The Peter Capaldi Era
Series Eight, Series Nine, Series Ten, Twice Upon a Time(2014–2017)
Series Eight
The newly-built TARDIS F continued into 2014’s Series Eight as the only ‘hero’ TARDIS prop used. The prop’s first use for filming on the new series was on January 7th 2014, in studio for the newly regenerated Doctor’s arrival on the bank of the Thames in Deep Breath.
It went on to appear in every other episode of the season; Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood, Listen, Time Heist, The Caretaker, Kill the Moon, Mummy on the Orient Express, Flatline, In the Forest of the Night, and Dark Water/Death in Heaven.
Two more unique TARDIS props were constructed for use in Flatline, to represent the ship shrinking as its dimensions were hijacked. A roughly half-size prop was constructed for Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman to climb out of
during filming at Barry
Island on June 13th.
The same day saw use of a 9” TARDIS model, created by Rubbertoe Props, who were responsible for many of the props in Doctor Who. It’s this TARDIS model that Clara carries around with her throughout the episode. Two versions of the prop were made — one in resin and one in rubber, for a sequence in which the prop is dropped. In a post about the TARDIS model, Rubbertoe’s Nick Robatto explained that things don’t always go smoothly in these situations;
“It was necessary for me to mould all the bits to reproduce in rubber. However, when the scene where the Shrunken Tardis is dropped was being filmed, the resin version was dropped rather than the rubber one! Cue the super glue!”
The ‘Pull to Open’ sign on the 9” models reverts to the ‘officer’ text (as opposed to ‘officers’) that featured on TARDIS A-1–2 through TARDIS C.
The steel TARDIS constructed for the opening of The Day of the Doctor made a brief reappearance in the final episode of the series, Death in Heaven, as the prop is seen being lifted aboard the ‘Boat One’ aircraft.
Series Nine
Production on the 2014 Christmas special, Last Christmas, commenced while Series Eight was being aired on TV. For this, TARDIS F continued in use for a second Christmas episode.
Before the bulk of filming on Series Nine commenced in the first week of February, the decision was taken to build a new ‘hero’ prop, TARDIS G, to facilitate a sequence in Under the Lake/Before the Flood which would feature two TARDIS props on screen at the same time. For this sequence, it’s the earlier TARDIS F which arrives first, on the raised platform, and then the new TARDIS G materialises on ground level when the Doctor discovers that he’s unable to leave and escape his fate.
TARDIS G is broadly similar to its predecessor, though the sides of the doors are painted blue as opposed to white, and the lock is placed unusually close to the top corner of the panel below it.
During construction of the new prop, new signage was made for TARDIS F, to ensure that the two props would match on screen. This was drawn up to closely resemble the signs used over the previous decade. Following production of these episodes, it was decided that some of the lettering on the ‘Pull to Open’ panel for TARDIS F had been made too thick, and this was replaced before the prop was next required.
When a TARDIS was required for studio scenes of the underwater base, TARDIS F remained the ‘go to’ choice, though this was digitally paired with the doors of the TARDIS Interior set, to give a greater illusion of the inside really being bigger than the outside.
The series’ opening two parter, The Magicians Apprentice/The Witches Familiar, was the second story to be recorded. TARDIS F was the only prop used, appearing both in studio, and on location in Tenerife in early March.
TARDIS F remained in use as the only TARDIS prop used for Episode
Five, The Girl Who Died, before it was replaced with TARDIS G for the
next few episodes, The Woman Who Lived, and The Zygon Invasion /
The Zygon Inversion.
Face the Raven, recorded in early June, utilised both of these props. TARDIS F was in use for the TARDIS’s appearance in Rigsy’s flat, and their arrival in London, but it’s TARDIS G that’s seen being graffiti’d in tribute to Clara at the end of the episode. Face the Raven also makes use once more of the steel TARDIS built for The Day of the Doctor, suspended in the car park of Roath Lock Studios to film the scenes of Clara scanning the streets of London. This scene was bolstered with other footage taken of Jenna Coleman on the floor of the TARDIS Interior set, resulting in a mix of TARDIS styles between shots.
