Fifth Doctor

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This page is a collection of quotations from the era of the fifth official incarnation of The Doctor from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who, during which the role of the Fifth Doctor was played by Peter Davison.

The Fifth Doctor’s catchphrase:

Brave heart, Tegan.

Sorry, must dash!

Emperor Dalek: Doctor.

The Doctor: I see we've both had a face lift since we last met.

The Master: What do you think, Doctor? Should I shoot Miss Holmes too? Beg for her life. Beg.

The Doctor: I'll do more than beg. I'll humiliate myself completely.

(4 January - 12 January 1982)

The Doctor: [looking in the mirror at his newly-regenerated form] That's the trouble with regeneration. You never quite know what you're going to get.

---

The Doctor: Which is the quickest way out of here?

[Each of the women at the fountain point in different directions.]

The Doctor: Yes. Well, That's democracy for you. Come on.

---

The Doctor: Tell me, Portreve, off the record, will I find the Doctor here?

The Portreve: Oh, yes, Doctor, very soon.

The Doctor: Good.

---

The Doctor: (to Adric) Don't you understand? The regeneration is failing!

(18 January - 26 January 1982)

The Doctor: (to Monarch) "You know, I come here from time to time myself and nothing on earth changes quite so often as the fashion! You wouldn't believe the way some people look!"

---

Lin Futu: I am Lin Futu.

The Doctor: Well I'd never have guessed it, you look in the best of health to me!

---

The Doctor: (to Adric) Now listen to me, you young idiot; you're not so much gullible as you are idealistic.

(1 February - 9 February 1982)

The Doctor: An apple a day keeps the... No, never mind.

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The Doctor: There's always something to look at if you open your eyes!

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Tegan: Hello?

Old Woman: You, my dear, can't possibly exist, so go away.

(15 February - 23 February 1982)

The Doctor: Why are Earth people so parochial?

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Terileptil Leader: Is he a primitive?

Richard Mace: I assure you sir, there is nothing primitive about me.

Terileptil Leader: So much pride in something so stupid!

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Tegan: If anything he's saved us a long walk!

The Doctor: I like long walks!

(1 March - 2 March 1982)

Adric: So what is a railway station?

The Doctor: Well, a place where one embarks and disembarks from compartments on wheels drawn along these tracks by a steam engine; rarely on time.

Nyssa: What a very silly activity.

The Doctor: D'You think so? As a boy, I always wanted to drive one.

---

[after a cricket match]

Sir Robert: Superb innings! Worthy of the Master.

The Doctor: [alarmed] The Master?

Sir Robert: Well, the other Doctor! [The Doctor still looks alarmed] W.G. Grace!

The Doctor: [relieved] Yes, of course!

---

[Speaking on why he wouldn't have attacked Anne and killed the butler]

The Doctor: And besides —

Sir Robert: Besides what?

The Doctor: Well, it wouldn't be cricket.

(8 March - 16 March 1982)

The Doctor: When did you last have the pleasure of smelling a flower, watching a sunset, eating a well-prepared meal?

Cyberleader: These things are irrelevant.

The Doctor: For some people, small, beautiful events are what life is all about!

---

Tegan: I'm just a mouth on legs.

I'm literally a mouth on legs.

---

The Doctor: Do you really want to go home?

Adric: No, of course not. There's nothing there for me anymore.

The Doctor: [mock annoyance] So you did all these calculations for nothing!

[Adric grins]

---

[Adric's final words, before the freighter crashes and explodes]

Adric: Now I'll never know if I was right.

(22 March - 30 March 1982)

The Doctor: [about the Concorde ] It's amazing.

Nyssa: What?

The Doctor: This thing is smaller on the inside than it is on the outside.

---

The Doctor: It's times like this I wish I still had my scarf.

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The Doctor: The illusion is always one of normality.

(3 January - 12 January 1983)

The Doctor: You know how it is; you put things off for a day and next thing you know, it's a hundred years later.

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The Doctor: It's too late! Omega controls the Matrix!

(18 January - 26 January 1983)

The Doctor: Once a man fell asleep and dreamt he was a frog. When he woke up, he didn't know if he was a man who dreamt he was a frog or a frog who was now dreaming he was a man.

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[Nyssa and Tegan are sitting outside the Snake Mouth cave when a puppeteer runs up to them]

Puppeteer: Excuse me.

[His tray is full of jointed wooden snakes on sticks]

Nyssa: Oh, no thank you. No, really, not at the moment.

Puppeteer: Look. [begins to show them off]

Nyssa: Yes, it's very good.

[The puppeteer waves one in front of Tegan, who screams and runs away]

Nyssa: Tegan! Tegan! [goes after her]

---

[Adults and children alike are watching a Punch and Judy show]

Punch: That's the way to do it! [hits Judy]

Judy: He struck me! [fetches a large saucepan]

Punch: I don't care!

