spots and the solar flares? They're wrong. There aren't any. It's not the sun. It's you. The sky is full of a million million voices, saying, "Yes of course. We'll help." You've touched so many lives, saved so many people. Did you think when your time came you'd really have to do more than just ask? You've decided that the universe is better off without you. But the universe doesn't agree.
The Doctor: River, no one can help me. A fixed point has been altered. Time is disintegrating.
River: I can't let you die—
The Doctor: But I have to die!
River: Shut up! I can't let you without knowing you are loved. By so many and so much. And by no one more than me.
The Doctor: River! River! This is ridiculous! That would mean nothing to anyone. It's insane. Worse, it's stupid! You'll embarrass me!
River: Those reports of the sun spots and the solar flares? They're wrong. There aren't any. It's not the sun. It's you. The sky is full of a million million voices, saying, "Yes of course. We'll help." You've touched so many lives, saved so many people. Did you think when your time came you'd really have to do more than just ask? You've decided that the universe is better off without you. But the universe doesn't agree.
The Doctor: River, no one can help me. A fixed point has been altered. Time is disintegrating.
River: I can't let you die—
The Doctor: But I have to die!
River: Shut up! I can't let you without knowing you are loved. By so many and so much. And by no one more than me.
Dorium: On the Fields of Trenzalore at the Fall of the Eleventh, where no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a Question will be asked. A Question that must never, ever be answered.
The Doctor: "Silence will fall when the Question is asked."
Dorium: "Silence must fall" would be a better translation. The Silence are determined that the Question will never be answered, that the Doctor will never reach Trenzalore.
The Doctor: I don't understand. What's it got to do with me?
Dorium: The first Question. The oldest Question in the universe, hidden in plain sight. Would you like to know what it is?
The Doctor: "Silence will fall when the Question is asked."
Dorium: "Silence must fall" would be a better translation. The Silence are determined that the Question will never be answered, that the Doctor will never reach Trenzalore.
The Doctor: I don't understand. What's it got to do with me?
Dorium: The first Question. The oldest Question in the universe, hidden in plain sight. Would you like to know what it is?
Dorium: It's all still waiting for you. The Fields of Trenzalore. The Fall of the Eleventh. And the question.
The Doctor: Goodbye, Dorium.
Dorium: The first question! The question that must never be answered! Hidden in plain sight! The question you've been running from all your life! Doctor Who. Doctor Who? DOCTOR WHO!?
The Doctor: Goodbye, Dorium.
Dorium: The first question! The question that must never be answered! Hidden in plain sight! The question you've been running from all your life! Doctor Who. Doctor Who? DOCTOR WHO!?
Droxil: [after he and his subordinates have put their weapons on the ground and stepped back from the crying Madge, who then pulls a pistol of her own] ...there's nothing you could say that would convince me you would ever use that gun.
Madge: Oh, really? Well, I'm looking for my children.
[cue collective Oh, Crap! moment for the Harvesters]
Madge: Oh, really? Well, I'm looking for my children.
[cue collective Oh, Crap! moment for the Harvesters]
"So that was the year of the slow invasion. When the Earth got cubed and the Doctor came to stay. It was also when we realized something the Shakri never understood. What 'cubed' actually means. The Power of Three."
— Amy Pond, "The Power of Three"
"Hello old friend, and here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well, and we're very happy. And above all else, know that we will love you, always. Sometimes I do worry about you, though. I think, once we're gone, you won't be coming back here for a while, and you might be alone, which you should never be. Don't be alone, Doctor.
And do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived, and save a whale in outer space.
Tell her, this is the story of Amelia Pond. And this is how it ends."
And do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived, and save a whale in outer space.
Tell her, this is the story of Amelia Pond. And this is how it ends."
— Amy Pond, "The Angels Take Manhattan"
"They're you. They're what you'll become if you destroy Gallifrey; the man who regrets and the man who forgets."
— The Moment, speaking of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, when trying to dissuade the War Doctor from destroying Gallifrey in "The Day of the Doctor"
Robin Hood: So, is it true, Doctor?
The Doctor: Is what true?
Robin Hood: That in the future I am forgotten as a real man. I am but a legend.
The Doctor: I'm afraid it is.
Robin Hood: Hmm... Good. History is a burden. Stories can make us fly.
The Doctor: I'm still having a little trouble believing yours, I'm afraid.
Robin Hood: Is it so hard to credit? That a man born into wealth and privilege should find the plight of the oppressed and weak too much to bear... until one night he is moved to steal a TARDIS? Fly among the stars, fighting the good fight? Clara told me your stories.
The Doctor: [irritated] She should not have told you any of that.
Robin Hood: Well, once the story started, she could hardly stop herself. You are her hero, I think.
The Doctor: I'm not a hero.
Robin Hood: Well neither am I. But if we both keep pretending to be — ha ha — perhaps others will be heroes in our name. Perhaps we will both be stories. And may those stories never end. [they shake hands] Goodbye, Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey.
The Doctor: Goodbye, Robin Hood, Earl of Loxley.
Robin Hood: And remember, Doctor… I'm just as real as you are.
The Doctor: Is what true?
Robin Hood: That in the future I am forgotten as a real man. I am but a legend.
The Doctor: I'm afraid it is.
Robin Hood: Hmm... Good. History is a burden. Stories can make us fly.
The Doctor: I'm still having a little trouble believing yours, I'm afraid.
Robin Hood: Is it so hard to credit? That a man born into wealth and privilege should find the plight of the oppressed and weak too much to bear... until one night he is moved to steal a TARDIS? Fly among the stars, fighting the good fight? Clara told me your stories.
The Doctor: [irritated] She should not have told you any of that.
