Doctor Who: The Star Beast Breakdown - 40 Easter Eggs & References!

More easter eggs and references than you can shake a spork at. Here’s our breakdown of the first Doctor Who 60th anniversary special - The Star Beast!
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[@WhoCulture]

Let us know any good ones we didn't mention, or if you have any theories about the trigger words!

[@soliscjw]

ill9

[@peterjmgamer1998]

It is a marvel reference. Because trigger words were used on bucky to active the winter soldier. Or a reference to The Shakespeare Code episode

[@Monty-in-gumboots]

In my initial watching I assumed the trigger words were all season 4 (+Runaway Bride) references. But I never gave it any more thought.

[@Vim-Wolf]

I suspect the trigger words are the result of combining a dictionary with some darts, but the Who fans are pretty smart so if there’s something in there, it will be found.

[@lewis.l2]

techno battle.

[@evanknepper2002]

Something I noticed that I thought was funny is that Donna tells the Doctor that he can wear a suit that tight up to the age of 35 and no further. The first episodes of David Tennant as the Doctor he was 35!

[@DarthTella]

I was about to comment this, but you beat me to it. lol

[@dawnlizreads]

Yes, I spotted that as well!

[@RayTheomo]

That got a good laugh out of me

[@StuartQuinn]

That's got to be deliberate, good spot.

[@chrisevans2961]

The sleeping man on the couch should have been played by Sean Ferrick

[@DrGamingPlays]

Someone may have mentioned this already, but I thought that the Doctor and Donna being trapped on opposite sides of the control room in Meep's ship was a call back to when Wilf and Doctor where on opposite sides of the control room in the Vinvocci device in the End of Time. Only this time, Donna "dies" when the crisis is resolved.

[@kitkatelife8014]

+

[@jessicajones9054]

Yes!

[@thesecretguy2197]

I assumed it was a reference to partners in crime where they're lip reading through several layers of glass

[@mortarn]

The first fourth wall break in dr who was when hartnell says "happy christmas to all of you at home" in the feast of stephen

[@ftumschk]

* Steven, as in Steven Taylor, the Hartnell companion played by Peter Purves. It's a pun on "The Feast of (Saint) Stephen" i.e. the 26th December.

[@raffausfaus]

I still think the Meep’s boss is Abzorbaloff disguised as Nerys

[@michaeltortorice9876]

Okay, you win.

[@robertholt3996]

Fucking hell, you might be right.

[@jf683]

I want to kiss you if that's ok. This is peak yes

[@alliex51]

And that will be the representation of the master in the new series.. idk but would be funny.

[@timewyrmrevelations7700]

Funny but obviously wrong.😂😂😂

[@themagman1]

The first Doctor broke the fourth wall when wishing everyone a Happy Christmas.

[@BinroWasRight]

Thank you for that! The most obvious fourth wall breaking ever in Doctor Who, in 'The Feast of Steven' (episode seven of 'The Daleks' Master Plan'), which was aired on Christmas Day 1965. There was also Morgus plotting evilly directly to the camera (because the actor misunderstood his stage directions) at the end of an episode of 'The Caves of Androzani'.

[@robalexander8065]

The fourth Doctor was a serial breaker of the fourth wall. Notably "Even the sonic screwdriver won't get me out of this one" and his down the lens reaction to the large box labelled "K9 mk 2" .

[@MikeB-nn4nh]

The first doctor that we knew of 😉 the idea that he had previous incarnations had been floating around for a while.. (I’d definitely heard of it by Matt Smith’s era..) 🤷

[@LawrenceAkers]

I was just scouring the comments to see if anyone else had commented on that and, sure enough, someone else had. I thought that was one of the more significant ones since it was the first time it happened.

[@britishmanst5]

The newly regenerated sixth doctor also broke the fourth wall by saying change my dear, and it seems not a moment too soon in the Caves of Androzani.

[@susanharding3413]

When Sylvia and Donna are talking about Donna's memory loss, Sylvia says that Donna had a breakdown "and then you got better" - just like Doctor Moon in Silence in the Library.

[@kieran7675]

I KNEW that sounded familiar but I couldn't place it, thank you!

[@bandicootwhovian2759]

The way the Doctor held Donna in his arms was very reminiscent of the way he held the Master in ‘Last of the Time Lords’. Donna saying, “Still a bit nippy” is a direct callback to when she says “Although frankly, you could turn the heating up.” in ‘Partners in Crime’.

[@cindyg38]

I think he held Jenny that way as well.

[@theblackwidower]

One thing I'm surprised no one else noticed was the scene where The Doctor thinks Wilf is dead, and he gets overly emotional before someone calls him an idiot, I think that's a deliberate callback to The Sontaran Stratagem when Donna says she's going home and it takes a full minute before he realizes she doesn't mean permanently, and it's only a visit.

[@levy2752]

Something I noticed is that the boxes Donna is holding are labeled “fragile”…somewhat of a reminder to The Doctor that Donnas mind is very fragile and she could be easily broken if she remembers him

[@Captain.AmericaV1]

That's a good spot 👏👏

[@MichaelHeide]

Ah, so I wasn't the first one to make that connection. You did it when I was still asleep!

[@jakewhiston6461]

Fragile my ass, she was able to just let go because she's a woman, ruined the entire reason for the doctor wiping her memory in the first place

[@slegar]

Is this trying to be serious? does that then mean that sign in the shop window that said Large..( something,, missed the rest of it) is talking about Donna's ass?

[@MichaelHeide]

@@slegar It's a bad faith false dichotomy to suggest that either every single label in the background of a show is meaningful or none of them are. It's quite possible, likely even, that only some of them have meaning.

