Doctor Who: 10 Cleverest Classic Who References In NuWho
4. The Face Of Boe And The Web Planet
Weve established that Russell T Davies likes obscure Who. But if theres one bit of obscure Who he loves, its 1965s The Web Planet, generally considered one of the weirdest episodes in the shows history. A rambling saga of warring insectoid aliens who communicate with each other via interpretive theatre, it has few genuine fans - and even the ones who do mostly like it for the bit where the extra in the ant costume bumps into the camera. All except Davies. In Bad Wolf, for example, he drops a reference to Isop as the home galaxy for the Face of Boe. The Isop Galaxy is where the (painfully slow) events of The Web Planet take place, specifically the planet Vortis. Is this just a random name Davies plucked out of a Who reference guide? Apparently not. In an interview with the shows original producer Verity Lambert, Russ gushes about his love for The Web Planet, describing the Zarbi (the aforesaid giant ants) as classic. But what does it all mean? It could be that Davies is making the point that Doctor Who lives and dies by the imagination of its fans. The Web Planet must have seemed exotic to children of the time, even if it doesnt stand up today. By the same token, the Face of Boe may look wacky, but the mythology surrounding the character confers upon him a certain grandeur. Or he could just really like The Web Planet.
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.
