Hey all! Wanted to address this video is about the show only (I don’t have the money for all the expanded media, and cannonicity is hard to tell a lot of the time!) sorry if that wasn’t made clear enough in the video. Thanks for all the love! ❤ And a big thank you to Jack Stephens for being my first Patron!
Sort of reminds me of when the Tenth Doctor regenerates he can hear the song Vale Decem along with the audience. Though of course that's not a fourth wall break since that music is diegetic.
You probably wont believe me but I put on another forum & said for ages now the TARDIS is trying to break right through the fourth wall. RTD said he's going to do something thats never been done before. There's too many fourth wall breaks now to ignore them as a passing joke.
That Hartnell ad libbed the 4th wall break has long been a popular fan rumour, but it has since been thoroughly debunked and it is known it was a definite part of the script.
it had planned camera moves and everything There is debate as to whether he added the “at home” bit himself though. Originally it may not have been quite as explicit
I'd argue the 7th Doctor's seemingly random decision to dangle himself off a ledge in Dragonfire could be taken as evidence that he not only knew he was fictional, but understood the tropes and format of the series he was in. The episode was coming to an end, the writing formula required there to be a cliffhanger at the end of an episode and the plot hadn't created one naturally, so he, the character, decided to do one on his own for the sake of the format, and as a nod to the audience that he was aware of that he literally hung himself off a cliff, only to climb back up as soon as the next episode started because his purpose had been achieved - the story had been able to continue.
@@littleredruri how do you know? I mean David tenant is in character for all we can say is that the Doctor came in, gave us a warning, then left. Besides in the one movie with both Tennant and Smith they were taking shots at each other, my theory (unofficial) is that after that Tennant’s Doctor decided to get one last shot in at Smith’s, so he traveled to right before that was shown to make fun of his chin. Also if you think I was serious about any of this, you need to go back to school
I love to think that the Doctor knows or suspects that they are being watched/in a TV show, but is smart enough to know that they can't really prove it, so instead, they act up their performance, explain everything aloud, and makes sure what they do is interesting to whoever may be watching them.
The fact that the Master was driven mad by the theme tune in _The Sound of Drums_ is something I ponder about on a fairly regular basis, dunno if they realise that they're a character in a TV show.
I just wanna mention that 14 also pulled a prop out of basically nowhere similar to 12 and the cup of tea, when they just randomly pulled out a judge's wig in the middle of The Star Beast.
That one is from a canonical bit of lore, which a cup of tea has a bit less explanation of. His pockets are bigger on the inside. A lot of incarnations literally have clothing with TARDIS pockets, it's stated in extended media iirc, but the groundwork was laid years prior. But how do you get a drinkable cup of tea out of a tiny pocket? More questionable
He did the same with a cup of water in 'return of doctor mysterio' it's one of my favorite interactions. -Where'd you get that? -My pocket. -How'd you keep a glass of water in your pocket? -Skill. So the tea thing is probably the same.
The 11th Doctor also turns directly to the camera in the final scene of The Wedding of River Song, while the Duke of Manhattan shouts “DOCTOR WHO!” over and over.
Capaldi really broke the wall way earlier in the Day of the Doctor. When it was mentioned that there were actually thirteen Tardises, thirteen Doctors he looks up directly to camera.
dude you didn't even think of using the ending quote of all quotes : Capaldi / 12th : "This regeneration... it's a bit of a clerical error anyways!"" -under the lake
I've watched Doctor Who since it first started. (Yep! I'm old.) You're absolutely right that viewers were happily surprised when William Hartnell broke the 4th wall at Christmas! Love your channel and have subscribed.
You forgot the Fourteenth Doctor, who breaks the fourth wall at the beginning of The Star Beast. Also, you didn't mention the Twelfth Doctor addressing the audience with his monologue at the beginning of Listen.
You Give Moffat the credit for the Doctor looking like the Roman here, but it was actually RTDs idea that he told SM about when Capaldi was cast, which they joked about at some launch or wrap party or other When he was writing series 9 Moffat thought about it and e-mailed RTD to ask if he could use it, which Rusty glady agreed to.
