10 Times Doctor Who Reused Footage And Hoped You Wouldn't Notice

9. Multiplied Maldovarium

Doctor Who reused footage Rose Tyler The Poison Sky Midnight
BBC Studios

The rip-roaring opening to The Pandorica Opens contains callbacks to many of the Doctor’s recent adventures, with cameos from Vincent Van Gogh, Winston Churchill, Professor Bracewell, Liz 10, and River Song.

We also meet a new character who will go on to become a fan-favourite: the blue-skinned black marketeer, Dorium Maldovar.

We first meet Dorium in his base of operations, The Maldovarium (Doctor Who’s answer to the Star Wars cantina). Despite appearing very briefly, this location makes a huge impact – in no small part due to the swanky establishing shot that introduces it.

So, when Dorium and the Maldovarium returned in the following series' A Good Man Goes to War – this time for a rendezvous with Madame Kovarian – it made perfect sense to press that shot back into service.

And that’s exactly what they did, reusing the asset albeit in a modified form. The colour grading was tweaked, and the passing spaceship and exterior lights were removed, to indicate that the venue was shutting down.

Doctor Who A Good Man Goes To War The Maldovarium
BBC Studios

The Maldovarium would make one more onscreen appearance, in Series 9’s The Magician’s Apprentice. Once again the shot was recycled, this time with a much murkier colour grade.

Doctor Who The Magician's Apprentice The Maldovarium
BBC Studios

Not a bad innings for a shot (and a location) conceived for a one-off appearance!

 
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