Doctor Who: 10 Cleverest Classic Who References In NuWho

2. They Were All Wearing Eyepatches - The Wedding Of River Song

Nicolas Courtney was one of the most beloved figures in Doctor Who, and his presence was still felt on the series right up to his death in 2011. Courtney may not have appeared in the new series proper, but even there, Steven Moffat paid tribute to the fan favourite actor in the finale of series six. The Wedding of River Song brings the Silence arc to its (almost, kind of) conclusion. It takes place in an alternative universe where everyone wears eye patches, all the better to stave off the memory-fading effects of the Silence creatures. Now, there€™s one other major Doctor Who story that takes place in an alternative universe. And there€™s only one other major Doctor Who story that takes place in an alternative universe where eyepatches are involved. We're not talking about Rise of the Cybermen. In Inferno, Jon Pertwee€™s Doctor is sucked into a fascistic parallel Britain. His old UNIT friends are now jackbooted minions, led by Brigade Leader Lethbridge Stewart. Nicolas Courtney highlighted the difference by donning an eye patch, which in itself led to one of the most infamous behind the scenes jokes in Who history. As Courtney was wont to recount at conventions, during one dramatic moment €œI turned round and they were all wearing eyepatches!€ Every one of the cast- Pertwee included. So Moffat isn€™t merely referencing Inferno- he€™s actually referencing an anecdote about Inferno. Eleventh level stuff. Almost as complicated as The Wedding of River Song.