10 Most Bizarre Doctor Who Moments

A pig wearing a spacesuit: just an average Tuesday in the world of Doctor Who.

Doctor Who
BBC

People who don't watch Doctor Who probably think that it's really, really weird. That it's just full of stunt dudes in naff costumes, with dodgy special effects, silly storylines, absurd humour, and a healthy dose of melodrama.

And you know what? They're right. At least, to a certain extent.

We don't mean that as an insult either - one of the reasons we love Doctor Who so much is because of how ridiculous it's able to get at times. Few other shows could make statues and shadows scary, turn a screwdriver into a sci-fi Swiss Army knife, or have a villain that's made out of sweets. Yeah, the '80s was a weird time.

This in mind, it won't surprise anyone that there are countless Doctor Who moments from across the classic and modern eras that are frankly pretty bizarre, whether that's because they're tonally strange, visually lacklustre, or just downright unusual. Anything can happen in this show, and with no limits, comes great peculiarity.

Space pigs, spoon fights, giant rats, and a man called Benni - the insanity of Doctor Who truly doesn't know any bounds.

10. Toilet-Trained Gorilla (The God Complex)

Doctor Who
BBC Studios

The God Complex is a genuinely unsettling episode of Doctor Who. Clearly inspired by Kubrick's The Shining, it's a trippy affair set within a labyrinthine hotel, with strange, spooky imagery lurking round every corner - and hiding in every room.

We see laughing puppets, sad clowns, Weeping Angels, and even overly-stern parents, all representing the primary fears of the story's core cast. Most of these fears are effectively portrayed, but one that doesn't fare so well is this laughable "gorilla", which attacks Lucy Hayward during the pre-title sequence.

Now sure, the BBC didn't have the budget to call in Andy Serkis for a bit of mo-cap, but we have to wonder... was this thing supposed to look so fake? Or did the crew genuinely think "yep, nailed it - that totally looks convincing!"

Either way, this bizarre sight completely destroys the tension of the scene - as does the unusual choice to add a "toilet flushing" sound effect as the gorilla lumbers out of the bathroom. It's a highly cringey moment in an episode that, again, is otherwise very effective in conveying the twisted fear of the hotel.

Contributor
Contributor

WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.