Doctor Who exhibitions

Since Doctor Who was first broadcast in 1963, there have been a number of exhibitions of props, costumes and sets throughout the United Kingdom. Some have been intended to be permanent, and others seasonal; most have been staged at existing tourist locations.

Current permanent exhibitions

Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff

The Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff is the only permanent exhibition in the UK open 7 days a week. Situated in the Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay, the museum opened December 2005,^[1] in the city where the series is currently filmed and produced. It closed on 27 March 2011 for refurbishment.

Props on display include an Ood Elder from The End of Time, a fly-headed Tritovore and Lady Christina De Souza's costume from Planet of the Dead, plus the 'Flood' monster and Maggie and Tarak costumes from The Waters of Mars. There is also a special display from the team behind the show’s monsters, Millennium FX, showing the production process behind creating an Ood. Costumes displayed include those worn by the characters Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, Donna Noble and the Doctor.^[2]

The Cardiff Exhibition had a complete refurbishment in October 2008.^[3]

The Doctor Who Up Close Shop is stocked with items such as giant inflatable Daleks, sonic screwdrivers and talking bottle openers.^[4]

Doctor Who Experience

An exhibition titled Doctor Who Experience, complete with a new interactive Doctor Who episode with the Eleventh Doctor, opened in London on 20 February 2011. It has been announced that the exhibition will move to Cardiff in 2012 and remain there. The immersive exhibition was designed and installed by the UK-based theme park design and installation company Sarner Ltd.^[5]

Current touring exhibitions

Newcastle

From 22 May until 31 October 2010, the Doctor Who Exhibition is open at the Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne which includes genuine items from the programme plus monsters including the Cybermen, Sontarans, Ood, Judoon, Autons and Daleks. This exhibition is also set to showcase many of the items from the new series starring Matt Smith, after they have been seen on screen.^[6]

Bromyard

The small Herefordshire village of Bromyard is notable for its annual folk festival and the Time Traveller's Museum, home to a permanent Doctor Who exhibition, with memorabilia from the show, other cult science fiction shows and a collection of antique teddy bears and other toys.^[7]

Edinburgh

In April 2010, the BBC is hosting a 3 day Doctor Who interactive Easter event in Edinburgh. The event is part of a roadshow touring the UK to launch the new series of Doctor Who. The highlight is likely to be an inflatable arena designed to mimic the interior of the Doctor's TARDIS.^[8]

Former permanent exhibitions

Longleat

The first permanent exhibition was set up at the stately home of Longleat, Wiltshire in 1973, and ran until 2003. The site has also hosted annual Doctor Who conventions, usually in August.^[9]

The twentieth anniversary convention was titled "Twenty Years of a Time Lord" and was held in April 1983. It featured appearances from Jon Pertwee (and the vintage car Bessie), Peter Davison, K9; props included the TARDIS, Daleks, and the set of The Five Doctors feature-length special.^[10] About 40,000 fans turned up, many more than expected.^[11]

In 2003, the annual "Doctor Who Day", to mark the 40th anniversary of the programme, featured an attempt to gather the largest number of Daleks ever assembled. Colin Baker, Sophie Aldred and John Leeson attended.^[12]

Blackpool

The original exhibition on the Golden Mile, Blackpool, Lancashire, operated between 1974 and 1985.^[13] It reopened in 2004 to coincide with the relaunch of the programme. The Blackpool Doctor Who Museum finally closed on 8 November 2009, the large collection of props, monsters and costumes being distributed to other exhibitions around the country.^[14]

Llangollen

The "Dapol Dr Who Experience" opened in 1994 and was sited in Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, under the auspices of the company that made Doctor Who merchandise until 2002. It featured many costumes and props, some dating back to the 1960s. It closed in 2003.^[15]

