10 Doctor Who Moments That Broke The Fourth Wall
The Doctor is so powerful that even your telly can't stop them...
Something that Doctor Who fans don't talk about enough is the amount of times the show has broken the fourth wall over the years.
Seriously, think about it: right from the beginning of the William Hartnell era (so, basically, right from the show's creation) Doctor Who has been breaking the fourth wall, and as fans, we all just seem to lump this in with the rest of the show's many quirks - even though the subject is worthy of much deeper discussion.
On the plus side though, there have been some awesome theories based around this detail over the years, like the one about the Doctor knowing they're in a TV show, which explains all the times the character plays directly to the camera.
It's a fascinating theory, and whether you buy into it or not, there's plenty of evidence to be found. Whether it's a brief couple of frames where a character shoots a fleeting glance down the camera lens, or a more prolonged moment of meta madness, Doctor Who has a long (and bonkers) history of breaking down that fourth wall.
10. K9 Mark II (The Invasion Of Time)
As the longest-serving Doctor we've ever had (with seven years under his belt), Tom Baker's cheeky, quick-witted incarnation had plenty of time to squeeze in a few fourth wall breaks throughout his tenure, so that's exactly what he did.
In the closing moments of 1978's The Invasion Of Time, Baker's Doctor bids farewell to companions Leela and K9 before heading back to the TARDIS, alone, and a little downbeat. Before long though, he retrieves an enormous box from the back of his ship - a box that contains an upgraded, brand-new version of his beloved robot mutt.
Appearing quite chuffed at the fact that he's managed to replace one of his friends with relative ease, the Doctor then looks straight into the camera, flashing us viewers one of the biggest, cheesiest grins in television history.
This is actually the second fourth wall break in this serial, following an earlier moment where the Doctor mocks his over-reliance on the sonic screwdriver. Here though, it's just a very happy Time Lord and his dog!