[@21Michichi]

-Donna started her relationship with her first fiance (the one working for the Racnoss thus the one that led to her meeting The Doctor) over a cup of coffee stating "so thats how it all started, one cup of coffee" in the Run Away Bride -Donna says the Tardis is cold which she said back in her original run -Donna calls the Tardis clean, Wilf said he thought the Tardis would be cleaner when he first entered -The shed is Rose's memory of the Tardis -The Doctor tells Donna "I'm just passing by" when she demands to know who he is. 12 tells Missy "I am an idiot, with a box, and a screw driver, passing by, helping out" -The Doctor misunderstanding Donna saying "He [Wilf] isn't with us anymore" and Slyvia calling him an idiot in response could be a call back to The Doctor misunderstanding Donna telling him she wants to go home in the Sontaran episode and she calls him a big dumbo in response -In the Christmas special "The Next Doctor" 10 opens a closet door to a cyberman, says "okay" and shuts the door, the enemy immediately breaks through the door, and 10 says they need to run. This almost perfectly matches when 14 opens the door to Unit soldiers, says not today and shuts the door, the enemy immediately breaks through the door, and 14 says we need to run. -When 10 finally comes to he yells at Rose then stops and goes "oh thats rude. Is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude" this kind of parallels how 14 casually mentions he loves Donna then stops and goes "Oh. Mmm. Do I say things like that now?" -Rose Tyler calls herself a dinner lady, then says to the Ood "Not that I'm calling you a lady, although I don't know. You might be" nodding to the fact that the Ood is an alien species (and you can't even assume gender by looks). Rose Noble gets annoyed that The Doctor defaults to he when speaking about someone (who also is an alien species with no obvious gender markers by looks) -Donna runs into the ship out of breath and says "that's enough running" previously in The Doctor's Daughter episode she tells Jenny "And a lot of running... seriously theres a lot of running" -14 looks directly at the audience to tell a story and says "once upon a time, once upon a time lord", The Spy Master similarly looks directly at the audience to tell a story and says "once upon a time, no, once upon several times" Moffat Era had news segments during The Wedding of River Song and The Power of Three Apparently the string of words is an MCU reference. Alternatively its a password because her mind isn't actually wiped because if it was wiped the memories would not have passed down to Rose, or been activated during Simm's Master attack on earth, 10 calls those memories a defense in that episode. So they were locked away not wiped.

[@generationalcursebreaker]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@johna5635]

Has anyone stopped to wonder who Rose's client in Dubai might actually BE? Feels like more than a casual reference to me!

[@mariapezzuolo745]

Literally thinking the same thing...

[@1999Goose99]

I’ve been saying this to people for a while!

[@markcolgan3262]

So rose is “toy maker” foreshadowing the actual toy maker

[@steve-0493]

Yup..makes sense like it's going somewhere lol!!

[@markcolgan3262]

What if the client is Susan and it’s just a cameo with her using the toys as a reminder as I’m sure she has met all the creatures in past too

[@Hamilwhovian]

When the Doctor is talking to Sherley about Donna he says something like "I loved her. Wow, I said that now", referring to the fact that 10 never said it to Rose or any of his companions. And actually, I don't remember any Doctor saying it, so it implies character growth. Now, he knows that it's okay to said that you love your friends.

[@Nerdnotwashere]

I swear Jodie said it at one point. Probably wrong though.

[@Blakerra]

Well technically it was implied that he said it to rose on the episode before Donna first appeared. At Darlig Ulv Stranden

[@JoeThornhill]

@@Blakerra Huh, I thought it was Darlink.

[@Blakerra]

@@JoeThornhill Well that's what it said on the subtitles, so...

[@kaizoc5314]

The Judoon on the moon episode when his sonic broke, he said "I love my sonic screwdriver" Does that count?

[@evelynleslie2633]

Okay but the Pixar Easter Eggs all being Toy Story references is REALLY interesting to me considering the return of the Celestial Toymaker, making this serial a “Toy Story” in itself!

[@bigldm]

Was thinking the exact same thing, especially with rose making toys as well, foreshadowing a twist maybe

[@MichaelHeide]

​@@bigldmI thought it was just that the customer in Dubai might be the Toymaker. But the Toy Story easter eggs sure add another layer!

[@scsutton1]

Of course Disney are now in partnership with the BBC going forward with Doctor Who.

[@eeveeofalltrades4780]

Speaking of the Celestial Toymaker, the main theme (as heard in the credits) has some hints of carnival music in some parts, not sure if that means something.

[@jamesdowney7784]

One easter egg regarding music i noticed in the episode, in the part where the doctor and donna are pushing all the buttons you can here a bit of the 11th doctors theme

[@sarahblunden4372]

I noticed that too

[@mattgreeves1721]

Yep! Love that it’s being noticed.

[@LisaBeta-42]

And the TARDIS reveal scene sounds A LOT like the Enterprise Flyby from "Star Trek the Motion Picture" (1979 - as "The Starbeast" comic) - both ships are clean, new and pure white AND the new doors inside the TARDIS look like the air lock of the Enterprise. The moment the Doctor starts pushing the buttons on the console the music changes to another key - still sounding Star Trek-y (taa tada taa...)

[@grumpyparsnip]

I noticed several references to other sci-fi and fantasy. 1. At one point the Meep sat on an Iron Throne look-alike. 2. Meep blending in with the toys references a scene in E.T. (Maybe this was also in the original comic?) 3. The idea of going through the attics of a connected row house comes from one of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia.

[@LisaBeta-42]

In the 2nd 'Jenny - the Doctor's Daughter' box-set from Big Finish, she does the same attic run in the story "Prisoner of the Oods" but only one of the innocent people trapped there survives the incompetent search for the escaped prisoner

[@delanellington3808]

The Magician’s Apprentice

[@grumpyparsnip]

@@delanellington3808 well, The Magician's Nephew anyway!

