143-529: Since the first broadcast of the British science-fiction television serial Doctor Who in 1963, there have been a number of exhibitions of props , costumes and sets relating to the show throughout the United Kingdom. Some have been intended to be permanent, and others seasonal; most have been staged at existing tourist locations. None are currently open to the public. The first permanent exhibition
286-578: A cult following . It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. Fans of the series are sometimes referred to as Whovians . The series has been listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science-fiction television series in the world, as well as the "most successful" science-fiction series of all time, based on its overall broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales. The series originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There
429-775: A plinth in a corner of the control room in the Dalek City on Skaro , in the story it is destroyed when a civil war breaks out among the Daleks. The Dalek Emperor was designed by Chris Thompson and built by the BBC Visual Effects Department. In Planet of the Daleks (1973) the Dalek Supreme, a member of the Dalek Supreme Council, is despatched to the planet Spiridon. It is tasked with overseeing experiments into invisibility,
572-652: A " TARDIS perceptor" appears, and in the episode "The Planet of Decision" an "electrode unit" is employed to disable an electronic lock. The prop consisted of a large revolving parabolic dish from the centre of which two converging rods protruded. In the later 1960s serials in which they appeared the Dalek design remained virtually unchanged, with only minor variations to the standard colour scheme and appendages. In The Daleks' Master Plan (1965) several Daleks are shown clearing areas of jungle using short, tubular flame throwers , referred to as "pyro-flame burners", in place of
715-433: A " toffee apple " shaped eyeball. The eye lenses are illuminated and shown to have an iris which can expand and contract. These Daleks have a silver colour scheme with blue/grey shoulders, blue hemispheres and eye discs, collars in natural aluminium and black fenders. The story refers to them being powered by static electricity , with mobility limited to the metal floors in the Dalek City on their home planet, Skaro . In
858-516: A "renewal", and the Second Doctor underwent a "change of appearance". The device has allowed for the recasting of the actor various times in the show's history, as well as the depiction of alternative Doctors either from the Doctor's relative past or future. The serials The Deadly Assassin (1976) and Mawdryn Undead (1983) established that a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times, for
1001-455: A 16-year hiatus of in-house production. Eccleston left after one series and was replaced by David Tennant . Davies left the production team in 2009. Steven Moffat , a writer under Davies, was announced as his successor, along with Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Smith decided to leave the role of the Doctor in 2013, the 50th anniversary year. He was replaced by Peter Capaldi . In January 2016, Moffat announced that he would step down after
1144-474: A Dalek emerges from beneath the waters of the River Thames. For the first time a Dalek command structure is introduced, with rank indicated by differing colour schemes. The Earth Task Force Commander, or "Saucer Commander", features a black dome and alternating light and dark skirt panels. A Supreme Controller or "Black Dalek" is also seen with a black dome, shoulders and skirt. First introduced in 1965,
1287-503: A Nigerian television relay station in Jos . Six of the eleven films discovered were the six-part serial The Enemy of the World (1968), from which all but the third episode had been missing. The remaining films were from another six-part serial, The Web of Fear (1968), and included the previously missing episodes 2, 4, 5 and 6. Episode 3 of The Web of Fear is still missing. The Doctor
1430-461: A catastrophic war, artificially accelerating pre-existing genetic mutations in the Kaled species and the manipulation of genetic material forcibly obtained from other (usually human) species. From 2005 onward the Dalek creature has been seen more frequently, in its latest incarnation resembling a pale octopus-like being with a single viable eye, a vestigial nose and mouth, and an exposed brain. In
1573-537: A challenge to find missing Doctor Who episodes with the promise of a full-scale Dalek model as a reward. In December 2011, it was announced that part 3 of Galaxy 4 (1965) and part 2 of The Underwater Menace (1967) had been returned to the BBC by a fan who had purchased them in the mid-1980s without realising that the BBC did not hold copies of them. On 10 October 2013, the BBC announced that films of eleven episodes, including nine missing episodes, had been found in
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#17327732256081716-539: A combination of "goon" and Shawcraft Dalek sections for the upper half, and a unique skirt with a rear section which flares out from the shoulders at almost the same angle as the front. Four prominent bolt heads frame the chest oval and large hemispheres are fitted. These differences are not alluded to in the story and the origin of the components remains uncertain. This variant is sometimes referred to as "The Tussauds Dalek" after Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, where it
1859-632: A complete refurbishment in October 2008. The Doctor Who Up Close Shop was stocked with items such as giant inflatable Daleks , sonic screwdrivers and talking bottle openers. An exhibition titled Doctor Who Experience, complete with a new interactive Doctor Who episode with the Eleventh Doctor , opened at London Olympia on 20 February 2011 after a number of test days and preview visits. It closed on 22 February 2012. The exhibition moved to Cardiff, opening on 20 July 2012. The new exhibition
2002-558: A disembodied brain falling to the floor in The Brain of Morbius and the Doctor apparently being drowned by a villain in The Deadly Assassin (both 1976). Mary Whitehouse's complaint about the latter incident prompted a change in BBC policy towards the series, with much tighter controls imposed on the production team, and the series' next producer, Graham Williams , was under a directive to take out "anything graphic in
2145-410: A disguise. Because of a malfunction, the Doctor's TARDIS remains fixed as a blue British police box . Across time and space, the Doctor's many incarnations often find events that pique their curiosity, and try to prevent evil forces from harming innocent people or changing history, using only ingenuity and minimal resources, such as the versatile sonic screwdriver . The Doctor rarely travels alone and
2288-457: A fictional alien race in the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who . First seen in the serial The Daleks (1963–64), the outward manifestation is portrayed as a powerful, technically advanced travel machine in which a hideous and malevolent mutant , the Dalek creature, resides. Although the general appearance of the Daleks has remained the same, details of both the casing and
2431-677: A higher fender on all models. The eye lens "pupil", first seen in The Evil of the Daleks , now became a standard fitting. A gold Dalek Leader returned again in Frontier in Space (1973). Seven additional Dalek props were produced for Planet of the Daleks (1973), created by special effects professional Clifford Culley's company Westbury Design & Optical Limited. The production crew referred to these props as "goons". Although fabricated using measurements and moulds taken from an existing prop,
