Doctor Who: How Does the Doctor Pay for Things?
By David Hill
The Doctor frequently has plenty of new gadgets, clothing, other objects on Doctor Who. But how does he pay for them?
Ever look at the different items the Doctor has on Doctor Who and wonder where he gets them? While certain items may well be crafted on his own, and the TARDIS may have a replicator somewhere in the various rooms that we no longer get to see, he still heads out into the Universe at large. The Doctor stops in at diners, at bazaars, and markets. [Update: Despite currently being on UNIT’s payroll, he hasn’t always had that benefit. Also, there isn’t always an interplanetary exchange rate.]
And yet, the question of currency, or how the Doctor pays for food and goods, has never really come up. One would, after all, assume that he pays for his meals, unless his companions pay for him, or he uses his psychic paper to claim to be some sort of health inspector or critic, getting free goods. And yes, he does have the ability to use his sonic screwdriver on an ATM to get cash, as we saw in ‘The Runaway Bride,’ but would that really be a regular occurrence?
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This may well open up different options for how the Doctor pays for, or acquires, his goods and services, if they are not able to be replicated aboard the TARDIS. Of course, the Doctor could potentially create his own currency from such a replication device, but counterfeiting does not seem to be a part of his personality.
It could be that grateful planets have just given the Doctor the ability to grab what he needs, be it food or goods, on their dime. It would certainly be a system that could be exploited, if the Doctor was so inclined or annoyed enough with the leadership of one of the planets. But since he can literally travel anywhere in time and space, it would be difficult to enforce.
Then there is the always pleasing sonicing of an ATM, or hacking into a computer. This would keep the very people that the Doctor is trying to protect from harm, but one has to imagine that the governments of the Universe would not be happy to see him robbing banks. Then again, as he proved in Time Heist, robbing even the most secure bank in the world wouldn’t be an issue.
It is amazing what will cross the mind when one thinks of Doctor Who while staring awake at the ceiling in the middle of the night. But unless saving the universe pays well, one does have to wonder where the Doctor gets his toys.