[@brihend]

I noted elsewhere that the doctor said: "It killed me, Donna. It killed me, killed me, killed me." and was immediately reminded that the Tennant, Smith, Capaldi, and Wittaker doctors have all regenerated between him leaving Donna and now.

[@levmirov3041]

This was the FIRST thought I had, like he was saying he can see how not having Donna directly led to the situations that caused the Doctor to end up needing to regenerate (maybe that's true and maybe it's not, but I love the idea the Doctor goes, all the time, "if Donna was here. Then it wouldn't be like this.")

[@jjjnettie]

There is a Rory reference, when the space ship is crossing the sky, there was one person filming into the crowd not the ship. In the episode "11th Hour", in the park, Rory films the Man and Dog incarnation of Prisoner Zero while everyone else is filming the obscured Sun. I think most people think it's an easter egg for Donna always missing the spaceships, but the woman filming had a line that mentioned the ship. So she clearly knew that something was happening, as did Rory.

[@cracklingice]

I hope we get a scene with all three of the scientific advisors. Malcolm was good, Osgood was really good, Shirley was good too. Putting all 3 together could be quite the funny 'do you even need me' moment.

[@sheersternfeld1914]

If we add the second Osgood it would make it even funnier.

[@jessiemassey8588]

Oh Malcom! I love Malcom, it would be great to see him come back

[@MrBanankartong]

You didn't mention it but the whole hiding an alien in the shed and in the stuffed animals has to be a reference to E.T

[@RayTheomo]

Yeah i think thats a bit obvious though. Which is why they subverted expectation by making him evil.

[@jeremyb5640]

The stuffed animals definitely seem like a nod to E.T., but hiding the Meep in the shed was in the original comic strip two years before E.T. was released.

[@TheLeagueOfSteve]

@@jeremyb5640 I never trusted E.T.

[@LisaBeta-42]

They made the original Comic Story for the Doctor Who Magazine in 1979 / published in 1980 and ET was released in 1981 - so who got inspired by WHO, hmm?😀

[@TheTardisStar]

The trigger words are the “adventures” they went on for instance the doctor said ‘volcano’ wich is of course from The Fires Of Pompeii

[@supremeoverlorde2109]

I know it's such a little thing, but I love that she called him Spaceman in this episode. I can't remember exactly when it was --- maybe Planet of the Dead? --- but someone called him Spaceman after he parted ways with Donna and he wistfully said something like, "I had this friend once. She called me Spaceman." And so I thought it was the sweetest thing that they brought it back, especially knowing that he grew to appreciate the nickname as a term of endearment. Also, I don't think this was mentioned in the video with the other musical callbacks. But I enjoyed the use of a variation of "I Am the Doctor," while Donna and the Doctor were saving the day together. While I know that song was primarily Eleven's theme, I thought it was cool to hear it again during such a triumphant moment involving my favorite duo.

[@cunningsmile4166]

Zhe calls aliens bloody martians

[@Croftice1]

I guess it was lady Christina de Souza from the Planet of the dead. I think she called him spaceman after finding out he's an alien and the Doctor had that nostalgic look remembering Donna for a moment before snapping out of it abruptly. Can't come up with any other situation where they used that theme.

[@jpwphoenix1701]

I don’t know if it counts but the Doctor getting into the black London taxi cab reminds me of that whole chase sequence in “The Runaway Bride”. Also, the whole initial thing with Donna shouting for Rose, early in the episode, reminded me of when Donna unknowingly bumps into Rose Tyler in the first Series 4 episode, “Partners In Crime”. Finally, I know we couldn’t see any of it on screen but the official DW KZbin just uploaded a video with Yasmin Finney showing everything in Rose’s shed. There are a ton of extra Easter Eggs, including DW drawings in her journals, such as a lot of Gallifreyan writing.

[@BinaryHedgehog]

It looked to me like the new TARDIS had removed all stairs and replaced them with ramps - maybe in response to meeting Shirley Anne Bingham. Maybe it means she’ll be getting in the new TARDIS at some point.

[@bitlost2809]

And Wilf, remember Donna said he can’t manage the stairs, and we’ve seen filming of him in a wheelchair.

[@Alistair-gi3bx]

I figured the new design was to be more disabled friendly in mind but didn't think of the unit advisory in that context. Just figured the DW team and BBC were trying to push for more inclusivity.

[@apdave654]

Maybe it's so that Davros can get around more eas.... hold on...

[@jermbug83]

But they did bring back the round things and you know how he likes those round things

[@cunningsmile4166]

Maybe good old Sexy, yes that's the name of the TARDIS, wanted to be fun and give the Doctor a playground

[@djashley2002]

Sorry, but for the Doctor to be UNIT Scientific Advisor #1 it would have to be The Invasion, because Liz Shaw was the Scientific Advisor in Spearhead.

[@eschnabel.4665]

I caught that as well. I appreciate the confirmation.

[@Jazzmin.Alexandria12]

Remember rule 1 the doctor lies

[@neptuneplaneptune3367]

@@Jazzmin.Alexandria12 I dont think that was a outright lie and he simply forgot. It has bein THOUSAND of years since then fore him so I think we can excuse him not remembering ewrey detail about his Second and Third incernations

[@101Waylander]

Well, I don’t recall Liz actually accepting the job. She agreed to be the Doctor’s assistant, but never said yes to the job of scientific adviser.

