Hey ppl, just a quick question for you hard-cores on DS. I watched some Doctor Who as a kid (Tom Baker years) and only really started watching again with the reboot. As a kid there were many things that obviously escaped me, and many others I have forgotten, so please bear with me as I re-acquaint myself with the WHO universe and begin to understand it.

With the TARDIS, how come nobody is surprised by it?? I mean, this week it just appeared in Venice and it stood out like a sore thumb, but yet, the locals just walked past it without even flinching at its presence. Surely a blue police box would bring up all sorts of questions?? Do others see the TARDIS, or does it disguise itself somehow??? If it is the latter, they should show this perspective so that newbiews like me understand this!

How known is the Doctor on Earth now?? Does everybody know of his exostence or is it still relatively secret and only known by those who have intereacted with him??? I know that during the Rose and Donna years people came to know of him, but then again, I remember from the 80s episodes that he was known by the military with UNIT often requesting his help! Is he just known by the Military / Governments etc, or does the planet as a whole know that he exists??

Sorry for these questions, but would be grateful for a reply as I strive to learn more! Thanks

The Doctor's existence is known to the government, the military, organisations like UNIT and Torchwood, and a few other individuals including (apparently) the Queen, but it isn't common knowledge. As for the TARDIS, it has never really attracted much attention when parked-it's been suggested it may have a perception filter which prevents people from registering its presence if they aren't looking for it, but personally I just think people tend not to take much notice of what to them isn't relevant, including big blue boxes.

Re the Tardis - it was explained by Doctor no 9 that it does have a perception filter which is why no one appears to notice it. It was also "suggested" in the first episode of Torchwood that because something with a perception filter had parked near the water tower in Cardiff bay, then no one noticed anything when Torchwood staff suddenly appeared out of the ground

The problem with the perception filter idea is that it contradicts the many occasions in the classic series when people did notice it.

Perhaps, after centuries of failing to fix the Chamelion Circuit, it suddenly occurs to the 9th Doctor that's it's a hopeless task and that a perception filter will do the job just as well anyway.

I always thought the idea of a perception filter was that people simply didn't bother looking at it. The TARDIS would still be very visible, and people could notice it, but the perception filter simply made it appear to fit in. Some people might have looked directly at it, some people might have been particularly observant and some people might not be fooled by the filter. I'm pretty sure it's not foolproof.
(For Terry Pratchett fans, think of children seeing Death, but adults not noticing, because they're not trained to ignore things that don't exist)

I can now see the ninth Doctor waking up with a start and thinking 'blimey, me chameleon circuit's still stuck but from now on I've only got 45 minutes to fix everything! Better do summat to stop people noticing the TARDIS and nicking it all the time-we've no more time for sub-plots like that now!'

Well, I was clutching at straws for an answer to the very good point you made about the Doctor using a perception filter in Nu Who and not, apparently, doing so in Classic Who.

As I recall, for most of Classic Who, the Doctor didn't seem to care that his Chamelion Circuit wasn't working. Much as I like Logopolis, I have always been baffled why, in that story, he suddenly feels the urge to repair it.

Well, I personally lean towards the theory that the loss of Romana and K9 has shaken up his world a bit and he feels the need to put his house in order so to speak, in order to regain some sense of security. Either that or he's hoping that the next time they land, Adric will wander off and not be able to remember what the ship has disguised itself as when he tries to find it again...

lol

"I've been brought up on the stories, my whole family has"

It is perfectly normal that all British sovereigns, since Queen Victoria founded Torchwood , would know of him. In Planet of the Dead it is even mentioned U.N.I.T. found his Tardis in the domain of Buckingham Palace

"CAPTAIN MAGAMBO: Found in the gardens of Buckingham
Palace.
THE DOCTOR: Oh, she doesn't mind."

And yet his plan failed. He must have really boosted that perception filter when travelling with Mel.

Hey all, many thanks for all your answers!

Another few questions if I may.....

Due to the nature of the show, the Doctor can meet himself (another regeneration). This has happened on various ocassions. Are there any known repurcussions to this?? Interacting with oneself?? Also, I assume that past incarnations would not recognise their future self??? Could this mean that our "current" Doctor is able to meet future regenerations?? And coudl River Song be a future Doctor, or am I going off?? (Does the Doctor have to regenerate as a male??) Also, there are a limited number of regenerations possible - do we know how this is going to be overcome when the need arises - has it been discussed in the series before??? Thanks

Taking the classic series story Mawdryn Undead as evidence, it can be highly dangerous to humans, but it appears that that rule doesn't apply to Time Lords as the Doctor has conspicuously failed to cause a huge explosion by shaking hands with his earlier selves on occasion.
Possibly.
There's no evidence that Time Lords can change sex. And while the regeneration limit certainly did exist, it hasn't been addressed since the new series started.