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Ex-Pendable — TARDIS Secondary Console
Published: 2013-07-16 23:28:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 2012; Favourites: 9; Downloads: 5
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Description
From the Dr. Who TV series' 14th season, the Secondary Console - or at least, the closest I've managed so far. Constructed in Sketchup, then rendered in Kerkythea. Needs a better texture for the wood.Related content
Comments: 10
Even though I can't help but feel that steampunk is starting to feel a little overdone these days, this is by far the best console the original series had. The secondary console room had a wonderful feel and the controls here feel nice and inscrutable and at the same time nice and tactile. The only thing I dislike about it is a lack of a time rotor. Also, let's not forget that it was steampunk in *1976*.
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If I understand it right, there can only be one primary time rotor, set directly over the primary engines. This was an auxiliary system, located 4.8 miles away from the Primary Console Room. It's controlling the primary time rotor remotely - but yeah, I wanted to see a time rotor on this too, not a shaving mirror. The plinth was hollow and I think the intent was to mount one inside, but for some reason (probably budget) they didn't.
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If I remember rightly it was supposed to have some sort of equipment that rose out of the console when the TARDIS took off and sank back inside when it landed, but it didn't do the constant up-and-down motion which was forever breaking down on the original console prop. The idea was that the circle cut into the top of the console would actually have a metal iris that would open up for this, which does sound extremely snazzy. However, budget, time and complexity seemed to have done for this idea. Such a pity the console only last one season too, I like to think that if it had gone on for another year we'd have seen them actually finish the secondary console room set with the planned lights behind the stained glass windows and the extra devices on the console.
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It would have been nice - but the secondary console and room was never intended to be more than a stopgap while they repaired and updated the props damaged in storage. Once the Season 14 was over, they removed the panels and smashed the console.
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I thought they abandoned it due to a production team change and because the walls warped in storage between seasons?
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There's a couple of different stories. One was they wanted a smaller set that was easier to store. Then when the new production team came in, they opted for a more traditional Dr. Who set, painting what they could white, and smashing the rest, including the console, which got tossed into the skip. There were later regrets.
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I should jolly well hope so.
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The Tardis Handbook claims previous console rooms took up a lot of space, so they decided to go with a smaller console room in Season 14. Unfortunately, these wooden walls warped in storage and that's why they scrapped this set.
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I can imagine that being an issue in the 60s when the console room set was still huge, but surely it was much smaller by the mid-70s?
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I'm sure it was, but consider how little actually takes place inside the Tardis? This is a story about time and space travel - so most of the time the action takes place "outside", either on location or on a temporary set. The Console room is important in every episode so rates a permanent set, but beyond a bit of corridor, seeing the internal rooms are few and far between (One of the reasons why I love the "The Doctor's Wife" and "Journey to the Center of the Tardis".) Most of the rooms like the garage or Amy and Rory's room are mentioned but are never seen.
The unfortunate reality is that with a limited amount of studio space available, every inch they can spare from the permanent sets (which is the console room) can be used to make larger temporary sets. And rooms mentioned but seldom seen can be left to the viewer's imagination which uses hardly any studio space and makes very little impact on the budget.
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