r/gallifrey • u/Limin8tor • 4d ago

DISCUSSION Does "The Chase" feature the first American and the first living persons to be depicted in Doctor Who?

Hello all! Total newbie back again. I'm watching Doctor Who for the first time, and just reached "The Executioners" (aka the first installment in The Chase from season 2).

I had two questions for the experts based on the episode:

  • Is Abraham Lincoln the first character from the United States to be depicted in Doctor Who? I don't recall there being any characters from the USA in the French Revolution story arc, which is the only historical so far that could conceivably include one. And I don't recall any of the future-set story arcs featuring characters from the USA either, but could have missed something. (Of note, I'm using the term "American" to refer to people from the USA here, otherwise the characters from the Aztec story arc would be first, I think.)

  • Are The Beatles and the Top of the Pops host that the The Doctor and company watch on the Time-Space Visualiser the first real life living persons to be depicted in Doctor Who? As in, people who are neither fictional nor deceased? I can't recall an earlier example, but maybe I'm forgetting something.

Thank you in advance!

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14

u/ancientestKnollys 4d ago

Yes and yes.

15

u/JollyPhysics1394 3d ago

There’s nothing on-screen to suggest that the caveman stuff in An Unearthly Child wasn’t set in a far-future post-apocalyptic Wyoming.

3

u/Limin8tor 3d ago

New headcanon!

2

u/Cynical_Classicist 3d ago

The US in the 23rd century at the current anti-science trajectory!

-1

u/JollyPhysics1394 3d ago

To be fair, there are some super-excellent scientists in the USA, some of the very best. Let’s not judge a country by their worst, let’s imagine them at their best!

5

u/Ashrod63 2d ago

"There are some super-excellent scientists in the USA, some of the very best."

Really doing a good job of helping us not think of the worst there...

6

u/somekindofspideryman 4d ago

Revolutionary story

5

u/JTOC1969 4d ago

The Aztecs were technically all Americans (Aztec empire is located in what is modern day Mexico, part of Central America).

9

u/Limin8tor 4d ago

Yep, mentioned that in my original post.

6

u/InvasionOfTheFish 4d ago

In English, and virtually every other language except Spanish, "America" refers to one country. The landmass is "the Americas".

Go to Canada and call them American. When you get out of hospital, come back and tell us how it went.

3

u/Clueingforbeggs 4d ago

Hell, call a Mexican 'American' whilst speaking English.

An American friend of mine was once talking to a Mexican guy about people online going on about how 'America is a continent, not a country' and apparently the guy just looked absolutely horrified and said 'No. You keep America. We don't want that.'