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BBC Design Plans

Started by liz79, Aug 14, 2010, 02:22 pm

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liz79

Aug 14, 2010, 02:22 pm Last Edit: Oct 22, 2012, 02:55 pm by Scarfwearer
Hi,

I only just found this site, and although I'm a TARDIS builder myself, I think it's fascinating.

I used to work on the admin side of the BBC set design department in the mid to late Eighties. I was able to save quite a lot of Doctor Who set design drawings which would otherwise would have been thrown away/destroyed. Unfortunately, the only TARDIS drawing I have is of a refurbishment of the police box when it was remade in light-weight fibre glass for Planet of Fire. Here's a partial scan which might be of interest. Unfortunately the drawings are on large sheets too big to fit on a normal scanner. TARDIS.jpg

Rassilons Rod

Aug 14, 2010, 02:29 pm #1 Last Edit: Aug 14, 2010, 02:32 pm by rassilonsrod
Wow, thats very interesting! I used to work for the BBC too, in Kendal Avenue (of Evil Of The Daleks fame, sadly now destroyed) and made several visits to the written archives - they wouldn't let me at anything past 1980.

I think I speak for everyone here when I say that anything you can post would be intensely interesting!

What I find most interesting here is that they used the old style sign box in the plan, which is not what was on either of the 80's boxes (other than the 70's box which was brought back into use a couple of times).

Thanks again and welcome aboard :)
-Marc
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.

liz79

Thank you.

I noticed while I was scanning the drawing that there were instructions (elsewhere on the drawing not visible on the scan) that the text (pull to open etc) on the phone panel was to be painted directly on to the box. I know that later it was a separate panel that had to be attached to the box. I know this because the design assistant for Mindwarp left the panel on her desk when she went off to the location filming in Brighton. This is why it's missing from the sequence where the Doctor and Peri land on Thoros Beta.

I'm not sure I've much more useful to add, I'm afraid. I have all the set design drawings from The Five Doctors, but unfortunately the new console room set isn't amongst them.

mordrogyn

I always find it interesting when stuff like this pops up, good job :)
(http://i50.tinypic.com/20kan9v.jpg)

galacticprobe

Aug 15, 2010, 04:03 am #4 Last Edit: Aug 15, 2010, 04:03 am by galacticprobe
Welcome aboard, Liz79! We can never have too many members, nor can we have too many contributions of knowledge when it comes to TARDIS-related items. And having someone like you join us is like striking gold. As you've seen we're also very interested on what went inside the TARDIS as well as how the Old Girl looked on the outside.

One of the threads many of us have been following - when our fearless Moderator has two minutes to rub together - is his build of the Season 14 wooden TARDIS console. That thread is pages long and very detailed (he's done a smashing job of it so far). In your bounty of booty of drawings, you wouldn't happen to have any information on that console, would you? Some of us aren't as skilled with woodworking as our Mod is and any info on that would help us out greatly. (Just curious.)

Once again, welcome aboard the Best Forum on the Net that's about the Best Ship in the Universe!

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

geminitimelord

I would say this is the Holy Grail of TARDIS building. Actual BBC plans with ACTUAL measurements! Brilliant!!

victorvulpine

Can I just say WOW!!!!!!  :D This just made my happy little day. I have not started my 1:1 build yet but I may just  start right a lot sooner that what I had planed. Happy Happy happy can I tell you THANK YOU for this find and sharing it.
Hello from the Bath Time Trooper.

Rassilons Rod

Can I ask...? What is the title of the document?

The sign box design and the fact that it says "Paint and age down to match existing TARDIS" makes
me suspect it might be plans for the use of the Newberry box during season 19.

Would that make sense to you?

-Marc
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.

liz79

This was definitely drawn up for 'Planet of Fire' at it quotes serial 6Q. I suspect that it was built as a light-weight alternative for ease of travel and assembly on location. Given that they would have had to fly this out, weight would have been an issue with a cost implication. I assume it was used after Planet of Fire, but I don't know. I do know that there were two TARDIS props, half falling apart, side by side in the scene dock at TV Centre. They were left standing there long after the series came to an end and I used to walk past them every day on the way to work.

Galacticprobe: Unfortunately I have no design drawings for the wood panneled TARDIS, but Barry Newberry may still have these himself?? I did, however, rescue quite a lot of what were called re-set photographs. Some of these showed the wood panneled TARDIS. I gave all these photos to Doctor Who Magazine, and they may have been printed there. Other photos included (I think) the Pyramids of Mars/Planet of Evil console room and the Invisible Enemy console room. I can borrow these back, scan them and put them up here if that's of any use.

I shall have a go at photographing the whole police box drawing and posting it up here shortly.

Rassilons Rod

Aug 15, 2010, 10:23 am #9 Last Edit: Aug 15, 2010, 10:24 am by rassilonsrod
Thats interesting, I would have said that would mark this as the Tom Yardley-Jones MK II box. However its interesting to think
there may have been a third then! :)

I wonder why they have the sign boxes in the older style yet still made them the other way.

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.

liz79

Aug 15, 2010, 11:10 am #10 Last Edit: Nov 11, 2010, 02:56 pm by Scarfwearer
Here's the full design.

TARDIS Design.jpg

liz79

Aug 15, 2010, 11:20 am #11 Last Edit: Aug 15, 2010, 12:37 pm by liz79
I noticed somewhere on a thread here that someone was interested to know what the layout of the console room was on the studio floor. So, here's what was on the studio plan for The King's Demons. Hope it's of interest.

Consoleroom.jpg

atomicgraph

welcome to the board :) and what a post.... you came in guns a blazing!!! really great stuff, thanks for sharing

Rassilons Rod

My god these are SUPERB! I've dreamed of seeing this stuff :)

Thank-you so much!
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.

slidin_sidewayz

How interesting to note that the console is in the centre of the room! Who'da thought...
:P