10 Times Doctor Who Knew EXACTLY What You Were Thinking

Some subtle (and not so subtle) winks and nods from Doctor Who, to you!

Doctor Who The Day of the Doctor
BBC Studios

When a TV show has been around for as long as Doctor Who, you'd better believe that the people behind it will know their audience.

They know what they like, they certainly know what they don't like, and they also know just how much knowledge hardcore Whovians have about the inner workings of their favourite show.

As a Who fan, it's always fun to pick up on the various tropes and running gags that exist in the land of time and space. As for the writers, they often enjoy highlighting these tropes and running gags, in the hope that anyone watching is paying enough attention to notice.

On that note, this list is all about the times Doctor Who went out of its way to get fans in on the joke, from subtle hints to behind-the-scenes goings-on, references to previous plot holes and inconsistencies, or by making fun of the show's cliches.

Doctor Who has done it all, and done it in style.

Casual viewers may have missed these moments, but those in the know will have definitely picked up on these rather meta observations...

10. Laughing In The Face Of Danger

Doctor Who The Day of the Doctor
BBC Studios

One of the core appeals of Doctor Who is that its heroes can go anywhere they want, any time they want. Land somewhere they don't like? Not a problem! Just pop back in the TARDIS and fly away. Easy peasy.

In various stories over the years, it certainly would've made sense if the Doctor had noped out rather than putting themselves and their companions in danger, but this never happens.

The show must go on after all, and the characters can't just leave, even when they really should.

Series 2's The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit knew you were thinking this, and directly referenced it at the start of the first episode.

The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler land on a planet in the orbit of a black hole, after some protest from the TARDIS. Rose mentions that, if the TARDIS is giving off signals that it shouldn't be here, maybe they should both get back inside and leave.

Before she can even finish that sentence, her and the Doctor burst out laughing.

As well as being a wink and a nudge to the nature of the show, this fits right in with both characters' personalities. And it's a really funny moment to boot!

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Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.