@@mr.scarlo2234 He comes in on the tank playing the theme song, then stops, talks, and then later plays pretty women (and I think another song as well)
This is a good in-universe explanation, especially since Trial of a Timelord basically confirms that the Time Lords effectively have fully edited episodes of Doctor Who in the matrix 😆
There's a Virgin era book called Conundrum that's quite meta, the Doctor is in the Land of Fiction and he and his companions are literally trapped inside the actual book you're reading. What's interesting about the question of "is the Doctor aware they're a fictional character?" is at the end of the book, when they're escaping the land of fiction he has this exchange with his companion Benny: 'Great. And after that, there’ll be no one watching or reading about us anymore?’ 'No one.’ Benny smiled tightly, and they still avoided each others’ eyes. She couldn’t think of anything else to say so she left quietly, easing the door shut behind her in contrast to Ace’s rather more explosive departure. ‘Well,’ muttered the Doctor when he was sure she was out of earshot, ‘no one out of the ordinary, anyway.’ Which definitely implies the Doctor is very aware of the audience of the show and books.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the 4th Doctor’s speech at the end of the live action/animated Shada. That seems very much like leaning on the fourth wall at least if not breaking it by the end.
Criminally under subbed channel I love that so many fans of a time travel show didn't know "bootstrap paradox" and had to Google it. Literally the most common pitfall of time travel stories Also to add to your excellent summary of 12, I think it's a response to characters like Deadpool and Rick Sanchez, the latter being inspired somewhat by doctor who so that's cool
The 12th Doctor also had a moment in the Christmas Special 'The Husbands of River Song'. When River and he entered the TARDIS when she didn't know he was the Doctor, he did a full, over-exaggerated reaction to the whole 'bigger on the inside' concept, before ending with a glance to camera and the line of how he's "always wanted to see that done properly".
I gave the fourth wall ability to my time lord character from my own Webseries. It allows me to direct while acting which makes my job easier. He’s aware he’s in a low budget Webseries, he knows he is nothing compared to The Doctor, but he knows he is gonna try to do the good thing. It also allows for a lot more jokes, including moves he may or may not have taken out of The Doctor’s playbook (Jammy Dodger bomb) I really just wanted to give the character a bit more to strengthen his abilities as he is not as smart or experienced as The Doctor, he’s only on his second regeneration after all
@@coolstingray6325 Doctor Who: Parallax The name doesn’t really mean anything aside from being Sci-Fi. The pilots kinda mid, but it’s supposed to be mostly comedy so I think it’s fine
I hope you do an update after series 14 completes airing. The couple of 4th wall breaks in the Devil's Chord (and arguably space babies) have me thinking 15 may have "the gift"
I'd have thought you'd have mentioned the line "I am the Doctor Whether you like it or not" from The Twin Dilemma to the section on the sixth Doctor. I don't recall the delivery of that line being particularly fourth wall breaking, but it was certainly a meta -commentary, that follows on from the line you did discuss. My favourite examples of fourth wall breaking are from the non-TV stuff. Seventh Doctor novel Conundrum is set in the Land of Fiction. Much of the novel is told in fourth-wall breaking narration by the new master of the land. But the Doctor gets in on the act a number of times. There's also an eighth Doctor comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine where he travels to the "real" world. It features Tom Baker and the first issue of DWM.
10 does a 4th wall break in The Shakespeare Code. he looks directly at the camera and says “wait ‘til you read book 7, i cried” when Martha mentions Harry Potter
the 5th doctor in an audio broke the fourth wall by singing the spoken word version of the intro originally sung by the 3rd doctor, which would make 3 able to break the fourth wall too
I think it's more interesting to think this ability, much like the rest of the Doctor's abilities and personalities and even genetic backgrounds since even if it's only recently we've had a woman Doctor and a Doctor of colour respectively, is something all iterations of the Doctor have but choose how much they wish to embrace it. The fact that it's been an on and off thing ever since even Hartnell played the role has me convinced just from an in-universe standpoint, cause that particular case had the Doctor literally drop everything and flat out tell us he knows he's a fictional character and that we're along for the ride with him. Even respects us for it in a way, too.
22:40 The doctor has an ability called "transmigration" which I believe originated with the fourth Doctor which intermittently allows him to pull simple objects out of thin air. Since this ability is never actually addressed in detail it's unclear whether he can always do it, but either doesn't want to or doesn't find it useful all that often, or if there are limits on when he can. Edit: so apparently it was introduced with the first doctor, and it's also hinted that he's better at it when his hands are in his pockets. This implies either that the often Doctor fakes transmigration by pulling bizarre objects out of his pockets that you wouldn't expect him to have on him so you think he's pulling things out of thin air, or that the Doctor repeatedly during his adventures "pulls things out of his pockets" on camera, when really he's manifesting them. So he could be doing it constantly throughout the show and we'd have no idea, just assuming he's been carrying whatever it is he brings out.
