Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder was a Doctor Who exhibition at the World Museum in Liverpool and National Museum of Scotland. The exhibition covered various aspects of Doctor Who's history, focussing on the various links to real world science. It featured many screen-used props, costumes and models, along with explanatory text, interactive displays and videos.
Overview[[edit] | [edit source]]
An exhibition covering the links between Doctor Who and science, as well as housing many props, costumes and models from throughout the show's history. It was situated on the second floor of Liverpool's World Museum and also featured a shop selling many different pieces of Doctor Who merchandise.
Features of the Liverpool exhibition[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Liverpool exhibition was broken up into a series of relatively large rooms. While most were named, a few were unnamed and have therefore been named conjecturally.
Before the exhibition[[edit] | [edit source]]
- A statue of a Weeping Angel was located in the entrance to the museum.
- A statue of a Dalek was located on the ground floor of the museum.
- The exhibition was on the second floor. A large full-length mural was located on the wall of the corridor connecting the exhibition's entrance to its shop and exit. Among other things, the mural depicted:
- Sontarans
- The TARDIS
- Weeping Angels
Quotes room[[edit] | [edit source]]
After entering the exhibition, visitors would find themselves in a dark hallway with quotes from the Doctor and many famous real world people. These were:
Throughout the rest of the exhibition, there were further quotes from the following people:
- The Doctor
- Nikola Tesla
- Professor Brian Cox
- E. O. Wilson
- Stephen Hawking
At the end of the hallway, there was a TARDIS-themed door leading into the next area.
Console room[[edit] | [edit source]]
At the centre of the next area was the reconstruction of the original TARDIS control console used for the An Adventure in Space and Time docudrama, marked by an accompanying information panel as "The TARDIS console Mk 1". Exhibits, graphics and information panels were located around the walls of this room. Turning left from the TARDIS door entrance and following the console room round clockwise to the exit, these were:
- The console
- A timeline of console rooms from the post-2005 revival of Doctor Who from a real world perspective.
- A display case containing:
- The original design sheet for the original console room.
- Designs for the Thirteenth Doctor's console room.
- A timeline showcasing people who made significant contribution to the show regarding science. This included the following people:
- A graphic showcasing all 13 "main" Doctors, along with the War Doctor and Fugitive Doctor.
- Interestingly, while the War Doctor was positioned between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors, the Fugitive Doctor was positioned after the Thirteenth Doctor.
- An introductory video featuring Mark Gatiss.
- A display case showcasing the First Doctor costume used by David Bradley.
- A video displaying the various Time Vortex effects used by the show's post-2005 revival.
TARDIS Tech Room[[edit] | [edit source]]
The next room focussed primarily on the technology exhibited by the show, both realistic and otherwise. It was comprised of information panels, props, models and videos. To aid in listing these elements, they have been split up by the wall they were on, relative to when you first enter the area.
Left wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- An information panel on the TARDIS's dimensional transcendentalism.
- A video showcasing various companion's reactions to this effect.
- An information panel on the science behind time travel.
- Models of a hypercube and of a wormhole connecting 2 regions of spacetime.
- A video explaining the science behind time travel.
- An information panel with information on the science behind teleportation.
- A display case containing a vortex manipulator and a teleporation bracelet from The Witch's Familiar.
- The original costume sketches for the Thijarians.
- The Crooked Man prop from Hide.
- As well as offering information on this prop and the episode it's from, this prop's accompanying information panel also provided information on pocket universes elsewhere in Doctor Who, as well as some science relating to the idea.
Right wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- An information panel on TARDIS chameleon circuits.
- An information panel on real stealth technology.
- An information panel on camouflage in nature.
- This was accompanied by an interactive display in which people had to look for the camouflaged animals in photos, revealing the answers by lifting up the panels with the photos on.
- An information panel on sonic devices.
- A display case containing:
- Missy's sonic umbrella
- The Twelfth Doctor's sonic sunglasses
- The Twelfth Doctor's "modified optician's glasses" from Flatline
- The Tenth Doctor's Machine That Goes "Ding"
- River Song's sonic trowel
- Confession dials
- A display case containing:
- The Second Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Foruth and Fifth Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Eighth Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Ninth and Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver A promotional image of the sonic screwdriver display case.
- The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver
- River Song's sonic screwdriver
- Sonic cane
- An information panel on robots in Doctor Who.
- An information panel about Kamelion.
- Props of a number of robots that have appeared in Doctor Who:
- Skovox Blitzer
- K9
- K9 was missing his ears.
