Doctor Who Exhibition Blackpool

Doctor Who Exhibition Blackpool
Features:	Regularly changing props
Location:	111 Central Promenade, Blackpool
Opened:	14 April 1974
Closed:	30 October 1985

The Doctor Who Exhibition Blackpool was located at 111 Central Promenade, on the busy Golden Mile, a prime location for visitors. It ran for 11 years until the lease on the building it resided in expired.

Inside The Tardis

The Doctor Who Exhibition at Blackpool, was first opened by Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen on 14th April 1974. From the outside, the huge crowds that gathered that day, could see only a blue police telephone box, next to a building, but once the doors were opened they found themselves, descending a flight of stairs into a basement exhibition full of the most exciting monsters, aliens, props, costumes and models from the series.

These originally included a Draconian, Silurian, Axon, Yeti, Cybermen, Alpha Centauri, Aggedor and several Eight legs from "Planet Of The Spiders". Of course the most popular exhibits would always be the Daleks in their Dalek cavern, whether this was in their original form, or indeed later with their creator Davros. In time K9, Ice Warriors, Sontarons, Morbius, the Keeler-Krynoid, the Total Survival Suit from "Kinda" and many more joined the always thrilling displays.

Visitors walked around a winding corridor with exhibits to either side, most that were changed annually, others that would become old favourites. Eventually they would arrive in the Tardis console room, where pictures of The Doctors looked down on a console that had "working" switches with flashing lights, a feature that also surrounded the main Dalek exhibits, which moved on a track as they yelled out words of extermination. The exhibition was left via a gift shop and a café. The Doctor Who Exhibition closed after the 1985 season, and was gutted out in early 1986.

Notable elements

• Displays were regularly updated with new exhibits as new stories were aired.
• Unlike the Longleat Exhibition, the Blackpool Exhibition also included a display of small scale models of landscapes and spacecrafts. Davros, Daleks, Cybermen and K9 were among regular exhibits.

Promotion

• The Blackpool Exhibition was promoted in continuity announcements at the time, following the programme's broadcasts.
• In 1975 Elizabeth Sladen, Ian Marter and Tom Baker promoted the exhibition with a parade led by Baker in the back of Bessie with the Mayoress and a UNIT driver. The parade also included a Zygon, Bellal, Sontaran, Sea Devil and Cyberman, and led to the switching on of Blackpool's illuminations.
• In 1976, Tom Baker especially filmed a small skit for the exhibition as the Fourth Doctor.
• In 1985, Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant were present signing autographs in the console area for Children in Need.

Notes

to be added

Gallery

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  Exhibition posters

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  April 1974 Exhibition Ticket and Badge

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  Entrance October 1975

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  Exhibition layout 1975

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  Entrance 1982

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  Davros prop inside exhibition 1982

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  Dalek prop inside exhibition 1982

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  1984 Blackpool Illuminations