Doctor Who: 9 Funniest Episodes Of The Revived Series

3. The Caretaker

The nation was eagerly awaiting the long overdue meeting between the Twelfth Doctor and Danny Pink (although something tells us that Clara Oswald could've easily waited a little while longer!) in Series 8 and the anticipation was intensified by the fact that none of us quite knew for sure what would even happen when the two worlds of our impossible girl inevitably collided. It wasn't going to be easy to watch, for sure, what with the Time Lord's known hatred towards soldiers and the fact that Danny had no idea his girlfriend had been juggling their developing romance with a secret life alongside a 2,000 year old Time Lord from outer space. In reality, though (and somewhat disappointingly, too, for those of us who had been looking forward to an almighty ruckus!), their initial fateful encounter was handled in a humorous manner as neither of them knew who the other actually was. In a classic example of slapstick comedy, it all kicked off when the Doctor took on the guise of Coal Hill's new caretaker (was it just us, or has he been there before...?) in order to investigate an extra terrestrial excursion which threatened the lives of the school's staff and pupils. For poor old Clara, though, this meant that she was having to be extra vigilant to ensure that the two most important men in her life didn't cross paths - a task that proved to be rather difficult indeed when she realised that she couldn't be in 18 different places at once. Where's the Doctor's time stream when you need it!? Amidst all the chaos, The Caretaker features an abundance of comical highlights, especially Clara's reaction to the Doctor's "disguise" ("You're wearing a different coat!") and her fluctuating frustration as he continues to get in her way. Let's be honest, though, that would be pretty annoying! Clara's helpless desperation as the drama reaches its head is brilliant, too, and effortlessly portrayed by Jenna Coleman who was probably mentally exhausted after each take. In general, The Caretaker is an anomaly of the Twelfth Doctor's debut series but it was exactly what it needed to revitalise itself at the halfway point before the show went off in an even darker direction. Because you might as well laugh before you cry, right?