Doctor Who - Series 9 Trivia

1. What is the name of the planet where the Doctor meets River at the start of "The Husbands of River Song"?

From Quiz The Husbands of River Song

Answer: Mendorax Dellora

The opening scene establishes the planet as Mendorax Dellora, and it is Christmas in 5343 AD. River has crashed a spaceship after marrying a psychopathic space despot nicknamed "The Butcher of Bone Meadows." Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System, is where the Byzantium crashed and River and the Doctor fought the Weeping Angels. Trenzalore featured heavily in "The Name of the Doctor" (2013) and "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) and is the planet where the Doctor is buried. The Doctor and River had a picnic at Asgard, just one of the adventures mentioned by Flemming.

From Quiz Hell Bent

Answer: Nevada

The show opens with a red pick-up truck driving across a desert landscape. The screen states that it is "Nevada, USA". The Doctor enters a diner, where he finds Clara. This is the second time we have seen the Doctor in the western United States. The first was in "The Impossible Astronaut" when he visited Lake Silencio in Utah. Interestingly enough, they used the same diner set in both episodes. And the Twelfth Doctor does bring up Amy and Rory. The Doctor mentions that the diner had moved, that it was "on the other side of the hill". That must be quite a hill, moving from Utah to Nevada. If you would like to visit the diner (with hopes of finding a TARDIS in the kitchen), go to Eddies Diner, which is on Mermaid Quay (along the waterfront) in Cardiff, Wales.

From Quiz Heaven Sent

Answer: Flies

Flies were buzzing around during much of the episode. "Heaven Sent" picks up from where "Face the Raven" leaves off. The Doctor teleports into a mysterious castle where he is chased by a shrouded figure. Over the course of the episode, the Doctor must solve a series of puzzles. To see the Doctor face off against spiders, check out "Planet of the Spiders" (1974). The Tenth Doctor faces off against a giant wasp in "The Unicorn and the Wasp" (2008).

From Quiz Face the Raven

Answer: 538 minutes

At the very start of "Face the Raven," Rigsy tells Clara that he has a tattoo on the back of his neck that is counting down. The Doctor declares that "very non-boring" and comes to see Rigsy. We see the tattoo change from 538 to 537. Rigsy's memory of the previous day has vanished, and the number keeps counting down. The Doctor and Clara decide to solve the mystery in order to save Rigsy. We first saw Rigsy in "Flatline", the series eight episode in which Clara and the Doctor fought two-dimensional beings called The Boneless. Joivan Wade plays Rigsy. He is fairly new to acting, getting his big break in "Big School" in 2012. Wade was also in "Youngers" (2013-14).

From Quiz Sleep No More

Answer: Neptune

The station was near Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. Triton is the seventh largest moon in the solar system. It is the only large moon in the solar system with a retrograde orbit, meaning it moves opposite the direction of Neptune. The space station was named after Urbain Le Verrier, the French mathematician who predicted the existence of Neptune. Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the solar system, and is 47 times the size of Earth. It is the densest planet in the solar system. It was first observed by telescope in 1846 by German astronomer Johann Galle. The episode was a huge departure from past "Doctor Who" episodes as it uses a "lost footage" approach similar to "The Blair Witch Project" (1999). The Doctor and Clara arrive on a space station (not that unusual) and meet a scientist conducting strange experiments with unforeseen and disastrous consequences (again not that unusual) - so it was mainly the format which was different.

From Quiz The Zygon Inversion

Answer: Toothpaste

Clara is in sort of a dream state, as she is inside the Zygon pod. She goes into the bathroom and picks up a tube of toothpaste - we know because it says "This is toothpaste." Possibly the most generic prop ever. Clara has woken up, realized that she is controlled by a Zygon - but then determines that she can also control Bonnie. What follows is a battle of wills between Clara and Bonnie. A bravura performance by Jenna Coleman.

From Quiz The Zygon Invasion

Answer: The Day of the Doctor

As the episode notes, there were three Doctors, two Osgood and one peace treaty in "The Day of the Doctor." One of subplots of the fiftieth anniversary show featured an attempt by the Zygons to invade the Earth by infiltrating UNIT. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors resolved the crisis by confusing everybody's identities. "The Day of the Doctor" aired on the fiftieth anniversary of "Doctor Who" - November 23, 2013. "Terror of the Zygons" (1975) was the Fourth Doctor adventure which introduced the alien race. It involved the Zygons using the Loch Ness Monster to take over the world by attacking an energy conference. In "The Power of Three" (2012), the Zygons got a brief mention as being at the Savoy Hotel during Rory and Amy's wedding anniversary. "Kill The Moon" (2014) has nothing to do with Zygons, but was written by the same author as "The Zygon Invasion". 

