Doctor Who takes swipe at 'annoying' fans and ex boss Steven Moffatt

Doctor Who has lampooned its fans in its latest episode, which sees the Doctor and Belinda Chandra realise they're in a TV show as they meet fans of the sci-fi series. In the episode, written by showrunner Russell T Davies, the Doctor and Belinda must defeat animated villain Mr. Ring-a-Ding (Alan Cumming) before he continues to terrify 1952's Miami.

In one particular scene, Lux traps the Doctor and Belinda in a film, where they become two-dimensional animated characters. While they learn to become three-dimensional, they crawl out of a TV screen to find three fans - Hassan, Lizzie and Robyn - who are beyond excited to meet their heroes in real life.

"I knew this would happen because it leaked online #RIPDoctorWho," Robyn tells them. The Doctor when asks them what their favourite episode is, to which they say Blink - the critically-acclaimed 2007 episode written by ex boss Steven Moffat and starring David Tennant, Freeman Agyeman and guest star Carey Mulligan.

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An incredulous Doctor says: "Not the one with the goblins? I met the Beatles. Not the one where I am standing on a landmine? That was brilliant." However, the fans don't budge on their choice.

When Belinda asks what Blink is about, Hassan says: "It's this story where you're not allowed to blink." She then responds sarcastically: "Well that sounds like an absolute epic."

After the fans tell them that they can't reveal how they can defeat the villainous Mr. Ring-a-ding - who is revealed to be the God of light Lux - the Belinda says: "God, you're so annoying."

To which Lizzie says: "Lots of people say that. But we don't care because the thing is- we are a bit annoying I know that.

"You're wasting your time because the truth is...you're not fictional, we're not real. We don't exist." Hassan, Lizzie and Robyn are then revealed to be a trap set up by Lux to mess with Belinda and the Doctor's minds to stop them from escaping his film.

The episode is full of cheeky winks and references to Doctor Who fan culture, while Alan Cumming returns to the series as the villainous Mr Ring-a-Ding after making his original debut as King James in a 2018 episode.

This series of Doctor Who marks Ncuti Gatwa's second as The Doctor and Varada Sethu's first as his new companion Belinda Chandra. Varada appeared in the last series as Mundy Flynn - a soldier on a war-torn alien planet.

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