WHO M*A*S*H-UP WITH "SHERLOCK"

'SHERLOCK'

"THE LYING DETECTIVE"

A news report that was found on the internet early in the episode:

Off-screen Voice:

'Harold Chorley reporting earlier today: 

Mr Smith stated he had no interest in bringing charges.'

From the TARDIS Data Core Wikia:

Harold Chorley was a British television and print journalist.

When the British government decided to allow only one correspondent into the London Underground to cover the British Army's fight against the Great Intelligence and its robot Yeti, Chorley was selected for the job. At first he was proud to be chosen for this unique assignment, but when he realised the danger he was in, he panicked and attempted to flee. His disappearance caused several people, including Jamie McCrimmon, to suspect him of working for the Great Intelligence. During the crisis, he met Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. 

(TV: "The Web of Fear")

First off, a BIG thanks to Andrew Brook for bringing this to my attention.  I think it would have gone right over my head otherwise.  Although I bought "The Web Of Fear" as soon as it came out, I have yet to crack open the shrink wrap.

This is the type of sly crossover I've come to expect from Russell Lewis in his 'Endeavour' scripts, so I was glad to see Mark Gatiss enjoyed doing one as well for this show.

The only problem with making this a connection between 'Doctor Who' and 'Sherlock' - at least as far as Toobworld Central is concerned - is the theoretical premise we've established for 'Sherlock'.

Using the 'Life On Mars' sequel 'Ashes To Ashes' as the precedent, 'Sherlock' takes place in Limbo.  And all of the characters we see are merely the souls of the departed who have not yet moved on to the next plane of existence.  Sherlock is indeed Sherlock Holmes, but in this manifestation of his soul he no longer looks as he did on Earth but instead as this modernized young man (in much the same way the soul of the late Gene Hunt did in 'Ashes To Ashes'.)

And like Gene Hunt shepherding the souls of the other cops under his command in the afterlife, Sherlock is preparing Dr. John Watson for his eventual transfer to the next world.  Only this is not the same Dr. Watson he knew in life.  Instead, John is just the current one of many Watsons who have departed the mortal realm of Toobworld and then guided to meet Sherlock Holmes by the angel who poses as Mike Stanford.

And every other character they encounter together is another soul helping Sherlock play out the scenario he has constructed for John Hamish Watson.  In fact, the soul that is assuming the role of Detective Greg Lestrade also manifested himself into the section of Limbo where DCI Hunt was holding court.  Only there he was known as Danny Moore.  (In life he was big-game hunter and adventurer John Lord Riddell.)

So the fact that Harold Chorley was still active in the reporting business in 2017 when he was now in his 80s would have seemed suspect if this was taking place in the "real world" of Earth Prime-Time.  And if it had been the real world, I would have just said that the report was filed by Harold Chorley, Jr.  

Instead, I will cite Occam's Razor and keep this as simple a splainin as I can muster.

That report was filed in this Limbo scenario for the overall benefit of Dr. Watson by the soul of Harold Chorley.  

So it can remain a 'Doctor Who' crossover anyway.  Which is probably as much of one as you'll ever get for these two incarnations of the show.

To Infinity and Beyond!