10 Times Doctor Who Well And Truly Crossed The Line

5. Satire Should Be Subtle

Doctor Who has always reflected the society it was made in. The Curse of Peladon is tinged with England's membership of the EU, its sequel reflecting union discontent. At other times, the show has been satirical of political and social events. Famously, Robert Holmes wrote The Sunmakers in protest at his tax bill with a corridor called P45. Russell T Davies had the Slitheen in Downing Street talking of alien weapons being only 45 minutes away from being able to destroy us. Subtle that, Russ. The Happiness Patrol crosses the line from clever satire to outright disaster. Viewed at the time, the people still watching (not many, granted) could be forgiven for thinking someone had put hallucinogenic drugs in the water supply. Possibly someone had put them in Andrew Cartmel's latte, which might explain why this awful and toothless critique of Thatcherism ever got made. Poor Sheila Hancock is stuck in a red wig while a bloke dressed as Bertie Bassett lumbers around a Candy Kitchen. It looks like a student revue and it is absolutely awful.