2574-464: A hitherto unknown incarnation of the Doctor known as the War Doctor in the run-up to the show's 50th-anniversary special " The Day of the Doctor ". He is shown in mini-episode " The Night of the Doctor " retroactively inserted into the show's fictional chronology between McGann's and Eccleston's Doctors, although his introduction was written so as not to disturb the established numerical naming of
2717-449: A lot of choice—we only had the Dalek serial to go ... We had a bit of a crisis of confidence because Donald [Wilson] was so adamant that we shouldn't make it. Had we had anything else ready we would have made that." Nation's script became the second Doctor Who serial – The Daleks (also known as The Mutants ). The serial introduced the eponymous aliens that would become the series' most popular monsters, dubbed "Dalekmania", and
2860-528: A man now known in Doctor Who circles as "The Man In Blue". The " Dapol Dr Who Experience" opened in 1994 and was sited in Llangollen , Denbighshire , Wales, under the auspices of the company that made Doctor Who merchandise until 2002. It featured many costumes and props, some dating back to the 1960s. It closed in 2003. The Blackpool exhibition reopened in 2004 to coincide with the relaunch of
3003-422: A microphone into a device called a ring modulator . While this produces considerable distortion and a monotone effect, inflection and pace are used to express a range of emotions including rage, triumph, disdain and, very occasionally, fear. ( play sample ) Dalek locomotion is usually shown as a gliding movement a few centimetres above the ground. The Dalek Book (1964) indicates that traction
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#17327732256083146-539: A more compassionate figure and was eventually revealed to be a Time Lord , whose race are from the planet Gallifrey , which the Doctor fled by stealing the TARDIS. Producers introduced the concept of regeneration to permit the recasting of the main character. This was prompted by the poor health of the original star, William Hartnell . The term "regeneration" was not conceived until the Doctor's third on-screen regeneration; Hartnell's Doctor merely described undergoing
3289-692: A national institution in the United Kingdom, with a large following among the general viewing audience. The show received controversy over the suitability of the series for children. Morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse repeatedly complained to the BBC over what she saw as the programme's violent, frightening and gory content. According to Radio Times , the series "never had a more implacable foe than Mary Whitehouse". A BBC audience research survey conducted in 1972 found that, by their own definition of violence ("any act[s] which may cause physical and/or psychological injury, hurt or death to persons, animals or property, whether intentional or accidental"), Doctor Who
3432-648: A poorer place without Doctor Who ". On 4 August 2013, a live programme titled Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor was broadcast on BBC One, during which the actor who was going to play the Twelfth Doctor was revealed. The live show was watched by an average of 6.27 million in the UK, and was also simulcast in the United States, Canada and Australia. Doctor Who originally ran for 26 seasons on BBC One, from 23 November 1963 until 6 December 1989. During
3575-399: A power collection array (although this function has never been confirmed on screen). A Black Dalek with grey shoulders is introduced in the first episode of The Chase ; "The Executioners", and makes subsequent appearances in a number of serials thereafter. Daleks with non-standard arm appendages are also seen in this serial. A gimballed hemisphere referred to as both a "seismic detector" and
3718-569: A range of monsters, aliens, props, costumes and models from the classic TV series, together with a TARDIS console that had previously featured in the BBC Visual Effects exhibition at the Science Museum, London . The Blackpool exhibition was located at 111 Central Promenade Blackpool. It was first opened by Jon Pertwee [ Third Doctor] and Elisabeth Sladen [ Sarah Jane Smith ] on Tuesday 9 April 1974. The exhibition opened to
3861-399: A reconstruction of the TARDIS console room, complete with a hexagonal console in the centre, flashing lights, sound effects and large windows looking out onto alien worlds and their monsters. All around the edges of the room were interactive computer banks, buttons and levers. Over the years, numerous other aliens were added to the displays including, an Ice Warrior , Quark , Zygon , Wirrn ,
4004-428: A series. Licensed media such as novels and audio plays provided new stories , but as a television programme, Doctor Who remained dormant. In September 2003, BBC Television announced the in-house production of a new series, after several years of attempts by BBC Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version. The 2005 revival of Doctor Who is a direct plot continuation of the original 1963–1989 series and
4147-411: A small stub aerial, projecting from the dome top. Six crude, hollow, vacuum-formed Dalek props were also created. They were primarily used during location filming of the serial's finale, although several of them can also be seen in the background of some studio shots. They can be recognised by their thick neck struts and the absence of dome aerials and appendage ball joints. Production photographs taken at
4290-504: A stop. No 1960s episodes exist on their original videotapes (all surviving prints being film transfers), though some were transferred to film for editing before transmission and exist in their broadcast form. Some episodes have been returned to the BBC from the archives of other countries that bought prints for broadcast or by private individuals who acquired them by various means. Early colour videotape recordings made off-air by fans have also been retrieved, as well as excerpts filmed from
4433-482: A thirteen-foot high Robot , Sutekh , and The Doctor mechanical dog K9 . The mainstay of the exhibition however was the Daleks, some of which were built especially by Tony Oxley and Charlie Lumm of the BBC Visual Effects department. Life size, moving Daleks were made to be as scary as possible with various Daleks interrogating and threatening the public with extermination. The Dalek Cavern as seen through
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4576-464: A total of 13 incarnations. This line became stuck in the public consciousness despite not often being repeated and was recognised by producers of the show as a plot obstacle for when the show finally had to regenerate the Doctor a thirteenth time. The episode " The Time of the Doctor " (2013) depicted the Doctor acquiring a new cycle of regenerations, starting from the Twelfth Doctor , due to
4719-792: A translucent, frosted appearance and those of the New Paradigm variant being black. The dome-light covers first resembled table tennis balls , before items having the appearance of plastic egg cup inserts were substituted. Later these were replaced by various types of " bee skep -shaped" vehicle side light lenses. The flattened lights fitted to the Imperial Daleks seen in Remembrance of the Daleks were formed from Perspex discs capped by commercially available saucer-shaped plastic components, while "New Series" and New Paradigm Daleks have light-covers consisting of tubular beacon lenses,
4862-477: A unique variant; the Dalek Supreme . In Death to the Daleks the travel machines display a silver livery with black shoulders, hemispheres and fender, with a task force leader being differentiated from its subordinates by amber, instead of clear, dome lights. During the serial, due to a plot element, the standard blasters are replaced by projectile weapons featuring a drilled barrel with six small fins at
5005-402: Is at variance with the few glimpses seen in early Doctor Who television episodes and films, which made little attempt to show (or hide) anything other than the actual base of the Dalek prop. As this usually took the form of a plywood board to which castors had been attached and a hole cut out for the operator's feet, these brief appearances were of little assistance in maintaining the illusion of
