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Westminster Bridge was a filming location used on multiple occasions for Doctor Who, beginning with the season 2 story The Dalek Invasion of Earth [+]Loading...["The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)"].
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Dalek Invasion of Earth[[edit] | [edit source]]
In Terry Nation's original draft script for the second Dalek story, it was specified that the route Barbara and "Saida" (later renamed Jenny) were to take through London showed Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge and gliding past various landmarks.[1] Nation suggested "second unit filming" at these locations to show "the total invasion of London".[2]
Location filming on Westminster Bridge for the third episode "Day of Reckoning" did eventuate, occurring on the first day of filming for the serial on 23 August 1964.[1][3][4] Taking part in the day's filming were Jacqueline Hill playing Barbara, Ann Davies playing Jenny, Alan Judd playing Dortmun and Dalek operators Robert Jewell, Gerald Taylor, Nick Evans and Ken Tyllsen.[1] Director Richard Martin had arranged to have his crew ready at dawn in order to get as many shots as possible of the deserted, Dalek-invaded London with Westminster Bridge being the third of several locations filmed at that day, after Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.[4]
The sequences shot at this location depicted Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge as well as Barbara and Jenny wheeling Dortmun across the bridge.[3] The police did not approve of Martin halting buses on the bridge, which would have been out of place in the deserted London, but he was able to secure all the necessary shots.[4] A photocall then took place,[1][4] possibly starting from as early as 5.30am. The matter of which location filming was best suited for the attendance of photographers from the press had been discussed in correspondence between Jacqui Stonebridge of Pictorial Publicity and Verity Lambert's secretary Val Speyer days earlier on 19 August, though Speyer had instead suggested Trafalgar Square as the best opportunity for 23 August.[1]
After the production team were finished at Westminster Bridge, filming continued along the south side of the Albert Embankment. Pictures from the photocall featured in the September edition of Ariel, the BBC's in-house magazine.[4]