TARDIS exterior (The Smugglers)
During the Doctor's TARDIS's use by the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Doctors, its outer shell had a distinct TARDIS police box exterior design.
One account indicated this was the second major design of the Doctor's TARDIS exterior. (PROSE: TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual [+]Loading...["TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual (reference book)"])
The Fugitive Doctor's TARDIS also had a version of this design as its exterior. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Judoon (TV story)"])
Design
This design had different colouring at different points in its use. (TV: Spearhead from Space [+]Loading...["Spearhead from Space (TV story)"], The Time Monster [+]Loading...["The Time Monster (TV story)"], Twice Upon a Time [+]Loading...["Twice Upon a Time (TV story)"])
Its sides were panelled, with four panels per slat and two slats per side, with the highest panel being six-segment blue-frame windows.
The TARDIS doors opened inward and had a door handle on the right door. The TARDIS lock was located on the left side of the right door, between the second highest and second lowest panels.
Initially, the left door had a telephone panel with black writing on a white background which read "Police Telephone / Free for Use of Public / Advice and Assistance Obtainable Immediately / Officers and Cars Respond to Urgent Calls / Pull to Open". (TV: The Smugglers [+]Loading...["The Smugglers (TV story)"], et al.) For a time, this panel was on the right door instead. (TV: The Evil of the Daleks [+]Loading...["The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)"], The Abominable Snowmen [+]Loading...["The Abominable Snowmen (TV story)"], The Ice Warriors [+]Loading...["The Ice Warriors (TV story)"], The Enemy of the World [+]Loading...["The Enemy of the World (TV story)"]) However, the panel then returned to the left door. (TV: The Wheel in Space [+]Loading...["The Wheel in Space (TV story)"], The Krotons [+]Loading...["The Krotons (TV story)"], et al.)
A second version of the telephone panel appeared around the time the Doctor became involved in the Ice Warrior invasion of Earth. (TV: The Seeds of Death [+]Loading...["The Seeds of Death (TV story)"]) It had white writing on a blue background which read, ""Police Telephone / Free for Use of Public / Advice & Assistance Obtainable Immediately / Officers & Cars Respond to Urgent Calls / Pull to Open". (TV: Spearhead from Space [+]Loading...["Spearhead from Space (TV story)"], et al.)
The Police Public Call Box signs had white writing on a black background. (TV: Spearhead from Space [+]Loading...["Spearhead from Space (TV story)"], et al.)
The design was shorter than the previous one, having a smaller roof. A distinct feature of this design was a thin rectangular nook between the bottom of the roof and the top of the Police Public Call Box signs. (PROSE: TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual [+]Loading...["TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual (reference book)"]) The TARDIS lamp initially had a circular cap, (TV: The Smugglers [+]Loading...["The Smugglers (TV story)"], et al.)
History
The Doctor's TARDIS
This design appeared in the First Doctor's later travels. (TV: The Smugglers [+]Loading...["The Smugglers (TV story)"]) By one account, this was due to chameleonic fluctuation on the previous TARDIS exterior design The Seventh Doctor recalled the St John's Ambulance badge suddenly disappearing as if it was never there. (PROSE: St Anthony's Fire [+]Loading...["St Anthony's Fire (novel)"]) He contrasted a future exterior used by the Twelfth Doctor as having different sized windows, TARDIS blue colour, and the exterior having "expanded", initially believing the future Doctor to be another Time Lord who had changed his TARDIS. (TV: Twice Upon a Time [+]Loading...["Twice Upon a Time (TV story)"])
A new TARDIS exterior design appeared during the Fourth Doctor's travels with Sarah Jane Smith. (TV: The Masque of Mandragora [+]Loading...["The Masque of Mandragora (TV story)"]) By one account, this was due to chameleonic fluctuation, with the Seventh Doctor remembering the roof flattening. (PROSE: St Anthony's Fire [+]Loading...["St Anthony's Fire (novel)"])
Behind the scenes
- The doors of this TARDIS exterior have been identified as being originally created for fake TARDISes in The Celestial Toymaker.[1]
- While Twice Upon a Time was originally to have the First Doctor using the recreation of the original TARDIS exterior created for An Adventure in Space and Time, Matt Sanders convinced Steven Moffat of the necessity of creating a new prop for the actual design which appeared in The Tenth Planet. (DWM 521)
