Doctor Who classic moments: “These shoes!” (The TV Movie)
By James Aggas
Sometimes, the Doctor will give passionate speeches about the most important things in life. Other times, he will care about the far smaller things. This magical moment from the Doctor Who TV movie is one classic example.
One of my favorite moments from the TV movie is something so simple and so small, but so brilliant. In some ways, it’s one of my favorite Eighth Doctor moments on-screen. (Admittedly, it doesn’t help that there are so few of them.) Maybe even one of my favorite Doctor Who moments ever. In one single scene, the Eighth Doctor’s character is perfectly defined.
And it’s all to do with a pair of shoes.
While trying to remember who he is, the Eighth Doctor and Grace go for a walk, both to discuss what he can remember and to try out a new pair of shoes. He thinks back, trying to remember his family, and that’s when the Doctor recalls one moment of his childhood: with his father, lying on the grass on a warm Gallifreyan night, before describing what he sees next:
"A meteor storm, and then the sky above us was dancing with lights! Purple, green, brilliant yellow, YES!"
You can see just how happy and childlike Eight is in the clip below:
What makes it so special
It’s a beautiful, magical moment, particularly when you see the joy on Eight’s face as he describes this moment..before he reveals what made him so excited:
"These shoes! They fit perfectly!"
If that completely out of nowhere punchline wasn’t brilliant enough, then Grace’s silent reaction is just the icing on the cake.
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This is a really special moment to watch, especially as it has the Doctor talking about his family and his childhood. In both the Classic Series and the New, moments like this are very rare, so it’s fascinating to get a glimpse of his past, without revealing too much of it. Certainly, it’s a lot more magical and fascinating than the idea of the Doctor being “half human”, which the TV movie also does.
It also sums up why I love the Eighth Doctor so much. One moment, he can be excited about the most amazing and brilliant events in the universe. The next, he’ll be equally happy at how well his footwear fits him. It’s both hilarious and charming, and shows just how innocent Eight is at this point in his life.
The moment stands out even more when you look at what happens to Eight later. His periods of darkness, depression and anger. He loses so much in stories such as To The Death and The Night of the Doctor. So it’s wonderful to see this perfect little moment of him being this gloriously happy over something so small.
Next. How the movie helped to make me a fan. dark
Is this one of your favorite moments of the Eighth Doctor? If not, what is? And when does a happy, eccentric Doctor work best in the show? Let us know in the comments below.