This is not another thread about cheesy lines, those seem to be in abundance

I am interested in your views on what could be considered lazy or incomprehensible script writing or dialogue in either classic or nu who!

I got this idea when watching the Five Doctors recently, when SJS meets the 3rd Doctor in the Death Zone and explains that he had changed by pointed at her mouth and touched her hair! The Doctor then "assumes" she means teeth and curls when he would, at that stage, unless told specifically, not have that knowledge at all! Amazing bit of guess work?

I'm nit picking granted, but all in good fun!

Anyone else got any?

Ah! The example you give is cos Pertwee wanted the line that would get the laughs, even though it was written for Lis.


I can't bear a few Nyssa lines: crap dialogue, delivered really badly by Sarah Sutton (a not-very-good actor);


Logopolis: "The Watcher! So he was the Doctor all the time!"

Four to Doomsday: "What is this terrible place?"


Both lines are lazy. The Logopolis example is a prime example of shameless infodumping.

Doctor, It's Martha, and I'm bringing you back to earth.

I cringe at the very thought of it, and it is lazy writing

Criticising Sarah for the Watcher line isn't really fair as she basically wasn't acting-they got her to read it out later so they could dub it in as, having watched the scene, they didn't feel it was clear enough what was happening.

Not so much a bad line but I cringe every time Adric let's out that high pitched 'Nyssaaaaaa' in Logopolis.

For me its sarah Jane's characteristics that seem off in the Five Doctor's more than anything else.....

She seems pretty much like her old self to me. If anyone's a bit off, it's Carole Ann Ford, still trying to play Susan as a sixteen year old in her forties.
The really cringworthy piece of dialogue from that story, though, is Paul Jericho's incredibly badly delivered 'no, not the Mind probe'.

Haha!!! Always makes me cringe.... Also found it really annoying that Martha seemed to declare "It Can't Be!" in every other episode she was in.

I agree I'm afraird. It's not one of the best moments of Who!

Ooh... while I'm thinking about it... Davros saying "This is my final victory" twice in Journeys End! Surely you can only have one "Final" victory!!!! Petty I know, but it really wound me up! Also snickered when he angrily accused the Doctor of genocide about five minutes after he'd tried to destroy the universe!

Okay.... One last grumble while I'm still in rant mode! During the series 3 finale's when Dalek Caan prophecised "Death, everlasting death to the most faithful companion" and told the Doctor that "one of them will still die" after the big reveal. And it turns out to be Donna, who doesn't die but the Doctor chucks in some line about that version of her being dead. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Donna didn't die and was really happy to see her again in The End of Time (even if she was ridiculously under used) and her fate in Journey's End had me in tears (probably worse than if she HAD of died) but it narked me off that they geared the audience up for a death, then wrote themselves out of it with some throw away line that destroys the tension and anticipation that the build up had created, what made it worse is that RTD did almost eactly the same thing with Rose in Doomsday! Anyhow... Rant over... feels good to get it all out my system...

Martha was badly written, and worse portrayed, IMO


Ohhhh, yes!

definatly in my list - not sure its lazy, feel its more like Alphonsus says - just badly written. (never was a fav character of mine)

Badly delivered yes, but I always thought this line was more cheesy than annoying or badly written...I always chuckle when he says it!

End of Utopia, the Doctor pleads to the Master

"I'm asking you, really properly...." Hate it!

The Brig to the Master in the 5Ds, "Nice to see you again!"

5Ds again, not dialogue but actions! SJS crosses the road outside her house, THEN looks for traffic (always niggled me right from first showing)!

CAF in the 5Ds...every line uttered, just awful, especially "Its a Dalek, we MUST be on Skaro"! Why? She has just been lifted from a future London where the Daleks clearly ventured beyond Skaro! And while I'm having a go at CAF the way she keeps on looking at the fifth Doctor, like she fancies him uurrrgh!

Richard Hurndall "When I say now, help me to push the Dalek down that alley, when I say drop, drop. Understood!

John Lumic: And how will you do that FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE? ...

I'm not willing to be too critical of that line though because it does make me laugh. It's in "so bad it's good" territory .

I watched the second Doctor story Moonbase last night and there was a hugely stupid story twist. They were hunting for cybermen who were hiding themselves on the moonbase and they were hiding under blankets in the manned sickbay, like no-one would notice!

I thought that was an incredibly effective, really creepy and atmospheric scene. The sick bay wasn't permanently manned as the medical staff were all down with the plague, it made sense to me.

Polly was almost always in their and the Doctor was in their a lot, it just seemed incomprehensible to me that the Doctor didn't notice.

The sickbay stuff in moonbase is pretty good, but the Doctor has a shocking moment where he tells Polly to get out from under everyone's feet and go and make some coffee.

Oh yeah Carol is a bit off as well....I'm not too fussed on her look...the character yes...

I quite like the mind probe bit


Ahh but that is Davros for you.....

Yes I remember seeing that clip in a documentary.

That was also the story where the Doctor said his "There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought!" My favourite second Doctor quote.


I forgot to mention the storeroom tunnel which haemorrhaged when the sacks of food were removed from in front of it but completely sealed the tunnel entrance when replaced.

What's wrong with that? Someone's got to make the coffee and there was nothing else for her to do.

Have to agree, she was not known for her scientific or technical nouse!

Well, I don't know about that-it was Polly who worked out that the chemicals present in nail varnish remover would melt the Cybermen's plastic heart and lung components (she even knew the actual composition of nail varnish remover).

I can't remember the exact line but I think it was Paradise Towers when Mel says something like 'If you start calling me Nelly I'll start worrying' or something to that effect. It was just the use of the word Nelly and the way she said it made me truly cringe....