As the Earth’s only natural satellite, the Moon has been both a fascination and an aspirational destination for humanity since we first looked up into the sky.
In the world of Doctor Who, it has also been a regular feature as a great place for a base, a handy invasion staging point and the ideal spot to conceal your alien war fleet.
Certain points remain fixed even in Who’s fictional universe; Neil Armstrong still walked on its surface on 20 July 1969, albeit unknowingly transmitting the signal which acted as the call for humanity to rise up and attack The Silence in ‘Day of the Moon’.
According to The Sarah Jane Adventures story ‘Death of the Doctor’, UNIT have their own Moonbase in place as early as 2010, as we heard it was being visited by the Doctor’s former companion Liz Shaw.
With the fate of the moon weighing heavily in ‘Kill the Moon’, CultBox takes a look back at our favourite lunar tales…
‘Kill The Moon’
As the fate of the Moon hung in the balance during the tale, Courtney Woods’ school trip has to top our lunar list. Lanzarote provided the landscape, treating us to some stunning visuals as the Doctor puzzled the reason for increased gravity and fractures on the surface.
As humanity’s plan to resolve the terrible consequences of an increased lunar mass was initiated, it took Clara to make a leap of faith that the Doctor later indicated was the catalyst which returned man to the stars.
‘The Moonbase’
Doctor Who’s fourth year saw the TARDIS materialise on the surface of the moon in 2070, where mankind had placed a weather control station, powered by a gravitron machine.
When crewmembers began falling victim to a mystery plague, the TARDIS crew found themselves confronted by a stealthy Cyber invasion.
‘Smith and Jones’
Medical student Martha Jones’ first adventure with the Doctor saw her place of work, London’s Royal Hope Hospital, transported wholesale to the surface of the moon to get around a legal wrinkle.
With the hospital removed from the Earth, it fell into the jurisdiction of the Judoon who were free to storm it during their search for a blood sucking Plasmavore.
During this lunar visit, Martha impressed the Time Lord with her cool demeanour and quick thinking, earning her a trip in the TARDIS.
‘The Seeds of Death’
With the T-Mat system becoming humanity’s primary method of transport in the 21st century, offering the instant transportation of both goods and people worldwide, the Moon became a vital coordinating relay station.
Unfortunately, the total reliance on T-Mat also made the Earth highly vulnerable and ripe for invasion – a point not lost on the Ice Warriors who sought to modify its biosphere for their own needs.
‘Tooth and Claw’
While we did not visit the Moon, it played a vital part in protecting Queen Victoria from the bite of a Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform (that’s a Werewolf to you and me).
When sinister Kung-Fu monks contrived to force Her Majesty to spend the night at Torchwood House, the Doctor enacted the plan of her late husband Prince Albert and the house’s eccentric former owner, drowning the werewolf in moonlight – as channelled through the fabulous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
‘Frontier in Space’
In 2540, with Earth on the brink of war with the noble space empire of Draconia, the Third Doctor was mistaken for an enemy spy. Despite his protestations of innocence, he was incarcerated on the Lunar Penal Colony.
There’s also a Lunar Penal Colony referenced in ‘Bad Wolf’, where the Doctor and Jack are about to be despatched after attempting to rescue Rose from The Weakest Link. Given it was set in the year 200,100, we not sure it would have been the same one though!
Which moon-based episode of Doctor Who is your favourite? Let us know below…