Judy: Don't care. Was made to care!

[And the Judy puppet fetches Punch a clout on the head. Punch fetches his large club and battle is joined until Judy is dead]

Punch: Wake up, Judy!

Crowd: Aw.

[Ambril and Lon enter]

Punch: Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.

(1 February - 9 February 1983)

The Doctor: Well, there's a probability of anything. Statistically speaking, if you gave typewriters to a treeful of monkeys, they'd eventually produce the works of William Shakespeare.

Nyssa: [trying to draw the Doctor's attention away from his conversation with Tegan to the approaching craft on the viewscreen] Doctor...

The Doctor: Of course, you and I both know that at the end of a millennium they'd still be tapping out gibberish.

Tegan: And you'd be tapping it out right alongside them. I only asked you a simple question.

---

Black Guardian: In the name of all that is evil, the Black Guardian orders you to destroy him now!

---

[Upon seeing Mawdryn's disfigured colleagues]

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: Who are they?

The Doctor: Fools, who tried to turn themselves into Time Lords.

(15 February - 23 February 1983)

The Doctor: If we don't do something quickly, the whole universe is going to be destroyed!

---

The Doctor: The outside universe is breaking through!

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The Black Guardian: (to Turlough) This is your last chance, boy... I will not say this again... KILL THE DOCTOR!

(1 March - 9 March 1983)

Tegan: But what if the White Guardian tells me something important?

The Doctor: ...Thank him politely. [The Doctor smiles] Won't be long.

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Striker: You are not an Ephemeral. You are a... a time dweller. You travel in time.

The Doctor: You're reading my thoughts.

Striker: You are a Time Lord, a lord of time. Are there lords in such a small domain?

The Doctor: And where do you function?

Striker: Eternity. The endless wastes of eternity.

---

[Turlough attempts to communicate with the Black Guardian]

Turlough: You must answer. I need your help! What's going on here?

[The Black Guardian appears and suddenly starts throttling Turlough]

Black Guardian: You are pathetic! I have watched your progress. You have had many opportunities to destroy the Doctor.

Turlough: [gasping for breath] I cannot kill him!

Black Guardian: Then I condemn you to everlasting life. You will never leave this ship! [throws Turlough to the deck, then disappears]

(15 March - 16 March 1983)

The Doctor: You may disguise your features but you can never disguise your intent.

(23 November 1983)

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Third Doctor: I've reversed the polarity of the neutron flow so the TARDIS should be free of the force field now.

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The Fifth Doctor: [After bidding his past incarnations farewell.] (to himself) I'm definitely not the man I was. [in relief] Thank Goodness.

(5 January - 13 January 1984)

Tegan: What year are we in?

The Doctor: Around 2084.

Tegan: [Looking around] Little seems to have changed since my time.

The Doctor: Absolutely nothing, Tegan. There are still two power blocs, fingers poised to annihilate each other.

---

The Doctor: I sometimes wonder why I like the people of this miserable planet so much.

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The Doctor: Tegan, make a wish! [Tegan shuts her eyes]

Nilson: [pointing a gun at the Doctor]: Goodbye, Doctor!

The Doctor: Goodbye! [shoots him with the ultra-violet light generator]

---

[On the violence that resulted in the deaths of humans, Silurians, and Sea Devils alike.]

Turlough: They're all dead, you know.

The Doctor: [looking around at the carnage] There should have been another way.

---

[After the Sea Devils remove the other humans apart from Commander Vorshak and the Doctor, Icthar turns to the latter]

Icthar: I will listen to what you say, but I should tell you that the Silurians have long since abandoned the way of mediation.

The Doctor: So it seems. Why? A civilized race like yours waging unprovoked war?

Icthar: Defensive war, Doctor! There is a distinction. Silurian law forbids any other.

The Doctor: Defensive? There's no such thing. When we last met, your supreme wish was to live at peace with the other inhabitants of this planet. Now why change such an enlightened policy?

Icthar: Our policy has always been peaceful survival. All that has changed is the means by which it can be achieved.

The Doctor: By actions such as we've seen here?

Icthar: You forget! Twice we offered the hand of friendship to these ape-descended primitives, and twice we were treacherously attacked, our people slaughtered! It will not happen again.

The Doctor: There can be no alternative to peaceful co-existence.

Icthar: There is, Doctor! A final solution!

The Doctor: [Realizing what this means] Genocide?! When everything you Silurians hold sacred forbids it?!

Icthar: We will harm no one. These ape primitives will destroy themselves. We, Doctor, will merely provide the pretext.

The Doctor: You'll trigger the war this base was designed to fight.

Icthar: Yes. And these human beings will die as they have lived: in a sea of their own blood!