From Quiz The Woman Who Lived

Answer: England 1651

The episode opens with a highway robbery of a stagecoach, a somewhat common scene in 17th century England. The Doctor firmly establishes the time frame when he says that he has "a pardon signed by Cromwell." Oliver Cromwell effectively governed England after the death of Charles the First in 1649, and served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England from December 1653 until his death in September 1658. The Doctor arrives in 17th century England in search of an alien artifact, because searching for alien artifacts is a hobby (see "Planet of the Dead"). He discovers that the highwayman is none other than Ashildr, the Viking girl that he saved centuries earlier. "What took you so long, old man?" she asks. The Doctor mentions that there will be a fire in London (in roughly fifteen years time). When Ashildr asks if she caused it, the Doctor says "No, it was the Terileptils." This is a tribute to when the Fifth Doctor fought the reptilian species in "The Visitation" (1982). At the end of the episode, the Terileptils accidentally started the Fire of London.

From Quiz The Girl Who Died

Answer: Odin

The Doctor was attempting to intimidate the Vikings with his yo-yo (one of his less well thought out plans), claiming to be the god Odin, when an apparition of Odin suddenly fills the sky. Odin turns out to be the captain of an alien space ship who teleports all of the Viking warriors aboard so he can vaporize them. Odin was the chief God in Nordic mythology. He is widely associated with both death and healing. Thor was the god of Thunder. Freyr and his sister Freya were associated with sexuality and fertility. Tyr was a lesser god associated with war. David Schofield played Odin. He has been acting since 1967, and has appeared in numerous films and TV shows since 1976. His credits include "Gladiator" (2000) and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

From Quiz Before The Flood

Answer: Beethoven

The Doctor discusses Ludwig Van Beethoven, who really did exist and whom the Doctor apparently visited. He used the composer to illustrate the concept of causal loops (AKA bootstrap or ontological paradox), a time travel paradox in which events appear to be self-generated with no independent point of origin. The paradox gets its name from the Robert Heinlein short story "By His Bootstraps". Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) may well be the greatest musician in history, as he composed several of his greatest works while completely deaf. His Ninth Symphony is the anthem for the European Union. If you have not heard it, stop playing this quiz right now and find it on You Tube. At the start of "Before the Flood", the Doctor plays the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the electric guitar. And that really is Peter Capaldi playing. He was a rock musician before he got into acting. The opening credits feature Capaldi on the guitar.

From Quiz Under The Lake

Answer: Ghosts

Ghosts, genuine ghosts, appear to be the problem. The discovery of a mysterious spaceship leads to several deaths, and the appearance of killer ghosts. According to the Doctor, the ghosts are serving as transmitters, seeking to send a signal out into space directing people to their location. Who the signal is directed towards and why the ghosts sending it want them to come remained unanswered questions at the end of "Under the Lake."

From Quiz The Witch's Familiar

Answer: a pointy stick

Missy used her vortex manipulator to escape from the Daleks, and brought Clara along either because she was hungry (cannibalism is a bit much, even for the Master) or she needed help fighting the Daleks. Missy was able to channel the energy from the Dalek death rays into the vortex manipulator and teleport out, making it appear as if she had been vaporized. Missy managed to carve a pointy stick with some sort of blade, and she and Clara marched off to rescue the Doctor from the Daleks. Missy, being her usual self, refused to share her pointy stick with Clara.

From Quiz The Magician's Apprentice

Answer: Davros

The Doctor finds himself in the position of deciding whether to save Davros, the creator of the Daleks. This Davros is around 10 years old, and is stuck in the middle of a "hand mine" field with 1000 to 1 odds against survival. The Doctor gives him the sonic screwdriver and some encouraging words .... until he discovers the boy's identity. Davros made his first appearance in "Genesis of the Daleks" (March 1975). He is a scientific genius who was horribly injured in a laboratory accident and is confined to a mobile life support unit. It was Davros who genetically engineered the Daleks to rid them of emotions and make them hostile to all other life forms. Davros has appeared multiple times over the last 40 years of "Doctor Who", and has been repeatedly thwarted by The Doctor.