[@LisaBeta-42]

Number ONE is not necessarily the first person ever, but the Best one on the job😀

[@andrewbowman4611]

I think there are some Easter eggs in the dialogue as well. Most notably for me, when Donna's in the back of the truck saying "there are people out there...", I was immediately reminded of the Seventh Doctor's final words to Ace, plus the Meep uses the phrase "reign of terror", which is of course a First Doctor adventure. I'm sure there are other allusions throughout as well.

[@kidalex77]

18:13 It's not that strange, actually. Donna, as much as she loves her husband, probably felt 1) she missed her Dad, 2) she probably felt she looked amazing, 3) that was the day she met the Doctor. Even if she doesn't remember him outright, it's canon (according to this episode) that the meta-crisis influences the subconscious. All those things together? Reasonable to have that picture on her mantle. And her husband is so chill, he doesn't care!

[@SleepyHarryZzz]

Agree overall, I don't think it's even that deep. It's a nice picture and presumably one of the last of her and her dad together. The venue and it being her wedding to another man is just background noise

[@judithstrachan9399]

Maybe it was the only picture, or as kidalex77 said, the last one.

[@RazgrizAce67]

When the Meep was hiding among the stuffed animals, was totally a reference to E.T. Definitely a way of playing up the cute alien that needs help to get home.

[@Cabolt44]

The most terrifying prospect for these specials is... Nerys! She's obviously a great threat to the Whoniverse.

[@LisaBeta-42]

What accident???

[@ryansg9]

One of the things i noticed was when donna and sylvia were talking in the kitchen, the pots/pans, appliances and other kitchenware were TARDIS blue. There was a cafetiere in particular that looked very TARDISy from one camera angle. Probably some of Donna's memories seeping into the subconscious.

[@LeFouGallois]

I have been hoping that the fact The Master messed with The Doctor's regenerations will actually tie in to the creation of The Valeyard, which is a story thread that has been left hanging for way too long.

[@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.]

They're never going to touch that story. And can't really, since Michael Jayston has aged well out of the role, and the character couldn't regenerate.

[@SleepyHarryZzz]

​@@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs."the character couldn't regenerate" the whole thing with the Valeyard was trying to get more regenerations, perhaps he succeeded through other means? There's no in-universe reason that it has to be the same actor

[@scsutton1]

I seem to remember that in The Trial Of A Time Lord, the Master mentioned that the Valeyard is somewhere between the Doctor's 12th and final incarnation. But then we had Christmas 2013 and The Timeless Child, so that's all gone out of the window.

[@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.]

@@SleepyHarryZzz They could, but it removes his biggest motivation and his selling point as an adversary. Without that he’s not much different from The Master. I did like the original idea of him being revealed to just be an old man so terrified of dying he’d do anything to stop it, a subtle scriptwriter could do a lot with that, maybe someone with a lighter touch than RTD.

[@justinbeath5169]

​@@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.They would just need someone who looks similar to Michael Jayston

[@mortal6134]

Marta wasn't looking at the camera, she was looking at the Doctor. But the camera aligned with the Doctor made it seem she was looking at the camera.

[@thatjeff7550]

Tennant wearing the barrister's wig: I caught that one. I even remembered the Baker episode where he wore it. Something about these cairn stones that drank blood from people (yeah, vampire stones in Dr. Who!!) and the bad guy being a prisoner that was being transported to trial before the ship got gimped. And Baker having to do a trial because the Justice Machine demanded it. Nice one! :D

[@CritterKeeper01]

Now I want a scene with the Doctor, Shirley, and Osgood, where Osgood casually points out that Liz Shaw was actually Scientific Advisor number one.

[@Croftice1]

I see that more as a case of importance, rather than chronological order. Yes, chronologically Liz Shaw was the first UNIT scientific advisor, but technically the Doctor is still the number one they turn up to in case of global crisis and such. Just take into account the sheer respect the Doctor has with UNIT leaders. The 10th Doctor: "Did you just salute?" *asking Erisa Magambo over a phonecall* So I wouldn't see that as a plot hole, or anything, more like a quip.

[@nickthane]

It's only 15 years since Donna's spoken to the Doctor, for the Doctor isn't it like 700 years or something?

[@LurpakSpreadableButter]

4.5 billion years if you include the confession dial

[@geoffroi-le-Hook]

700 on Trenzalore

[@Devlinator61116]

@@LurpakSpreadableButter Yeah, but each Doctor in that episode is a clone, so age wise, only the last clone should be counted. So probably a week or two.

[@SleepyHarryZzz]

Approx 1100 I think. I don't know how long Thirteen was around, ngl I never rewatched those series, but Twelve definitely referred to himself as being "over 2000"

[@marshsundeen]

Capaldi's Doctor aged quite a bit if memory serves.

[@marshlanderdumarais264]

Awesome video essay. I’ve watched Doctor Who from the very beginning, and have forgotten much more than I’ve remembered, but your depth of knowledge always astounds me. Thank you for sharing.

[@aaronhoffman7054]

The DoctorDonna activation sequence is also a call back to Amy’s telepathic password in the TARDIS with “Eleven. Crimson. The smell of dust after rain.” scene

[@thewiseturtle]

So, having looked at the word list for Donna's trigger, and then having a thought, I found an article that said RTD has been putting a lot of references to his husband, who passed away several years ago, into his shows, and also has been using the new run of Who he's doing as a bit of comfort for his grief. So perhaps the words are relevant to RTD and Andrew Smith?

[@jd_music23]

Is UNIT having an insurance policy for destruction of home during an alien invasion a possible reference to Dan's home in the previous series? Also, i kinda suspect that we'll discover that the coffee isn't going to be the reason the TARDIS blows up (or at least as badly as it did) by the end of the next episode.

[@AngelaH2222]

Those rails in the new Tardis have so much potential, sling hammocks between them,, colourful banners,, a rope ladder between levels.. I'm looking forward to how the individual lights will be used. Rose and her toys, could The Toymaker bring them to life.?