(19 - 20 January 1984)

Turlough: We're running out of places to run.

Tegan: That's the story of our lives

---

Sir George: You speak treason!

The Doctor: Fluently!

(26 January - 3 February 1984)

Turlough: [Cheerfully reading about Frontios from the TARDIS log] Fleeing from the imminence of a catastrophic collision with the Sun, refugees from the doomed planet Earth...

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The Doctor: And if anyone happens to ask whether I made any material difference to the welfare of this planet, you can tell them I came and went like a summer cloud.

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The Doctor: Oh, marvelous. You're going to kill me. What a finely tuned response to the situation.

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The Doctor: A risk shared is a risk doubled.

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The Doctor: [Trying to pass Tegan off as an android] I got this one cheap because the walk's not quite right. And then there's the accent...

(8 February - 15 February 1984)

Davros: If I were you, I'd be dead.

The Doctor: I lack your practice, Davros.

Davros: You are soft, like all Time Lords. You prefer to stand and watch. Action requires courage; something you lack.

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Tegan: I'm not coming with you.

The Doctor: I beg your pardon?

Tegan: I'm tired of it.

The Doctor: What's the matter?

Tegan: A lot of good people have died today. I'm sick of it.

The Doctor: You think I wanted it this way?

Tegan: No. It's just I don't think I can go on.

The Doctor: You want to stay on Earth?

Tegan: My aunt Vanessa said, when I became an air stewardess, if you stop enjoying it, give it up.

The Doctor: Tegan...

Tegan: It's stopped being fun, Doctor. Goodbye. [Shakes the Doctor's hand] Turlough. [Shakes Turlough's hand]

Turlough: Goodbye.

Tegan: I'll miss you both. [turns to leave, stepping over bodies as she does]

The Doctor: No, no, don't leave, not like this.

Tegan: I must! I'm sorry! Goodbye. [Runs out of the warehouse in tears]

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Davros: Once the Doctor has been exterminated, I should build a new race of Daleks.They will be even more deadly! And I Davros, shall be their leader! This time we shall triumph! The Daleks shall once more become the supreme beings!!!

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Davros: The Daleks are dead. Long live the new Daleks! Oh! What's happening? No! No! It cannot be! I AM NOT A DALEK! I CANNOT DIE! I.. AM.. DAVROS!!!

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Tegan: Brave heart, Tegan. Doctor, I will miss you.

(23 February - 2 March 1984)

Turlough: The worst place in the universe: English public school on Earth.

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[The Master's last words before his apparent incineration]

The Master: Doctor, help me! I'll give you anything in creation! [The Doctor doesn't move] Would you show no mercy to your own-

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Turlough: [His departing words] I don't want to go, Doctor. I've learnt a lot from you.

(8 March - 16 March 1984)

The Doctor: Androzani Major was becoming quite developed last time I passed this way.

Peri: When was that?

The Doctor: ...I don't remember. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the future.

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Peri: Doctor, why do you wear a stick of celery in your lapel?

The Doctor: Does it offend you?

Peri: No, just curious.

The Doctor: Safety precaution. I'm allergic to certain gases in the praxis range of the spectrum.

Peri: Well, how does the celery help?

The Doctor: If the gas is present, the celery turns purple.

Peri: And then what do you do?

The Doctor: I eat the celery. If nothing else, I'm sure it's good for my teeth.

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Stotz: You better turn this ship around Doctor!

The Doctor: Why?

Stotz: Because I'll kill you if you don't!

The Doctor: Not a very convincing argument actually, Stotz, because I'm going to die soon anyway, unless of course —

Stotz: I'll give you to the count of three!

The Doctor: Unless of course I can find the antidote… I owe it to my young friend to try because I got her into this —

Stotz: One,

The Doctor: So you see —

Stotz: Two,

The Doctor: I'm not going to let you stop me now!

Stotz: Three!

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Morgus: Ah, Timmin. I would like you to— Why are you sitting at my desk?"

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Morgus: Jek, where's the Spectrox?

Sharaz Jek: Morgus!

Morgus: Take one more step and we shoot!

Sharaz Jek: Do you think bullets could stop me now? You stinking offal, Morgus, look at me! [tears off his mask, revealing his hideously scalded face] Look at me!

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The Doctor: Is this death?

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Peri: There must be something I can do, tell me!

The Doctor: Too late, Peri. Going soon. Time to say goodbye.

Peri: Don't give up! You can't leave me now!

Doctor: I might regenerate! I don't know.

Peri: (off-screen) Please...

Doctor: Feels different this time.

Tegan: What was it you always told me, Doctor? Brave heart? You'll survive, Doctor.

Turlough: You must survive. Too many of your enemies would delight in your death, Doctor.