- K1
- Clockwork Droid (head only)
- Heavenly Host (head only)
- SV7 (head only)
- Interestingly, while one sign stated that this prop was temporarily loaned by Derek Handley, another claimed that Andrew Beach was the loaner.
- Handles
- Half-Face Man
Connecting area: sound[[edit] | [edit source]]
A small area linked the TARDIS Tech Lab area to the Cosmic Curiosities area. While not officially designated as separate, it was unclear which section this area was intended to be part of and so is presented separately here. It featured two short information panels. The first detailed the Huygens probe, an acoustic probe released from the Cassini spacecraft that used a microphone to record atmospheric sounds from Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The second primarily focussed on Doctor Who's soundtrack in the 1960s and 70s. It also briefly described the '3D' sound used in the 2017 episode Knock Knock. Additionally, this area played atmospheric sounds taken from the "Classic Series" of Doctor Who.
Cosmic Curiosities[[edit] | [edit source]]
After the brief connecting room was a room that focussed primarily on space and space exploration.
Immediately to the left of and on the same wall as the entrance was:
- An information panel about how ring modulation is used to create the Daleks' voices.
- A ring modulator.
- An interactive feature where visitors could speak into a microphone to have their voice made to sound like a Dalek.
- An accompanying panel provided suggested phrases that visitors could try saying. These were:
- EXTERMINATE!
YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!
YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!! - EXTERMINATE ALL HUMANS!
DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!!!
DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!!! - ALL INFERIOR CREATURES ARE TO BE
CONSIDERED THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS,
AND DESTROYED! - THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
WE WILL PREPARE, WE WILL GROW STRONGER.
WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT WE WILL EMERGE
AND TAKE OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS THE
SUPREME POWER OF THE UNIVERSE!
- EXTERMINATE!
- This panel also included a humorous warning that people who spend too much time playing with the exhibit may experience side effects such as a craving to dominate the entire universe.
In the middle of this area, near the entrance, was a screen used prop for Omega from Arc of Infinity. The rest of the exhibits in this area were on either the left or right wall and are presented in this way here.
Left wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- A screen playing interviews with either Professor Clifford Johnson or Doctor Maggie Aderin-Pocock, an ear piece providing audio.
- A display case containing an information panel and various spacesuits from Doctor Who. These were:Spacesuits at the Scottish exhibition.
- Clara's orange spacesuit
- One of the spacesuits from Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead
- The spacesuit from The Impossible Astronaut (loaned by Robert Allsopp)
- The Chasm Forge mining suite from Oxygen
- A video on black holes.
Right wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- 4 identical interactive displays providing a timeline of astronomy and space exploration. Some entries in the timeline were accompanied by connections to various Doctor Who episodes. These entries were about:
- the eye
- the astrolabe
- gravity
- telescopes
- The Brick Moon by Edward Everett Hale, a novella featuring the first known depiction of the launch of an artificial satellite
- Jules Verne
- H. G. Wells
- Albert Einstein
- Laika, a dog that was one of the first animals in space
- Vostak 1
- Valentina Tereshkova, the first women in space
- The moon landing
- Charles Duke and various items left on the moon
- Voyager 1 and the Golden Records
- The Wow! signal
- Halley's Comet
- exoplanets and "Goldilocks" planets
- The ISS
- Katie Bouman
- Images of the young universe
- The Hubble space telescope
- Pluto
- The Voyager program
- Proxima Centauri
- A screen playing interviews with either Paul Franklin and Andrew Robertson, Mat Irvine, or Mike Tucker, an ear piece providing audio.
- A display case with various models and design documents from the "classic" era of the show.
- A model Skagra's spacecraft from Shada
- The original sketch of Skagra's spacecraft
- A model of Think Tank from Shada
- The Nosferatu from Dragonfire
- The original design drawing of the Nosferatu
- The screen-used prop of Gadget from The Waters of Mars, accompanied by a panel providing some information about NASA's real-life Curiosity rover.
Bioscience Frontiers[[edit] | [edit source]]
Immediately following on from Cosmic Curiosities was a multi-roomed section focussing on biological life. On the left wall, following the video about black holes and opposite Gadget, was an introductory panel followed by number of information panels on different types of life and organic matter. These were:
- Rocks
- Bacteria
- Archaeans
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Plants
- Arthropods
- Vertebrates
- Alternative life
In between the panels on archaeans and viruses was an interview Doctor Richard Lane OBE, audio provided through and earpiece.
