Now THIS is the way you do a 'Doctor Who' in-joke reference and show respect to your viewers!
In "Death Minister", an episode of 'Crime Traveller' (about two Scotland Yard detectives who use a time machine to visit the recent past to solve crimes), detective Jack Slade was asked what he was going to do next during a murder investigation. As they were at a company that sold old phone boxes to put in your garden as decoration, Slade noticed an old blue police box around the corner of the building. Smiling knowingly to himself (thank you, Monty Python!), Slade responded, "I'll be following a different line of investigation."
Yeah, a TIME-line of investigation! Booyah!
No mention of 'Doctor Who' at all, but the audience knew why he had that Mona Lisa smile.
Since we have to have that splainin ready for other mentions of 'Doctor Who', it's possible that Jack Slade has seen those Peter Cushing movies about the Time Lord in Toobworld. But since nothing was said about the matter, we don't even have to address the issue.
The audience is happy; they got the joke. And I'm happy; Toobworld is safe from that particular Zonk.
That episode's writer knew how to respect his audience.
We saw another possible TARDIS in the earlier scene, a blue police box toy. But that wasn't even pointed out; further proof that the writer knew to trust his audience to get it.
BCnU!
Toby O'B
In "Death Minister", an episode of 'Crime Traveller' (about two Scotland Yard detectives who use a time machine to visit the recent past to solve crimes), detective Jack Slade was asked what he was going to do next during a murder investigation. As they were at a company that sold old phone boxes to put in your garden as decoration, Slade noticed an old blue police box around the corner of the building. Smiling knowingly to himself (thank you, Monty Python!), Slade responded, "I'll be following a different line of investigation."
Yeah, a TIME-line of investigation! Booyah!No mention of 'Doctor Who' at all, but the audience knew why he had that Mona Lisa smile.
Since we have to have that splainin ready for other mentions of 'Doctor Who', it's possible that Jack Slade has seen those Peter Cushing movies about the Time Lord in Toobworld. But since nothing was said about the matter, we don't even have to address the issue.
The audience is happy; they got the joke. And I'm happy; Toobworld is safe from that particular Zonk.
That episode's writer knew how to respect his audience.
We saw another possible TARDIS in the earlier scene, a blue police box toy. But that wasn't even pointed out; further proof that the writer knew to trust his audience to get it.
BCnU!Toby O'B
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