10 Huge Moments In Doctor Who That No One Cared About
6. The Doctor Is Merlin
Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor is renowned from going from a clown like buffoon in his first season, to becoming the great schemer by his final adventures, using his companion Ace as his pawn. As a part of this, 1989's Battlefield introduces the idea that the Doctor, at some point in his life, will be the man behind the myth of Merlin.
As Merlin, the Doctor would help Arthur fight the sorceress Morgaine (shown in the thumbnail). As the Doctor had no memory of being Merlin, he assumes that this must be a fate for him that'll occur later in life. We've had plots of the Doctor being woven into various histories, occasionally arriving sometime before this in his timeline. But the legend of Merlin is quite a big position to fill.
Sadly, Season 26 is Doctor Who's final classic season, with both the TV movie and New Who providing reboots, so whether this would develop further if a Season 27 happened, we may never know. Therefore, the idea goes nowhere.
The concept has been followed in expanded media in various differing ways, but on-screen, this is simply a loss we have to bare.