Doctor Who exhibition

This article covers a number of exhibitions organised by the BBC celebrating the rich world of Doctor Who.

Early exhibitions
Early in Doctor Who's broadcast schedule the Daleks were extremely popular. In 1964, to capitalise on the success of the Daleks' popularity the Daily Mail newspaper approached the BBC and suggested that Doctor Who be represented as part of the Daily Mail's "Boys & Girls Exhibition at Olympia", this was an annual event held by the paper.

Thus was the first public appearance by the Daleks, the show opened in December 1964. The BBC loaned 2 Dalek props both which had a prerecorded soundtrack accompanying them. It continued to operate through into 1965.

In 1967 and through into 1968, building on the success of their previous exhibition in 1964/5, this exhibition was again part of the Daily Mail's "Boys & Girls Exhibition". However this time it featured a much larger array of aliens from the series with not just the Daleks included this time, but also;
 * Yeti
 * Cybermen
 * Ice Warriors
 * Group of Rills
 * Mire Beast
 * Fungoid

The winning designs from the Blue Peter Design-a-Monster competition were also on display, having already featured on Blue Peter.

=BBC Special Effects Exhibition (1972)-(1973)=
 * See main article BBC tv Special Effects Exhibition

This was the earliest proper BBC Exhibition to feature Doctor Who and was opened in December 1972 at the Science Museum in Kensington, London.

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=The Doctor Who Blackpool Exhibition (1974-1985)=
 * See main article Doctor Who Exhibition Blackpool

=The Doctor Who Longleat Exhibition (1974-2003)=
 * Held at Longleat House, the stately home near Warminster in Wiltshire, and home to the Marquess of Bath, which also included Britains first safari park and garden maze it was open to the public along with other attractions held on the grounds.
 * Also opened in 1974 this slightly smaller than the Blackpool exhibition ran as a permanent exhibition daily from Easter through to 30th October the exhibition ran until, longer than the Blackpool Exhibition which closed in 1985.
 * Promoted in continuity announcements at the time, following the programme broadcasts.
 * Through a TARDIS-shaped entrance visitors followed the exhibition through a range of various displays of props, costumes, and models towards a working prop of the console room with console, before reaching the shop at the end.
 * The Daleks, Cybermen and K-9 were among regular exhibts.
 * A promotional item on Blue Peter in 1980 saw presenter Tina Heath encounter the Virus Nucleus and John Nathan-Turner previewing the forthcoming Season 18.

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=Doctor Who Twentieth Anniversary Event (1983)=
 * This was a phenomenally successful two-day event held over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in April at Longleat House.
 * Longleat House was chosen as the venue to stage this event largely because of the space available.
 * 50,000 people were expected to attend – 35,000 turned up on the first day alone. Packed to capacity, even more people were turned away at the gate.

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=The Doctor Who Experience 1980-198X)=
 * This special display at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London opened on 29 August 1980. Its original run through to 31st March 1981 was greatly extended and it finally closed in 198X.
 * The exhibition was designed by Michael Wright who headed a team from Madame Tussaud's.
 * Exhibits included wax reproductions of;
 * The Fourth Doctor
 * Romana II
 * K-9
 * Davros
 * Dalek
 * Sontaran
 * Nimon
 * Foamasi
 * Meglos
 * Marshman


 * The Meglos and Fourth Doctor exhibs, both skulptured by Judith Craig, makes Tom Baker the first person to share two wax works of the same person at the same time.

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=Space Adventure Exhibition (1988-1989)=
 * This venue's main attraction was a space shuttle simulation ride.
 * When the Doctor Who USA Tour had finished a number of exhibs were moved here.
 * Opened on 15th November 1988 this relatively small display of props and costumes from recent stories and a replica TARDIS consolewas short lived when the company behind Space Adventures ran into financial difficulties and the venue was closed down the following year.
 * Exhibts (many animated) included;
 * Sontaran
 * Special Weapons Dalek
 * Kandyman
 * Cybermen (Earthshock version)
 * Further exhibs were added the following year including;
 * Emperor Dalek
 * Sea Devil
 * Silurian
 * Plasmaton
 * Tractator