Following these panels was an information panel about atmospheres and their role in allowing life. Below this was a globe containing liquid. When the globe was spun, the patterns created by the liquid mimicked those created by the Earth's atmosphere.
Following this section was a full-sized TARDIS model which visitors could take photos with. After this was a video with Mark Gatiss about life.
In the next, narrow, room was the screen-used prop for the Fisher King from Before the Flood. This was accompanied by an information panel about the theorised size of alien life. Following from this was a screen-used scale model of the Twelfth Doctor's diving suit from Thin Ice. Behind this was a video on how things in Doctor Who are inspired by real-world animals. Following from this was a two player game about terraforming an alien planet.
On the left wall of this room was a series of panels on extremophiles - organisms capable of living in extreme conditions. These were:
- Water bears
- Nematode worms
- Lichen
- Cave snottites
- Desert microbes
- Organisms that live in deep-sea vents
The right wall contained the entrance to the Monster Vault, covered in the next section. The entrance featured an information panel giving an overview of the room, as well as a humourous warning:
- This room does not have a sofa to hide behind.
- Parents should be accompanied at all times by responsible children.
Just beyond this, the left wall had a screen showing a video on how things in Doctor Who were inspired by real animals. In the centre of the room here was a 2-player game about terraforming a planet.
The next area was more open and featured its exit door on the left wall. Going round clockwise up to this door an information on the science of communication. This included information on:
A table nearby held an interactive display on various real-world creatures in Doctor Who.
Going round the room anticlockwise, there was:
- A table displaying some concept art for:
- "The Doctor's Cabinet of Curiosities", a cabinet displaying some prosphetics used on Doctor Who, each accompanied by a brief amount of information. From left to right, top to bottom, these were for:
- The Ood
- The Mire
- The Pig slaves
- The Flood
- Jabe, a Tree of Cheem
- The Hath
- The Whisper Man
- The Dream Crabs
- A table with an interactive display on the environment and Doctor Who.
- Karvanista's costume, accompanied by some information on symbiosis.
- A Reconnaissance Dalek mutant prop.
- A costume for The Teller, accompanied by some information on the science of telepathy.
- A spider germ prop.
Monster Vault[[edit] | [edit source]]
Offshooting from the previous section, Bioscience Frontiers, the Monster Vault included a large number of props of various Doctor Who monsters. To the left of the entrance was an information panel giving an overview of the room, as well as a humourous warning:
- This room does not have a sofa to hide behind.
- Parents should be accompanied at all times by responsible children.
Going around clockwise from the door, there was:
- A hollow Dalek which visitors could enter inside of and pretend to operate.
- Various Cybermen:
- The full prop of the Cyber-Controller from Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel
- A Mk 1 Cyberman head from The Tenth Planet
- A Mk 2 Cyberman head from The Moonbase to The Wheel in Space
- A Mk 3 Cyberman leader head from The Invasion to Revenge of the Cybermen
- A Mk 4 Cyberman head from Earthshock to Silver Nemesis
- A Mk 4 Cyberman controller head from Attack of the Cybermen
- An interactive Monster Files display
- Davros
- A Dalek (the Mk 1 design from their first appearance)
- An interactive display featuring a spinable wheel where you match Doctor Who monsters to their real world animals
- A Dreg
- 2 of The Silence hanging from the ceiling
- A Sontaran from Flux
- Madame Vastra's head
- A recreation of a Silurian head from Warriors of the Deep
- A Sea Devil costume from Legend of the Sea Devils
- A mirror containing Daughter/Sister of Mine
- An Ice Warrior
- Ice Queen Iraxxa
- An interactive Monster Files display
- A Weeping Angel
- A Cybermat with an interactive leaver that vistors can use to wriggle its tail
- A variety of concept art on the wall including:
- Concept art for the Skithra
- Alternate Ood designs
- In-progress concept designs for The Silence by Neil Gorton for Millennium FX
- An alternate concept for Queen Iraxxa by Dave Bonneywell for Millennium FX
- A display cabinet containing:
- Early concept art for the Judoon by The Mill
- The original concept art for the Daleks by Raymond P. Cusick
- Concept art for the Mondasian Cyberman from Series 10 by Millennium FX
- Concept art of one of the Slitheen by Neil Gorton for The Mill
- An information panel on concept art
A promotional image of the Cybermen helmets.
The Lab[[edit] | [edit source]]
Following on from Bioscience Frontiers was a section focussing modern technological advancements. Designed as a long corridor, displays and information panels were split between the 2 walls and are presented in that way here.