Robin Hood: Well, once the story started, she could hardly stop herself. You are her hero, I think.
The Doctor: I'm not a hero.
Robin Hood: Well neither am I. But if we both keep pretending to be — ha ha — perhaps others will be heroes in our name. Perhaps we will both be stories. And may those stories never end. [they shake hands] Goodbye, Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey.
The Doctor: Goodbye, Robin Hood, Earl of Loxley.
Robin Hood: And remember, Doctor… I'm just as real as you are.
Cyber-Danny: ATTENTION! This is not a good day! This is Earth's darkest hour! And, look at you miserable lot! We are The Fallen! But today, we shall rise! The Army of the Dead will save the land of the living! This is not the order of a general, nor the whim of a lunatic...
Missy: Excuse me!
Cyber-Danny: This is a promise! The promise of a soldier! [turns and looks directly at Clara] You will sleep safe, tonight!
Missy: Excuse me!
Cyber-Danny: This is a promise! The promise of a soldier! [turns and looks directly at Clara] You will sleep safe, tonight!
Bill: So you're the first one, yeah? The original version? [...] You're the one who stole the TARDIS and ran away! [...] Why did you do it?
First Doctor: Oh, I'm sure your Doctor has explained.
Bill: Not even sure he remembers.
First Doctor: There were many pressing reasons...
Bill: I don't mean what you ran away from, what were you running to?
First Doctor: ...that's rather a good question.
Bill: Questions are kinda my thing. How are you with answers?
First Doctor: There is good, and there is evil. I left Gallifrey to answer a question of my own. By any analysis evil should always win. Good is not a practical survival strategy. It requires... loyalty, self-sacrifice, and, uh, love. And, so... why does good prevail? What keeps the balance between good and evil in this appalling universe? Is there some kind of logic, some mysterious force?
Bill: Perhaps there's just... a bloke.
First Doctor: A... a bloke?
Bill: Yeah. Perhaps there's just some bloke... wandering around, putting everything right when it goes wrong.
First Doctor: Well, that would be a nice story, wouldn't it.
Bill: That would be the best.
First Doctor: But the real world is not a fairy tale.
Bill: You dash around the universe, trying to figure out what's holding it all together and you really... really don't know?
First Doctor: You know me in the future. Do I ever understand?
Bill: No... I really don't think you do. Everyone who's ever met you does. [hugs the Doctor] You're amazing, Doctor. Never forget that. Never, ever.
First Doctor: Oh, I'm sure your Doctor has explained.
Bill: Not even sure he remembers.
First Doctor: There were many pressing reasons...
Bill: I don't mean what you ran away from, what were you running to?
First Doctor: ...that's rather a good question.
Bill: Questions are kinda my thing. How are you with answers?
First Doctor: There is good, and there is evil. I left Gallifrey to answer a question of my own. By any analysis evil should always win. Good is not a practical survival strategy. It requires... loyalty, self-sacrifice, and, uh, love. And, so... why does good prevail? What keeps the balance between good and evil in this appalling universe? Is there some kind of logic, some mysterious force?
Bill: Perhaps there's just... a bloke.
First Doctor: A... a bloke?
Bill: Yeah. Perhaps there's just some bloke... wandering around, putting everything right when it goes wrong.
First Doctor: Well, that would be a nice story, wouldn't it.
Bill: That would be the best.
First Doctor: But the real world is not a fairy tale.
Bill: You dash around the universe, trying to figure out what's holding it all together and you really... really don't know?
First Doctor: You know me in the future. Do I ever understand?
Bill: No... I really don't think you do. Everyone who's ever met you does. [hugs the Doctor] You're amazing, Doctor. Never forget that. Never, ever.
Time Lord Agent: I'm pointing a stazer pointed at your hearts. It is set to maximum. There will be no regeneration for you when I pull the trigger. And what do you have? [mockingly] A cup of tea!
The Master: [smugly] Yes... [calmly puts down the cup] Are you scared yet?
The Master: [smugly] Yes... [calmly puts down the cup] Are you scared yet?
— "The Heavenly Paradigm"
Yaz: What do we do?
Robertson: Why are you asking her?
Ryan: 'Cause she's in charge, bro.
Robertson: Says who?
Yaz, Ryan and Graham: Says us!
Robertson: Why are you asking her?
Ryan: 'Cause she's in charge, bro.
Robertson: Says who?
Yaz, Ryan and Graham: Says us!
Toymaker: Donna Noble, this is for you. Let me tell you what was happening, after he vas leaving you. He met eine friend, called Amy Pond. And he loved Amy Pond. Yes, he be liking the redheads. Und they vent too and fro, in time und space, but Amy Pond was touched by the Weeping Angel. Und she died!
Fourteenth Doctor: She died of old age.
Toymaker: WELL, THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN! ... und then, he vas meeting Clara. Oooh-ooh. But she vas killed by a bird!
Fourteenth Doctor: She still survives in her last moment of life.
Toymaker: WELL, THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN! ... then, the Doctor met Bill. Not Stooky Bill, but Lady Bill. But she vas killed by the Cybermen!
Fourteenth Doctor: But her consciousness survived.
Toymaker: OH, WELL THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN!!
Fourteenth Doctor: She died of old age.
Toymaker: WELL, THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN! ... und then, he vas meeting Clara. Oooh-ooh. But she vas killed by a bird!
Fourteenth Doctor: She still survives in her last moment of life.
Toymaker: WELL, THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN! ... then, the Doctor met Bill. Not Stooky Bill, but Lady Bill. But she vas killed by the Cybermen!
Fourteenth Doctor: But her consciousness survived.
Toymaker: OH, WELL THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN!!
—"The Giggle"
