10 Times Doctor Who Has Ripped Off Other Franchises

9. Alien

Though never replicating the horror of the Alien franchise, since 1979 there are a few examples of when the show borrowed from the Xenomorphs. The unarmoured Ice Warrior in Cold War scurrying around claustrophobic corridors is an obvious example as is the 'Bug Hunt' in Dragonfire complete with the monitor that shows the 'Dragon's' increasing proximity, lifted straight from Alien. The Dragon itself has an obvious resemblance to the deadly film creature, albeit on a very BBC budget. The macho soldier posturing so beloved of 80s script editor Eric Saward can be seen very much as being influenced by the franchise, too, and ever evident in his 1980s wannabe blockbusters. Earthshock plays very much like a homage to Alien, the group of soldiers being slowly taken out by an implacable foe in the dark caves. Coincidence?