The thing I wonder is, if some incarnations have the power whilst others don't does the Doctor remember doing it? Surely if some incarnations don't ever do it they must forget when their previous incarnations did. Either that or they know it's a power they once had but don't remember how to do. Maybe they try to do it sometimes but we the audience don't notice because they're not doing it right xD
I think that Six also had a second fourth wall-break in the final line of his first full story, "The Twin Dilemma" - when he tells Peri: "I *_am_* the Doctor... whether you like it, or not." Admittedly I don't think this was said while actually looking to camera, but I believe the comment was intentionally meant for the audience as much as for Peri. Six was stating flat-out that he was the Doctor, and they'd have to get used to him or stop watching (many of them stopped watching... but personally Six is my second-fave after Five!)
In The Tenth Planet, the First Doctor also looks into and walks towards the camera when he's about to regenerate, saying "it's far from being all over" Also the First Doctor definitely knew he was in a show on the telly because of how he referenced the audience watching at home
15 definitely knows he's in a TV show. In The Devil's Chord, he says of some music "I thought that was non-diegetic." Non-diegetic music can't exist in reality. It always has to be coming from somewhere, so for him to think that music is non-diegetic, he has to know he's not real. Also, the Doctor saving Davros did have an effect. When Missy puts Clara in the Dalek armor, so that it makes her saying "I'm Clara" come out as "I'm a Dalek," the Doctor knows that something is up when the Dalek asks for mercy, but before the Doctor saved Davros, Daleks didn't have mercy in their vocabulary.
I have long maintained that both of 11's breaks are just him looking at the Tardis doors/Clara and the camera happens to intersect the eye-line as a directorial choice - he doesn't even know he's "looking into the camera." Most other 4th wall breaks are far more explicit turns to camera, with the doctor making an otherwise inexplicable stare into the middle distance or at a random wall as they deliver a line. So, I'd put 11 at the bottom, basically an honorable mention. But of course, this is just my interpretation.
Just found you. Love the video and your style. Keep it coming! I've been a fan of doctor who as long as I can remember and it's great having youtubers I can watch :)
I may be wrong but I think there's a line in Heaven Sent and the doctor says " am I spoiling the magic? I work at this stuff, which feels as if it's being said directly to the audience.
For me when it comes to Fourth-Wall Breaking Powers, it goes: 1). The Fifteenth Doctor 2). The Twelfth Doctor 3). The Fourth Doctor 4). The First Doctor 5). The Seventh Doctor 6). The rest of The Doctors because they don’t really Fourth-Wall Break (6 & 11 as well)
Was watching Robots of Sherwood, at the end of the episode Robin Hood straight up TELLS 12 that he is a fictional character. "You're just as real as I am." He figured it out from there. Next episode he does the Listen monologue to the camera.
About peter, there,s this episode i think called Listen, where he makes a small intro at the start. I think this is also a fourth wall break? He also plays clara's theme song in clara's final episode
Other characters in Who have broken the 4th wall. In the 5th Doctor Story "Enlightenment" Captain Wrack talks to the camera and in the 1st Doctor story "The Aztecs" Tlotoxl does it.
22:30 There is an ability taught to Time Lords called "transmigration" whereby they can literally summon objects out of thin air, like a magician, and I believe that 12 is using this ability here - does this mean that ALL Time Lords have some forth wall-breaking potential?
You missed an instance with Eleven. He clearly looks at the camera and the end of The Wedding of River Song when Dorian is asking “Doctor Who? Doctor Who?” Over and over.
The ending monologue of Day of the Doctor by 11th seems like a 4th wall break too. Also the opening of Listen! And The Husbands of River Song are riddled with 4th wall break by the 12th Doctor.
12 does state that there's a VERY small amount of compassion in the Daleks. As the Daleks were based on Davros' mind, the compassion MUST have come from there, but where did Davros get it, from the ONE man that showed HIM compassion as a child.
A lot of these definitely felt to me like they were meant more as the Doctor expressing their internal thoughts in a very "TV" way, rather than an actual awareness of the fourth wall proper. (eg., 7's cliffhanger comment, 4's The Face of Evil monologue and screwdriver comment) Which, it definitely works for that Either way 12 is in a league all of his own
You missed the ultimate meta fourth wall break from 6, in ‘Vengeance on Varos’ after dumping two people in acid he turns to the camera and says “excuse me for not joining you”. However he’s in a tv show in the show that we’re effectively watching. 6 also commented “He’s awfully loud isn’t he” at Brian Blesseds war cry. However this is edited out of the DVD and I player version (I think because Blessed is stabbing someone)
Interesting video but you forgot one example of the fourth Doctor. At the end of Shada the doctor ist speaking to Romana looking in the distance and he says in two hundred years time, someone will look at me and say is it really the doctor, he seems such a nice old man." After this he looks into the camera and starts smiling In the audio "Masterful" Thera two examples of Missy not only breaking the fourth wall, but recognizing another actor at onepoint Missy is ask about the Lumiat and who she is. Missy says" that is A scene stealing adition" later she is ask by another Master why they all came together and Missy is pointing two Derek Jacobi saying "that's because the universe was blowing up because of gandalf's husband over there" referring two Derrek Jacobys role alongside Ian McKellen in 2013s vicious
Has any mentioned The Caves of Androzani. While he is in his office, the character of Morgus frequently breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to camera.