[@sheersternfeld1914]

Am I the only one who noticed that one of Rose's toys is a weeping angel? If The Toymaker brings them to life, I wouldn't even be surprised. You know, "that which takes the form of the angel..."

[@user-mc1qb2qb3g]

Also, in this episode (the Star Beast) when the Doctor says he is Naris's best friend, this is kind of a nod to when Donna and him first met. Because when Donna ends up in the Doctor's Tardis, she thinks that this is Naris's doing, and when the Doctor ask's her who Naris is, she responds "Your Best friend." That could mean nothing, but I like that thought any way.

[@toyloliSpare]

Regarding the password, remember how the Tardis used Petrochor to unlock a control room? But it was the imagining of it, not the word? The key words each linked to a memory of something that happened to Donna.

[@constovich]

When the Doctor sees Donna for the first time, she is holding boxes clearly marked fragile - just like her mind is fragile to harm if she remembers him.

[@woogha]

Oooooh good call out.

[@JosephDillman]

I thought it was a Christmas Story Easter egg. And maybe it even had a leg lamp in it! 🤪

[@PhantomObserver]

About the science advisors: Day of the Doctor establishes that UNIT has more than one advisor on staff (since Kate is calling Malcolm about history files). So Osgood’s probably still around (whether she’s human or Zygon doesn’t matter ).

[@Yunas_Jet]

Now what I found VERY interesting is that the memories of monsters Rose makes plushies out of in her shed are all monsters that the doctor had encountered BEFORE the metacrisis, EXCEPT the Karvanista plush (and yeah it is Karvanista, there's a video they put out today that confirms it). Does this mean that the metacrisis can remember events from the Doctor's time in division that the Doctor themselves can't?

[@qvcybe]

could be linked to the doctor aka were the memory's are flowing from the doctors time line as they experience it as do to how time works it wouldn't be to much of a stretch to think it could work like that

[@Yunas_Jet]

@@qvcybe except if that was the case, you'd expect to see other monsters that the doctor never encountered until after he'd left Donna, like the silence or the emoji robots. But no - Karvanista is the sole plush that doesn't fit the pattern

[@qvcybe]

@@Yunas_Jet i was more they only saw the memory's up to his current point aka up to were it starts were he currently is in the timeline

[@ChayceOldershaw-zc5bb]

unrelated but ur suit is stunning!

[@judithstrachan9399]

I wondered about Karvanista & the fact that he was after the metacrisis.

[@ThaMonteiro]

I’m blown away by the TOY Story references, and even more by Rose being literally a TOY Maker. RTD really thought this through, so could it mean the Toymaker is envolved from the beginning?

[@alexanderbrown5707]

I honestly would love for another full run with David Tennant...

[@paulsimmonds2030]

Well he did say in the new tardis “I’m here to stay!” I would love Ncuti Gatwa to be the biggest red herring ever!

[@Croftice1]

There's also a painting of a car on the wall in the kitchen, might refer to ATMOS in the Sontaran stratagem.

[@KierenP]

For all those people that have been criticising the debating of pronouns in this episode, Jon Pertwee’s Doctor and Jo did just that with Alpha Centauri in The Curse Of Peladon way back in 1972. If it didn’t cause such consternation over 50 years ago, why does it in Doctor Who episodes today?

[@ftumschk]

Good point, although "pronouns" have taken on a whole new meaning in today's culture wars. Pronouns didn't have that connotation back in 1972.

[@lauriespencer4132]

I agree. The pronouns didn’t bother me but I try not to let much bother me. It helped to explain why Donna didn’t die. People read into things too much

[@techniqueswithtodd]

Because it was done in such a lame way. It just stopped all the action and made no sense. We are being hunted, let's stop and do a pronoun breakdown because that's very trendy just now. Wow. Lame.

[@Kinsfire]

@@techniqueswithtodd Sort of like Moffat's bit in one of the Matt Smith episodes where I counted at least four references by Vastra regarding to "my wife Jenny". VERY heavy-handed.

[@deadpooldan9862]

@@techniqueswithtoddto be fair, everyone always says “he” when talking about an animal or alien, but we don’t really know their gender till we’re either told or shown, so asking what the pronoun is isn’t really stupid if they can talk and you can’t tell just by looking. I thought it was a joke and funny, but some people see it as a “woke” propaganda message

[@heythereyy]

I'm not sure if it is actually an easter egg, but i like to think that when the doctor tells shaun he knows "some roads even taxi drivers dont", that it's a reference to the hidden trap streets throughout london, as mentioned in 'face the raven' (even though i dont think they would have driven down any in this episode)

[@NeilBlumengarten]

I took the Doctor's conversation with Shirley as a reference to "The Day of the Doctor," specifically 11's conversation with The Curator, who replies to 11's comment about never forgetting a face with, "And in years to come you might find yourself revisiting a few... but just the old favorites, eh?"

[@samanthareninger4667]

YES!!! Your right!!

[@thejaysusnetwork6102]

It's been 15 years for her. For him, it's been over 1 billion. And yet he has never forgotten even a second of his time with her. :(

[@somnicora]

Thats so true, Dr has been through a lot since he last saw her.

[@amelialikesfrogs5778]

One thing outside the show is that in interviews running up to it, david and russel would constantly talk about how cute and adorable the meep is and how the story mirrors ET. Russell's acting on the one show in particular was spot on

[@Rosssums]

The trigger words are part of the monologue from Donna before she breaks. She’s talking about adventures they can go on. The winds, the mountains. Etc.

[@La_Na_10]

Yes. He blocked her memories, and in order to unlock them, he had to continue that monologue.

