10 Dumb Doctor Who Moments You Can't Help But Love
5. The Kandyman (The Happiness Patrol)
Whatever Doctor Who's writers were taking in the '80s should be available in the NHS, because they were clearly having the best time throwing wacky nonsense at the wall to see what stuck.
One idea that somehow made it to air was this completely bonkers villain from the Seventh Doctor serial The Happiness Patrol.
Set on a planet where sadness is outlawed, The Happiness Patrol introduces us to maniacal ruler Helen A (yes, that's her name), and her robot henchman, the Kandyman.
He's a robot... made of sweets. Like Bertie Bassett meets The Terminator. Ooh, now there's an episode idea.
To give the gassed-up writers their dues, it's actually not an awful idea. The whole point of The Happiness Patrol is to show that forced joy is actually far deadlier than lament, so a killer machine made of tasty treats fits that idea perfectly.
But to take that credit immediately away from them, the execution here is obviously naff. The costume, the voice, the fact that he's a robot made of sweets.
However, we'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy it. This is exactly the kind of 'so bad it's good' content Doctor Who is brilliant at!