You missed one! In ‘Closing Time’ at around 4:47, the Doctor glances at the camera for less than a second after he stops Stormageddon, Dark Lord Of All from crying.
well some dude posted about this video on twitter and couldn't be assed to link the video, just write the title out, so I did my part and linked it banger video, glad someone talked about it
Hey all! Wanted to address this video is about the show only (I don’t have the money for all the expanded media, and cannonicity is hard to tell a lot of the time!) sorry if that wasn’t made clear enough in the video. Thanks for all the love! ❤
And a big thank you to Jack Stephens for being my first Patron!
Okkk
BREAKING: The Fifteenth Doctor can apparently hear the show's soundtrack!
Which episode does he make a reference to this?
@@throttlebirdjdm4168 "The Devil's Chord".
“I thought that was non diagetic.”
Sort of reminds me of when the Tenth Doctor regenerates he can hear the song Vale Decem along with the audience. Though of course that's not a fourth wall break since that music is diegetic.
You probably wont believe me but I put on another forum & said for ages now the TARDIS is trying to break right through the fourth wall. RTD said he's going to do something thats never been done before. There's too many fourth wall breaks now to ignore them as a passing joke.
Missy might know she's on a TV show--"I'd like you to meet my plucky assistants, Exposition and Comic Relief." 😄😄
Not to mention “hi I’m dr who” which she says immediately before
sim's master seems to border on it with tapping his fingers to the theme tune too.
@@haruyasumi616tbf, that was literally instilled in him by the Time Lords, so who knows
@@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123whats tbf mean
@@SonicBuzz2010 to be fair
That Hartnell ad libbed the 4th wall break has long been a popular fan rumour, but it has since been thoroughly debunked and it is known it was a definite part of the script.
it had planned camera moves and everything
There is debate as to whether he added the “at home” bit himself though. Originally it may not have been quite as explicit
Hi, I'm from a week in the future.
Throw out everything.
He knows.
he knowwwwwws
“Just after the death of long term companion, Clara, ‘BY A BIRD ☹️’” 🤣🤣
that "by a bird" actually made me laugh so much lomao
Birds can be vision. See, cassowary
I'd argue the 7th Doctor's seemingly random decision to dangle himself off a ledge in Dragonfire could be taken as evidence that he not only knew he was fictional, but understood the tropes and format of the series he was in. The episode was coming to an end, the writing formula required there to be a cliffhanger at the end of an episode and the plot hadn't created one naturally, so he, the character, decided to do one on his own for the sake of the format, and as a nod to the audience that he was aware of that he literally hung himself off a cliff, only to climb back up as soon as the next episode started because his purpose had been achieved - the story had been able to continue.
no such thing as fiction in the multiverse
Doesn’t David Tennant address the audience when introducing Matt Smith in 3d
@@jayburgess6309pretty sure that isn't canon
@@littleredruri how do you know? I mean David tenant is in character for all we can say is that the Doctor came in, gave us a warning, then left. Besides in the one movie with both Tennant and Smith they were taking shots at each other, my theory (unofficial) is that after that Tennant’s Doctor decided to get one last shot in at Smith’s, so he traveled to right before that was shown to make fun of his chin. Also if you think I was serious about any of this, you need to go back to school
@@littleredruriMaybe it takes place is the space between time or something. Canon enough for me.
8th doctor broke the 4th wall in one audio story
And 11 once traveled to the "real world " in one comic and met matt Smith and read the script
If you mean the bit at the end of relative dimensions, I love that bit! Made me smile for a good few minutes once i’d finished it
@@thetasigma412 yes indeed
I love to think that the Doctor knows or suspects that they are being watched/in a TV show, but is smart enough to know that they can't really prove it, so instead, they act up their performance, explain everything aloud, and makes sure what they do is interesting to whoever may be watching them.
Watch this next have an episode where the Doctor either finds out he is or tries to prove it somehow 😂
@@Kranitokothat's actually one of the more farfetched theories for the new season
@@sheersternfeld1914 Not so far-fetched, as the Doctor can apparently hear the show's soundtrack. He's got to suspect he's in a TV series.