5148-527: Is depicted as being impervious to most projectile and energy weapons, although not indestructible. In various episodes Daleks are shown being damaged or destroyed by overwhelming firepower, their own weaponry and falls from a height. In addition, in Revelation of the Daleks (1985), they are said to be vulnerable to "bastic-headed bullets". In appearances from 2005 onwards a Dalek's defensive capability has been shown to include an invisible force shield, with
5291-430: Is in flight mode. The creatures inside the "travel machines" are depicted as repulsive in appearance and vicious even without their mechanical armour. Rarely glimpsed until the programme's revival in 2005, they were usually shown as amorphous green blobs with strong tentacles capable of strangulation or, occasionally, as having clawed hands. Their appearance and evolution is variously attributed to radioactive fallout from
5434-546: Is like comparing Monopoly with the property market in London: both are fantasies, but one is meant to be taken seriously." During Jon Pertwee 's second season as the Doctor, in the serial Terror of the Autons (1971), images of murderous plastic dolls, daffodils killing unsuspecting victims, and blank-featured policemen marked the apex of the series' ability to frighten children. Other notable moments in that decade include
5577-507: Is often joined by one or more companions on these adventures; these companions are usually humans, owing to the Doctor's fascination with planet Earth , which also leads to frequent collaborations with the international military task force UNIT when Earth is threatened. The Doctor is centuries old and, as a Time Lord, has the ability to regenerate when there is mortal damage to their body. The Doctor's various incarnations have gained numerous recurring enemies during their travels, including
5720-480: Is provided by a large, omnidirectional rotating metal sphere, while in the serial Death to the Daleks (1974) the Doctor states that they move by psycho-kinetic power . For years Daleks were depicted as being unable to climb stairs, with travel confined to smooth ground and level surfaces. This was rectified in Revelation of the Daleks in which a hovering Dalek was seen briefly, and then in Remembrance of
5863-793: Is shown in various episodes to be capable of holding people and objects, seemingly using a powerful vacuum. The weapon is depicted as having a variable output which can paralyse, stun or kill most life forms, disintegrate other Daleks and destroy buildings and spacecraft. In Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) and the episodes " The Parting of the Ways " (2005) and " Doomsday " (2006) the Doctor states that Dalek casings are constructed from "bonded polycarbide", with this material being referred to as "dalekanium" in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) and " Daleks in Manhattan " (2007). The casing
Doctor Who exhibitions - Misplaced Pages Continue
6006-488: Is the first woman to be cast as the character. The show introduced the Time Lords' ability to change sex on regeneration in earlier episodes, first in dialogue, then with Michelle Gomez 's version of The Master and T'Nia Miller 's version of The General. Upon Whittaker's final appearance as the character in " The Power of the Doctor " on 23 October 2022, she regenerated into a form portrayed by David Tennant , who
6149-654: The Daily Telegraph in 2009, the revival of Doctor Who had consistently received high ratings, both in number of viewers and as measured by the Appreciation Index . In 2007, Caitlin Moran , television reviewer for The Times , wrote that Doctor Who is "quintessential to being British". According to Steven Moffat , the American film director Steven Spielberg has commented that "the world would be
6292-463: The 2017 finale , to be replaced by Chris Chibnall in 2018. Jodie Whittaker , the first female Doctor, appeared in three series, the last of which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Both Whittaker and Chibnall announced that they would depart the series after a series of specials in 2022. Davies returned as showrunner from the 60th anniversary specials , twelve years after he had left
6435-651: The Daleks , their creator Davros , the Cybermen , and the renegade Time Lord the Master . Doctor Who was originally intended to appeal to a family audience as an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history. The programme first appeared on the BBC Television Service at 17:16:20 GMT on 23 November 1963; this was eighty seconds later than
6578-524: The Doctor Who television programme. The Blackpool Doctor Who Museum finally closed on 8 November 2009, the large collection of props, monsters and costumes (including the Doctors' trademark car, Bessie, and classic monsters such as Tractators, Ice Warriors and Yeti) being distributed to other exhibitions around the country. The Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff was the only semi-permanent exhibition in
6721-491: The Eleventh Doctor being the product of the Doctor's twelfth regeneration from his original set. Although the idea of casting a woman as the Doctor had been suggested by the show's writers several times, including by Newman in 1986 and Davies in 2008, until 2017, all official depictions were played by men. Jodie Whittaker took over the role as the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of the 2017 Christmas special and
6864-548: The First Doctor transforming into the Second . The only portion of this in existence, barring a few poor-quality silent 8 mm clips, is the few seconds of the regeneration scene, as it was shown on the children's magazine show Blue Peter . With the approval of the BBC, efforts are now underway to restore as many of the episodes as possible from the extant material. "Official" reconstructions have also been released by
7007-402: The "classic series" eventually fell behind other science fiction in production values and reputation, leading to its cancellation The BBC drama department produced the programme for 26 seasons, broadcast on BBC One . Due to his increasingly poor health, William Hartnell , first actor to play the Doctor, was succeeded by Patrick Troughton in 1966. In 1970, Jon Pertwee replaced Troughton and
7150-407: The "goon" Daleks exhibited minor differences from the original Shawcraft builds including the substitution of single dowel neck struts for the trefoil cross section items which were the norm up to this point. The story again called for a Dalek to cut through a metal door, on this occasion the cutting device replacing the plunger resembling the tip of a large soldering iron . This serial also featured
7293-399: The 1972 serial Day of the Daleks , their first appearance in colour on the Doctor Who television programme. "Drone" Daleks were now finished in grey, with black hemispheres and fender. Except for Death to the Daleks (1974), and albeit with variations in the shade of grey and occasional adornment with black slats, black collars or both, this stayed as the standard Dalek colour scheme for
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#17327732256087436-403: The 1996 television film. The executive producers of the new incarnation of the series were Queer as Folk writer Russell T Davies and BBC Cymru Wales head of drama Julie Gardner . From 2005, the series switched from a multi-camera to a single-camera setup. Starring Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, Doctor Who returned with the episode "Rose" on BBC One on 26 March 2005, after
