10 Iconic Alien Planets In Classic Doctor Who

8. Terra Alpha

Doctor Who Mindwarp TARDIS
BBC

1988's The Happiness Patrol saw the Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive on a charming human colony planet where if you're unhappy, you die.

A dystopian nightmare painted pink - this gaudy, totalitarian 24th Century colony had Earth-styled streets, factories, muzak, tourist zones and entertainment plazas. However, it was all a facade, disguising the sinister underbelly of this Orwellian prison.

Even the original natives, branded as 'The Pipe People', had been cast underground to the sewer pipes because they weren't aesthetically pleasing enough for Helen A - Terra Alpha's iron-fisted ruler, who was modelled after Margaret Thatcher.

This off-brand Britain is eerie to watch, and eerier to step foot in - especially with trained snipers at the windows above the streets. The Doctor, however, managed to thwart Helen A's plans following a go-cart chase on the pristine streets and a battle in the laboratory of the Kandyman - a bizarre and deeply sinister prison warden who looks like Bertie Bassett.

Intergalactic Travel Advice: don't forget to smile.

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Eden Luke McIntyre is a Scottish writer, editor and script consultant, with an MA in TV Fiction Writing. He writes content for TV, radio, stage, and online, and was appointed as a BBC Writers Room Scottish Voice in early 2020. Eden can usually be found rambling about Doctor Who, The Beatles, and obscure things that no one cares about.