With TARDIS G now sporting graffiti, TARDIS F became the only prop used for Sleep No More.
The graffiti’d TARDIS G appears again at the tail end of Hell Bent, transported to Tenerife, which was doubling this time as the Nevada desert. The prop can be seen under construction in a time lapse video on the BBC’s Doctor Who YouTube page. To date, Hell Bent marks the final appearance of TARDIS G, making it the modern ‘hero’ prop to have been featured in the fewest episodes. The prop was on display in Roath Lock Studios for set tours at the end of 2015, after which it went on display at the Doctor Who Experience (See Series Ten).
While TARDIS F has often appeared both with windows lit and unlit, TARDIS G never appeared on screen with its windows completely lit. Although some panels are lit for its appearance at the start of The Woman Who Lived, the majority of the windows remain unlit. The prop clearly has the capacity for the windows to be lit, as they appear so while on display at the Experience.
It’s interesting to note here that Heaven Sent, the penultimate episode of the series, is one of only two episodes in the Steven Moffatt era to not feature the TARDIS exterior. The interior, however, is featured frequently.
After a short break, production resumed in September for filming of the Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song. With TARDIS G still covered by graffiti, TARDIS F was used for a third Christmas episode.
Series Ten
On January 22nd 2016, the BBC announced that Steven Moffat would be stepping down from his role as Doctor Who’s ‘show runner’ at the conclusion of Series Ten, to be replaced by Chris Chibnall from Series Eleven. In the same press release, news was given of the lack of a new season for that year;
“Steven’s final series will air on BBC One in spring 2017 and there will be a Christmas Special in 2016.”
As such, the first six months of the year didn’t require much work from the TARDIS props. TARDIS F was, however, brought out on two occasions in April. First for photographs taken as part of the announcement of Pearl Mackie as new companion Bill. A series of images were taken of Peter Capaldi with his new co-star, outside the TARDIS in studio. These shots were taken on April 13th, the same day the pair recorded a scene to introduce Pearl, which was shown during half time of the FA cup semi final on Saturday 23rd.
At the end of the month, TARDIS F was required for filming on Doctor Who’s new spin off, Class. The prop makes several appearances during the programme’s first episode, in use both on location and in studio.
As the production team prepared for filming on Series Ten, the Doctor Who Experience was asked to return TARDIS G, which had remained on display since the spring. The original plan was to simply remove the graffiti added to the prop for Face the Raven, returning the prop to its original state so that the team would have two props on standby as needed.
The Experience felt, however, that it would be a shame to lose the custom design, and as such discussions began to find a work around. It was ultimately agreed that TARDIS G would remain in the Doctor Who Experience in the graffiti’d condition, and they would instead return TARDIS E, last used for production on The Day of the Doctor in April and May 2013, and on display at the Experience since that November.
As new signs would need to be made to update TARDIS E, the decision was taken to revamp both the ‘Police Box’ and ‘Pull to Open’ signs on both props, moving away from the style in use since the modern show first entered production in the summer of 2004. Matthew Clark, working as a graphic designer in the art department, drew up the designs for the
new signs.
For the top ‘Police Box’ signs, the ‘Public Call’ wording was un-stretched, while on the ‘Pull to Open’ signs, the fonts were tweaked, and the spacing of the text was altered for better balance. The new ‘Police Box’ signs were produced in a different manner to the ones on the previous modern props, as Matthew Clark explained to me during research for this blog;
“The new top signs were directly printed onto opal perspex, layered under clear perspex. This meant not using vinyl, and attempting to make it look more like real silkscreened/painted glass. I’m not sure you can tell the difference in techniques on camera but the goal was to make the graphics on the TARDIS feel of the era the booth itself is.”
New signs were also created for the doors of the TARDIS Interior set, to bring them in line with the updated props. The St John Ambulance badge on the set doors remained the same as it had since mid-2012, though with the reintroduction of TARDIS E to production, the set doors would match one of the exterior props again for the first time since The Day of the Doctor.
Filming for Series Ten commenced in June, and a TARDIS prop, TARDIS F, was first needed on location for the final scene of The Pilot, in which the Doctor decides to let Bill take a trip into time and space with him. These scenes were shot on the night of June 24th.