7579-414: The 45-minute run time; notably, the episodes " Journey's End " from 2008 and " The Eleventh Hour " from 2010 were longer than an hour. 883 Doctor Who instalments have been televised since 1963, ranging between 25-minute episodes (the most common format for the classic era), 45/50-minute episodes (for Resurrection of the Daleks in the 1984 series, a single season in 1985, and the most common format for
7722-804: The BBC on VHS, on MP3 CD-ROM , and as special features on DVD. The BBC, in conjunction with animation studio Cosgrove Hall , reconstructed the missing episodes 1 and 4 of The Invasion (1968), using remastered audio tracks and the comprehensive stage notes for the original filming, for the serial's DVD release in November 2006. The missing episodes of The Reign of Terror were animated by animation company Theta-Sigma, in collaboration with Big Finish , and became available for purchase in May 2013 through Amazon.com. Subsequent animations made in 2013 include The Tenth Planet , The Ice Warriors (1967) and The Moonbase (1967). In April 2006, Blue Peter launched
7865-475: The Dalek Supreme is demonstrated in the story when it destroys the Dalek leader of the Spiridon task force for failing to meet its mission objectives. In Revelation of the Daleks (1985) Davros creates an army of Dalek mutants by manipulating DNA extracted from humans on the planet Necros, where the terminally ill and the dead are being stored in suspended animation . These Necros Daleks are portrayed in
8008-615: The Daleks (1967) two more elements of the Dalek hierarchy appear; the Dalek Emperor and Daleks with black domes which appear to act as the Emperor's personal guard. (This motif appears again in " The Parting of the Ways " (2005), with black-domed Daleks fulfilling a similar function.) For the first time a Dalek is seen with a black pupil centred in its eye lens. An unusual version of the Mark 3 Dalek made an appearance in The Evil of
8151-467: The Daleks the newly created Dalek casing is referred to as a "Mark 3 Travel Machine". The Dalek variant naming conventions used in this article are attributed to the various models as a matter of convenience. They can be found in general use by the Doctor Who/Dalek fan base, and are often quoted in posts and documentation on websites such as The Project Dalek Forum. Other classifications for
8294-579: The Daleks which featured a Dalek levitating up a staircase. From 2005 various Doctor Who episodes have shown Daleks hovering and flying with ease, locomotion being imparted by anti-gravity generators. During the course of the Doctor Who television programme the BBC, its producers and scriptwriters have rarely alluded to changes in Dalek design or ascribed names or designations to the various models seen. Notable exceptions usually refer to rank, such as "Emperor" and "Supreme Dalek", although in Genesis of
8437-482: The Daleks , again portraying a drone. In The Evil of the Daleks (1967) the Emperor is presented as a towering, immobile, twelve-sided conical structure to which numerous umbilical cables are connected. Twelve large, black hemispheres girdle its midsection with a further two smaller, tan-coloured hemispheres being mounted horizontally on the chest. It has a predominantly white colour scheme with black detailing and speaks in an echoing, grating voice. Shown mounted on
8580-468: The Daleks . It featured narrow skirt and shoulder sections, with the rear skirt panel having only a single vertical line of hemispheres down the middle. These differences are not alluded to in the story. This prop is sometimes referred to as "The Wilkie Dalek" after Bernard Wilkie, the BBC technical designer who became primarily responsible for the Doctor Who programme's visual effects after Shawcraft's involvement ceased during 1967. The Daleks returned in
8723-421: The Daleks " (2012), " The Magician's Apprentice " (2015) and " The Witch's Familiar " (2015) feature appearances by many of the Dalek variants seen in the Doctor Who programme since its inception. The component names listed below are used in this article as an aid to tracking the detail changes made to the basic Dalek design to create variants. From the base up, the major components are: Externally Daleks have
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#17327732256088866-518: The Dead ", plus the 'Flood' monster and Maggie and Tarak Ital costumes from " The Waters of Mars ". There was also a special display from the team behind the show's monsters, Millennium FX, showing the production process behind creating an Ood. Costumes displayed included those worn by the characters Martha Jones , Captain Jack Harkness , Donna Noble and the Doctor . The Cardiff Exhibition had
9009-487: The Doctor Who television serials and films in which the Daleks have appeared has been in the episodes " Victory of the Daleks " and " Revolution of the Daleks ". The Daleks first appeared in the 1963 Doctor Who serial The Daleks . There are no visual cues to distinguish one Dalek from another, or suggestions in the story of a hierarchy. The Mark 1 Dalek differs from later variants in having no shoulder slats or mesh, nine eye discs (the greatest number of any version) and
9152-559: The Doctor's first adventure) and inside the time vortex, as well as several props such as various Sonic Screwdrivers and articles of clothing symbolic to several Doctors (e.g. Matt Smith's fez). Cardiff Bay is home to the BBC Roath Lock production studios , as well as locations from the Torchwood series. The experience closed its doors on 9 September 2017, due to the site's five-year lease running out. BBC Worldwide said at
9295-591: The Doctors. The show later introduced another such unknown past Doctor with Jo Martin 's recurring portrayal of the Fugitive Doctor , beginning with " Fugitive of the Judoon " (2020). An example from the classic series comes from The Trial of a Time Lord (1986), in which Michael Jayston 's character the Valeyard is described as an amalgamation of the darker sides of the Doctor's nature, somewhere between
9438-454: The Library " (2008) the Doctor, speaking of how to deal with various alien menaces, says "Daleks: aim for the eye stalk". In the revived series from 2005 onwards, storylines have shown Daleks as having systems to protect their vision. In the 2008 episode " The Stolen Earth ", Wilfred Mott attempts to disable a Dalek by blinding it using a paintball gun . The Dalek is seen to simply evaporate
9581-543: The TARDIS interiors belonging to the First Doctor , Fourth Doctor , Fifth Doctor , and the Ninth Doctor and Tenth Doctor . Many other show memorabilia and artefacts were also on display, including costumes from the companions since 2005 including: Rose Tyler , Martha Jones , Donna Noble , Captain Jack Harkness , Amy Pond and Rory Williams . Each year since opening, costumes and props used from new series were showcased. In 2013, props, such as Porridge's costume,
9724-700: The TARDIS' blue police box design in merchandising associated with Doctor Who . In 1998, the Metropolitan Police Authority filed an objection to the trademark claim; but in 2002, the Patent Office ruled in favour of the BBC. The 21st-century revival of the programme became the centrepiece of BBC One's Saturday schedule and "defined the channel". Many renowned actors have made guest-starring appearances in various stories including Kylie Minogue , Sir Ian McKellen , and Andrew Garfield among others. According to an article in
9867-611: The UK. Situated in the Red Dragon Centre , Cardiff Bay , the museum opened December 2005, in the city where the series is currently recorded and produced. It was closed on 27 March 2011, and the Doctor Who Experience opened on the other side of Cardiff bay in July 2012. Props on display included an Ood Elder from " The End of Time ", a fly-headed Tritovore and Lady Christina De Souza's costume from " Planet of
10010-410: The appearance of a truncated cone varying between approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) and 2 metres (6 feet 6 inches) tall depending upon the variant. They are equipped with a single mechanical rod-mounted eye which protrudes from a rotating dome, a directed energy weapon and a telescopic arm. Usually the arm is fitted with a manipulating device resembling a sink plunger . This item
