The Third Doctor Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1970

Jon Pertwee's first adventure as The Third Doctor was entitled "Spearhead from Space". This story was originally aired in January 1970 and was the first episode of "Doctor Who" to be screened in colour.

Question by Daddy19.

Answer: The Nestene Consciousness

The Doctor had just been forcibly regenerated by the Time Lords and exiled to Earth. As he was recuperating in Ashbridge Cottage Hospital in Epping (a town in Essex), a preliminary invasion (a spearhead) by the Nestene Consciousness was occurring through the guise of a meteor shower.

The Nestene managed to take over a toy factory, and with all of that plastic at their disposal, they created Autons (animated plastic beings) with the intent to replace political and military leaders with imposters.

Question by reedy

Answer: Peri Brown

Peri Brown (played by Nicola Bryant), travelled with the Fifth Doctor.

Liz Shaw was played by Caroline John, Sarah-Jane Smith by Elisabeth Sladen and Jo Grant by Katy Manning.

Question by Daddy19.

Answer: Carnival of Monsters

On the TARDIS's first controlled flight of the third Doctor's era, we see both him and Jo seemingly land on the SS Bernice travelling across the Indian Ocean when in reality they have landed on a mindscope, a banned peepshow of miniaturised lifeforms which the Time-Lords have previously banned.

Of the many life forms inside the mindscope, which include a Cyberman, Tellurians (Earthmen) and a Dalek was also mentioned, the Drashigs are ones which escape and two of the governing tribunal of the planet Inter Minor (where the story takes place) decide to use the escaped animals to wreak havoc on the planet which the Doctor, along and the mindscope's owner Vorg foil.

One detail of note is that in this story a Cyberman makes only one of two appearances during the third doctor's era, the other being shown as a hallucination in "The Mind of Evil".


Question by english_gent

Answer: Aggedor

Aggedor is an animal that is controlled by the High Priest Hepesh of Peladon. He, along with Arcturus, was behind the plot to prevent the union of Peladon with that of the Federation believing that the mineral riches of the planet would be exploited by the Federation where in reality, it was Arcturus' plan for his own race to exploit.

When their plans were foiled, Arcturus was killed and Hepesh escaped to the tunnels where Aggedor resided and instructed the beast to kill the Doctor, who managed to tame the animal using a Venusian lullaby.

The creature, which is a sacred symbol of Peladon, is bear like in appearance with a bony head, like a boar, and which had a horn on its forehead. They dwell in caves most likely due to their poor eyesight and usually rely upon their sense of smell.

The animal encountered by the Doctor meets with him again 50 years later but dies killing Eckersley (who attempts to undermine the production of trisilicate for corrupt gains).


Question by english_gent

Answer: Bessie

Whilst Bessie may have been seen on screen with the registration "WHO 1", Wikipedia notes that it was only able to carry this plate whilst not being driven on public roads. The true registration of the car was "MTR 5".

Question by Daddy19.

Answer: "Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow"

The phrase was one way for Pertwee to speak technobabble and the actor liked the line so much that he insisted to writer, Terence Dicks, to use it more often. However, the phrase was only ever said on screen twice- once in "The Sea Devils" in 1972, and again in "The Five Doctors" in 1983.

The phrase has been used though by subsequent Doctors. The fourth in "The City of Death". The fifth in "Castrovalva" and "Mawdryn Undead". The tenth in "Music of the Spheres" and a clone of the eleventh Doctor utters it in "The Almost People".

Colin Baker, when he was the Doctor, spoke a similar line saying "Reverse the linearity of the proton flow."

Interestingly enough, during a radio play called "The Paradise of Death", the Brigadier was heard to use Pertwee's line which the Doctor then informed him that the phrase is meaningless.

"I am so sorry" was David Tennant's catchphrase; "Would you like a Jelly-Baby?" belonged to Tom Baker's Doctor and "Bow ties are cool" was Matt Smith's.

Question by english_gent

Answer: False

While "Doctor Who" fans came to call the futuristic-looking vehicle the Whomobile, it was only ever referred to by Jon Pertwee in the series as 'my car'.

Pertwee himself had the vehicle commissioned, paying for it out of his own funds, and keeping it for himself after his run as the Doctor. It was designed by Peter Farries.

Question by reedy

Answer: Nicholas Courtney

Mike Yates, Harry Sullivan and John Benton were all members of UNIT under the command of The Brigadier.

Nicholas Courtney died in 2011, aged 81. Shortly afterwards, The Eleventh Doctor was told of the Brigadier's death.

Question by Daddy19.

Answer: Regeneration

"Planet of the Spiders" was six episodes in length, although they did not carry individual titles - merely 'Part One' through 'Part Six'.

A couple of other significant items occurred during this serial outside of the use of the new term 'regeneration'. Most significantly, of course, it introduced (uncredited) the face of the new Doctor Tom Baker. It also marked the last time that Jon Pertwee's 'Whomobile' was seen on screen.

Question by reedy