Time Lords and Gallifrey in Classic Who

[The Wormhole]

"Continuity is only whatever I can remember." -Terrance Dicks.
Indeed, Dicks did write Morbius, though under a pseudonym.

 

[Chaos Descending]

One amusing element of The Deadly Assassin is how the well-traveled Doctor, without denting the Time Lord's legendary power or reputation, points out (thanks to their insular nature) how archaic their day-to-day technology has become compared to the advances of the outside universe.

Can you remind me how he did that? I don't remember that happening.

 

[Redfern]

Can you remind me how he did that? I don't remember that happening.

Shortly after discovering the shrunken body of a "cameraman" in the gallery above the Panopticon, the Doctor realizes they are facing the Master. They proceed to the "records room" where they have this exchange...

SPANDRELL: Four cold-blooded killings in one day.
DOCTOR: Flea-bitings, Spandrell, flea-bitings. Things will get a lot worse.
SPANDRELL: Not here in the Time Lord Capitol.
DOCTOR: Well, it might rouse some of them from their lethargy. They live for centuries and have about as much sense of adventure as dormice.
ENGIN: Nothing, Castellan. There is no record of any Time Lord ever adopting that title.
DOCTOR: I told you so. If there had been a DE on the Master, the first thing he would have done would be to destroy it.
SPANDRELL: According to Coordinator Engin, the Time Lord data extracts cannot be withdrawn without the fact being recorded. I thought that yours had been scanned recently, but he assured me it was impossible.
DOCTOR: Rubbish. Anyone with a little criminal know-how could do it. I could do it myself.
ENGIN: More that criminal know-how, Doctor. Excitonic circuitry.
DOCTOR: Child's play to the Master. Do you think this stuff is sophisticated? There are worlds out there where this kind of equipment would be considered prehistoric junk.

(Boldface mine to highlight the Doctor's claims of "more advanced" civilizations)

Copied from "the Doctor Who Transcripts" site, specifically, this page...

http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/14-3.htm

 

[arch101]

Shortly after discovering the shrunken body of a "cameraman" in the gallery above the Panopticon, the Doctor realizes they are facing the Master. They proceed to the "records room" where they have this exchange...

SPANDRELL: Four cold-blooded killings in one day.
DOCTOR: Flea-bitings, Spandrell, flea-bitings. Things will get a lot worse.
SPANDRELL: Not here in the Time Lord Capitol.
DOCTOR: Well, it might rouse some of them from their lethargy. They live for centuries and have about as much sense of adventure as dormice.
ENGIN: Nothing, Castellan. There is no record of any Time Lord ever adopting that title.
DOCTOR: I told you so. If there had been a DE on the Master, the first thing he would have done would be to destroy it.
SPANDRELL: According to Coordinator Engin, the Time Lord data extracts cannot be withdrawn without the fact being recorded. I thought that yours had been scanned recently, but he assured me it was impossible.
DOCTOR: Rubbish. Anyone with a little criminal know-how could do it. I could do it myself.
ENGIN: More that criminal know-how, Doctor. Excitonic circuitry.
DOCTOR: Child's play to the Master. Do you think this stuff is sophisticated? There are worlds out there where this kind of equipment would be considered prehistoric junk.

(Boldface mine to highlight the Doctor's claims of "more advanced" civilizations)

Copied from "the Doctor Who Transcripts" site, specifically, this page...

http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/14-3.htm

Thank You! Yes, the Doc points out how the interfaces are old fashioned in some parts of the galaxy, but at the same time the viewer can appreciate the sophistication of the APC Net itself as well as the enormous feat of engineering in capturing a black hole and placing it within the Eye of Harmony. The ep knocks a few holes in the "all-powerful Time Lords" myth while reinforcing their age and wisdom (in some matters).