10153-514: The basic design of the Mark 3 Dalek variant remained relatively unchanged throughout their later appearances. The Mark 3 Dalek variant first appeared in The Chase (1965), with Ray Cusick returning as designer for the serial. As the production required no location filming and Cusick felt that Daleks should be shorter than an average person, he had the enlarged fenders and wheels, installed for The Dalek Invasion of Earth , removed and replaced with
10296-456: The best known outside Doctor Who itself, due to the popularity of his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy works. The serial format changed for the 2005 revival , with what was now called a series usually consisting of thirteen 45-minute, self-contained episodes (60 minutes with adverts, on overseas commercial channels) and an extended 60-minute episode broadcast on Christmas Day. This system
10439-649: The brain's frontal lobe . The phrase retains this association with Doctor Who , to the point that in 1991 the Museum of the Moving Image in London named its exhibition celebrating the programme Behind the Sofa . The electronic theme music too was perceived as eerie, novel, and frightening at the time. A 2012 article placed this childhood juxtaposition of fear and thrill "at the center of many people's relationship with
10582-631: The deactivated chess-playing Cyberman (from " Nightmare in Silver ") the costumes of the Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald , along with the giant snow globe from the Christmas episode entitled " The Snowmen ", were also added to the collection. In late 2014 props and costumes from " Last Christmas " were added. Museum patrons could also take pictures in front of a green screen, with multiple backgrounds to choose from including Totter's Lane (from
10725-401: The depiction of violence". John Nathan-Turner produced the series during the 1980s and said in the documentary More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS that he looked forward to Whitehouse's comments because the ratings of the series would increase soon after she had made them. Nathan-Turner also got into trouble with BBC executives over the violence he allowed to be depicted for season 22 of
10868-399: The direction of Bill Roberts, who also provided additional design input. The storyline for the second serial to feature the Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964), required the props to be used extensively on location. Consequently, serial designer Spencer Chapman and manufacturer Shawcraft Engineering devised a tricycle arrangement, incorporating three pneumatic tyres , to replace
11011-467: The episode " The Witch's Familiar " (2015) it is revealed that the mutants are biologically immortal, yet still gradually age to eventually rot away into a liquid mass. These decayed Daleks are ultimately deposited in Skaro 's sewer system, where they decompose further into a living, maddened sludge. Daleks have distinctive electronic voices, the harsh, staccato sound being created by actors speaking through
11154-447: The episode " Victory of the Daleks " (2010), are equipped with an "organic eyeball" set behind a small transparent hemisphere. Throughout the 1960s Daleks were occasionally shown with a functioning iris, a feature also seen in the "New Series" Dalek design. The eye discs have varied in number, size, spacing, profile and configuration. Colour has generally been restricted to powder blue, white or gold, with "New Series" Dalek eye discs having
11297-501: The episode "The Ambush" a Dalek is shown using a device resembling a thermal lance to cut through a door. It consists of a long, slim tube flanked by two globes, surmounted by a clear disc-shaped "sight screen". This appendage is mounted to the Dalek's arm in place of a plunger. The Dalek concept was the creation of screenwriter Terry Nation , with the design being realised by BBC staff designer Raymond Cusick . The props were constructed by Shawcraft Engineering of Uxbridge, England under
11440-541: The exhibition came from Terry Sampson of BBC Enterprises with his vision being realised by designer Tom Carter. It was open from April through to October each year, with new exhibits being introduced annually, mainly in keeping with the show's past or present, but occasionally previewing what was yet to come. In its first season, the Blackpool exhibition, saw a large spider from Planet of the Spiders greeting visitors at
11583-545: The exhibition in 1975 and 1977. Colin Baker [ Sixth Doctor ], and Nicola Bryant [Peri Brown] visited in 1985, as part of that year's Children in Need . The programme was broadcast on 22 November 1985, with film of Colin's visit to the exhibition being shown prior to 20 Doctor Who stars emerging from the TARDIS, live in the studio. At one point, Colin points to a Doctor Who fan in the audience, who he'd previously met at Blackpool,
11726-603: The eye remaining a weak point. The lower shell is covered with hemispherical protrusions. In the BBC-licensed The Dalek Book (1964), and again in The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983), these items are described as being part of a sensory array. In " Dalek " (2005) they are shown to act as components in a self-destruct mechanism. Historically, a Dalek's eye has been depicted as its most vulnerable spot. In " Silence in
11869-420: The first two Doctors: William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton . In all, 97 of 253 episodes produced during the programme's first six years are not held in the BBC's archives (most notably seasons 3, 4, and 5, from which 79 episodes are missing). In 1972, almost all episodes then made were known to exist at the BBC, while by 1978 the practice of wiping tapes and destroying "spare" film copies had been brought to
12012-473: The former variant's being surrounded by a metallic cage. The underside structure of a Dalek casing was indeterminate until the publication of The Dalek Book (1964). This included a cutaway drawing entitled "Anatomy of a Dalek" which showed it to have a base through which a large central sphere, surrounded by smaller satellite "balancing globes", protrudes. This layout was generally adopted and used in subsequent Dalek plans and comic strip representations. This
12155-497: The last time in Resurrection of the Daleks (1984). The eyestalks and discs of standard Daleks in Resurrection of the Daleks are painted white, with four discs arranged in a conical layout, smallest disc to the front. The Tussauds Dalek prop appears in this serial under two guises; a grey drone and a Supreme Dalek painted in gloss black with white hemispheres. The Tussauds Dalek features briefly once more in Revelation of
12298-456: The life of the Doctor and, together, they form a single lifetime with a single narrative. The time-travelling nature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. In 2017, Jodie Whittaker , as the Thirteenth Doctor , became the first woman to be cast in the lead role. The series is a significant part of popular culture in Britain and elsewhere; it has gained
12441-481: The major Dalek variants exist. The Doctor Who Technical Manual (1983) places both television and Movie Daleks in the same numerical sequence by order of their first screen appearances, although reconciling the characters and events depicted in the Doctor Who films with those established in the TV programme is problematic. The term " drone " is used in this article to indicate a Dalek having no rank. Its only use to date in
12584-461: The mutant creature have changed over time. Alterations were made to accommodate the requirements of specific plot elements in various serials and episodes or at the request of producers, designers and directors to revitalise the Dalek appearance. On other occasions design changes have been the result of practical considerations when filming the Dalek props on location, or the mixing of components acquired from different sources. The episodes " Asylum of