@@johnsensebe3153 yeah, but this video is from before the devil's chord released
@@sheersternfeld1914 I know that. That's why I commented with an update.
The fact that the Master was driven mad by the theme tune in _The Sound of Drums_ is something I ponder about on a fairly regular basis, dunno if they realise that they're a character in a TV show.
they are nto a character in a tv show, its like a men beings secretly filmed noticing the camera. our world is fiction.
Oh man I've never heard that theory, I love it.
@@jennywilliams1455 its like noticing a secret camera. we are in a tv show
I just wanna mention that 14 also pulled a prop out of basically nowhere similar to 12 and the cup of tea, when they just randomly pulled out a judge's wig in the middle of The Star Beast.
Great point! Totally forgot about that. Time Lord pockets eh
That one is from a canonical bit of lore, which a cup of tea has a bit less explanation of.
His pockets are bigger on the inside. A lot of incarnations literally have clothing with TARDIS pockets, it's stated in extended media iirc, but the groundwork was laid years prior.
But how do you get a drinkable cup of tea out of a tiny pocket? More questionable
@@dhi_holo The inside of a Tardis (or similar space) is a different dimension, and thus has gravity that orients differently.
He did the same with a cup of water in 'return of doctor mysterio' it's one of my favorite interactions.
-Where'd you get that?
-My pocket.
-How'd you keep a glass of water in your pocket?
-Skill.
So the tea thing is probably the same.
And it wasn't the first time that the wig came out: the Fourth Doctor brought out the wig in "The Stones of Blood."
The 11th Doctor also turns directly to the camera in the final scene of The Wedding of River Song, while the Duke of Manhattan shouts “DOCTOR WHO!” over and over.
And one scene in Day of the Doctor where he looks up from his book, directly into camera
And in the asylum of the daleks whe they are all saying “doctor who” he looks at the camera and says “you’ll never stop asking”
Capaldi really broke the wall way earlier in the Day of the Doctor. When it was mentioned that there were actually thirteen Tardises, thirteen Doctors he looks up directly to camera.
I've always heard that moment as 'diving into the fandom eyebrows first' but I like that detail.
+
dude you didn't even think of using the ending quote of all quotes :
Capaldi / 12th : "This regeneration... it's a bit of a clerical error anyways!""
-under the lake
I've watched Doctor Who since it first started. (Yep! I'm old.) You're absolutely right that viewers were happily surprised when William Hartnell broke the 4th wall at Christmas! Love your channel and have subscribed.
I am always up for Capaldi appreciation. It was the absolute best era of the show.
Thanks for teaching Evan what the 4th wall is, really made me upset that he didn't
You forgot the Fourteenth Doctor, who breaks the fourth wall at the beginning of The Star Beast. Also, you didn't mention the Twelfth Doctor addressing the audience with his monologue at the beginning of Listen.
spoilers for the newest episodes but i think ncuti is instantly the top of the list, he can hear non-diegetic music??
yep i just sorted comments by most recent to see if someone else noticed haha
You're going to have to update this now... What was that - at least 3 4th wall breaks in The Devil's Chord..?
You Give Moffat the credit for the Doctor looking like the Roman here, but it was actually RTDs idea that he told SM about when Capaldi was cast, which they joked about at some launch or wrap party or other
When he was writing series 9 Moffat thought about it and e-mailed RTD to ask if he could use it, which Rusty glady agreed to.
I really appreciate your bit on the 12th doctor's arc. Personally, I think its one of the best and most underrated story arcs in the show
Peter Capaldi played the Doctor Who theme tune in The Magicians Apprentice in front of a crowd of people
Really?
@@317tempest Yes, it was confirmed by him and the writers
I thought it was Pretty Woman he was playing
@@mr.scarlo2234 He comes in on the tank playing the theme song, then stops, talks, and then later plays pretty women (and I think another song as well)
@@Legend1O1 The other song he plays is claras theme.
IIRC Classic Doctors in big finish acknowledge they are being watched, they assume it is the Time Lords watching.
This is a good in-universe explanation, especially since Trial of a Timelord basically confirms that the Time Lords effectively have fully edited episodes of Doctor Who in the matrix 😆
23:50 The script for this episode show that this was a scripted moment, despite the producer at the time saying it was improvised by Hartnell.
I've been a 12th doctor supremacist since 2014 and I'm so happy to see so much 12 love all of a sudden (it feels)
There's a Virgin era book called Conundrum that's quite meta, the Doctor is in the Land of Fiction and he and his companions are literally trapped inside the actual book you're reading. What's interesting about the question of "is the Doctor aware they're a fictional character?" is at the end of the book, when they're escaping the land of fiction he has this exchange with his companion Benny:
'Great. And after that, there’ll be no one watching or reading about us anymore?’
