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An idea for David Tennant’s Tardis was recycled for Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who series

An idea for David Tennant’s Tardis was recycled for Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who series

Part of the design for the Ninth and Tenth Doctors’ Tardis got a rethink for the Thirteenth Doctor's new ship

Jodie Whittaker and the TARDIS in Doctor Who episode The Ghost Monument

BBC / BBC Studios

Huw Fullerton

Published: Tuesday, 16 October 2018 at 1:28 pm

Jodie Whittaker’s new Tardis made its debut in Doctor Who series 11’s second episode, and fans were quick to offer their opinions on its crystal core, handy custard cream dispenser and cool new wall designs.

However, a few also noted its similarities to the Tardis design used in the series from 2005-2010, during the reign of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s Doctors – and according to the man behind the new ship interior, that’s partially because he was trying to put a new spin on the older model’s coral-like, organic elements.

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“As it developed the series referred to [the Tardis] as having been grown,” Arwel Wyn Jones, who designed Whittaker’s ship and worked on the series during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant years, told Radio Times during our exclusive tour of the new interior set.

“But it was still a metal structure where the coral had kind of grown over.”

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And so for his new design, Jones decided to re-use the idea of having a natural, non-mechanical source of the Tardis’ power – but take it to a very different conclusion.

“I kind of tried to flip it, though the basis is kind of the same,” he said.

“To actually move through space and time you’d need an incredible amount of power, so we’re harnessing the power of this time crystal – it’s what actually now drives the Tardis.”

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“The new design is harnessing nature, in a way. Where the metal bits have actually been used to try and contain a natural power source.

“So more like a Faraday cage, if you like," he concluded.

Week 43 Cover no bar code (2)

To find out more about the new Tardis and Jodie Whittaker’s reaction to it, you can pick up a copy of the latest Radio Times in UK shops and online now.

Featuring exclusive on-set interviews with cast and crew AND a look back at every Tardis design to date, it’s a must-read for any Doctor Who fans hoping to learn the inner secrets of the Doctor’s ship.

Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Sundays

Authors

Radio Times commissioning editor Huw Fullerton. He sits in front of a shelving unit, looking at the camera and smiling. He wears glasses and has a moustache

Huw FullertonCommissioning editor

Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.

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