[@thelastofthetimelords9043]

That little running in place bit to get the meep running was the same running in place he did to get Queen Victoria to run, in Tooth and claw.

[@lynnebelle2276]

Haven’t gotten my notification yet but I saw it in my recommended videos so here I am!!!!

[@RunfromDangerMan]

Same. Haven’t been getting notifications but they appear recommendations.

[@susanbunce8442]

I don’t understand when Donna asked the Dr why his old face came back. How did she know about the other regenerations ?

[@Viglin123]

Curious about that as well.

[@422katieleigh]

My assumption was that the Doctor Donna part of her could recognize him as a separate regeneration even though he had the same face.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

It was established back in Journey's End that if it's in the Doctor's head, it's in her's as well so she probably knew more recent memories too!

[@Brasswatchman]

He must've explained it off-screen.

[@TwoCentReview]

Another famous fourth wall break is in part 7 of The Daleks Master Plan, which was the first Christmas story. It’s awkwardly slapped into a high stakes storyline. The Doctor famously turns to the screen and says. “A happy Christmas to all of you at home!”

[@AdamSouthward]

The scene where the Doctor assumes that Wilf has died is a callback to the Sontaran Stratagem, where he wrongly presumes Donna is leaving him permanently.

[@chrisf6612]

Another of these trigger words was "Grief" which seemed fitting with the goodbye that The Doctor was forced into when he wiped her mind

[@liamclose8779]

Can I just say that i am loving the rapid increase of the subscribers yous are getting! Yous guys deserve it.... just remember I was one of the first here!!!

[@AtheistDD]

I guess that are people that left other nerd channels, wich prefer to to spread transphobic nonsence, istead of discussing the content like this channel does.

[@julianaylor4351]

The photograph of Donna's father at her first wedding, could have been the last photo of him she had. 💔

[@LisaBeta-42]

There was this video-guy in "The Runaway Bride", who was able to show the Doctor the footage of Donna's vanishing act, when they crashed in at the "not wedded after all" party

[@markeggert4210]

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but I almost missed it. In the scene where the soldiers open the ship only to get mesmerized, just behind Shirley a figures passes by on the other side of the tunnel. It's a blink and you'll miss it moment. And of course the was the mention from Donna towards the beginning when she says "Never trust a man with a goatee"... The Master???

[@UnclePhil2k]

Re: #12: Maybe the green alien in front of the castle was meant to be the Doctors memory of Alpha Centauri in the royal castle on Peladon? Because the head really looks like Alpha Centauri. I think that'd be a really deep cut of an easter egg, but hell-- if they can reference the Stones of Blood in 2023, nothing is off the table!! Also, I think the dog stuffed toy in Roses shed was the werewolf from season two. Listen to that bit again and you'll hear the werewolf holwing.

[@tgby_2707]

I'm not sure but I thought i Heard eleventh's theme as well when Donna remembers the Doctor and she stop the ignition of the meep's sheep

[@TheMeikleMan04]

Yeah it was it got a good reaction from me

[@PeterMCRA]

This was so gooodddd, the video and the episode! Big thanks Ellie!

[@garrysmith9515]

Let us not forget the time that William Hartnell's Doctor wished everyone at home a Happy Christmas. Definitely Fourth Wall-breaking. Hehe😋

[@SamPhoenix_]

As for the resonating concrete bit, I think its showing the Doctor has learnt more than the sonic. In the ninth doctors episode he is pointing it at the wall, but the 14th he places it backwards on the wall.

[@KierenP]

Did anyone else spot the blooper where the white box disappears when the Doctor puts what he’s carrying to block Donna’s face again, but reappears on top of the pile when he’s walking away?

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

Regarding the drawing of the green creature under item number 12 - yes, it could be a Slitheen; it could also be a Krynoid as featured the in Fourth Doctor story "The Seeds of Doom", although why that connection occured to me is unknown.

[@edc2879]

Indira Varma was in the first series of Torchwood as Suzie Costello so it is interesting she has been cast in Doctor Who.

[@xionmitsuki5713]

Personally, I think that the green man in front of the house drawing is a reference to the 4th Doctor serial "the seeds of doom" because there is a scene that looks almost exactly like the drawing.

[@chicha400]

I personally liked Donna referencing “a man with a goatee” in the episode. I think she said something along the lines of “never trust a man with a goatee”. After her memory is wiped at the end of series 4, we see her on a phone call mentioning that her friend has a crush on a “man with a goatee” (but that someone has found him on a dating site?). I always found that line kinda funny.

[@davidgould9431]

The first (I think) Master was played by Roger Delgado, who sported a goatee. As did his replacement, Anthony Ainsley. IIRC, Delgado had died and it seemed that the BBC just recast the character instead of regenerating him. It was a long time ago, and I haven't yet got that far in my iPlayer challenge to get through all classic Who.

[@jjjnettie]

I took that to be early incarnations of the Master, and his iconic goatee. :)

[@NieR.Amanda]

I also had a shiver up my spine at the line "never trust a man with a goatee" (sported by Roger Delgado & Anthony Ainley portraying the Master) but mainly because its been too soon since *that* Time Lord hijacked the Doctor's body.

[@jamesa.5830]

Anthony Ainley plays a different regeneration of The Master after he was given a new regeneration cycle. The last appearance of Delgado was in 1973 and the first for Ainley was 1981. There is the emaciated Master in between them. He stole that body from Tremas of Traken, the father of companion Nyssa. The Master just really loves goatees.