'No one.’
Benny smiled tightly, and they still avoided each others’ eyes. She couldn’t think of anything else to say so she left quietly, easing the door shut behind her in contrast to Ace’s rather more explosive departure.
‘Well,’ muttered the Doctor when he was sure she was out of earshot, ‘no one out of the ordinary, anyway.’
Which definitely implies the Doctor is very aware of the audience of the show and books.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the 4th Doctor’s speech at the end of the live action/animated Shada. That seems very much like leaning on the fourth wall at least if not breaking it by the end.
you forgot the start of listen where he's sat on top of the tardis and looks at the audience
Criminally under subbed channel
I love that so many fans of a time travel show didn't know "bootstrap paradox" and had to Google it. Literally the most common pitfall of time travel stories
Also to add to your excellent summary of 12, I think it's a response to characters like Deadpool and Rick Sanchez, the latter being inspired somewhat by doctor who so that's cool
It's got a lot of names, though. I always knew it as an 'unfounded causality loop' or just an 'open loop'.
@jayejaejjjeijay5648 yeah true, I've always known it as the bootstrap paradox, but I can see why it could cause confusion
The 12th Doctor also had a moment in the Christmas Special 'The Husbands of River Song'. When River and he entered the TARDIS when she didn't know he was the Doctor, he did a full, over-exaggerated reaction to the whole 'bigger on the inside' concept, before ending with a glance to camera and the line of how he's "always wanted to see that done properly".
I gave the fourth wall ability to my time lord character from my own Webseries. It allows me to direct while acting which makes my job easier.
He’s aware he’s in a low budget Webseries, he knows he is nothing compared to The Doctor, but he knows he is gonna try to do the good thing.
It also allows for a lot more jokes, including moves he may or may not have taken out of The Doctor’s playbook (Jammy Dodger bomb)
I really just wanted to give the character a bit more to strengthen his abilities as he is not as smart or experienced as The Doctor, he’s only on his second regeneration after all
The pilot is now in my watch later list.
Just be aware there's already 500~ videos in there so it may take awhile.
What’s it called
@@coolstingray6325 Doctor Who: Parallax
The name doesn’t really mean anything aside from being Sci-Fi. The pilots kinda mid, but it’s supposed to be mostly comedy so I think it’s fine
@@sophiachalloner8951 I get it, I learned the limit of watch later playlists is 5000 the hard way
@@Foxy02016 lol
I hope you do an update after series 14 completes airing. The couple of 4th wall breaks in the Devil's Chord (and arguably space babies) have me thinking 15 may have "the gift"
One more thing related to the 12th doctor not in the video is that in Hell Bent he plays Clara's theme on his guitar
I'd have thought you'd have mentioned the line "I am the Doctor Whether you like it or not" from The Twin Dilemma to the section on the sixth Doctor. I don't recall the delivery of that line being particularly fourth wall breaking, but it was certainly a meta -commentary, that follows on from the line you did discuss.
My favourite examples of fourth wall breaking are from the non-TV stuff. Seventh Doctor novel Conundrum is set in the Land of Fiction. Much of the novel is told in fourth-wall breaking narration by the new master of the land. But the Doctor gets in on the act a number of times. There's also an eighth Doctor comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine where he travels to the "real" world. It features Tom Baker and the first issue of DWM.
10 does a 4th wall break in The Shakespeare Code. he looks directly at the camera and says “wait ‘til you read book 7, i cried” when Martha mentions Harry Potter
Not forgetting the Never Ending Story...with the childlike Princess ❤😂
The sneeze regeneration was so good 😂
Thanks for reminding me how much I really love 12.
It’s so nice to know that others love the 12th Doctor. He’s aces in my books, up there with 4, 3, 10, 9 and 5.
the 5th doctor in an audio broke the fourth wall by singing the spoken word version of the intro originally sung by the 3rd doctor, which would make 3 able to break the fourth wall too
It's one of my favorite aspects of the character. Glad you compiled that into this video.
I think it's more interesting to think this ability, much like the rest of the Doctor's abilities and personalities and even genetic backgrounds since even if it's only recently we've had a woman Doctor and a Doctor of colour respectively, is something all iterations of the Doctor have but choose how much they wish to embrace it.
The fact that it's been an on and off thing ever since even Hartnell played the role has me convinced just from an in-universe standpoint, cause that particular case had the Doctor literally drop everything and flat out tell us he knows he's a fictional character and that we're along for the ride with him. Even respects us for it in a way, too.
