Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Faced Consequences For Their Actions
3. Shutting Down Satellite Five - The Long Game / Bad Wolf / The Parting Of Ways
When Nine, Rose and Adam Mitchell land on Satellite Five during Series One’s The Long Game, it isn’t long before they realise something isn’t right, and they set to work to find out what (or two of them do, at least, Adam just sort of wanders off and installs a clicky-brain-hole on himself, as you do). After learning that Satellite Five is a broadcast station controlling the population of Earth through fake news, controlled by Simon Pegg at the behest of a giant, screaming ceiling jelly, The Doctor decides to bring down this regime of indoctrination. Of course, being The Doctor, he is successful.
Bosh. Day saved. Everyone can be on their merry way right?
Nope.
Because the human race relied on these broadcasts, and without them, there was a breakdown in communication, mass hysteria and a lack of direction, leading to a complete standstill in the development of the human race. In short, they are left unable to defend themselves.
When Nine and Rose find themselves of Satellite Five again, now renamed The Game Station, during the events of Bad Wolf / The Parting of Ways, things have gotten considerably worse. The Game Station runs deadly gameshows where contestants are murdered for entertainment (you're lying if you say you wouldn't watch them too - well except Big Brother, I'm not sure anybody watches Big Brother).
Even worse, it turns out this slaughter fest is the work of The Daleks, and there are a bloody lot of them. The Daleks go on to launch a full scale invasion of Earth, and the planet is reduced to a husk with little to no resistance and in the space of minutes. Series One was dark…
We should point out, this is never undone - The Doctor is, to this day, inadvertently responsible for the fall of planet Earth. Just let that one sink in.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Honestly, we don’t blame The Doctor for this one, but they should probably keep track of human history a little better. Just swing by for a cuppa and make sure there isn’t a collapse of civilisation every once in a while.