10 Times Doctor Who Trolled You (And You Fell For It)
6. Call The Doctor
The Stolen Earth is remembered for tricking viewers into thinking that the David Tennant was going to be leaving the show unannounced following that cliffhanger.
But there’s also a massive troll much earlier in the episode, when the Doctor’s companions are trying to tracking him down via the Subwave Network.
Their solution involves using the combined efforts of Torchwood and Mr Smith to make every phone in the world call the Doctor (or more specifically, the mobile that Martha gave him when she left the TARDIS).
As part of this sequence, the Doctor’s number is shown onscreen for all to see.
Of course, the number chosen (07700 900461) wasn’t a real number, but one of many reserved by Ofcom for use in TV dramas. That didn’t stop fans from calling it anyway – and venting their disappointment online at being unable to get through to the TARDIS! What a bummer.
Many years later there was a way to phone the Doctor for real as part of the marketing campaign for Flux, unlocking a voicemail recorded by Jodie Whittaker.
On this occasion the Doctor’s number was 0800 678 3110. And to save any further trolling, we can confirm that this one no longer works either.