From Quiz The Husbands of River Song

Answer: Hydroflax

Hydroflax was the king. He was known as a ruthless conqueror, who would eat his conquered enemies dead or alive. The king was a cyborg, who could disconnect his head from his body, which had an autonomous computer system. River found that sexy - the Doctor did not. Hydrox is a brand of creme-filled cookie, first marketed in 1908. They predate Oreo cookies by four years. Hydrofrac, the short name for hydraulic fracturing, is a controversial technique used in petroleum drilling. It has been linked with seismic instability, including earthquakes. Hydroloths are a type of demon in "Dungeons and Dragons", specifically during the Second Version era (1991-1994).

From Quiz Hell Bent

Answer: Waitress

Clara was a waitress. She listens to the Doctor's story of what happened on Gallifrey. Clara was a nanny in "The Snowmen" and more or less a flight attendant in "Asylum of the Daleks". For a real flight attendant, see Tegan Jovanka, companion of the Fifth Doctor. Clara did wear a spacesuit in several episodes.

From Quiz Heaven Sent

Answer: 12

The Doctor digs in the garden and comes up with the message "I am in 12". He eventually finds room 12, which contains an enormous crystal wall with the word "Home" engraved on it. The Doctor assumes the TARDIS is hidden behind the wall. 12 could be a reference to Capaldi being the 12th Doctor. 11 was the door that held the Doctor's greatest fear in "The God Complex".

From Quiz Face the Raven

Answer: Lucy

In the time since the events in "Flatline", Rigsy had gotten married and has an infant daughter named Lucy. The Doctor initially thought about bringing the baby along, and then realized she would be a distraction. Jenny is Rigsy's new wife. The Tenth Doctor encountered Rose Tyler as a baby in "Father's Day (2005), and the Eleventh Doctor saw Melody Pond (later River Song) as a baby in "A Good Man Goes to War" (2011).

From Quiz Sleep No More

Answer: 38th Century

According to the Doctor, they were in the 38th century. It appeared to be an era of peace and prosperity, with a slightly psychotic work ethic. People were so driven to be productive that even sleep was viewed as a luxury. For the Doctor in the 51st Century, watch "The Long Game". The Doctor visited the 16h century in "The Shakespeare Code". There are many episodes set in the 21st century, especially in London.

From Quiz The Zygon Inversion

Answer: Union Jack (UK Flag)

The Doctor and Osgood managed to narrowly escape the missile heading towards their plane and landed on a beach. Taking a page from James Bond ("The Spy Who Loved Me"), the Doctor's parachute had a Union Jack on it. When Osgood asked why, the Doctor explained "camouflage." This was the first time the Doctor has used a parachute in the history of the television series, although he has used them in other media such as books.

From Quiz The Zygon Invasion

Answer: Amazing Grace

The Doctor was playing "Amazing Grace", a hymn written by former slave captain John Newton by 1779. It remains one of the most popular folk hymns ever written, and has been recorded thousands of times. The tune is actually called "New Britain" and has been used with the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" since 1835. That really was Peter Capaldi playing the guitar. He was a musician before he got into acting, working in a band with Craig Ferguson. We first saw the Doctor playing the guitar in the "The Magician's Apprentice" and Capaldi's playing has been worked into several episodes since.

From Quiz The Woman Who Lived

Answer: Agincourt

Ashildr (Lady Me) specifically mentions being at Agincourt. Henry V of England defeated a much larger French army using archers, proving the value of longbows in war. The British casualties were very minor, while the French suffered at least 7000 dead. Agincourt was fought on October 25, 1415, Saint Crispin's Day. It is located in northern France, near Calais. The battle is a centerpiece of the Shakespeare play "Henry V." Hastings was the pivotal battle in 1066 in which William the Conqueror gained control of England. Bannockburn was when Robert the Bruce defeated Edward the II in 1314 and won freedom for Scotland. The siege of Orleans was where Joan of Arc made a name for herself in 1429. Maisie Williams gives a superb performance as someone who has learned that living forever has a high price. Williams is probably best known as Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones." She has been on the show since the pilot, and has managed to survive five seasons - an impressive achievement given the show's high body count.

From Quiz The Girl Who Died

Answer: Ashildr

Williams was Ashildr, a Viking girl who has visions. She helps inspire the Doctor to come up with a plan to save the village. Williams is probably best known as Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones". She has been on the show since the pilot, and has managed to survive five seasons - an impressive achievement given the show's high body count. Williams played Abbie in the 2014 comedy "Gold" and Lydia in the 2014 coming of age drama "The Falling." FYI for "Game of Thrones" fans, Richard Madden, who played Arya's brother Robb, dated Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald) for several years. Madden says he was more excited than Jenna was when she was cast on "Doctor Who".