12727-414: The muzzle. After killing two primitive humanoids with these devices a Dalek declares them to be "...moderately efficient". The phasing-out of three section telescopic arms commenced in this serial, with two sections becoming the norm for the remainder of the classic series. In Destiny of the Daleks (1979) a revised dome rotation mechanism was installed in many of the props resulting in a pin, resembling
12870-431: The name " the Doctor ". The Doctor fled Gallifrey , the planet of the Time Lords, in a stolen TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimension(s) in Space"), a time machine that travels by materialising into, and dematerialising out of, the time vortex. The TARDIS has a vast interior but appears smaller on the outside, and is equipped with a " chameleon circuit " intended to make the machine take on the appearance of local objects as
13013-406: The narrative of one story flowing into the next and each episode having its own title, although produced as distinct stories with their own production codes. Following The Gunfighters (1966), however, each serial was given its own title, and the individual parts were assigned episode numbers. Of the programme's many writers , Robert Holmes was the most prolific, while Douglas Adams became
13156-474: The original castors and carry the props over uneven ground. Enlarged fenders were then created to hide the revised undercarriage. To explain the Daleks' ability to travel away from the static-charged floors of their city, the narrative has the Doctor stating that an aerial located at the edge of a mine in Bedfordshire is the key to the Daleks' power supply on Earth. Although not referred to directly in
13299-462: The original run, each weekly episode formed part of a story (or "serial")—usually of four to six parts in earlier years and three to four in later years. Some notable exceptions were: The Daleks' Master Plan , which aired twelve episodes (plus an earlier one-episode teaser, " Mission to the Unknown ", featuring none of the regular cast ); almost an entire season of seven-episode serials (season 7);
13442-449: The original style of running gear. Greater flexibility in the storylines was afforded by freeing the Daleks from reliance on static-charged metal floors for power and mobility. For this and further serials, however, the contrivance of dish aerials as energy receptors was dispensed with. They were replaced by a steel mesh wrapped around the upper collar of each prop, over which were mounted twenty-three vertical, oblong slats ostensibly forming
13585-399: The paint from its eye. While maintaining their general shape and appearance, the design of these components has varied over the years. Eye lenses were first shown as blank, white discs, sometimes featuring internal illumination. Later, lenses with a black " pupil " were introduced. "New Series" Daleks have a clear lens which glows with a blue light while New Paradigm Daleks , introduced in
13728-425: The production of a plague designed to exterminate all organic life and the deployment of a 10,000 strong Dalek invasion force. The variant was created utilising a prop owned by screenwriter Terry Nation, which had been used in the second Dr. Who film . The neck bin mesh, struts and neck rings were removed, the latter items being replaced by new rings having a flat, recessed edge detailed with small rivets rather than
13871-408: The props being functional, armoured casings housing an alien being. This situation was finally remedied in the episode " Dalek " (2005) and subsequent appearances of the "New Series" Dalek. This variant is shown to have an underside consisting of a large, recessed central hemisphere surrounded by eight satellite hemispheres. The central hemisphere and four of the satellite hemispheres glow when the Dalek
14014-480: The public the next day. From the outside, of the Chapel Street entrance, visitors saw only a blue Police box standing next to the building, looking as if it would only hold one or two people at the most. However, in keeping with the TARDIS from the TV series it was "bigger on the inside", an illusion created with stairs leading down from the TARDIS doors to the exhibition itself in a former cellar. The idea for
14157-408: The remaining eight serials in which they appeared over the next sixteen years. During this period, however, several small changes to the standard Mark 3 Dalek design were made and their hierarchy was again expanded. In Day of the Daleks a Dalek Leader is seen painted in gold, with black hemispheres and fender. This serial also saw the first appearance of an oval disc between the appendage boxes and
14300-413: The replacement of Matt Smith , visitors were instead led through the experience by a guide and the Twelfth Doctor ( Peter Capaldi ). Following the adventure portion guests were free to roam two floors of exhibitions including original costumes from ten of the twelve Doctors (the first two being replicas as the originals were lost). Alien prosthetics, Daleks and Cybermen over history, Sonic devices , and
14443-463: The revival era since 2005), two feature-length productions (1983's " The Five Doctors " and the 1996 television film ), twelve Christmas specials (most of approximately 60 minutes' duration, one of 72 minutes), and four additional specials ranging from 60 to 75 minutes in 2009, 2010, and 2013. Four mini-episodes, running about eight minutes each, were also produced for the 1993, 2005, and 2007 Children in Need charity appeals, while another mini-episode
14586-400: The room to watch the remainder of it. The Economist presented "hiding behind the sofa whenever the Daleks appear" as a British cultural institution on a par with Bovril and tea-time . Paul Parsons, author of The Science of Doctor Who , explains the appeal of hiding behind the sofa as the activation of the fear response in the amygdala in conjunction with reassurances of safety from
14729-408: The scheduled programme time, because of announcements concerning the previous day's assassination of John F. Kennedy . It was to be a regular weekly programme, each episode 25 minutes of transmission length. Discussions and plans for the programme had been in progress for a year. The head of drama Sydney Newman was mainly responsible for developing the programme, with the first format document for
14872-513: The serial as a rebel faction while the grey Daleks from the Dalek home-world of Skaro, seen in the final episode, serve the Supreme Dalek. In this serial Davros' life-support chair is shown hovering a short distance above the ground. In a later scene a Dalek kills two saboteurs from an elevated vantage point, implying that Daleks now share this capability. For DVD releases of the serial from 2005 onwards new shots were created to clarify that
15015-519: The series as the Fifteenth Doctor . The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the series with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation , a plot device in which, when a Time Lord is fatally injured, their cells regenerate and they are reincarnated, into a different body with mannerisms and behaviour, but the same memories, explaining each actor's distinct portrayal, as they all represent different stages in
15158-432: The series began production in colour. In 1974, Tom Baker was cast as the Doctor. His eccentric personality became hugely popular, with viewing figures for the series returning to a level not seen since the height of "Dalekmania" a decade earlier. After seven years in the role, Baker was replaced by Peter Davison in 1981, and Colin Baker replaced Davison in 1984. In 1985, the channel's controller Michael Grade cancelled
