What non-scifi/fantasy characters would have the best (or worst) reaction to meeting the Doctor?

Suggested by this Doctor Who/Sherlock video.

A couple of things before we start:

  1. To avoid giving the cast of Big Bang Theory an unfair advantage, let’s assume that any characters we name are their equivalents in the Doctor Who universe. In other words, we’ll be talking about characters who haven’t been watching the Doctor’s adventures on TV (or reading DW comic books or novels, or playing video games, etc) for years. If they know the Doctor at all, it’s as a rumor discussed on internet message boards and no more.

  2. No science fiction or fantasy characters, and that includes comic books. Why no? Eat your spinach, that’s why not. More seriously, it’s because Superman and the Justice League aren’t going to blink at the idea of a time traveling alien; neither will Lazarus Long.

  3. There should probably be a fourth stipulation but I can’t think of one. Oh, all right, nobody from porn. No real reason for that one.

Anyway, let’s recap. Within the above stipulations, what fictional characters would have the most positive reaction to sharing an adventure with the last Time Lord, entering the TARDIS, maybe being invited to be a companion? Who would react most negatively?

Nitpick, that’s the BBC/PBS Cumberbatch Sherlock not the CBS Elementary Miller Sherlock. You got me all excited.

I would expect any character from a non-scifi universe to react to such a thing much the same way a person from our universe would: with disbelief and, perhaps, doubts of the Doctor’s and/or hir own sanity.

Already corrected the mistaken “Elementary” reference. Sorry for –

No, scratch that, that’s not a Rhymerian answer. Let me put on the crazy hat.

:: dons Crazy!Skald hat ::

Fool of a Took! The OP clearly says “Sherlock,” not “Elementary,” and always has! Your inability to tell one from the other demonstrates your essential Welshness. Apologize immediately or be slapped with this fish!

Come on and play man!

Despite the stipulations in the OP, I think the Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, and Bernadette from BBT would be briefly gobsmacked but ultimately able to handle it; the first three would still know a lot of SF and fantasy even if there were no DW fiction in their universe, and both girls mentioned are intellectually flexible enough to handle it. Sheldon would have more trouble, not because the concepts would be too alien (he’d still know Star Trek, after all) but because he’s fairly fragile emotionally; there’d be too many things in his past he’d want to change. (Didn’t his father die when Sheldon was fairly young?) The other blonde girl, Leonard’s girlfriend, would have the most trouble; seeing the inside of the TARDIS would leave her shaking.

I thought they’ve been showing us for years what happens when non-SF/F people meet the Doctor?

Elsa Mars (Jessica Lang’s character from AHS: Freak Show) would want to steal the Tardis and make it part of her Freak Show and charge admission. “Behold the ship from space that is bigger inside!” She would also try to force the Doctor to go back in time and kick whoever it was who gained fame before her out of the way so she can grab the spotlight and become a superstar.

I think Scout would be intrigued and civil. I think Queequeg would feel he were suffering a heat stroke.

I prefer to fight the hypothetical and imagine Mordin Solus’ first meeting with the Doctor.

“Hmm. Bipedal. Mammalian. Interesting. Human? No. Humans only have one heart. Too tall for a batarian. Not enough eyes either. Self-regenerating DNA? Suggests Cerberus work, but no signs of genetic therapy. Low-level telepathy indicates early exposure to element zero, but no signs of eezo contamination in blood… Time vortices, perhaps? Only vortex-bearing planet in habitable zone for warm-blooded mammals is… Gallifrey? Time Lord? Time Lord! Fascinating. Love your work with asexual reproduction. Very influential in genophage research. Traditional clothing a bit gaudy. Prefer form over fashion.”

Inspector Spacetime would be affronted.

I’d love to see how Howard Beale from Network reacts to a conversation with The Doctor.

I saw a very cool musical a few months ago called “Sherlock Who,” where Holmes (classic version and modern Cumberbatch version) met and had adventures with the Doctor (Tenth and Fourth regenerations), all set to the the tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan. It was very funny, and I thought they made a good case for Holmes getting on quite nicely with the Doctor.

As for other characters…I think Gil Grissom from CSI might find traveling with the Doctor fascinating. Dougal McGuire from Father Ted might be fun. Stretching the “no science fiction” a bit, any of the three leads from Jurassic Park (Malcolm, Grant, or Sattler).

Sgt. Joe Friday would definitely have trouble getting “just the facts” from the Doctor. He might even try to run him in for vagrancy. “Oh, you live in a police call box? Come along.”

Stewie Griffin would be unimpressed.

I actually think Penny would be just fine with it (that’s Leonard’s girlfriend’s name – Penny). She’s clearly quite happy not understanding things. She may even need to have it pointed out to her that it’s not usual for things to be bigger on the inside than the outside.

Sheldon would probably end up paralysed by his inability to work out how any of it worked, have a hissy fit, and then go off and sulk.

A real person of the past but a common character, I think Tesla would handle it well and possible suggest a few improvements.

I think Major Frank Burns would do the worst, he would be confused and probably frightened.

Let us assume the character has seen the TARDIS materialize.

Penny’s not an idiot; she’s just not of a technical bent. She’d realize without help that the inside-bigger thing was effed up.

Phoebe Cates would pack a bag and be inside the TARDIS before the Doctor finished speaking.

I think that’s a good suggestion. Some characters will simply refuse to credit their eyes, though.

Harry Potter and Co. would probably first think he was some sort of ultra-powerful wizard, before learning that there’s a whole universe up there that their world has, for some reason, entirely ignored. The Doctor would have fun poking at various plot holes in their lives, while they’d magick the TARDIS up and make him insane.

Pretty much no one on the Discworld would be phased at all, given the things everyone there takes for granted on a daily basis. “Oh, travel through space in a blue box, do you? Well, the creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions are due to attack tomorrow, and I’ve got to have a little chat with a couple gods in a half hour. Come back next week, alright?”

Ponder might find the mechanics of time travel interesting, though (bless his logical little soul). Maybe the TARDIS and Hex could be friends!

ETA: I just saw the “no fantasy or sci fi” stipulation. Maybe I should work on my reading comprehension. :smack: For some reason Holden Caulfield comes to mind - he’d probably like the Doctor, actually. I can see him making a good alien-fighting assistant.