8 Times Doctor Who Mocked Itself

We're going to cheat a little bit for this one, but it would almost be a crime to not talk about the hilarious short episode The Curse Of Fatal Death, a charity special that was created for the 1999 Red Nose Day celebrations.

While this special isn't an official part of Doctor Who canon (although some fans do have fun trying to work it in), it does serve as an example of the show mocking itself, at least in retrospect. This is because it was written by former showrunner Steven Moffat, arguably the most influential creative voice in the show's modern era.

The Curse Of Fatal Death sees Moffat roast the living daylights out of the show he would one day go on to helm. He pokes fun at the Master's ridiculous schemes and over-the-top villainy, points out how silly time travel is as a narrative device (with the Doctor and the Master repeatedly visiting the past in order to "bribe the architect"), and even takes a quick shot at the show's constant use of "endless gravel quarries."

The phrase "I'll explain later" is also used several times throughout, mocking the fact that many things in Doctor Who are often waved away and left unexplained. During his time as showrunner, Moffat took the "I'll explain later" mantra to the next level, with story arcs that would stretch on for years before finally being resolved.

Despite all this lampooning though, The Curse Of Fatal Death was clearly written by someone who loves Doctor Who. The comedy comes across as affectionate rather than mean-spirited - and that's why it works so well.