Being the first true appearance of the Mondasian Cybermen since 1988 and written by Neil Gaiman, it was no real surprise when Nightmare In Silver turned up with references to practically every classic Cybermen story. The reference most subtly woven into the episode is arguably the shots of the Cybermen emerging from stasis. This scene was deliberately filmed and composited together to mirror the climax of Part 3 of the Fifth Doctor story Earthshock; where the Cybermen break out of the silos they are hiding in on board a freighter and march down a corridor in three parallel lines. A scene which, like its counterpart in Nightmare in Silver, showcased the newly redesigned Cybermen en-masse for the first time.
5. Android Boyfriend The Time Of The Doctor
In The Time Of The Doctor when Clara phones the Doctor and admits that she may have invented a boyfriend, the Doctor casually mentions that he once did the same thing and that theres no easy way to get rid of an android. As well as being a joke in itself, this quick gag is a reference to the 2003 animated webcast Scream Of The Shalka. A story written by Paul Cornell and containing so much homoerotic subtext between the Doctor and the Master that its hard to believe it wasnt intentional. Specifically the Masters brain being transferred to an android body and him being a permanent fixture on board the Tardis. That and he and the Doctor having an incredibly suggestive message on the Tardiss answering machine.
JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.