Former temporary and touring exhibitions

• 1982–1986 & 1999: The Doctor Who Experience, Madame Tussauds wax museum, London
• 1986–1987: Doctor Who Celebration and Tour, USA
• 1988: Space Adventure, Liverpool
• 1990: Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh
• 1990s: Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI), London. This exhibition was titled "Behind The Sofa" and after closing at MOMI moved to the Exploratory, Bristol.^[16]
• 1993: Spaceblasters
• 1994: The Needles, Alum Bay, Isle of Wight – a summer attraction.
• 2002: Derby Industrial Museum
• 2002: Dunfermline
• 2002: MOMI, Sheffield
• 2002: Smith Art Gallery and Museum
• 2004: Motherwell Heritage Centre
• 2005: Brighton Pier
• 2005: National Space Centre, Leicester
• 2006: National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
• 2006: Spaceport, Merseyside – September 2006 to January 2007^[17][18] and May 2008 to March 2009.^[1]
• 2007: MOSI, Manchester – March 2007 to January 2008^[19] The exhibit featured Daleks, Cybermen, a Slitheen and the Racnoss.^[20]
• 2007: National Space Centre, Leicester – November 2007 to January 2008. Featured the Emperor Dalek, the Moxx of Balhoon, Slitheen, Auton and pigmen from Daleks in Manhattan.^[21]
• 2007: Land's End, Cornwall – April 2007 to January 2011.^[1]
• 2007: Dorking Museum
• 2007: Paisley Museum
• 2008: Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London – Easter 2008 to January 2009
• 2009: Coventry Transport Museum – March 2009^[1] to early 2010.
• 2009: Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow – a year long exhibition, it closed in January 2010. The exhibition featured many props from the 2005 series, including the Tardis, Cybermen, Daleks, Autons, K9, Hath, Judoon, Abzorbaloff, Weeping Angels, Ood, The Host, Sybilline Sisterhood, Cassandra, Face of Boe, Sisters of Plenitude and Sontarans, as well as many character costumes and sets.
• 2010: City Museum, Portsmouth – June 2010 to January 2011. Part of the Alien Invasion exhibition of film and TV props and costumes. Displays include a Dalek from Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., a suit worn by Tom Baker, an Ood, K-9, the TARDIS and a Sontaran.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Doctor Who Exhibitions Cardiff, Earls Court, Land's End, Blackpool, Mersyside Spaceport". www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/09/landsend_news.html. Retrieved 11 May 2009. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Andrew Coldron. "Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff: About". Doctorwhoexhibitions.com. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/09/cardiff_about.html. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
3. ^ Andrew Coldron. "Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff: News". Doctorwhoexhibitions.com. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/09/cardiff_news.html. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
4. ^ Andrew Coldron. "Doctor Who Exhibition Cardiff: Info". Doctorwhoexhibitions.com. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/09/cardiff_info.html. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
5. ^ "News update – Concept and Design of Themed Visitor Attractions, museums and theme parks". Sarner.com. 20 February 2011. http://www.sarner.com/news.html. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
6. ^ Andrew Coldron. "Doctor Who Exhibition Newcastle". Doctorwhoexhibitions.com. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/09/newcastle_about.html. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
7. ^ "The Time Machine Doctor Who Museum". http://www.timemachineuk.com./index.html. 
8. ^ Edwards, Gareth (20 March 2010). "Look Who's coming to town: Interactive event brings Time Lord roadshow to Capital". Edinburgh Evening News. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Look-Who39s-coming-to-town.6168157.jp. Retrieved 20 March 2010. 
9. ^ "BBC – Doctor Who (David Tennant and Billie Piper) – News". BBC. 24 September 2003. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2003/09/24/6992.shtml. Retrieved 11 May 2009. 
10. ^ "1983 convention". Richardwho.com. 3 April 1983. http://www.richardwho.com/exhibitions/longleat1983/index.asp. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
11. ^ "Longleat". http://www.thewhoshop.com/longleat-p-2891.html. Retrieved 11 May 2009. 
12. ^ "BBC – Wiltshire Days Out – The Daleks to invade Longleat for Doctor Who Day". BBC. 10 March 2004. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/entertainment/days_out/drwhoday.shtml. Retrieved 11 May 2009. 
13. ^ Harper, Smyth (12 April 2004). "BBC NEWS – England – Lancashire – Blackpool rocks as Who goes there". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/3619657.stm. Retrieved 11 May 2009. 
14. ^ "Blackpool Exhibition Closure". Doctor Who Museum & Exhibitions Website. 2009. http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com/. Retrieved 22 10 2009. 
15. ^ "Dr Who Experience Llangollen". www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk. http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/llangollen.htm. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
16. ^ "MOMI". Dr Who Exhibitions. http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/momi.htm. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
17. ^ "Messenger Newspapers – Dalek invasion at Seacombe". archive.messengernewspapers.co.uk. 28 Sep 2006. http://archive.messengernewspapers.co.uk/2006/9/28/278089.html. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 
18. ^ Murphy, Liam. "Liverpool Daily Post – News – Liverpool News – Daleks leave for good". Liverpool Daily Post. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/01/08/daleks-leave-for-good-64375-18419544/. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 
19. ^ "BBC – Manchester – In pictures – Gallery: Dr Who Up Close". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/image_galleries/300307_drwho_exhibition_gallery.shtml. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 
20. ^ "Dr Who exhibition a hit – News – Days Out – Greater Manchester's CityLife". www.citylife.co.uk. http://www.citylife.co.uk/days_out/news/1312_dr_who_exhibition_a_hit. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 
21. ^ "Leicester Space Centre". www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk. http://www.drwhoexhibitions.co.uk/leicester.htm. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 

• List of Doctor Who exhibitions