10 Most Cringeworthy Doctor Who Moments From The '80s

7. The Rani As Mel - Time And The Rani (1987)

What is it with Time Lords and Ladies playing dress-up, anyway? It wasn't so bad when Roger Delgado's Master did it, but then the Doctor started joining in (though that was admittedly only once, and probably to assuage Jon Pertwee's desire to do drag). By the time we got to Anthony Ainley and Kate O'Mara...oh, dear. It's all getting rather silly, isn't it? Mind you, in her first appearance, the Rani's disguise as the bathhouse hag (what a great character description!) was inspired. But in her second appearance, she decided to dress up as the Doctor's companion Mel. Yes, that Mel. It's still unclear whether she is trying to trick the Doctor into helping her or trying to annoy him to the point that he regenerates again from mental fatigue. Come to think of it, maybe that's why the Sixth Doctor regenerated... In any case, Kate O'Mara seems to capture everything that's annoying about Mel, from the spunkiness to the squeaky voice to the positive attitude that would make Pollyana look like a depressive. No doubt that, if the Rani had decided that having the Doctor rescue Mel would cement the deception, she'd have nailed that eardrum piercing scream, too. All of this doesn't make the entire concept any less cringey, though. Mel herself is bad enough but Rani as Mel takes the wincing to levels never before dreamt possible.