15301-417: The series being written by Newman along with the head of the script department (later head of serials) Donald Wilson and staff writer C. E. Webber ; in a 1971 interview Wilson claimed to have named the series, and when this claim was put to Newman he did not dispute it. Writer Anthony Coburn , story editor David Whitaker and initial producer Verity Lambert also heavily contributed to the development of
15444-434: The series in 1985, which was publicly criticised by controller Michael Grade and given as one of his reasons for suspending the series for 18 months. The phrase "hiding behind the sofa " (or "watching from behind the sofa") entered British pop culture , signifying the stereotypical but apocryphal early-series behaviour of children who wanted to avoid seeing frightening parts of a television programme while remaining in
15587-400: The series previously. Bad Wolf co-produces the series in partnership with BBC Studios Productions . Bad Wolf's involvement sees Gardner return to the series alongside Davies and Jane Tranter , who recommissioned the series in 2005. The programme has been sold to many other countries worldwide ( see § Viewership ). It has been claimed that the transmission of the first episode
15730-470: The series", and a 2011 online vote at Digital Spy deemed the series the "scariest TV show of all time". The image of the TARDIS has become firmly linked to the series in the public's consciousness; BBC scriptwriter Anthony Coburn , who lived in the resort of Herne Bay, Kent , was one of the people who conceived the idea of a police box as a time machine. In 1996, the BBC applied for a trademark to use
15873-468: The series. On 31 July 1963, Whitaker commissioned Terry Nation to write a story under the title The Mutants . As originally written, the Daleks and Thals were the victims of an alien neutron bomb attack but Nation later dropped the aliens and made the Daleks the aggressors. When the script was presented to Wilson, it was immediately rejected as the programme was not permitted to contain any " bug-eyed monsters ". According to Lambert, "We didn't have
16016-463: The set of " The Five Doctors " feature-length special. About 40,000 fans turned up, many more than expected. In 2003, the annual " Doctor Who Day", to mark the 40th anniversary of the programme, featured an attempt to gather the largest number of Daleks ever assembled. Colin Baker , Sophie Aldred and John Leeson attended. The original Doctor Who Exhibition in Blackpool , Lancashire featured
16159-460: The standard plunger. A Dalek with a circular sieve-like scoop attachment in place of its plunger is seen in The Power of the Daleks (1966). It is used for transferring embryonic Dalek mutants from a liquid-filled nurturing tank to their travel machine casings. For this serial and future appearance of the Mark 3 variant, the gun design was simplified by removing the mantles. In The Evil of
16302-404: The story, it is implied that the parabolic dishes now fitted to the rear shoulder section of each prop act as receptors for a form of transmitted energy. Other design changes are a reduction in the number of eye discs to five and painting some eyeballs silver instead of the standard black colour. An amphibious capability is demonstrated in the closing moments of the first episode of the serial when
16445-436: The television screen onto 8 mm cine film and clips that were shown on other programmes. Audio versions of all lost episodes exist from home viewers who made tape recordings of the show. Short clips from every story with the exception of Marco Polo (1964), " Mission to the Unknown " (1965) and The Massacre (1966) also exist. In addition to these, there are off-screen photographs made by photographer John Cura , who
16588-529: The television series Torchwood (2006–2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011), K9 (2009–2010), Class (2016), Tales of the TARDIS (2023–2024), and the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea . It has been the subject of many parodies and references in popular culture . Doctor Who follows the adventures of the title character, a rogue Time Lord with somewhat unknown origins who goes by
16731-491: The ten-episode serial The War Games ; and The Trial of a Time Lord , which ran for fourteen episodes (albeit divided into three production codes and four narrative segments) during season 23 . Occasionally, serials were loosely connected by a story line, such as season 8 focusing on the Doctor battling a rogue Time Lord called the Master , season 16 's quest for the Key to Time , season 18 's journey through E-Space and
16874-548: The terms of a deal between BBC Worldwide and SMG Pictures in China, the company has first right of refusal on the purchase for the Chinese market of future series of the programme until and including Series 15. Between 1967 and 1978, large amounts of older material stored in the BBC's various video tape and film libraries was either destroyed or wiped . This included many early episodes of Doctor Who , those stories featuring
17017-418: The theme of entropy, and season 20 's Black Guardian trilogy. The programme was intended to be educational and for family viewing on the early Saturday evening schedule. It initially alternated stories set in the past, which taught younger audience members about history, and with those in the future or outer space, focusing on science. This was also reflected in the Doctor's original companions, one of whom
17160-476: The time reveal that they also lacked hemispheres on the rear skirt panels. A group of Daleks are seen in this story forming a suicide squad to destroy an enemy spacecraft, each with a number of bombs attached to its shoulder section. The bomb props consist of yellow cylinders capped at the ends by red hemispheres. A Mark 3 drone Dalek with a distinctive design also appears in Destiny of the Daleks . It features
17303-413: The time that they were "not sure yet" if it would reopen elsewhere. Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman , C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson , depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor , part of a humanoid species called Time Lords . The Doctor travels in
17446-560: The top of the stairs, and a Tyrannosaur, from Invasion of the Dinosaurs , breaking through a wall at the bottom. A Triceratops was seen on the London Underground. Those in attendance walked around a winding corridor with exhibits to either side, which originally included, an assortment of Daleks , together with a Cyberman , Sontaran , Yeti , Sea Devil , Silurian , Draconian , and Ogron . The passageways eventually led to
17589-577: The twelfth and final incarnation. The most recent example is when Richard E. Grant , who previously portrayed an alternate version of the Doctor known as the Shalka Doctor in the animated series Scream of the Shalka (2003), appeared as a hologram of a past Doctor in " Rogue " (2024). Gold Dalek Since their first appearance in 1963 there have been a number of variant models of the Daleks ,
17732-411: The universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS , which externally appears as a British police box . While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes . The Doctor often travels with companions . Beginning with William Hartnell , fourteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor; as of 2024 , Ncuti Gatwa leads
17875-435: The upcoming twenty-third season, forcing the series into an eighteen-month hiatus. In 1986, the series was recommissioned on the condition that Baker left the role of the Doctor, which was recast to Sylvester McCoy in 1987. Falling viewing numbers, a decline in the public perception of the series and a less-prominent transmission slot saw production ended in 1989 by Peter Cregeen , the BBC's new head of series. Although it
