Warning: This TARDIS is fitted with an anti-theft device

[morwen]

Many Doctor Who episodes fall into the format:

1. Doctor goes somewhere random
2. Doctor starts to enjoy random place
3. Doctor discovers problem in random place which places his own and his companions' life at risk
4. Doctor fixes problem

Now, if I went somewhere random on holiday this summer, I think I would not have a high chance of becoming involved in an alien invasion, or events leading to a coup, or somesuch. Unless I had extraordinarily bad luck. Admittedly my potential vacations do not extend to all of time and space.

The Doctor doesn't have bad luck. Why does this happen then? I have a theory.

When the Doctor originally stole the TARDIS, he triggered the anti-theft device, which makes the TARDIS land in dangerous places to try to kill the thief. This, working in conjunction with the randomizer, means that he doesn't just go to random places, but to places where he is in severe danger of dying. The business where it translates languages for him is just a ruse to get him to leave the TARDIS. And you know, it's working. At least five regenerations caused by landing on random dangerous planets. Of course that took several hundred years. The man is that good. He may have figured it out and probably leaves it on for the thrill.

Comments

[annie-lyne.livejournal.com]

Doctor discovers Something Very Wrong in London or some other British city.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

But this makes sense. After all, London is the most important city in the universe. It's not like some shows I can mention where they keep invading British Columbia.

[annie-lyne.livejournal.com]

But you see, British Columbia is a perfect invasion staging area! No one will see them coming!

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

...Apart from all the film crews...

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

The problem with that theory is that its the equivalent of having a car drive a thief to the nearest place where you'll get stabbed and your car stripped of all useful components. Which is probably where the thief came from in the first place asides from which you'd also have to go somewhere dangerous to get it back. Sounds like a product of the Sirius cybernetics corp which it isn't as then it would be driving him up the wall with it's annoying conversation.
The old Doctor Who series tended to land him in places he didn't intend going to in the first place (variation of the "should have turned left at Albuquerque" syndrome that wabbits suffer from) whereas the new seems to take him to the right places to demonstrate the holes in his knowledge of Galactic history (the US school system Geography problem).

[psych0naut.livejournal.com]

If I found a magic telephone box that let me spend three years running around the universe with Billie Piper, then I would use it in a heartbeat, fatally dangerous anti-theft system be damned.

[milkyeyes.livejournal.com]

Ah, but what if while waiting for Billie, you ended up with Catherine Tate? I think that's another side-effect of the anti-theft device...

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

Personally I am holding out for Alyson Hannigan.