The Three Doctors

"Doctor Who and Doctor Who and a bit of Doctor Who", "Omega!"

"The One with the Two Guys We've Never Seen in Color" (USA), "Doctor Doctor, I feel Like I've Got Multiple Personalities" (Christmas Cracker Today magazine)

The Doctors Who stop a rogue Time Lord from sucking the hell out of the universe

*** - It's a cracking piece of fan candy but it's a shame Mr Hollis didn't get a spin off series

"Hmm? So you're my replacements are you? A midget and a ponce" (unused take)

"As long as he does the job, he can wear what pants he likes"

The idea of uniting three Doctors Who originally came up in 1964 but was rejected by then producer Verity Lambert as being "ahead of its time"

Peter Davison refused to appear in this story on the grounds that he hadn’t been cast yet.

Dennis Thatcher called this “like every other day of my life – I see three of everyone”.

Contrary to popular myth, this story wasn’t made to celebrate Dr Who but rather to spite ITV who were having great success with their Doctor In Charge series that featured, not so coincidentally, three Doctors.

William Hartnell told the Radio Times that he was pleased to be playing Doctor Who again but that “I don’t remember doing it sitting down last time”.

The Brig’s famous line “I’m fairly sure that’s Cromer” was an in joke as the image on the other side of the door is clearly a bad CSO backdrop. Cromer was, therefore, short for Chromakey which is everyone else’s name for CSO.

The mind link sound effect was copied from the fruit machine in the pub next to Television Centre. In the extended DVD version you can make out Jon Pertwee saying ‘Bollocking cherries’ and punching the dartboard.

To differentiate between the three Doctors, they were known on set as “Tom”, “Dick” and “Harry”. Katy Manning was threatened with the sack when she pointed out that “William”, “Patrick” and “Jon” would’ve worked rather better. Barry Letts wasn’t known as Barry “My Way or the High Street” Letts for nothing.

...is that there are worse things than close family visiting you unexpectedly

Si Hunt

"During the early days of my a-n-u-s trouble I attended a special "brain storming" session arranged by Doctor Flapjack and attended by two of his colleagues. The first to examine me - Doctor Spongewick (an expert in his field) - examined me for several minutes before suddenly standing up and exclaiming. "Goodness" he gasped. "What is the matter, Doctor Spongewick?" I asked, still bent double and trouserless. "I diagnose an extreme case of anal retentiveness. You appear to have... well... sucked up my rectoscope" he explained. He made some fascinating technical notes and left the field (and my a-n-u-s) open for his colleague, Doctor Burnflap (a general expert in fields). He took a more hands in approach and, after his examination was concluded, discovered his watch was missing. I heard laughter from the public gallery and when I looked over I saw Ian Devine occupying the first three rows. "This is just like Story RRR" he began. "There are three doctors here and your a-n-u-s appears to be playing the role of the black hole of "Omega"" he chuckled. "Don't be pathetically stupid, Ian Devine" I quipped, "The black hole of "Omega" drew in most of the energy in the universe whereas my a-n-u-s has so far only retained Doctor Spongewick's rectoscope and Doctor Burnflap's timepiece. I hardly think the comparison is in any sense accurate and I shall expect an apology by return of post." Ian Devine went red (think of a strawberry flavoured bouncy castle) and agreed that he would send me a note of regret in the next post. Doctor Flapjack studied his colleagues findings but was unable to prescribe anything beyond sturdier underwear and a laminated card which excused me from sitting on any valuable chairs."

Simon Twist, writing in "Doctor Who Debate", went on a lengthy and bitter rant about how he'd seen several photographs of the Three Doctors and it absolutely definitely certainly did not feature William Hartnell. "I don't know who that man is" he thundered, "but it absolutely, definitely, certainly is not William Hartnell. He can wear the man's jacket but he does not and never will have the man's face." Twist would later apologise to the BBC in 1983 when they brought Hartnell back for the 20th Anniversary story. "I'm pleased" he wrote in the Children In Need special edition of DWD. Meanwhile, the 1973 "Of Human Gondage" yearbook gave away a free Omega mask with every issue and "Monoids Behaving Badly" had a free black hole transfer which could be used to scare your teacher or parent into believing the world was about to be destroyed. What larks.