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=Doctor Who Touring Exhibition=
 * After several years in the planning this £2 million venture, a co-operation between Lionheart Television International (the BBC USA Distributors) and Monarch International (the BBC's US Exhibition and Promotions Agent)finally came to fruition.
 * The Tour served three fuctions, to thank the American fans for their support, to promote the television series and to be a commercial venue in its own right.
 * Launched on 9th May 1986, at Elstree, this 48 foot trailer (too large for UK roads) was launched in a blaze of publicity and shipped over from Liverpool to New York to begin a USA tour starting in Washington.
 * At the Elstree launch were; Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Janet Fielding, producer John Nathan-Turner and artist Andrew Skilleter
 * The exhibition was intended to run for two years (on the road for half the week, sited for the rest at different venues), but ran short. That it ran at all was questioned when the vehicle was damaged during shipping from the UK.
 * With Bessie and a Dalek pitched up at the side along with merchandising, visitors were charged an entrance fee to the main exhibition.
 * The trailer was made by a firm called Vanplan in Warrington.
 * The external mural was painted by Andrew Skilleter and featured the Dark Tower on Gallifrey.
 * Exhibits included;
 * Dalek
 * Silurian
 * Sea Devil
 * Sontaran
 * K-9
 * Tractator
 * The Ergon

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=Doctor Who Experience, Llangollen, Wales (1995 -2003)=
 * This was the largest exhibition to date with a permenant display of all the remaining costumes and props from the television series, including the Eighth Doctor (TV movie) from 1996.
 * After a very successful run the exhibition closed in 2003.
 * Exhibits included;
 * 1960s colour movie Daleks
 * Mandrel
 * Mona Lisa painting
 * The TARDIS console (The Five Doctors onwards version)
 * Bessie
 * Magma Beast
 * Morbius
 * Drathro
 * Haemovore
 * Kandyman
 * Fifi
 * Gods of Ragnarok
 * Gundan Warrior
 * Special Weapons Dalek
 * Time Lord
 * Gallifryan Guard
 * Doctor costumes (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th)
 * Cybermen (Earthshock versions)
 * Malus
 * Melkur
 * Boris the Spider
 * Argolin
 * Kroll
 * K-9 and Coven Leader Hecate
 * Mummy Sarcorphagus

and assorted props

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=Behind the Sofa The Doctor Who Exhibition at MOMI the Museum of Moving Image (1991-1992)=
 * This London Exhibition was launched in July 1991 with former companions Carole Ann Ford, Wendy Padbury, Sophie Aldred and Bonnie Langford cutting a Dalek-shaped cake designed and made by Jane Asher.
 * So sucessful was the exhibition that its three month run was extended to just under a year before moving to other locations around the UK.
 * Highlights of this exhibition included the recreation of a 1960's living room and a Kraag from the unbroadcast adventure Shada (TV story.

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=Doctor Who Up-Close Exhibitions, Cardiff=
 * The Up-Close Exhibitions are all run by 'Experience Design'
 * Voted the number one attraction in Cardiff this exhibition opened in December 2005
 * While the Cardiff Exhibition was the largest of these exhibitions, smaller exhibitions have been run across the country since Doctor Who re-appeared on television in 2005.
 * Venues include;
 * Cardiff Bay, Wales: Opened December 2005 – Remains OPEN indefinitely.

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=Doctor Who Up-Close Exhibition(2007)=
 * Land’s End: Opened 7 April 2007 – Remains OPEN

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=From Script to Screen The Art of Doctor Who Exhibition (2008-2009)=
 * This exhibition at the Spaceport, Merseyside built on the success of its previous exhibition returning twice the size and ran from 23 May 2008 to 1st March 2009.

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=Other Exhibitions to be added=
 * National Space Centre, Leicester: 12 November 2007 to 6 January 2008
 * MOSI, Manchester: 31 March 2007 to 6 January 2008
 * Earls Court, London: Easter 2008 to 7th January 2009* Spaceport, Merseyside: 30 September 2006 to 4 January 2007
 * Up Close, Manchester
 * Doctor Who Exhibition, Brighton Pier: May 2005 to November 2005
 * Doctor Who Exhibition, National Space Centre,
 * Leicester: Christmas 2006
 * Liverpool Garden Festival
 * Brighton Pier exhibition
 * Leicester Space Centre Exhibition