Left wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- A display cabinet containing:
- Concept art for the Emojibots by Millennium FX
- An Emojibot prop
- Nardole's head
- Hydroflax's head
- A Teselecta antibody
- A Kerb!am Man
- 2 Kerb!am packages
- Morbius
- A Sisters of Plenitude costume
- TIGMI
- An information board on cybermentic medicine.
- Information on animals with multiple hearts.
- Information on the exhibition contributor's memories of Doctor Who.
- An information board on Doctor Who's connections to Liverpool.
- A map of Liverpool pointing out some of these connections.
- An information board on "when The Beatles (almost) met The Doctor".
- Information on The Mad Mole of Edge Hill.
Right wall[[edit] | [edit source]]
- An information panel on DNA.
- A video on life support systems.
- An information panel on cloning.
- A model of Lady Cassandra.
- A projector projected a video of her face onto her skin frame, allowing her face to move and appear animated.
- A speaker played audio when a visitor was detcted nearby, allowing Casandra to speak.
- An information panel on the science of sex change.
- Information on Eldrad, Ocellaris Clownfish, Molluscs and Dessert Grassland Whiptail Lizards.
- A full-sized model of the Face of Boe.
- Information on the Face of Boe and the science of extending lifespans.
- Information on Time Lord regeneration.
- Information on regeneration in real life.
- The Thirteenth Doctor's costume.
- The exit door.
Ending video and credits[[edit] | [edit source]]
The final room of the exhibition featured a final narration video featuring Mark Gatiss. One wall included credits for the exhibition:
- Exhibition design, install and management - Sarner International Ltd
- Curation - BBC, Sarner International Ltd
- Interpretation - Steven Swaby
- Narrator - Mark Gatiss
- Voice of Casandra - Zoë Wanamaker
- Consultants and Contributors - Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE, Andrew Beech, DNEG, Professor Kevin Fong OBE, Paul Franklin, Mat Irvine, Professor Clifford V. Johnson, Dr Richard Lane OBE, Lucy Lipscombe, Millennium FX, Andrew Robertson, Mike Tucker
- Object loans - Robert Allsopp, Andrew Beech, Mike Tucker
- Access consultant - Edna Jacobson
- AV installation - Sarner International Ltd
- Film and content production - Figment Productions, Sarner International Ltd
- Lighting - Luminance Lighting Design Ltd
- Exhibition build - ESM (Exhibition Site Management), Evans Staging, Frozen Fish, Science Projects, This Planet Earth, Workhaus
- Exhibition system - beMatrix
- Graphic production - Service Graphics
- Retail design and management - Attractions Retail Consulting
- Picture and video research - Thomas Bonsu-Dartnall, Peter Crocker, Derek Handley
- Images, artwork and foootage credit - BBC Motion Gallery, Alamy, Ray Holman, Shutterstock, Science Photo Library, Bryan Verteeg/Spacehabs.com
- Tour management - Sanders Exhibition Services
The exit from this room was a one-way gate into the shop.
Shop[[edit] | [edit source]]
The final section of the Worlds of Wonder exhibition was a shop. You did not have to go through the entire exhibition to reach the shop and could enter and exit freely without a ticket. A variety of items, particuarly clothing, with Worlds of Wonder-specific designs were sold alongside a variety of more general Doctor Who items, including more clothing, books, novelty items and more. Of particular note, alongside recent items from the Chris Chibnall and late Steven Moffat eras, items from the first Russell T Davies, such as Doctor Who: Battles in Time cards and Cybermen-themed Etch-a-Sketches, were also available. After exiting the shop, visitors would find themselves back outside the wall with the mural where the entrance was located.
Differences between the Liverpool exhibition and the Scotland exhibition[[edit] | [edit source]]
The 2 versions of the exhibition were mostly the same. However, there were a number of small order changes, additions and removals in the Scottish exhibition. In particular:
- The Fourteenth Doctor's and Donna's costumes from the second Russell T Davies era's 2023 specials were on display outside the entrance.
- The K9 prop in the TARDIS Tech Room has ears while these were absent in the Liverpool exhibition.
- The order of displays in the Bioscience Frontier section was different.
- The information pannel at the entrance to the Monster Vault was moved from the right of the entrance to the left of the entrance.
- The Thirteenth Doctor's costume was absent.
The Fourteenth Doctor's costume.
Donna Noble's costume.
more to be added
Promotion[[edit] | [edit source]]
To be added
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
To be added
Gallery[[edit] | [edit source]]
The mural being painted by Paul Curtis.
The TARDIS and Weeping Angels on the mural.
A Dalek at the Scottish exhibition.