Gideon Crane

Gideon Crane was a human whose mind temporarily fused with the Eighth Doctor's. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)

In 2003, shortly before Crane "[lost] his marbles," the Laughing Gnome placed William Bishop inside his body. (PROSE: Rise of the Dominator)

Later that year, Crane's mind fused with the Doctor's, granting him all of the Doctor's memories. He then believed himself to be the Doctor and questioned the real Doctor about his experiences, believing that he was the Doctor as he had more of the Doctor's personal memories. The true Doctor, now known as 'Zebediah Doe', eventually determined that he was the true Doctor when his psychic matrix was dispersed among other inmates by a machine designed to extract mental imprints, as all of the inmates subsequently believed themselves to be the Doctor. Once the Doctor's mind was restored, it was revealed that Gideon Crane was actually a journalist who was sent from the United Kingdom to write about the creation of the state of Malebolgia. He retained enough of the Doctor's memories to disable the equipment while the Doctor dealt with the real threat. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)

Behind the scenes
Gideon Crane was portrayed by Nicholas Briggs. Briggs had previously voiced an incarnation of the Doctor in the unlicensed series Audio Visuals, a predecessor to what would become Big Finish Productions; as a result of this, his likeness would be used in the COMIC: Party Animals for a future incarnation of the Doctor. For Big Finish, he also provided the voices of alternate incarnations of the Doctor in AUDIO: Exile and Seven Keys to Doomsday.