While watching the, frankly, stunning Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus the other day, I was struck by similarities with the plot of a certain Timelord's monochrome adventure back in the 60s...

1968: soon-to-be-Python Terry Gilliam is writing for Marty Feldman, Do Not Adjust Your Set and prototype Goodies series Broaden Your Mind. Might he also have noticed Doctor Who, then in the guise of Patrick Troughton in the Land of Fiction? Unlikely, but there are definite crossovers here.

The classic Who story The Mind Robber was devised by writer Peter Ling to satirise Crossroads fans' inability to distinguish fact from fiction. The opening episode, written by Derrick Sherwin, features a white void (which, in reality, is the result of a lack of money and sets!). Jamie and Zoe are seduced by images on the TARDIS scanner, tempting them to enter the void. They both seem to see their homes. In The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus three housewives are drawn into the Imaginarium to experience a vivid fantasy informed by their own thoughts.

Doctor Parnassus was completed despite the death of lead actor Heath Ledger. Gilliam cleverly has three other actors (Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell) take Ledger's place, explaining his change of face as part of the overall fantasy and, essentially, representing different aspects of the same character.

Not only are Doctor Who fans well accustomed to the idea of a leading man who changes his face, but during The Mind Robber, the Doctor has to choose the correct face of his companion, Jamie, as part of a puzzle. In truth, Jamie's alter ego Frazer Hines was ill, and so the Doctor chooses the wrong face, allowing Jamie to be played by actor Hamish Wilson.

Much of The Mind Robber is based on fairytales. The time travellers meet the cold but beautiful Rapunzel. Lily Cole's Valentina represents a similar figure of beauty in the Imaginarium. The early scenes of Doctor Parnassus contrast the amazing fantasyland of the Imaginarium with the reality of a Homebase car park. The fantasy of The Mind Robber can be contrasted with the realism of late 60s London in The Invasion, the adventure that directly followed it.

Doctor Parnassus, like the Doctor, is hundreds of years old. Though, unlike the Timelord, he looks his age. Parnassus could be seen as a parallel to The Master of the Land of Fiction. Both feel trapped in a job they don't want, yet continue for the sake of their own survival. Both are aware of their limitations. The Master of the Land of Fiction is actually a proxy of the Doctor himself as The Mind Robber can be read as the Doctor's daydream. Putting aside Gilliam's fondness for extreme fantasy, could it be that the events of The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus are a dream? Unlike The Wizard Of Oz, the viewer is kept guessing, in part, perhaps, because modern day cinema audiences hate the ‘it was all a dream'cop-out ending.

Okay, so some of the above is a bit tenuous. In short, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus shows what The Mind Robber might look like if it had a huge special effects budget. It would also look amazing if remade in colour. How about it, Steven Moffat?

The travelling show feel of Parnassus is also reminiscent of the Pertwee tale Carnival Of Monsters. Parnassus as Vorg the showman, Valentina as Shirna and the scope as the Imaginarium, anyone? But that's another story!