[@christopheralthouse6378]

Don’t forget the War Doctor…only incarnation to sport a goatee and, since the Metacrisis happened, it’s extremely likely Donna remembers him as well…😳😅

[@hollymatton474]

My favourite part of this episode so far is rose's shed! I love how all the gonks she made represented the different monsters and aliens that the doctor has met! There were daleks, ood, weeping angels, karvanista, judoon, the beast, cybermen, the racnoss, and adipose! I would so buy them if they released them as toys! 😂 The shed itself represented the tardis which was a really clever idea and rose's sketch books contained so many drawings including a sketch of a fob watch, gallifreyan writing and an old fashioned telephone box! The whole set was brilliantly designed and added so much to rose as a character! Loved her and loved her shed! ❤🌹🔷😊😊

[@djdee6386]

If you wanna see more of her shed, the official Doctor Who KZbin channel did a behind the scenes of it.

[@foreverc5000]

Donna never met the Cybermen? And she said she missed them in one of the episodes.

[@hollymatton474]

@@djdee6386 I know it was brilliant! Such a cleverly designed set! 😊😊

[@hollymatton474]

@@foreverc5000 I think because they were in the doctors memories they bled through into rose's subconscious through donna which is why she made gonks of the creatures that donna hadn't necessarily met. 😊

[@foreverc5000]

​@@hollymatton474Oh yeah I get that she's got the Doctors memories and would know of all previous villains. It's just at the same time she says "It's monsters we've both met"

[@Sherlocklord]

The first doctor also famously breaks the forth wall to wish the audience a merry Christmas

[@koopalings5848]

One reference I picked up was when 14th and Shaun arrived at the space landing site, 14th said "Turn Left", could be a coincidence, but when it comes to Russel his plots, nothing's ever a coincidence

[@VictorSchmits]

I believe "the power of three" has a news anchor segment, which was a Chibnall story during the Moffat era😊

[@thatjedifromgallifrey6663]

Also I think The Eleventh Hour may have had one? Been a bit since I've watched that one

[@karlmilne6446]

@@thatjedifromgallifrey6663I also think pyramid at the end of the world might have one as well. Remember a lot screens in that.

[@StephenLeGresley]

To me if you watch when Donna spills the coffee it doesn't look natural, it looks more like she's doing it without conscious thought. Maybe the Toy Maker is controlling her. The picture above the Slitheen Drawing kind of looks like a Stage which culd be a call back to the Shakespeare episode. The CyberDog safe could be a reference to either the Cybermen or K-9 and the Cyber statue on the right side has the back and forth Cylon visor from Battlestar Galactica. Great video as always guys. Ellie I will keep calling them that too :) it just sounds cooler. Have a great one!

[@SleepyHarryZzz]

Cyberdog is just a place in Camden where they filmed and where that bit was set

[@grahammedlock6607]

Wasn't The Shakespeare Code a Martha episode, rather than a Donna one?

[@SleepyHarryZzz]

@@grahammedlock6607 yeah and the Beast is from a Rose episode, I guess it's just Ten's memories leaking into Rose (Noble) through the metacrisis

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

I like to think the TARDIS was being overly dramatic with the coffee spillage.

[@lloydcorke]

With regards the photo of Donna and her father at the first wedding. With all references to The Doctor having been erased from memory, wouldn't the wedding have been erased also? She wouldn't remember that, so why wouldn't she question the photo?

[@Croftice1]

That first wedding did happen, the Doctor only blocked references to him, not everything to that point. The wedding itself even happened prior to Donna meeting the Doctor, as she teleported into the TARDIS while walking down the isle. So she would still remember her dad being there. She wouldn't remember why she turned out to be a widow right after and what ever happened to her first husband (Lance), but she would remember the wedding itself. Not like the Doctor was ever part of that. They later return together to her after wedding party where the Doctor first meets Lance and after that things were taking a twist.

[@La_Na_10]

Sylvia said Donna had a breakdown. Maybe that was their legend: Lance didn't come to the wedding. So she have a breakdown that caused partial memory loss. There is the photo from that wedding, but the wedding itself was not.

[@kdizzler8381]

I think Donna mentioning a man in a shop and never trusting a man with a goatee is significant. The master has often had a goatee and missy gave Clara the doctor’s number in the guise as a shopkeeper

[@kenhallermd8897]

Love this list! Thank you! One Easter Egg I would add is The Meep masquerading as a toy seems an obvious callback to "ET" hiding among the stuffed toys in Elliot's closet.

[@fraserwest]

another 4th wall moment is matt smith's regeneration scene - "when the doctor was me" :)

[@Yattien89]

Think he was more talking to Clara.

[@KnightRanger38]

@@Yattien89 I see that scene as the 11th Doctor speaking to Clara - and Matt Smith speaking to the audience at home.

[@inbozz]

Actually I had even crazier idea: what if the Meep is the Master? 😮 It was mentioned somewhere in a list of previous incarnations that a Timelord can regenerate as an animal. The Meep says he has two hearts, he is after Doctor’s best friend, wants to kill 9 million people (I know, it is a bit shallow for the Master, but still). The Meep is kinda master-ish: lead an entire nation of meeps to its extirpation while trying to establish an era of terror in the universe. But than the question remains: who is the Boss?

[@MichaelHeide]

It's not impossible, but I find it hard to reconcile with the Meep's status as the last Meep ever. If the Master regenerated into the Meep, was it just an arbitrary fluke that all other Meeps died except for this one?

[@nakedrat5000]

The green monster is a Krynoid from The Seeds of Doom (the building behind it is the mansion from the story). You also missed the scarecrow toy in the basket (from The family of Blood)

[@TwineLightMedia]

Theory - the boss is Omega how awesome would that be! Love your channel by the way, first stop for Doctor Who content ❤️

[@scsutton1]

Quite by chance, I'm watching The Three Doctors right now and Omega has just turned up.

