TARDIS (Dr. Who and the Daleks)

TARDIS
Type:	Space-time vessel
Made by:	Dr. Who
First appearance:	Dr. Who and the Daleks
Appearances:	NOTVALID: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. NOTVALID: Daleks Versus the Martians NOTVALID: Dr Who and the House on Oldark Moor NOTVALID: Doctor Who 3 - The Third Motion Picture

TARDIS (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks), or the TARDIS (NOTVALID: Doctor Who 3 - The Third Motion Picture) was a space-time vessel invented by the human scientist Dr. Who. It was larger inside than without. The machine was described by Dr. Who as capable of breaking down everything into their respective electrical charges which were transferred in time and space, and when it arrived at the destination they were reassembled in their proper order and their proper place.

Interior

TARDIS' interior was initially filled with electronic components and masses of wiring, components hanging by cables, linked to instruments. The large interior was just a single room. (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks) This was later changed to a neater arrangement with control consoles in silver casings with a brown seat nearby. It was controlled by a large lever in front of a small bank with fluid links that used mercury. (NOTVALID: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)

Though originally painted TARDIS blue, (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks) the interior side of the police box doors was white by the time Tom Campbell entered TARDIS. (NOTVALID: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)

Exterior

TARDIS's exterior resembled a police box. The door opened outwards and didn't require a key; although the outside of it was usually blue. (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)

One account depicted it as a dull, fairly light shade of green instead. (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks)

When it dematerialised and rematerialised, TARDIS emitted a sound much like a revving motorbike. (NOTVALID: Doctor Who 3 - The Third Motion Picture)

Abilities

TARDIS was described by Dr. Who as a matter transmitter, breaking itself and everything inside it into constituent electrical charges, which were sent to the destination. (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks)

TARDIS travelled from Earth to Skaro in a second. (NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks) Later on, however, the travel from 20th to 22nd century Earth was more gradual.

Dr. Who told Tom Campbell that TARDIS could travel to any age, any planet and any universe, implying the machine could travel to alternate universes safely and easily, and could return to its original universe with little to no trouble. (NOTVALID: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)

Behind the scenes

The green TARDIS travels through time.

• The interior of TARDIS (not called "the TARDIS" in the films) did not use the familiar television set-up of a central console with walls on each side, but a more random assortment of technological apparatus.
• TARDIS seemed to lack a lock and key mechanism, unlike the television TARDIS. Several people entered the machine — Ian Chesterton, Alydon and Tom Campbell to name a few.
  • However, in the second film, Dr Who mentions that Tom must have opened the door just as he de-magnetised it.
• This was the first TARDIS to have white police box doors inside the console room. The main Doctor Who series would adopt this detail with the revived Series 1 in 2005. It had also been displayed by Doctor Why's TARDIS in the parodical 1975 TV story Hallo My Dalek.
• In the comic adaptation of the film Dr. Who and the Daleks, the police box-shaped TARDIS is oddly coloured green as opposed to TARDIS blue.
• It was never explained in either Dr. Who and the Daleks or Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. as to why TARDIS looked like a police box.