Who's an atheist?

[adelaidesean]

A while back, I had an interesting online discussion about whether the supernatural and Doctor Who are antithetical (triggered by this article and featuring no less eminences than angriest and mondyboy, among others). I'm now writing up the thoughts prompted by that discussion into an autobiographical essay on my relationship with atheism, and I have a couple of questions for the Whovians among my readers:

What stories can you think of that contain references to God, the Devil, or other supernatural beings? "The Daemons" and "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit" come immediately to mind, for instance. Are there any more?

There have been numerous mentions of the Doctor being a lonely god in recent series (not to mention the very Christ-like ending of season three). I haven't had the time to go back and watch all the episodes to see when they occur. Does anyone out there have an encyclopaedic knowledge of this kind of thing to save me having to, like, research? :-)

Comments

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Nice one. "Hell" is the place between dimensions, isn't it? Where the Dalek sphere came from?

[sithmagician.livejournal.com]

That's the one.

In other news, I went to Galaxy today. I now finally have a copy of Astropolis on my desk here at work.

Now I just need a spare few hours...

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there,

About to dash out for dinner but are you just limiting it to the tv series? There are plenty of references in the books (particularly the Virgin New Adventures). As for Big Finish - I'm sure there are references there as well.

In terms of the tv series, apart from the references already here, off the top of my head - how about Nightmare of Eden? The Sea Devils? Paradose Towers?

Got to dash but I'll have a think and come back.

Cheers,
Damon
(who is still reeling over Freddy Highmore being cast as a live action Astroboy)

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

There are so many titles with religious references! I hadn't really thought about it before. Thanks for the new ones, Damon. It's building up to be quite a list.

Given that RTD seems to have been heavily influenced by the New Adventures and the like, it'd be interesting to know what was in there too...

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there,

I'll look at pulling together a list from the New Adventures (the whole Time's Champion run and the stuff with the Other from Lungbarrow in particular) spring to mind.

Oh - and we forgot the Tom Baker's The Face of Evil in which the Doctor becomes a god - well Xoannan who is based on the Doctor becomes a God).

I need another project :)

Cheers,
Damon

[seanwilliams.livejournal.com]

Don't go to too much trouble! The article I'm writing can't be too long, and I reckon I might already have enough material. Save it, perhaps, for the next time we're sitting face-to-face. That should keep us amused for hours. :-)