Trafalgar Square (filming location)
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Trafalgar Square 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)"].
Trafalgar Square was notable as the site of Doctor Who's first location filming to feature a member of the regular cast, namely Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright. The only story prior to feature exterior locations had been The Reign of Terror [+]Loading...["The Reign of Terror (TV story)"] and though featuring the regular character of the Doctor he was played by walk-on double Brian Proudfoot in those scenes.
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 gliding past various landmarks, including one of the lion statues around Nelson's Column, which was situated in Trafalgar Square.[1] Nation suggested "second unit filming" at these locations to show "the total invasion of London".[2]
On 19 August 1964, the Doctor Who production office was contacted by Jacqui Stonebridge of Pictorial Publicity who requested more information about the forthcoming location filming, including on which two days it was best for photographers from the press to be present. Verity Lambert's secretary Val Speyer subsequently spoke to the assistant of the serial's director Richard Martin and was told that the best opportunities for press photocalls would be at 5.30am at Trafalgar Square on 23 August and at 10am at Hammersmith Bridge on 27 August.[1]
23 August was the first of four separate days of location filming for the serial, followed by 25, 27 and 28 August.[1][3][4] Martin arranged to have his crew ready at dawn in order to get as many shots as possible of the deserted, Dalek-invaded London for the third episode "Day of Reckoning".[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. The unit call was at 5am in the main reception of BBC Television Centre.[1]
The Dalek markings seen on the landmarks in Trafalgar Square were achieved by the use of plimsoll blanco which the police later asked Spencer Chapman's design team to remove.[2] Martin also had to move on some hippies who had slept rough there overnight[4] before filming could begin on 35mm film[4] at around 5.30am[1] to 6am.[4] These sequences depicted Daleks on patrol around Trafalgar Square, with a shot of Barbara and Jenny pushing Dortmun past the entrance to the National Gallery also being filmed there.[3] Despite the early start some evidence of 1960s city activity still made it into the finished episode, with a van passing along the far side of the square briefly visible in the background.[3][4]
After filming was complete at Trafalgar Square, the production team moved on to Whitehall, the second of several locations at which they would film material that day.[4] The previously suggested photocall at the square instead took place on Westminster Bridge later in the day.[1][4]
