7. The Doctor Plays Football
Its hard to imagine any of the Classic Series Doctors doing anything as ordinary as playing football. Cricket, yes. Thats a game that dignified, posh men in trousers play. But the Doctor would never have slipped on a pair of shorts to have a kick about with some mates, any more than he would quote
EastEnders or reference blogging. From 2005 onwards, however, this was increasingly who he became. Gone were references to Beau Brummel and Madame Nostradamus and in came quoting The Lion King. Nevertheless, 2010s The Lodger takes things to extremes. Writer Gareth Roberts gives us an Eleventh Doctor who headbutts people, struts around naked, takes telesales calls and, yes, is pretty damned good at footie. This version of the Doctor is enough to put off any sport-phobic child but somehow it fits Matt Smiths portrayal, and not just because the actor himself played for Nottingham Forest youth team. The Doctor is always an outsider, a jigsaw piece that doesnt quite fit. When hes in his element sampling the wine cellar in Day of the Daleks (1972) or bowling out the toffs in Black Orchid (1982), it seems a bit contradictory. However, when he participates in the ultimate expression of fitting in, the beautiful game, he manages to do it as an outsider, confusing his teammates even further during the post-match banter by rushing off to fix a time loop. Brilliant.