10 Times Doctor Who Appeared In Other TV Shows

Doctor Who is a global juggernaut, and it's been around for so long that it's managed to infiltrate every last corner of the pop-culture world.

When Time Lords, TARDISes, and Daleks aren't popping up in video games or in movies, they're showing up in TV shows of all shapes and sizes, and we aren't just talking about shows that are within the Doctor Who universe. Oh no. Whether it's an obscure '80s sitcom, a modern drama, or the biggest animated series of all time, Doctor Who has been traversing the TV multiverse for decades at this point, with all manner of non-Who shows containing references to this iconic sci-fi property.

From hidden easter eggs to blatant homages, there are so many examples of this that there's actually a good chance your favourite show has snuck one in. But because many of these are "inside baseball" or simply just difficult to spot, they might not be readily apparent on that initial viewing of the episode.

With that in mind, let's dive in to some of the best Doctor Who nods from the wider TV world...

South Park has poked fun at just about everything under the sun across its decades-long run, so it's no surprise that Doctor Who was once caught in its crosshairs.

In the Season 15 episode Funnybot, the Germans respond to being voted "Least Funny People In The World" by creating the titular machine, which starts off by telling a few decent jokes, before eventually deciding to destroy the world so it can become the ultimate comedian.

As any Doctor Who fan watching this episode probably noticed, the Funnybot is a clear riff on the Whoniverse's most iconic foes, the Daleks. If its overall size and shape didn't give the game away, then its Dalek-esque voice and frickin' plunger arm certainly did! Oh, and then there's a moment where it screams "EXTERMINATE", just to hammer home the parody a little bit further.

Daleks telling jokes... now there's an idea Doctor Who should steal.