Second Doctor Quotations

This page is a collection of quotations from the era of the second official incarnation of the Doctor from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who, during which the role of the Second Doctor was played by Patrick Troughton. As Doctor Who stories in other media (such as books, audio plays, etc) are the subject of intense debate as regarding their place in the series' overall canon, these quotations are taken entirely from episodes broadcast on television.

Recurring Phrases

The Second Doctor’s catch phrases:

Jamie, Jamie, hold on!

I should like a hat like that.

When I say run, run. ...RUN!

Butterfingers.

Oh, my giddy aunt!

Oh my word!

The Power of the Daleks [4.3]

Note: Although this serial marked the first appearance of the Second Doctor, it was the third serial of the fourth season.

[The Second Doctor's first words.]

The Doctor: (groaning and moaning) Slower! SLOWER! Concentrate on one thing! ONE THING!

[The Doctor explains his regeneration.]

Ben: The Doctor always wore this. If you are him it should fit... That settles it!

The Doctor: I'd like to see a butterfly fit into a chrysalis case after it spreads its wings.

Polly: Then you did change."

The Doctor: Life depends on change, and renewal.

Ben: Oh, that's it, you've been renewed, have you?"

The Doctor: Renewed? Have I? That's it, I've been renewed. It's part of the TARDIS. Without it I couldn't survive.

Dalek: (steadily increasing) With static power, the Daleks will be twice as... (beat, lower voice) useful.

The Doctor: It can do many things, Lesterson. But the thing it does most efficiently is exterminate human beings.

The Highlanders [4.4]

[The Doctor is pretending to be a German doctor.]

The Doctor: Do you suffer from headaches?

Man: No.

[The Doctor bangs his head on the table.]

The Doctor: Do you suffer from headaches?

The Moonbase [4.6]

The Doctor: There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things that act against everything we believe in. They must be fought!

[A delirious Jamie spots a Cyberman.]

Jamie: Oh no Phantom Piper! Please don't take me-

The Faceless Ones [4.8]

[Jamie sees an aeroplane at Gatwick Airport.]

Jamie: Ooh, it's a flyin' beastie!

The Evil of the Daleks [4.9]

The Doctor: I am not a student of human nature. I am a professor of a far wider academy of which human nature is merely a part.

The Tomb of the Cybermen [5.1]

The Doctor: You look very nice in that dress, Victoria.

Victoria: Thank you. Don't you think it's a bit...

The Doctor: A bit short? Oh, I shouldn't worry about that. Look at Jamie's.

[The Doctor reassures Victoria, who is missing her deceased father]

The Doctor: I have to really want to, to bring them back in front of my eyes. The rest of the time they... sleep in my mind and I forget. And so will you.

The Doctor: Well now I know you're mad, I just wanted to make certain.

The Cyber Controller: We will survive.

The Cyber Controller: You belong to us. You shall be like us.

The Professor: How did you know we would release you? You could have remained frozen forever.

The Cyber Controller: The humanoid mind. You are inquisitive.

The Doctor: Ah, I see. A trap. A very special sort of trap too.

The Professor: What do you mean special trap?

The Doctor: They wanted superior intellects. Thats why they made the trap so complicated!

The Cyber Controller: We knew that somebody like you would come to our planet someday.

The Doctor: Yes. We've done exactly as you calculated, haven't we?

The Cyber Controller: Now you belong to us.

[The Doctor on disabling the Cybermats]

The Doctor: The power cable generated an electrical field and confused their tiny metal minds. You might almost say they've had a complete metal breakdown.

[The Controller has just escaped from Jamie's impromptu restraints]

The Doctor: Jamie, remind me to give you a lesson in tying knots, sometime.

The Doctor: The best thing about a machine that makes sense is you can very easily make it turn out nonsense.

The Abominable Snowmen [5.2]

[The Doctor and Jamie are faced with an inactive Yeti.]

Jamie: Have you thought up some clever plan, Doctor?

The Doctor: Yes, Jamie, I believe I have.

Jamie: What are you going to do?

The Doctor: Bung a rock at it.

The Ice Warriors [5.3]

Computer: However, the suspected presence of an alien spacecraft must be investigated, in case of potentially fissionable material.

Jamie: Spacecraft! Hey, do you reckon that's where the warrior's gone back to

The Doctor: Well he didn't come by Shetland Pony, Jamie.

The Enemy of the World [5.4]

Astrid: I suggested that we meet under a disused jetty by the river.

Doctor: Disused Yeti?

The Doctor: People spend all their time making nice things and then other people come along and break them.

The Wheel in Space [5.7]

The Doctor: Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority.

The Doctor: I suppose you've come for me?

Cyberman 1: You know our ways.

The Doctor: Yes, I hoped you realised somebody did. I imagine you have orders to destroy me?

Cyberman 1: Yes.

The Doctor: Tell me one thing, why did you order Duggan to destroy radio communication with the Earth? After all, that is why you want possession of the wheel, isn't it?

Cyberman 1: You know our ways.

The Doctor: That doesn't answer my question.

Cyberman 2: He was instructed to destroy only the transmitting complex.

The Doctor: Oh, I see, how interesting, yes, of course. And presumably your large space-ship holds your invasion fleet, and the smaller ships can only enter the planet's atmosphere by homing on a radio beam.

Cyberman 1: You know our ways. You must be destroyed.