22:40
The doctor has an ability called "transmigration" which I believe originated with the fourth Doctor which intermittently allows him to pull simple objects out of thin air.
Since this ability is never actually addressed in detail it's unclear whether he can always do it, but either doesn't want to or doesn't find it useful all that often, or if there are limits on when he can.
Edit: so apparently it was introduced with the first doctor, and it's also hinted that he's better at it when his hands are in his pockets.
This implies either that the often Doctor fakes transmigration by pulling bizarre objects out of his pockets that you wouldn't expect him to have on him so you think he's pulling things out of thin air, or that the Doctor repeatedly during his adventures "pulls things out of his pockets" on camera, when really he's manifesting them. So he could be doing it constantly throughout the show and we'd have no idea, just assuming he's been carrying whatever it is he brings out.
I always assumed they were aware of an extra-dimensional species who did nothing but observe everything everywhere at varying times
The thing I wonder is, if some incarnations have the power whilst others don't does the Doctor remember doing it? Surely if some incarnations don't ever do it they must forget when their previous incarnations did. Either that or they know it's a power they once had but don't remember how to do. Maybe they try to do it sometimes but we the audience don't notice because they're not doing it right xD
I don't know, 11 has lost social skills that 10 had, and forgot a lot of what is considered cultural norm. Is this really any different?
I think that Six also had a second fourth wall-break in the final line of his first full story, "The Twin Dilemma" - when he tells Peri:
"I *_am_* the Doctor... whether you like it, or not."
Admittedly I don't think this was said while actually looking to camera, but I believe the comment was intentionally meant for the audience as much as for Peri. Six was stating flat-out that he was the Doctor, and they'd have to get used to him or stop watching (many of them stopped watching... but personally Six is my second-fave after Five!)
Always excited to discover a new DW channel. Love this love you
In The Tenth Planet, the First Doctor also looks into and walks towards the camera when he's about to regenerate, saying "it's far from being all over"
Also the First Doctor definitely knew he was in a show on the telly because of how he referenced the audience watching at home
may be the kind of power most strong at the beginning of a regenerative cycle
I just watched the video today… and then went and watched the new episodes… you seen that yet??
yep i just sorted comments by most recent to see if someone else noticed haha
This is a brilliant RUclips video! I really enjoyed this, I hope your channel sees more attention!
Thank you so much!
15 definitely knows he's in a TV show. In The Devil's Chord, he says of some music "I thought that was non-diegetic." Non-diegetic music can't exist in reality. It always has to be coming from somewhere, so for him to think that music is non-diegetic, he has to know he's not real.
Also, the Doctor saving Davros did have an effect. When Missy puts Clara in the Dalek armor, so that it makes her saying "I'm Clara" come out as "I'm a Dalek," the Doctor knows that something is up when the Dalek asks for mercy, but before the Doctor saved Davros, Daleks didn't have mercy in their vocabulary.
I have long maintained that both of 11's breaks are just him looking at the Tardis doors/Clara and the camera happens to intersect the eye-line as a directorial choice - he doesn't even know he's "looking into the camera." Most other 4th wall breaks are far more explicit turns to camera, with the doctor making an otherwise inexplicable stare into the middle distance or at a random wall as they deliver a line. So, I'd put 11 at the bottom, basically an honorable mention. But of course, this is just my interpretation.
the Tardis is pan dimensional, it is in your room now
Just found you. Love the video and your style. Keep it coming! I've been a fan of doctor who as long as I can remember and it's great having youtubers I can watch :)
I may be wrong but I think there's a line in Heaven Sent and the doctor says " am I spoiling the magic? I work at this stuff, which feels as if it's being said directly to the audience.
For me when it comes to Fourth-Wall Breaking Powers, it goes:
1). The Fifteenth Doctor
2). The Twelfth Doctor
3). The Fourth Doctor
4). The First Doctor
5). The Seventh Doctor
6). The rest of The Doctors because they don’t really Fourth-Wall Break (6 & 11 as well)
Was watching Robots of Sherwood, at the end of the episode Robin Hood straight up TELLS 12 that he is a fictional character. "You're just as real as I am." He figured it out from there. Next episode he does the Listen monologue to the camera.
About peter, there,s this episode i think called Listen, where he makes a small intro at the start. I think this is also a fourth wall break? He also plays clara's theme song in clara's final episode
Other characters in Who have broken the 4th wall. In the 5th Doctor Story "Enlightenment" Captain Wrack talks to the camera and in the 1st Doctor story "The Aztecs" Tlotoxl does it.
