Doctor Who: 10 Cleverest Classic Who References In NuWho
5. Snow White And The Seven Keys To Doomsday - Night Terrors
Mark Gatiss is one of the new series most controversial writers. Compared to Davies, Moffat and Gaiman, Gatiss can seem slavishly reverent to the format of the old series- indeed, his most successful Who related script is probably An Adventure in Time and Space, his William Hartnell bio-drama. Its also rare to see Gatiss write Who in a modern timeframe, which makes Night Terrors unusual in his Whovre. In critical terms, its about as well regarded as the rest of his work - i.e. not much at all - but it does feature one reference to the past that isnt totally unwelcome. While talking about his childhood, the Doctor mentions that he was read the stories The Three Little Sontarans, The Emperor Daleks New Clothes and Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday. Joke titles, right? Except Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday is actually a nod to one of the least discussed aspects of Who canon - the theatrical side of it. In the 60s, the popularity of the Daleks spawned a stage play called Curse of the Daleks. Whos continued popularity in the 70s led to the creation of Doctor Who and the Daleks and the Seven Keys to Doomsday, featuring an alternative Fourth Doctor (this was before Tom Baker first appeared in the role). Officially sanctioned, but problematic in terms of continuity, by its very nature its a footnote in Who lore. But its a footnote that a young Gatiss may have seen first-hand, or at least been aware of. And now it's a part of proper Whoviana.
I am Scotland's 278,000th best export and a self-proclaimed expert on all things Bond-related. When I'm not expounding on the delights of A View to a Kill, I might be found under a pile of Dr Who DVDs, or reading all the answers in Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. I also prefer to play Playstation games from the years 1997-1999. These are the things I like.