Both of the TARDIS props feature in The Pilot, with TARDIS F going on to appear for all the scenes set in the Doctor’s office, as well as aboard the Dalek Spaceship,
for the scenes set in Australia, and outside the Vault.
TARDIS E was first returned to service for the quarry scenes representing an
alien planet.
TARDIS E was the only prop utilised for the series second episode, Smile, though it didn’t get to make the trip to Valencia in Spain, with the scenes in the fields recorded at home back in Wales. It was also this prop which featured in The Eaters of Light later in the season.
TARDIS F went on to be the only prop used for Thin Ice, Knock Knock, The Return of Doctor Mysterio (the 2016 Christmas special, but filmed fifth in the run), Extremis, and The Empress of Mars.
Both of the active props were used for the production of Oxygen. The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole arrive on Chasm Forge in TARDIS F, but it’s TARDIS E that’s seen later, when the doors slam shut and the TARDIS is drawn towards the open airlock.
The two props also appeared in The Pyramid at the End of the World, TARDIS F being used for all the studio scenes, while TARDIS E was transported to Tenerife in December, for the filming of scenes set in Turmezistan.
The Series Ten finale, World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls, makes use of both currently active TARDIS props. TARDIS E appears in the pre-titles sequence of the first episode, and again at the end of the second, with the Doctor emerging into a snowy landscape. It’s TARDIS F that arrives on the bridge of the spaceship, bringing Missy in the guise of ‘Doctor Who’.
The Lie of the Land is the third story of the modern era to not feature the TARDIS Exterior. Like Midnight it also doesn’t feature the Interior set.
Twice Upon a Time
The 2017 Christmas Special, Twice Upon a Time, marked the end of Peter Capaldi’s tenure as the Doctor, and featured the return of the First Doctor, with David Bradley taking over the role from original actor William Hartnell, who died in 1975.
The special makes use of several TARDIS props, with TARDIS E appearing for the bulk of the action. It’s this prop which appears in the snowy landscape of Antarctica, as with scenes filmed for The Doctor Falls, as well as on location for the World War One Ypres battlefield.
Paparazzi images from this location appeared online at the end of June 2017, spoiling the surprise of the First Doctor’s return, which was not revealed on screen until the start of July. As part of the publicity for the special in December, the BBC released a time lapse video of the two TARDIS props being assembled on location, which can be seen on their YouTube.
Two further props were utilised in the first week of filming, for the sequence of the Twelfth Doctor’s TARDIS being lifted aboard the Testimony spaceship. The steel-framed box constructed for The Day of the Doctor was used for several shots of the box raised above the ground, while TARDIS F was used in close ups, including having the four main cast members stand on the roof, removed from the rest of the box, while preparing to jump to the ground during their escape.
Both of these props were fitted with new details by the art department, to indicate the claw clamping around the sides of the TARDIS. The sequence was completed with CGI.
TARDIS F also appeared in the scenes set in the ‘Chamber of the Dead’ aboard the spaceship.
With the episode set during the events of the 1966 serial The Tenth Planet, the production team required a TARDIS prop for the First Doctor. During the early stages of planning the special, and with one eye on the budget, it was assumed that one of the currently active props would be utilised, rather than going to the expense of constructing a wholly new prop. Several members of the team, including director Rachel Talalay, were against this. Instead, they hoped to use something closer resembling the First Doctor’s TARDIS from the 1960s.
Consideration was then given to using the box constructed for An Adventure in Space and Time, which had been on display at the Doctor Who Experience since late 2013. Although this box roughly approximated the one used by the First Doctor, it wasn’t accurate to the 1960s prop. As Matt Sanders, the Art Department Draftsman on the special told Doctor Who Magazine in January 2018, “This prop wasn’t quite right — but nor was it wrong enough to justify the expense of building a new box from scratch”.
Since it had last been required for filming, this box had attained significant damage, and would need heavy repair work were it to be used for a High Definition television production again.
