10 Most Meta Doctor Who Moments EVER
2. Every Time Anyone Says "Doctor Who?"
In a show as mercurial as Doctor Who, there is one unrelenting constant: every time the Doctor introduces themselves, there's a pretty good chance they'll be met with the knowing reply "Doctor Who?" Whenever a character asks this, the viewer is reminded of the show they're watching, and it would take a very sour grump not to crack a smile at the sheer cheesiness. It's always a fun little wink at the audience when a piece of media refers to its own title, but this recurring meta catchphrase is on a whole other level.
A number of slight variants have appeared over the years to subvert expectations (including personal favourite "Doctor What?") although we're yet to see a "Doctor Whom?" which seems like an obvious missed opportunity. Writers, get on that immediately. Moffat, being as meta-obsessed as he is, took this running gag and tried to see how far he could push it in Series 6, when he turns it into a plot point in the ongoing series arc. At the end of the finale, head-in-a-box Dorium Maldovar warns the Doctor of a number of impending threats, the most ominous of which is the question itself:
"The First Question. The question that must never be answered! Hidden in plain sight! [...] Doctor Who?"
This ultimately culminates in the Series 7 finale The Name of the Doctor, which again subverts the setup by smartly keeping the Doctor's true identity a secret, allowing the running joke to continue.