King Kong's Weird Connection To Dr. Who, Explained (It's Not What You Think)
Over his nearly century-long history, King Kong has crossed over into several franchises. Most famously, his path has frequently slammed into Godzilla, with the pair eventually entering a shared universe through the MonsterVerse. Although Kong meshes best with fellow kaiju, his popularity has earned him nods in other TV shows and movies, such as the Kong parody “King Homer” in The Simpsons (1989) and a cameo in The LEGO Batman Movie (2017).
Doctor Who (1963) is another long-running franchise that has a penchant for pop culture references, from Harry Potter to Star Trek. Given that The Doctor has also run into his fair share of interesting species, you can’t help but wonder if the Doctor Who and King Kong franchises have ever collided. Sure enough, there is a Dr. Who in the King Kong universe, but not the one you’re familiar with.
Dr. Who Exists In The King Kong Universe (But Not That One)
Dr. Who exists in the King Kong universe, but he’s not related to The Doctor in Doctor Who. Instead, he’s an original villain who made his debut in The King Kong Show (1966). In the 1960s, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) had just experienced a massive box-office success, while Rankin/Bass Productions’ TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) proved an enormous hit among families. Hence, it wasn’t long before Rankin set about producing a King Kong animated series, one that would make the monster more accessible to children.
The King Kong Show offered a friendlier version of Kong, whom the Bond family takes in. Given that Kong is the hero of the show, it only follows that he needs a good villain to complement him. The series introduced Dr. Who (Paul Soles) as the primary antagonist. Unlike The Doctor, he’s not a time traveler or hero, but a mad scientist obsessed with world domination and Kong. Throughout the series, Dr. Who relentlessly pursues Kong, who wants to use the giant ape in his evil schemes.
Balding, with an oversized head, spectacles, and a lab coat, Dr. Who looks the part of the mad scientist to a T. From coming up with schemes, such as holding the Bond family hostage or melting ice glaciers to raise the tides, Dr. Who always has some diabolical plot simmering. However, his most famous scheme is by far his decision to create a mechanical copy of Kong, Mechani-Kong.
Dr. Who’s popularity led to his transition to live-action in the film King Kong Escapes (1967). Portrayed by Hideyo Amamoto, Dr. Who bears little resemblance to his animated counterpart but retains his evil schemes, with his Mechani-Kong becoming a primary antagonist in the movie.
Although there’s little evidence that The Doctor inspired Dr. Who, you’ll notice some similarities between him and The Doctor, who William Hartnell portrayed at the time. Hartnell and Amamoto were close in age, while Dr. Who wore a strikingly similar hat and coat to Hartnell’s Doctor. When it came to personality and villainy, though, Dr. Who more closely parallels the Bond franchise’s Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman). Unfortunately, Dr. Who met his demise in King Kong Escapes, ending his King Kong run and any further comparisons to The Doctor.
Sorry, Kong, 'Dr Who' Likes Godzilla Better
Although there’s a Dr. Who in the King Kong universe, Doctor Who never mentions or crosses over with Kong. However, the franchise does reference Kong’s rival, Godzilla, more times than you might expect. Several Doctor Who comic books and web stories have referenced Godzilla in passing. One comic, Time Bomb, even has the Sixth Doctor’s shape-changing companion, Frobisher, transform temporarily into Godzilla to scare off an assailant. Godzilla also earns a mention in the Doctor Who spin-off series, Torchwood (2006), in Season 3, Episode 3, “Children of Earth: Day Three.” These brief but frequent cameos seem to confirm Godzilla exists in some capacity in the Doctor Who universe.
The Doctor also exists in the Godzilla universe. In the comic Godzilla Legends #4, the TARDIS makes a cameo in one panel, partially hidden near Mecha-Godzilla’s foot as the kaiju fights Hedorah. Although it’s a subtle, nearly imperceptible cameo, it further drives home the fact that Doctor Who clearly prefers Godzilla for its pop culture crossovers over Kong.
Is 'The King Kong Show' Worth Watching?
Whether you’ll want to dive into The King Kong Show and its Dr. Who character depends on the type of Kong media you’re looking for. It’s essential to keep in mind that The King Kong Show is a 1960s animated series geared toward younger audiences. As a result, it’s a bit more dated and tame than most Kong adaptations out there. Even so, it’s an interesting take on the character that still draws parallels to the Kong of the MonsterVerse and the original King Kong (1933), which emphasize the giant ape’s protective and heroic nature.
Although Kong is familiar, The King Kong Show takes a playful approach to the story. It places Kong in a Saturday morning cartoon with formulaic episodes and human-sized threats rather than fellow kaiju. If you like lighthearted Saturday morning cartoons like Milton the Monster (1965), you’ll enjoy The King Kong Show. However, for a more serious cartoon adaptation with higher stakes, you’ll likely prefer Kong: The Animated Series (2000), a highly underrated expansion of Kong lore.
As for the best introduction to Dr. Who, King Kong Escapes is superior to The King Kong Show. In the project, Dr. Who is most devious and most reminiscent of Doctor Who or James Bond villains, while the movie plays out more like a typical, campy, but entertaining monster movie than The King Kong Show.