22:30 There is an ability taught to Time Lords called "transmigration" whereby they can literally summon objects out of thin air, like a magician, and I believe that 12 is using this ability here - does this mean that ALL Time Lords have some forth wall-breaking potential?
My favourite is the president in The Caves of Androzani. It feels almost like a Shakespearean villain when he speaks to camera
This channel has HOW MANY Subs???
The production quality is insane, damn. Top tier content right here!
Thank you so much! That means a lot 😁
You missed an instance with Eleven. He clearly looks at the camera and the end of The Wedding of River Song when Dorian is asking “Doctor Who? Doctor Who?” Over and over.
Well the fifteenth doctor broke the fourth wall 3 times in 2 episodes
The ending monologue of Day of the Doctor by 11th seems like a 4th wall break too.
Also the opening of Listen!
And The Husbands of River Song are riddled with 4th wall break by the 12th Doctor.
Great analysis. The Twelfth Doctor is a truly powerful character.
The First Doctor also absolutely knew he was in a show. He directly arrest the audience, which not even Twelve did.
( 4:38 ) He also broke the fourth wall in a trailer saying “are you ready for this?l
So much nostalgia
12 does state that there's a VERY small amount of compassion in the Daleks. As the Daleks were based on Davros' mind, the compassion MUST have come from there, but where did Davros get it, from the ONE man that showed HIM compassion as a child.
Evan is that one kid we dont like but have to deal with and sometimes look after.
Best outro ever!!!
So now we can add "I thought that was non-diagetic".
8:57 already waiting for 15
“I could’ve sworn that music was non-diegetic”
A lot of these definitely felt to me like they were meant more as the Doctor expressing their internal thoughts in a very "TV" way, rather than an actual awareness of the fourth wall proper. (eg., 7's cliffhanger comment, 4's The Face of Evil monologue and screwdriver comment) Which, it definitely works for that
Either way 12 is in a league all of his own
if i’m not mistaken right at the start of listen 12 breaks the fourth wall again
Wow great video from such a new channel! Subscribed!
You forgot the 15th doctor who winked at the camera and can hear the show’s soundtrack.
You missed the ultimate meta fourth wall break from 6, in ‘Vengeance on Varos’ after dumping two people in acid he turns to the camera and says “excuse me for not joining you”. However he’s in a tv show in the show that we’re effectively watching.
6 also commented “He’s awfully loud isn’t he” at Brian Blesseds war cry. However this is edited out of the DVD and I player version (I think because Blessed is stabbing someone)
Interesting video but you forgot one example of the fourth Doctor. At the end of Shada the doctor ist speaking to Romana looking in the distance and he says in two hundred years time, someone will look at me and say is it really the doctor, he seems such a nice old man." After this he looks into the camera and starts smiling
In the audio "Masterful" Thera two examples of Missy not only breaking the fourth wall, but recognizing another actor at onepoint Missy is ask about the Lumiat and who she is. Missy says" that is A scene stealing adition" later she is ask by another Master why they all came together and Missy is pointing two Derek Jacobi saying "that's because the universe was blowing up because of gandalf's husband over there" referring two Derrek Jacobys role alongside Ian McKellen in 2013s vicious
Has any mentioned The Caves of Androzani.
While he is in his office, the character of Morgus frequently breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to camera.
At last a channel without an annoying voice and for once being positive!
Can’t wait for the new show!
thank you i didn't catch the easter egg hinted to the 10th before :)
You should do the 15th dr again
Btw 12 played the main theme in Magician's Apprentice during his entrance
You missed one! In ‘Closing Time’ at around 4:47, the Doctor glances at the camera for less than a second after he stops Stormageddon, Dark Lord Of All from crying.
well some dude posted about this video on twitter and couldn't be assed to link the video, just write the title out, so I did my part and linked it
banger video, glad someone talked about it
Appreciate you!
I had to pause this then
My heart started to beat rapidly when you said Evan because that’s my name and you sounded creepy 😂
What about 12 playing Clara's theme in Hell Bent?
This list is gonna have a lot more stuff added to it from this season
Bro released this before one of the largest fourth wallk breaks in show history lol
Ncuti's power is gonna shoot way up the list
Some guy called Evan just had a panic attack.
Yep, literally watched it at work as back ground noise and that bit came on and literally shat myself 😅
4th: not even a sonic screwdriver can get me out of this one
4:54 well, this has aged well.
I clicked on this just to see the cliffhanger to Rememberance of the Daleks Part 3.
about time someone mentioned Frobisher!
dude if you had like waited 3 days you would have had so much more work lol
Technically for the 12th doctor you could include 'The eyebrows' in day of the doctor