Kamelion: Turlough speaks the truth, Doctor.

Nyssa: You're needed. You mustn't die, Doctor.

Turlough: Too many of your enemies would be delighted.

Adric: You know that, Doctor.

Nyssa: You mustn't die, Doctor.

Adric: You know that, Doctor.

The Doctor: Adric?

Adric: You know that, Doctor.

Nyssa: You mustn't die, Doctor.

The Master: No, my dear Doctor, you must die! Die, Doctor! DIE, DOCTOR! [laughs wickedly]

NOTE: The following quotations occurred in episodes after the Fifth Doctor's era had officially ended and thus are not technically part of this Doctor's era. As the quote involves the Fifth Doctor, however, it is included here for the sake of completion.

Nyssa: Feeding time at the zoo?

Fifth Doctor: And the companions went in two by two...

Peri: It's not Noah's Ark, Doctor!

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Fifth Doctor: When I say run, run. RUN!

---

(The trio find an elderly woman walking down the street.)

Peri: You've gotta leave the streets!

Woman: Who says?

Nyssa: You must believe us, you're in terrible danger!

Woman: If there was any danger I'd know about it!

Fifth Doctor: It's no good. They're in different time zones! To them, we're the strangers!

---

Peri: (the three are still on the run) Have you any idea where we're going?

Nyssa: Doctor, where's the TARDIS?

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Fifth Doctor: Twenty years back and three miles away, come on!

(Peri and Nyssa fumble around with the lock.)

The Rani: You can't escape, Doctor! Say goodbye, Doctors! You're all going on a LONG journey! A VERY LONG journey!

(16 November 2007)

Fifth Doctor: That could blow a hole in the space-time continuum, the size of — [The Tenth Doctor turns the TARDIS console screen towards him] ... well, actually, the exact size of Belgium. That's a bit undramatic, isn't it? "Belgium"?

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Fifth Doctor: [mistakenly thinking the Tenth Doctor is his 'biggest fan']: Look, it's perfectly understandable. I go zooming around space and time, saving planets, fighting monsters and being... well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvelous. So, naturally, now and then, people notice me. Start up their little groups. That LINDA lot.

(23 November 2013)

The General: "It's delusional. I mean... the calculations alone would take hundreds of years."

The Eleventh Doctor: "Oh, hundreds and hundreds..."

The Tenth Doctor: "...But don't worry, I started a very long time ago."

[Zoom in on a TARDIS racing to Gallifrey]

The First Doctor: "Calling the War Council of Gallifrey! This is the Doctor!"

[Joined by eight other TARDISes]

The Eleventh Doctor: "You might say I've been doing this all my lives."

The Second Doctor: "Good luck."

The Third Doctor: "Standing by."

The Second Doctor: "Ready."

The First Doctor: "Commencing calculations."

The Fifth Doctor: "Soon be there."

The Seventh Doctor: "Cross the boundaries that divide one universe from another."

The Sixth Doctor: "Just got to lock on to his coordinates."

The Ninth Doctor: "And for my next trick."

The General: "I didn't know when I was well off. All twelve of them!"

Andragor: "No, sir. All thirteen!"

[A new pair of grey eyebrows is seen]

(23 October 2022)

The Thirteenth Doctor: Good hiding place!

Tegan: Great! Now I'm hallucinating.

[The hologram flickers.]

Tegan: What--? What are you--?

[It assumes the form of the Fifth Doctor, slightly older.]

The Fifth Doctor: You're affecting the interface of your hologram implant! It's reacting to your emotional memory. I should've accounted for that!

Tegan: You sort of look like you used to, but not quite...

The Fifth Doctor: I could say the same to you!

Tegan: Surprised you remember.

The Fifth Doctor: You think you left and I never thought of you again. I never forget any of you. I remember everything.

Tegan: Yeah? Well, what am I thinking, seeing all these Cybermen?!

The Fifth Doctor: Adric ... Now, brave heart! ...what?

Tegan: I missed you.

The Fifth Doctor: Missed you, too. Now please, don't get killed. Go!

(1 November 2023)

The Fifth Doctor: He was so…

Tegan: Oh, he was a nightmare!

The Fifth Doctor: He was daft and silly and sulky and… he was just a kid.

Tegan: He loved you.

The Fifth Doctor: Yes, I realize that now

Tegan: Looking back, I think, wow, we never stopped running. He died, we sailed on, we had more adventures, we never stopped. We never stopped to think!

The Fifth Doctor: That’s because of me. I never look back.

Tegan: Well maybe that’s what a Memory TARDIS is for.

The Fifth Doctor: Therapy!

Tegan: About time.

The Fifth Doctor: I think it’s done me good. And telling the story keeps him alive.

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The Doctor: In this vault of memories, an ordinary life is the most shining thing of all.