Temporal grace, or TG, (AUDIO: The Eleven [+]Matt Fitton, Doom Coalition 1 (The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Doom Coalition, Big Finish Productions, 2015).) was the term used to describe the state in which the interior of TARDISes existed. Supposedly, it ensured no weapons could be used inside the Doctor's TARDIS. (TV: The Hand of Fear [+]Bob Baker and Dave Martin, Doctor Who season 14 (BBC1, 1976).) It was linked to the TARDIS' telepathic circuits, and when fully functional, it would negate all hostile and aggressive actions within the ship. (PROSE: The Bodysnatchers [+]Mark Morris, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).) Temporal grace could also stabilise a being affected by time spillage, at least whilst they were within the TARDIS. (AUDIO: Interstitial [+]Carl Rowens, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2019).)
Uses of temporal grace[]
Temporal grace stopped Eldrad from using her powers. (TV: The Hand of Fear [+]Bob Baker and Dave Martin, Doctor Who season 14 (BBC1, 1976).)
While temporal grace was actually switched on, Calvert's energy weapon was unable to fire within the Fourth Doctor's TARDIS. He tested this out, pointed away from the Doctor, as he claimed. (AUDIO: The Evil One [+]Nicholas Briggs, The Fourth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2014).)
As part of his con to acquire the Blinovitch Limitation Effect Limiter and give the Fourth Doctor and Romana II the belief he had given the technology to "Sir Charles Kirkland," Drax had equipped a spaceship with temporal grace in order to prevent K9's blaster from working and pushing the Doctor into carrying out his part of the con. (AUDIO: The Trouble with Drax [+]John Dorney, The Fourth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2016).)
Temporal grace prevented Sha'ol from firing his disruptor. (PROSE: Mission: Impractical [+]David A. McIntee, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1998).)
After the Seventh Doctor set off an explosion inside the SARDIT, he commented that the state of grace circuit still needed looking at. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible [+]Marc Platt, adapted from Cat's Cradle, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1992).)
When nuclear missiles were launched on an alternate Earth, the Doctor materialised the TARDIS around the whole planet so that the temporal grace would prevent the missiles from exploding. (PROSE: Blood Heat [+]Jim Mortimore, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).)
Temporal grace, in conjunction with the TARDIS' medical nanites, freed Annie Carpenter from being possessed by the Scourge. (AUDIO: The Shadow of the Scourge [+]Paul Cornell, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2000).)
Temporal grace prevented guns from being used against Nobody No-One, but since he was from another dimension (and as such, operated under different laws of physics), this did not apply to him. (AUDIO: The Word Lord [+]Steven Hall, Forty-Five (Main Range, Big Finish Productions, 2008).)
Garundel's gun was prevented from working when he planned to shoot Sally Morgan. (AUDIO: Black and White [+]Matt Fitton, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2012).)
The Eighth Doctor repaired the state of grace circuitry. When he drew several Skarasen into the TARDIS, he told his companions that the state of grace within the ship meant that the creatures couldn't harm them. (PROSE: The Bodysnatchers [+]Mark Morris, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)
The Doctor later admitted to Sam that he had forgotten to reconnect the state of grace circuitry when they were faced with a fusion bomb the Daleks had planted. (PROSE: War of the Daleks [+]John Peel, adapted from War of the Daleks, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)
Coordinator Farina had Agent Landa activate a TG field on the President's office to prevent the Eleven from using any weapons. (AUDIO: The Eleven [+]Matt Fitton, Doom Coalition 1 (The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Doom Coalition, Big Finish Productions, 2015).)
A temporal grace circuit was one of the first systems installed on the Crucible of Souls. The Eighth Doctor activated it to prevent the Nine from using the regen gun. (AUDIO: The Crucible of Souls [+]John Dorney, Doom Coalition 3 (The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Doom Coalition, Big Finish Productions, 2016).)
During the Last Great Time War, temporal grace prevented Gardezza native Osen from shooting the War Master in his TARDIS. (AUDIO: Beneath the Viscoid [+]Nicholas Briggs, Only the Good (The War Master, Big Finish Productions, 2017).)
According to the Thirteenth Doctor, Dr Leon Perkins' gun was neutralised by the TARDIS the moment he stepped in. (COMIC: A New Beginning [+]Jody Houser, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor (Titan Comics, 2018-2019).)
In another universe, General Sontar tried to kill the Doctor by breaking his neck, but he survived due to the TARDIS' state of grace. Sontar also tried to kill the Rutan ambassador and vice versa in a multitude of different ways but they wouldn't die. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors [+]Lance Parkin, BBC Books (1998).)
Failures of temporal grace[]
According to the Sixth Doctor, temporal grace only worked "while the engines [were] running." (COMIC: Changes [+]Grant Morrison, DWM Comics (Marvel Comics, 1986).)
Nyssa asked the Fifth Doctor about temporal grace not stopping the Cybermen from firing weapons inside the TARDIS, but he only replied, "Nobody's perfect." (TV: Arc of Infinity [+]Johnny Byrne, Doctor Who season 20 (BBC1, 1983).) Ace also questioned the Doctor about temporal grace after the interior nearly disintegrated. (PROSE: Blood Heat [+]Jim Mortimore, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1993).)
The Fourth Doctor revealed that temporal grace was not always switched on. (AUDIO: The Evil One [+]Nicholas Briggs, The Fourth Doctor Adventures (Big Finish Productions, 2014).)
After Mels shot the TARDIS console, the Eleventh Doctor admitted that the presence of temporal grace in the TARDIS was (at least, at that point) a "clever lie". (TV: Let's Kill Hitler [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).)
Sontarans, (TV: The Invasion of Time [+]David Agnew, Doctor Who season 15 (BBC1, 1978).) Cybermen, (TV: Earthshock [+]Eric Saward, Doctor Who season 19 (BBC1, 1982)., Attack of the Cybermen [+]Paula Moore, Doctor Who season 22 (BBC1, 1985).) a Terileptil android, (TV: The Visitation [+]Eric Saward, Doctor Who season 19 (BBC1, 1982).) a Dalek and Jack Harkness (TV: The Parting of the Ways [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) all discharged their guns in the TARDIS.
Andred's staser did not work, although the Fourth Doctor attributed it to the relative dimensional stabiliser field. However, K9's laser and the Sontarans' guns did work. (TV: The Invasion of Time [+]David Agnew, Doctor Who season 15 (BBC1, 1978).)
The Eighth Doctor stated that the TARDIS' defence mechanisms sometimes worked and sometimes did not, as he reminded the Monk when Ollistra threatened him with a staser within the TARDIS. (AUDIO: The Side of the Angels [+]Matt Fitton, Doom Coalition 4 (The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Doom Coalition, Big Finish Productions, 2017).)
Threatening the Eighth Doctor with a staser within the TARDIS, Commander Roxita noted that, as a Capitol Guard, he could override the temporal grace. (AUDIO: Day of the Vashta Nerada [+]Matt Fitton, Classic Doctors and New Monsters: Volume Two (Classic Doctors, New Monsters, Big Finish Productions, 2017).)
Cinder was shot by Karlax using an energy pistol, before The Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS, leaving him to be exterminated by the Daleks. (PROSE: Engines of War [+]George Mann, BBC New Series tie-in novels (BBC Books, 2014).)