From Quiz Before The Flood

Answer: Russian

The village was a training facility for spies, to train them how to operate in Russia and Eastern Europe. The signs were all in the Cyrillic alphabet and the town contained Soviet propaganda posters will Lenin on them. The whole crisis began because Prentiss, the Tivolian, chose to bury the Fisher King on what he referred to as a "barren, savage outpost." We call it Earth. The Fisher King turned out to be less dead than believed, and caused a great deal of trouble 140 years in the future.

From Quiz Under The Lake

Answer: Scotland

Caithness, Scotland to be specific. Caithness is the northernmost section of Scotland; it contains Dunnet Head, the northernmost point in Great Britain. Caithness is flat, unlike most of northern Scotland, and relatively treeless. The Drum is located underwater, beneath a lake created by a flood. The Doctor and Clara arrived on November 24, 2119. The Doctor has a long history of visiting Scotland. The Second Doctor encountered companion Jamie McCrimmon in "The Highlanders" (1966). The Fourth Doctor battled the Zygons near Loch Ness in "Terror of the Zygons" (1975). The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler faced off against werewolves in "Tooth and Claw" (2006). The Twelfth Doctor has a very pronounced Scottish accent, as Peter Capaldi is a native of Glasgow.

From Quiz The Witch's Familiar

Answer: Vampire monkeys

Missy said the Doctor transported himself into a nest of vampire monkeys. She did not explain how he got out of that predicament. To see the Doctor fight vampire fish creatures, see "The Vampires of Venice". Plamavores were seen in "Smith and Jones", the Tenth Doctor's first adventure with Martha Jones.

From Quiz The Magician's Apprentice

Answer: Jane Austen

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was one of the foremost authors of the early 19th century. She is best known for the novels "Sense and Sensibility" (1811), "Pride and Prejudice" (1813), "Mansfield Park" (1814) and "Emma" (1815). Her novels remain popular 200 years later, and have frequently been made into film adaptations. Mary Shelley (1797-1851) created the first modern horror story "Frankenstein". Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) wrote "Jane Eyre". George Eliot (1819-1880) aka Mary Ann Evans, has tortured generations of English students with her novels "Silas Marner" (1861) and "The Mill on the Floss" (1860). Hopefully Clara does not teach about George Eliot in her English class.

From Quiz 'Doctor Who' Series 9

Answer: Bootstrap paradox

The 'bootstrap paradox' can also be called a 'causal loop'. The Doctor introduces 'Under the Lake' by telling a story. It went something a little like this: A time traveller who loves Beethoven decides to go back in time to meet his hero. He turns up at the start of the nineteenth century, but Beethoven isn't a musician. He has no interest in music at all. The time traveller panics: he can't bear the thought of a world without Beethoven's music. The traveller decides to gather up all the sheet music he has and publish it himself using Beethoven's name. Hundreds of years in the future, the time traveller can enjoy his favourite music. But who actually composed Beethoven's fifth symphony? The episode itself is an example of the bootstrap paradox. The Doctor survived in the past because he copied the plan from his future self. So who came up with the plan?

From Quiz The Husbands of River Song

Answer: trowel

River has a sonic trowel, which the Doctor finds quite silly. The trowel is the iconic tool used by archeologists, used for digging around in small spaces where delicate work is required.

From Quiz Hell Bent

Answer: Karn

The Sisterhood of Karn was first seen in the Fourth Doctor adventure "The Brain of Morbius". The Doctor helped save their sacred flame, and they assisted him in defeating a crazed "Robot Monster"-like Time Lord. The Sisterhood were also seen in "The Night of the Doctor" (2013) where they helped the Eighth Doctor regenerate into the War Doctor, and earlier in series nine during "The Magician's Apprentice". Clare Higgins played Ohila, the leader of the Sisterhood. Higgins is a three-time winner of the Olivier Award for Best Actress, Britain's equivalent of the Tony Award. Korn is an American metal band from Bakersfield, California. Kern is the county in California where Bakersfield is located, or a surname. Kirn is an island in Scotland, as well as a surname.

From Quiz Heaven Sent

Answer: Octagon

It was an octagon. The story doesn't really explain why the octagon was significant, or even why the hole itself was significant. Among the great lines in "Heaven Sent": "The first rule of dying: Don't" and "Hell is heaven for bad people." 

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