‘Mavity’ becomes instant meme after Doctor Who intro featuring Isaac Newton

Warning: This article contains mild spoilers for the second Doctor Who anniversary special, “Wild Blue Yonder”

Doctor Who’s secretive second 60th anniversary special, “Wild Blue Yonder”, was undeniably silly, with shapeshifting CGI monsters being the big bad of the episode, and the pre-titles scene involving Isaac Newton accidentally coming up with the wrong name for gravity – ‘mavity’.

When the Tardis – veering out of control after returning companion Donna Noble accidentally spilled coffee on the console at the end of last week’s episode, “The Star Beast” – crashes into that famous apple tree, the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) stick their head out and realise where they are.

“Wait a minute… Apple tree, apple, man holding an apple in 1666? Are you… Sir Isaac Newton,” the Doctor asks, in disbelief.

Donna later chips in: “But it’s got to be said, Mr Isaac Newton, that you above all others can appreciate…”

The Doctor pleads: “Oh no, don’t…”

“You can appreciate…”

“Really, really don’t,” The Doctor stresses.

And then, together: “The gravity of the situation!”

The pair then rush back inside the Tardis before it veers off into the distance, leaving a shocked Newton (played by It’s A Sin star Nathaniel Curtis) to wonder what on earth just happened.

He says: “What was that delightful word? Savity… Havity… Mavity.”

And thus, a new meme was born:

The trilogy of anniversary specials concludes next Saturday with “The Giggle”, which stars Neil Patrick Harris as returning classic Who villain The Toymaker and will see Tennant regenerate into the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa.

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