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The "Power Octagon"

Started by Rassilons Rod, Nov 16, 2011, 11:47 am

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kert gantry

I'd say the ceiling unit (my term and I'm sticking to it!) has had a significant rebuild in the Chase pic, the hexagon walls being about half the height they were in Unearthly Child (look how far up inside those support struts are in the earlier pics).

Any sightings of this prop in other stories between Unearthly and Chase? And after that?  IIRC, in John Peel's novelisation of Power of the Daleks the unit extends down from the ceiling and bathes the Doctor with light during regeneration.  Didn't happen on screen of course but rather a neat idea, I thought (or did I imagine it?).  

Rassilons Rod

Certainly in Edge of Destruction, cos that features the full set.

Perhaps in the Web planet?
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

celation

A couple of questions if someone wouldn't mind enlightening me... :)

Where does the name "power octagon" come from?

And - on a related note, does anyone know of any set photos like these where the construction of the roundel walls is visible - like a side/back view?

(Just noticed what an amazing match your render is for the original set, Marc. Incredible!)

Rassilons Rod

The topic had become way more about the walls, so I have split the topic. The new thread is here:

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3220.0
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

abrxx

As far as I can remember, I thought I invented the term for my "TARDIS Manual", which used to have a preview available on the internet for many years. I named  it after reading the novelization of The Power of the Daleks, which includes a paragraph at the beginning about an "octagonal" object descending from above the console. I assumed that was referring to the same object we saw hanging from the ceiling in the TV series. Of course, we all know that object is hexagonal, so its very confusing and I think I have removed the term "power octagon" from my latest drafts.

Alastair

Quote from: celation on Nov 18, 2011, 09:58 am
A couple of questions if someone wouldn't mind enlightening me... :)

Where does the name "power octagon" come from?

And - on a related note, does anyone know of any set photos like these where the construction of the roundel walls is visible - like a side/back view?

(Just noticed what an amazing match your render is for the original set, Marc. Incredible!)

Volpone

Actually, RetroTV in America has been re-airing classic Who in order so I'm reaquainting myself with the Hartnell episodes for the first time in...oh...30 years.  Two surprising things:  The TARDIS didn't make the standard VWORP! VWORP! sound as it materialized/dematerialized for some time in the early episodes.  The Time Rotor didn't go up and down as often as we are used to--AND--it *rotated* more often, and...*among* the surprising things, the doors regularly opened to allow you to see the outside from the control room. 
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

galacticprobe

Oct 18, 2014, 05:57 am #21 Last Edit: Oct 18, 2014, 06:04 am by galacticprobe
Quote from: abrxx on Oct 17, 2014, 02:40 pm
As far as I can remember, I thought I invented the term for my "TARDIS Manual", which used to have a preview available on the internet for many years.


Ah! I remember that site! I used to have it Bookmarked, and would follow along throughout its development. It really helped me pass the tedious, boring time when the Coast Guard Cutter I was stationed on was doing the "Bar Pat" (the up-across-down-across-repeat "Bar Pattern Patrol"). Churning along at 5 knots for hours - and weeks - on end could drive you mad. So when we had internet connectivity available, I dashed into my stateroom and jumped on the computer for a nice read.

Even after I retired and unable to work I would still follow the updates to help keep sane (which my sanity has always been in question). Needless to day that I was quite sad when one day I found the site was gone, and so were all of its associated links. Thankfully I still have TARDIS Builders to help keep the sanity.

So, how did your Manual turn out? (I wish I could still see it. :()

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

abrxx

Oct 19, 2014, 05:39 am #22 Last Edit: Oct 19, 2014, 05:39 am by abrxx
It brings a smile to my face to read that my website and writings brought you such joy. Thank you for sharing that. The "manual" is for me a labour of love and I have been working on it for I guess 20 years now. Its been in limbo for a while, marriage and kids have seen to that, but I have been working on it again recently. Its gone through several rewrites and I intend to get it finished and get it published. Some of the research I have stumbled across on here about the console props has been invaluable and has encouraged me to continue my own work. Since I aim to cover the majority of the books and all the tv serials (classic and new series), I have my work cut out for me. At the moment, I am mainly focussed on completely a major re-edit and and tidy up.

I look forward to interacting with all of us "Tardis" folks in the days ahead.

BTW my Avatar is a picture of the current manuscript. Hopefully I'll have a new one printed soon, that one is nearly ten years old and covered in notes, pencilled in diagrams and corrections!

Cheers,
Alastair

galacticprobe

Oct 19, 2014, 05:53 am #23 Last Edit: Oct 19, 2014, 05:54 am by galacticprobe
That makes sense. I think I stumbled across that site back in - oh - I think it was sometime around 1998 or so? (It so far back I can't remember the exact year.) I would read through the Manual now and then, when I got the chance. I reported aboard that Cutter in June of 2003. I was on that Cutter for two years, and the time just flew by! In port, maintenance kept us so busy it wasn't funny (33 days in and doing 60+ days' worth of work!). But those underway days got boring real fast once we got on station, and that's when I really enjoyed following along, watching your Manual as it grew.

It certainly looked like a labor of love, and I hope your edits go smoothly, and wish you the best of luck getting it published!

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"