The Doctor: Yes, I was afraid you'd get back to that.

The Dominators[6.1]

The Doctor: An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?

Jamie: Oh, no, you're not thinking of what I think you're thinking of, are you?

The Doctor: That, I think, Jamie, depends upon what you think I am thinking!

The Mind Robber [6.2]

The Doctor: We're nowhere. It's as simple as that.

Jamie: Come on, back to the TARDIS.

Zoe: Is that the right way?

Jamie: Of course it's the right way. No it could be... erm...

Zoe: We're lost, aren't we.

Jamie: No, I wouldn't say that. We're just er... well...um... [beat] You want to know something?

Zoe: What?

Jamie: I think we're lost.

The Invasion

Isobel Watkins: You... You... you Man! (in response to the Brigadier)

The Doctor: I hate computers and refuse to be bullied by them!

The War Games [6.7]

The Doctor: Well...it is a fact, Jamie, that I do tend to get involved.

The Doctor: The Time Lords are an immensely civilised race. We can control our own environment - we can live forever, barring accidents and we have the secret of space/time travel.

The Doctor: Goodbye, Jamie.

Jamie: But Doctor, surely we can't just-

The Doctor: Goodbye, Jamie.

Jamie: I'll never forget you, you know.

The Doctor: I won't forget you! Goodbye, Zoe.

Zoe: Will we ever meet again?

The Doctor: Again? Now, Zoe, you know that time is relative.

[The Second Doctor's last words.]

The Doctor: NO!!!! Stop! You're making me giddy! No, you can't do this to me! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! (fading)

Other appearances

NOTE: The following serials occurred after the Second Doctor's era had officially ended (in the eras of the Third Doctor, the Fifth Doctor and the Sixth Doctor respectively) and thus are not technically part of this Doctor's era. As they are all quotes involving the Second Doctor, however, they are included here for the sake of completion.

The Three Doctors [10.1]

First Doctor: Now what's a bridge for? Eh?

Second Doctor: Well, erm...

Third Doctor: Crossing?

First Doctor: Right! So stop dilly-dallying, and cross it!

Jo Grant(referring to the first Doctor): I hate to ask, but who was that?

Both Doctors: Me. [beat, face each other] Me!

Second Doctor:This stuff, or whoever sent it, is cleverer than we are. Unfortunate, isn't it?

Second Doctor: You haven't seen my recorder, have you? It's a little thing about this long and I had it when I came in, and I put it down somewhere...

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: For the last time, will you let me out of this madhouse?

Second Doctor: There's no point.

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: I'm sorry Doctor, but I must insist. My place is with the men out there, trying to do something about that... whatever it is out there, not standing about here, messing around, looking for some damn fool flute!

Sergeant Benton: What are we going to do now?

The Second Doctor: Keep it confused, feed it with useless information--I wonder if I have a television set handy?

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: It seems to be your forte, Doctor; confusing people.

[The Brigadier sees the inside of the TARDIS for the first time.]

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: So this is what you've been doing wih UNIT funds and equipment all this time. How's it done, some sort of optical illlusion?

Second Doctor: No, no, no...they come like this, really.

The Second Doctor: Ah, Thank You. I was wondering where I left that. [He picks up his recorder and tries to play a tune] You haven't been trying to play this have you? [To the Third Doctor's TARDIS] Oh, I see you've been doing the TARDIS up a bit. Hmm, I don't like it.

The Five Doctors [20.7]

The Second Doctor: [referring to UNIT headquarters] You've redecorated in here, haven't you? Hmm. I don't like it.

The Doctor: Well, I must say goodbye, Brigadier. I really shouldn't be here at all. I'm not exactly breaking the laws of time, but I am bending them a little.

The Second Doctor: Have faith, Brigadier. Have I ever led you astray?

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: On many occasions.

The Second Doctor: Yes... well, this will be the exception.

The Fifth Doctor: Well, now it seems we must part. Just as I was beginning to get to know me.

The Second Doctor: So you’re the latest one, hmm?

The Fifth Doctor: Yes, and the most agreeable.

The Second Doctor: Ah... certainly the most impudent.

The Third Doctor: Our dress sense certainly hasn’t improved much, has it?

The First Doctor: Neither has our manners.

[The Fifth Doctor looks mildly insulted/confused]

The Second Doctor: Goodbye... Fancypants!

The Third Doctor: [to his quickly retreating back]: Scarecrow!

The Two Doctors [22.4]

The Doctor: Give a monkey control of its environment, and it will fill the world with bananas!

The Doctor: Do try and stay out of my way in future and in past there's a good fellow. The time continuum should be big enough for the both of us. Just.

The Second Doctor: (after Dastari explains the augmentations that have been performed on Chessene) Dastari, I have no doubt that you could augment an earwig to the point where it could understand nuclear physics, but it would still be a very stupid thing to do!

The Second Doctor: Dastari, you have more letters after your name than anyone I know, enough for two alphabets. How is it that you can still be a stupid, incorrigable and thoroughly objectionable old idiot?! (Turns to Jamie) And what are you smiling at you... hairy legged highlander?

Jamie: I'm just admiring your (quoting the Doctor's words earlier in the TARDIS) diplomatic skills.

The Second Doctor: (preparing to leave the TARDIS) Jamie, stay with me, don't wander off.

Jamie: Do I ever?

The Second Doctor: It has been known.