In the second week of May, discussion turned to the possibility of building a new prop. As such, TARDIS researcher Tony Farrell drew up plans indicating the correct dimensions for the 1966 TARDIS. Earlier in pre-production, Farrell had provided the team with plans for the sets of The Tenth Planet, as well as screen-accurate dimensions for the First Doctor’s TARDIS interior, which were then used as the basis for the design of the interior as it appears in the Christmas Special.
These new police box plans were provided to the production team, but by the following week it had been decided that the cost of building a prop from scratch would be prohibitively expensive.
Instead, Farrell suggested they speak to This Planet Earth, who had produced replica TARDISes (as well as Daleks and other Doctor Who monsters) under licence from BBC WorldWide for over 20 years. Indeed, they had provided the team in Wales with a number of Daleks for use in stories such as Asylum of the Daleks, and The Magician’s Apprentice. The production team had already considered initiating discussions with the company at around the same time.
Alongside his suggestion, Farrell supplied a picture of a Pertwee-styled This Planet Earth TARDIS, with a list of modifications needed to bring the prop in line with the one seen during The Tenth Planet. The original police box prop, constructed in 1963 for the launch of Doctor Who, had undergone a heavy re-fit in the summer of 1966, and thus looked significantly different to the prop more commonly thought of as ‘the First Doctor’s TARDIS’.
This Planet Earth were able to supply a TARDIS which was currently under construction as a personal project by a member of their team, and the necessary modifications were carried out during the last weeks of May and into early June, ready for recording to begin on the special. For ease, I’ve called this prop the ‘Bradley Box’.
Although This Planet Earth were responsible for the majority of the work carried out on the box, due to time restraints some elements were provided in-house by the BBC, including the windows and the lamp.
Around the same time, executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat contacted former Doctor Who Magazine Editor, and TARDIS signage expert, Clayton Hickman, asking for advice regarding the ‘Pull to Open’ sign for the prop. Moffat was keen to be as accurate as possible with the wording, noting in his message ‘Yes, I know ours [on the current prop] is wrong!’
Hickman provided examples of the many different signs in use between 1963 and 2017, as well as a direct comparison between the version in use during the production of The Tenth Planet, and the ones created for Series Ten in 2016.
Although the prop is an almost entirely faithful recreation of the one in use during late 1966, a number of small changes were made for artistic reasons. These included a different weathering effect, which it was felt would look better in High Definition, and the decision to standardise the ‘Police Box’ signs at the top of the box. On the 1966 version of the prop, these had differed between the front/back and sides, alternating between white text on a black background, and black text on white. For the ‘Bradley Box’, all four signs are white text on black, to match with the modern TARDIS props. Matt Sanders discussed this decicion in Doctor Who Magazine, following the broadcast of the special; “we felt that to the vast majority of viewers [the alternating signs] would just look like a careless mistake”.
The ‘Bradley Box’ also features a mixture of clear and ‘pebbled’ windows on all sides, whereas the 1966 version had this combination only in the front window on the left-hand side, the other windows all being entirely ‘pebbled’.
The prop was made several inches taller, thanks to a much deeper base than present on the original, so that it wouldn’t appear too dwarfed by the size of the modern props, which are significantly larger than the one used in the early years of the ‘classic’ series.
The ‘Bradley Box’ was delivered to the BBC in the second week of June, and used throughout filming on the special, which took place for around four weeks from June 12th. Following completion of the episode, the box remained at the Roath Lock studios in Cardiff.
The prop was brought out of storage, alongside TARDIS E, and displayed at the London Science Museum for the premiere of Twice Upon a Time on December 13th.
Following the premiere, the ‘Bradley Box’ was returned to Cardiff, while TARDIS E went on to be utilised at a number of screening events in the north of England in the run-up to Christmas. Meanwhile, TARDIS F was put on display at the redeveloped Television Centre in London, alongside some of the Twelfth Doctor’s costumes.
In May 2018, the ‘Bradley Box’ came into the possession of Toy Box Treasures, known for selling a number of props from across the history of Doctor Who, including screen-used Cybermen and Ice Warrior costumes from the 1960s, through to graphic work from the 21st century series.
The listing for the box noted that they were “currently taking offers, and have no guide price due to it’s rarity of being able to own a screen used Tardis”.
As of the end of 2018, the prop remained unsold.
