10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child

4. The TARDIS Fell Victim To Budget Cuts Very Early On

Doctor Who An Unearthly Child
BBC

Doctor Who was originally conceived as an educational show. This accounted for the roles of Susan's two teachers. Ian Chesterton was a science teacher, while Barbara Wright was a history teacher. The Doctor would take audiences through time and space, helping them understand various new tricks.

The TARDIS then would be a part of this, with the ship's chameleon circuit allowing it to take the form of something that would be relevant to each different story. However, the production team quickly realized that this was unlikely to be much of a runner, as the cost involved in creating a new prop for each new serial was sure to spiral out of control.

So, for An Unearthly Child, it was decided that the TARDIS had a faulty chameleon circuit. This would explain why, having chosen the form of a police box, it remained that way forever. Later incarnations added extra levels to this, including perception filters, while in the very beginning, the police box looks perfectly at home in the junkyard. Admittedly, it looks a little less at home on the barren wasteland that the episode ends on...

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"