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Bill's Introduction to the TARDIS Created History for 'Doctor Who' — It Will Never Happen Again

Bill Potts was introduced to the TARDIS in such a unique way that the BBC will never do it again. But why?

By Lewis JefferiesPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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'Doctor Who' [Credit: BBC]

Doctor Who is known for its quirky characters, terrifying creatures and stunning landscapes, but even more special is when the Doctor's newest companion steps into the TARDIS for the very first time. Since Doctor Who was revived back in 2005, the Doctor's companions usually stumble into the blue box, and their jaw instantly drops with shock. Following their shock encounter, the companion darts back out of the TARDIS to run around the exterior of it, to then realize it is much bigger on the inside.

However, the current companion, Bill Potts (played by Pearl Mackie) was introduced to the TARDIS in such a unique way that the BBC will never do it again. But why?

A Risky But Successful Idea

'Doctor Who' [Credit: BBC]

When Bill first saw the iconic blue telephone box, she was lead to believe that the TARDIS was just there for display, and a crane was used to place it in the Doctor's university office. However, when the Doctor's office became under attack by the water creature known as the Pilot, the Doctor and Bill had no option but to escape his office and the Pilot via the TARDIS.

Panicking because she thinks anything can get through the wooden doors with windows, Bill's life is about to change forever. Interestingly, the BBC used a very specific camera angle for this scene they've revealed they'll never attempt to do again.

When the Doctor and Bill enter the TARDIS, it is pitch black. The Doctor has all the lights switched off, which is rare. This is because he hasn't used his time machine in a long while due to being a lecturer at Bill's university. As the scene promptly continues, the camera pans back to the rear end of the TARDIS as the lights begin to gradually flick on.

As fantastic as this camera angle is, it has been said it is unlikely to ever happen again. In order for the shot to be carried out, a large section of the TARDIS set was dismantled. This was so camera operators could be sat at the back waiting for the camera to arrive. A zip line was then hung up through the studio, upon which the camera would swing, revealing the marvelous TARDIS interior. While this shot was quite risky, the showrunners were very pleased with how it turned out and that no one was hurt in the process.

Also, it was revealed that the bright, neon lights in the TARDIS studio take a rather long time to switch off and then quickly switch on again. The #DoctorWho crew were limited to the amount of times they could carry out this creative angle, primarily because continuous retakes would risk blowing a bulb somewhere in the studio, meaning less shooting time.

Final Thoughts

With this shot only happening once on Doctor Who, it's clear that it will be extremely difficult to top this sequence. That is, unless incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall has something even more impressive lined up.

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About the Creator

Lewis Jefferies

MA Media and Communication graduate from the University of Portsmouth - Massive Doctor Who Fan.

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