The Doctor Who Brain Teasers/Puzzles Thread!

Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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This is inspired by a thread in the Apprentice forum (all credit to FM george.millman for the idea!). Basically, a place we can all think up some tricky puzzles, riddles and brain teasers for each other to test our collective Who knowledge.

I'm going to start with the basic format of the puzzles in the Apprentice forum, which is "what do these episodes have in common?"

1) An easy one:
The Gunfighters
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Christmas Invasion
The Runaway Bride
Daleks in Manhattan
Voyage of the Damned
A Christmas Carol
The Rings of Akhaten

2) A medium one:
The Chase
The Myth Makers
The Daleks' Master Plan
The War Machines
Planet of Fire
Dragonfire
Doomsday

3) A very tough one:
The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks
The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky
The God Complex
Closing Time

Post your answers in spoiler tags so other people can keep guessing! And please do post your own puzzles afterwards. A bit of fun to pass the time. :)

Enjoy!
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Comments

  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Oh, and I should just add that The Crimson Horror should be in the third list as well. Too late to edit.
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    I'm struggling with all of these to be honest, haha. :confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,772
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    Dr. Linus wrote: »

    1) An easy one:
    The Gunfighters
    The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
    The Christmas Invasion
    The Runaway Bride
    Daleks in Manhattan
    Voyage of the Damned
    A Christmas Carol
    The Rings of Akhaten
    Some sort of song in the episode
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Some sort of song in the episode

    Correct!

    Clue for number 2: Something about the story.

    Clue for number 3: Something about what/who's in the story.
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    I did think of that for number 1, but I don't remember a song in The Christmas Invasion?
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Yoshee wrote: »
    I did think of that for number 1, but I don't remember a song in The Christmas Invasion?

    Song for Ten, as the Doctor chooses his outfit in the TARDIS. :)
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Dr. Linus wrote: »
    Song for Ten, as the Doctor chooses his outfit in the TARDIS. :)

    Ahh, now I remember. :p

    As for the others, the second one has too many classic episodes (only seen a few classic stories, though I'm going to watch them all soon. ;) ), and I'm still looking at the third one...
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Actually, would the second one be...
    the departure of a companion?
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Yoshee wrote: »
    Actually, would the second one be...
    the departure of a companion?

    Ooooh. :p You're getting there. That is something they all have in common, but you need to be more specific. There are many more episodes that would go in that list if that was the answer. The list is all the episodes that apply. But you're getting very warm. :p

    Number 3 is admittedly very tough, it took me a while to think of more than a few examples and I'll be impressed if anyone gets it without substantial clues.
  • bp2bp2 Posts: 1,117
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    I don't know how to do spoiler tags but I know the second one. It is easier than the first in my opinion. Sorry but it is that not only a companion leaves but a new companion is also introduced in the story (assuming Sara Kingdom is a companion).
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    bp2 wrote: »
    I don't know how to do spoiler tags but I know the second one. It is easier than the first in my opinion. Sorry but it is that not only a companion leaves but a new companion is also introduced in the story (assuming Sara Kingdom is a companion).

    Correct!

    (Spoiler tags is the faint "s" button on the reply page).

    And yes, The Daleks' Master Plan just barely qualifies. I thought about including Voyage of the Damned (Astrid/Wilf) but decided that it was a quite questionable example.

    I found it quite interesting that they suddenly stopped doing that after the Hartnell years apart from the odd story.
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Ah, good one for number 2 there.

    Could we get a clue for number 3 please? :)
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Yoshee wrote: »
    Ah, good one for number 2 there.

    Could we get a clue for number 3 please? :)

    Characters.
  • doctorwhofancaldoctorwhofancal Posts: 24,123
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    Is number 3 they've all had an actor whos been a character in a comedy.

    For instance

    In Doctor Dances there was the man who played a character in one foot in the grave.

    The Sontaran stratagem, Luke was in After You've Gone
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Is number 3 they've all had an actor whos been a character in a comedy.

    For instance

    In Doctor Dances there was the man who played a character in one foot in the grave.

    The Sontaran stratagem, Luke was in After You've Gone

    That's a very good answer that I hadn't thought of, but it's not the one. It is related to characters though.
  • bp2bp2 Posts: 1,117
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    I don't think so, there were people in comedies who appeared in the old series as well such as Richard Briers.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    Another clue: think about the production of the episodes, as well as what's in them, and you'll have the answer.

    It's a lot more specific than any of the guesses so far. Quite proud of myself. :D
  • bp2bp2 Posts: 1,117
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    Dr. Linus wrote: »
    Another clue: think about the production of the episodes, as well as what's in them, and you'll have the answer.

    It's a lot more specific than any of the guesses so far. Quite proud of myself. :D

    I give up, if it is involved with production I have no idea. Could you tell us the answer?
  • The GathererThe Gatherer Posts: 2,723
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    Yoshee wrote: »
    Ahh, now I remember. :p

    As for the others, the second one has too many classic episodes (only seen a few classic stories, though I'm going to watch them all soon. ;)), and I'm still looking at the third one...

    Have you got access to all the missing episodes???
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Have you got access to all the missing episodes???

    Haha, well when I say I'm going to watch them all soon, I mean all existing stories (or ones where some episodes have been animated). :p

    Though I suppose I could listen to the audios of the missing episodes too at some point.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    I'm not going to reveal the answer just yet because it's only been a day.

    Final clue: think characters, a particular production element and consider it in terms of the wider Whoniverse. That's as much as I can say without giving it away.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 963
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    Did they all have a doctor that wasn't THE Doctor? Although I admit I am struggling to think of one in Closing Time, but I think the others all had one.
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Ok, one last go for me as the only thing I can think of that they all could maybe seem to have in common...
    Survival?
    In The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, the Chula ship is a warship ambulance that repairs soldiers/living beings in general, helping them survive? Also "everybody lives" could maybe be part of this theme.
    In Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks, the Daleks are trying to think of ways to survive... they face extinction, and choose to evolve to survive.
    In the Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, while the Sontarans might not be facing extinction, they need a new breeding planet if they are to be able to continue with the war against the Rutans, or they could face being defeated/destroyed... so survival again.
    In The God Complex, the Minotaur must feed on people's faith to survive.
    In Closing Time, the lone Cybership and few Cybermen are stealing power and converting only a few humans with the power they have, again for their survival (and to convert the planet... but that bit comes later :p).
    In The Crimson Horror, the leech has survived for millenia, and is using Mrs Gillyflower as a host to survive.

    I'm probably way far off what all those episodes actually have in common, but still an interesting idea I think, so... yeah. :D
  • YosheeYoshee Posts: 407
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    Orrrrr is it about...
    Conversion?
    The Empty Child/nanogenes convert people into gas mask zombies.
    Dalek Sec and Mr Diagoras join together and are converted into a human dalek in Daleks in Manhattan.
    The Sontarans are trying to convert the Earth into a new clone world in Stratagem.
    The Minotaur converts people's faith into food in The God Complex.
    Closing Time involves Cybermen converting people in to humans (once again).
    And The Crimson Horror involves Gillyflower and Mr Sweet trying to convert the world into Sweetville land by wiping out humanity other than in Sweetville. :eek:

    If it's not that, or my last post, then I have no idea, haha. :D
  • bp2bp2 Posts: 1,117
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    Dr. Linus wrote: »
    I'm not going to reveal the answer just yet because it's only been a day.

    Final clue: think characters, a particular production element and consider it in terms of the wider Whoniverse. That's as much as I can say without giving it away.

    As I said before I know very little about production. I do not see why we have to wait days before you give the answer, it makes the thread boring.
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