18018-444: The usual bevel. Lilac dome lights shaped like upturned jam jars were fitted, together with an eyeball resembling a flashlight which lit up when it spoke. It was painted in gloss black with yellow-gold hemispheres, slats, neck rings and dome. It is uncertain who carried out the conversion work, although the painting of the prop was undertaken by the BBC Visual Effects Department under the direction of Clifford Culley. The ruthlessness of
18161-509: The window of the console room, at various points incorporated the Gold Dalek , together with the sets and other Daleks from, Genesis of the Daleks , Destiny of the Daleks , Resurrection of the Daleks , and Revelation of the Daleks . Arguably the most popular set featured Davros , the Daleks creator. The egress of the TARDIS featured a BBC Enterprises gift shop. The exhibition closed in October 1985. Tom Baker [ Fourth Doctor ] had visited
18304-493: Was a science teacher and another a history teacher. However, science fiction stories came to dominate the programme, and the history-oriented episodes, which were not popular with the production team, were dropped after The Highlanders (1967). While the show continued to use historical settings, they were generally used as a backdrop for science fiction tales, with one exception: Black Orchid (1982), set in 1920s England. The early stories were serialised in nature, with
18447-634: Was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot in the form of a television film titled Doctor Who . The series was relaunched in 2005 and was produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff . Since 2023, the show has been co-produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios Productions in Cardiff. Doctor Who has spawned numerous spin-offs as part of the Whoniverse , including comic books, films, novels and audio dramas, and
18590-575: Was confirmed to be the Fourteenth Doctor and the first actor to play two incarnations, having previously played the Tenth Doctor . In the same year, Ncuti Gatwa was revealed to be portraying the Fifteenth Doctor , making him the first black actor to headline the series. In addition to those actors who have headlined the series, others have portrayed versions of the Doctor in guest roles. Notably, in 2013, John Hurt guest-starred as
18733-468: Was delayed by ten minutes due to extended news coverage of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy the previous day; in fact, it went out after a delay of eighty seconds. The BBC believed that coverage of the assassination, as well as a series of power blackouts across the country, had caused many viewers to miss this introduction to a new series, and it was broadcast again on 30 November 1963, just before episode two. The programme soon became
18876-402: Was effectively cancelled , the BBC repeatedly affirmed over several years that the series would return. While in-house production concluded, the BBC explored an independent production company to relaunch the series. Philip Segal , a British expatriate who worked for Columbia Pictures ' television arm in the United States, had approached the BBC as early as July 1989, while the 26th season
19019-422: Was exhibited (painted bright blue and silver) as part of their Doctor Who display in the 1980s. Commencing with a cameo appearance in the Doctor Who serial " The Five Doctors " (1983), Mark 3 Dalek variants seen during this decade feature a neck bin raised so that a strip of it is visible between the lower neck ring and the top of the shoulders. The use of the dome rotation mechanism pin continued, appearing for
19162-403: Was filmed in 1080i for HDTV and broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD . To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show, a special 3D episode, " The Day of the Doctor ", was broadcast in 2013. In March 2013, it was announced that Tennant and Piper would be returning and that the episode would have a limited cinematic release worldwide. In June 2017, it was announced that due to
19305-468: Was hired by various production personnel to document many of their programmes during the 1950s and 1960s, including Doctor Who . These have been used in fan reconstructions of the serials. The BBC has tolerated these amateur reconstructions, provided they are not sold for profit and are distributed as low-quality copies. One of the most sought-after lost episodes is part four of the last William Hartnell serial, The Tenth Planet (1966), which ends with
19448-510: Was housed in an unusual 3000 square metre building in Porth Teigr designed by theme-park company Sarner Ltd. Due to the temporary nature of the exhibition, with a 5-year lease on the site, the building was constructed like a large tent, with a cover stretched over curved steel beams. The exhibition began with a short film and a walk-through adventure inside the Eleventh Doctor 's first TARDIS interior and in various locations. Later, after
19591-492: Was initially shrouded in mystery. In the programme's early days, the character was an eccentric alien traveller of great intelligence who battled injustice while exploring time and space in an unreliable time machine , the " TARDIS " (an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension in Space), which notably appears much larger on the inside than on the outside. The initially irascible and slightly sinister Doctor quickly mellowed into
19734-510: Was produced in 2008 for a Doctor Who –themed edition of The Proms . The 1993 two-part story, entitled Dimensions in Time , was made in collaboration with the cast of the BBC soap-opera EastEnders and was filmed partly on the EastEnders set. A two-part mini-episode was also produced for the 2011 edition of Comic Relief . Starting with the 2009 special " Planet of the Dead ", the series
19877-422: Was responsible for the BBC's first merchandising boom. We had to rely on the story because there was little we could do with the effects. Star Wars in a way was the turning point. Once Star Wars had happened, Doctor Who effectively was out of date from that moment on really, judged by that level of technological expertise. — Philip Hinchcliffe , producer of Doctor Who from 1974 to 1977, on why
20020-511: Was set up at the stately home of Longleat , Wiltshire in 1973, and ran until 2003. The site has also hosted annual Doctor Who conventions, usually in August. The twentieth anniversary convention was titled "Twenty Years of a Time Lord" and was held in April 1983. It featured appearances from Jon Pertwee (and the vintage car Bessie), Peter Davison , K9 ; props included the TARDIS, Daleks, and
20163-434: Was shortened to twelve episodes and one Christmas special following the revival's eighth series , and ten episodes from the eleventh series . Each series includes standalone and multiple episodic stories, often linked with a loose story arc resolved in the series finale. As in the early "classic" era, each episode has its own title, whether stand-alone or part of a larger story. Occasionally, regular-series episodes will exceed
20306-495: Was still in production. Segal's negotiations eventually led to a Doctor Who television film as a pilot for an American series, broadcast on the Fox Network in 1996, as an international co-production between Fox, Universal Pictures , the BBC and BBC Worldwide . Starring Paul McGann as the Doctor, the film was successful in the UK (with 9.1 million viewers), but was less so in the United States and did not lead to
20449-584: Was the most violent of the drama programmes the corporation produced at the time. The same report found that 3% of the surveyed audience believed the series was "very unsuitable" for family viewing. Responding to the findings of the survey in The Times newspaper, journalist Philip Howard maintained that, "to compare the violence of Dr Who , sired by a horse-laugh out of a nightmare, with the more realistic violence of other television series, where actors who look like human beings bleed paint that looks like blood,
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