[@stephenmarco2927]

Wonder if he still looks like Peter Davison

[@Mark-nh2hs]

The Omega theory has been dribbled about since season 2. Every trailer always has some one going "its Omega" and guess what nope lol. It's more likely be someone obvious - this is NuWho. Like majority of reveals in current times have been The Master (God that's getting boring). If they do bring back say The Rani unlikely due to rights issues if I read correctly. The only other person who has similar or more power than the Celestial Toymaker would be The Black Guardian.

[@50shadesofgeek41]

1. The credit "From a story by" was used in 6 of the 12 parts of The Daleks Master Plan, when Dennis Spooner took over writing duties from Terry Nation. 2. The appearance of Forky could be a nod to Rose making her own makeshift toys just like Forky himself is, also on a side note, Al from Toy Story 2 who was referenced by the sleeping TV guy was voiced by Wane Knight who has appeared in series 4 of Torchwood. 3. Constable Zreeg and Sergeant Zogroth were characters from the original comic just like Fudge. Rose Noble also took the role of the companion from that story Sharon Davis. 4. The drawing of a "space pig" could also be a nod to the Pig Slaves from Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks, the big green monster in front of the London-Ish mansion could be a Krynoid from The Seeds of Doom. No idea what the other 2 drawings are, one of them looks like from Donna and Shawn's wedding and the other one just looks like the Weasley's flying Ford Anglia in the Forbidden Forrest 🤷‍♂. 5. Donna mentions that spilling coffee on someone was how she lost her job, coffee was also how Lance infused her with Huon particles in The Runaway Bride, coffee plays a major part in Donna's life. 6. The numbers 56/57 are a recurring motif throughout the RTD Tennant era. 7. The Red Dawn poster could be a reference to the TV episode World War Three, there was also a Big Finish episode with the same name, but maybe I'm just grasping at straws here. That's all I could find, maybe if I'll watch it again I'll notice some new stuff.

[@andrewinglis2069]

One thing I noticed was when the doctor removed the top boxes the one Donna was left with was labelled Fragile maybe hinting that she would be fragile in meeting with him

[@chencalo]

And I do love the mention of him throwing his jacket randomly, it really did transport me to DT's run!!

[@MrStephenLodge]

I think " the definite article" was the way The Meep described its self. Also the way number four described himself in Robot.

[@steveribeiro7331]

At first I was a bit of a snarky old gatekeeper, but this was fantastic and informative for a 50yr old fan. (Started watching who in 1979)

[@tracyroweauthor]

When the Doctor is running through the TARDIS he said "Look at that!" which was very much a Matt Smith thing

[@TheNoteblockLizard]

So, for Number 14, with Donna and her Dad ... is that not also the day Donna first meets the Doctor? Perhaps her subconscious has latched onto that photo for this reason as well as the one you mentioned?

[@juliefrady1851]

Something I noticed right off was that Fourteen's very first view of Donna's face in the episode is when she is holding all those boxes. Right below her face is tape that says FRAGILE FRAGILE FRAGILE. And that's how Fourteen sees Donna -- she is FRAGILE because if she remembers him she will die. He then treats her like someone trying not to drop an expensive fragile vase or something.

[@steve-0493]

Look it says,Frah-gee-lay on it...hmmm,.must be Italian!!😂

[@jamiestapleton7521]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT WHEN ELLIE IS DOING VIDEOS! She always makes me more interested in this franchise. Ellie is the Doctor Who Queen IMO.

[@40somethingmanchild]

"Dalek" had a story credit in the end titles for the writer that wrote the Big Finish adventure "Jubilee", which was the inspiration for "Dalek". So ye, it has happened before.

[@earlfrancart5687]

when they entered the TARDIS there were so many themes from previous control rooms, and i agree with Donna, its gorgeous

[@markcolgan3262]

The dog toy is karvanista as there is a howl sound he made when he found out his species were dead

[@jonunya1163]

We met Karvanista after metacrisis. How would Donna and Rose know about him?

[@markcolgan3262]

@@jonunya1163 he is on Ruth doctors memories and doctors past

[@jonunya1163]

@@markcolgan3262 how would Rose remember anything the Doctor did after metacrisis? Does she just download information from the universe?

[@Croftice1]

@@jonunya1163 He's from the "Ruth" era, which is pre-Hartnell, so it's the Doctor's past, not future, which means Rose could somehow get access to that stuff, at least some. We saw it recently, because the story was told in 13th Doctor era, but it's still the Doctor's past, way before Metacrisis. Also both Donna and Rose knew about the Doctor being a woman at some point, so again it doesn't seem to be a stretch, even considering the "download of information".

[@jonunya1163]

@@Croftice1 We don't even know if they're the same Doctor. Fugitive Doctor could be from a parallel universe that got stuck (like Rose, Mickey and Jackie are on Pete's World). Also, Jenny is a clone of the Doctor. Provided she is able to regenerate, she could be mistaken for the Doctor. Fugitive Doctor having a TARDIS with a broken chameleon circuit stuck on police box like Harnell's Doctor, but before him, makes no sense. She must be between 2 and 3 if she is our Doctor.

[@rolandcook2556]

The Meep is the first enemy the Dr faces in Dr Who weekly issue 1 when the mag launched in 1979. And yes, the Meep pretends to be cute but is really evil.

[@peeky44]

There's a visual one at the start of the sweeping shot over the street battle as the Doctor, Donna, Donna's family and The Meep escape. It starts from the end of the road where there's a junction with a (presumably one-way) road... And a blue sign fairly near the middle of the shot instructs drivers they must turn right. "Turn Left", and the effect of a life lived without the Doctor in it, anyone?

[@marcialsblendsfragrance2972]

Sylvia said this is not happening. Donna's husband responds to situations as if Dr. Moon said "And then it was ok."