An Adventure in Space and Time Console Room

[galacticprobe]

Not to add fuel to this fire, but if you look at the "speaker grille" at the top of the panel in AAiSaT and compare it to the original, you'll see that it is also much smaller - all of the ones on the AAiSaT console are smaller than they should be.

Marc, I'm starting to share your disappointment with the lack of attention they put into this console replica. It may have been fine for "Hell Bent" because it was a different TARDIS in that one, but to replicate the original for that docudrama? (They should have just borrowed Chris' (celation's) console!)

Dino.

[Dalex]

Photos from the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff...

[Dalex]

Photos continued...

[Dalex]

Photos continued...

[Dalex]

And a couple of videos...

[Rassilons Rod]

Blimey!!! They really went half arsed on this panel, didn't they??

l

And the main levers here look a little...... skinny??

[galacticprobe]

Blimey!!! They really went half arsed on this panel, didn't they??

That wasn't the only panel, Marc. They got the labels wrong on the large meter faces, and they completely missed out the two large, ridged strips that straddle the toggle and lamp (the one Susan uses as the Door switch in the pilot and first transmitted episode) on Panel 3, as well as the backwards "L" and large knob control that should be below the right-hand meter on Panel 4, the red disc is missing from the main lever on Panel 6... And while they did put some nice nods to people on the console with some of the labels, they really could have done a better job replicating this console.

And Dale, those photos are amazingly sharp! (And if you open them in a new tab or window you can see them full-sized, which is pretty large. Which reminds me, Dale; check the comment I put in your other thread where you mention trouble posting the photos.)

Thanks for sharing these with us!

Dino.

[Sofia Fox]

I don't know if this was mentioned but in 'An Adventure in Space and Time' has colour paper walls and the place where the paper walls start in the originals have the moulded walls then those coloured paper walls. Did anybody notice this?

[tony farrell]

It has indeed been covered before (as has the fact that the additional wall has eight columns of roundels) but there's no harm in refreshing people's memories!

In one of his publicity interviews, Mark Gatiss stated that this was deliberate and that they wanted to be 'kinder to the set' than the original builders. Which for the modern eye was probably the right decision but ignores the fact that the photo blow-up walls would have been perfectly acceptable in 405-line definition (and photographic rear sections of sets were common place in the 1960s both in the UK and in the USA).

T

[Cardinal Hordriss]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned (I've had a quick read through) but would I be right in thinking there was a mistake made with the dimensions of this prop? I wondered if it was built to the measurements of the slightly larger Sharp console resulting in the increased space between the components of some panels.

[troughtonstrousers]

I'm sickened by this horrid build except the rotor I've built one myself and stayed true to the original as best I can and still improving when I can
But this is just an awful unfinished unloved build

[tony farrell]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned (I've had a quick read through) but would I be right in thinking there was a mistake made with the dimensions of this prop? I wondered if it was built to the measurements of the slightly larger Sharp console resulting in the increased space between the components of some panels.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I posted this comparison of what was 'planned' versus what was actually built in 1963:

 

Clearly, Mark Gatiss' team had access to the full set of plans (which at the time of drawing mine, I did not). You can see from the partial plans, what was 'planned' wasn't what we ended up with in 1963: The Console's collar is much deeper - resulting in a shallower slope to the control panels - and the dividing 'fins' are much wider - resulting in the control panels being much narrower along their top edges.

If you compare the 1963 plans for the overall geometry of the Console, you can see that these have been reproduced more-or-less faithfully in the AIS&T Console; the collar is deeper, the panels have a much shallower slope and the dividing fins are much wider than what was actually built in 1963.

In one of his interviews, Mark Gatiss stated that they looked for plans for the actual controls but couldn't find any. So, whilst they copied what plans were available, it seems they did 'the best they could' with the actual controls. But, because the 1963 plans don't reflect what was actually originally built, Gatiss' team were starting from a false assumption and the reason that the controls look 'odd' is that they were trying to fit them onto something that was wrong in the first place! Add to this the fact that they omitted some controls as well and you end up with a Console which doesn't match the original.

Of course the AIS&T console has now appeared twice on TV (and - if rumour is to be believed - will appear again in this year's Christmas Special) so regardless of its 'flaws' and whether you like it or not, I suppose it should be regarded as 'canon'! 

T

[Vale]

I suppose if we assume the TARDIS can completely change "desktop theme" including console design to be all but unrecognisable from one version to another, then minor tweaks within each "theme" like controls moving about and angles slightly changing shouldn't really be an issue

[Cardinal Hordriss]

I think also there is the possibility we get too anal about these things, trying to ascribe plot developments to production changes/errors, repairs and maintenance to the props. When a wall wobbles we don't start coming up with reasons why the spaceship interior was made of something week and wobbly, we say awwww classic Who. On the other hand a switch changes on the console we all start running about trying to come up with reasons however bizarre for the change... except the addition of the printer, no one seems too bothered. The change between some props is explained, Claws of Axos, he's been taking it apart and putting it back together to get it working, Invisible Enemy, redecoration etc. etc. A dial out of place and our world falls apart.

[Scarfwearer]

Well if I'd built the AAISAT console I'd be very proud of it! I was delighted that they went to such lengths to produce something us old-timers would even recognise, let alone copy so faithfully. Mark Gatiss and I think a lot of the people involved in nu-who have been fans since they were young, and certainly all grew up with it around.
I think the effort they went to was possibly for people like us, and I'm grateful they did it. They didn't have to.
I get the impression that it was a labour of love that was well above and beyond what was practically needed. Any assortment of knobs and dials would have done.
You have to understand that they were making a historical TV drama here, on a budget and with time constraints. Prop building for us is something we can spend as much or as little time on as we want.
I'm sure even quite ardent fans of DW will watch AAISAT and assume that they found the original prop and pulled it out of storage for the drama. You have to know the prop really well to be able to spot the differences.

Crispin