As has become the norm in the revived series of Doctor Who, the interior of the Time Lord’s time machine regenerated along with the Doctor herself last season. The same design for the TARDIS will continue to be used for Jodie Whittaker’s second run as the Thirteenth Doctor, starting next month, as well, but it’s been given a spruce-up all the same. And ahead of season 12’s premiere in a couple of weeks, these images reveal the revamped inside of the box.
The photos – seen below – come our way via RadioTimes.com, who’ve shared an exclusive report on the TARDIS’ new makeover, with interviews with the cast and crew on hand to explain all the changes. The renovation of the time ship has been overseen by incoming production designer Dafydd Shurmer, replacing season 11’s Arwel Wyn Jones, who left the show to work on the BBC’s new Dracula series. Wyn Jones’ honeycomb-like design has been retained, but new elements have been introduced throughout.
A notable development is the addition of another level to the TARDIS, with some stairs leading up to a raised balcony that overlooks the console area. “Some important things are gonna happen on those steps!” teased showrunner Chris Chibnall. In response to criticisms that the set looked too dark and cramped in the last season, producer Nikki Wilson revealed that they aimed to make the space feel more “infinite” this time around. They did this by adding additional hexagon lights as well as a new roof above the central column.
In the photo of the console, you can see a couple of black boxes attached to it on either side. When in use, these produce a vapor which, when combined with a mini-projector, make up some hi-tech screens – smoke-screens, literally – that should produce a unique visual effect. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is that the Doctor’s custard cream dispenser is still around.
Be sure to catch the revamped TARDIS in action when Doctor Who season 12 kicks off on BBC One/America this New Year’s Day.
