Doctor Who Experience (London/Cardiff)

The Doctor Who Experience was one of the largest and most ambitious Doctor Who exhibitions ever staged. Featuring props and costumes from throughout its 47 year history it also feature one new and different element; an interactive story in which people could take part and become part of the adventure.

Overview
A huge exhibition with both interactive elements and exhibition elements from throughout Doctor Whos history. Covering over 4000 square metres of space this large exhibition covers all of Doctor Who history. With walk through parts of the exhibition and part where the audience becomes a part of the interactive story with Matt Smith as the Doctor taking part in interactive video! "It will also be the first time that Doctor Who artefacts from all the show's 47 year history - classic and new - will be on display together, many of them being seen for the first time. And never mind that, this is the day the Doctor teaches you how to fly the TARDIS through time and space, and takes you into battle with all his deadliest enemies in a brand new adventure."

- Steven Moffat

Notable elements
There were two separate portions to this exhibition, an interactive story and a free-flow exhibition. With the interactive portion taking 30 minutes to complete.

Part of the interactive element included a 3D presentation "The whole concept of the Doctor Who Experience is massively exciting! I hope as many people as possible enjoy boarding the TARDIS next year to embark upon an exhilarating and sometimes terrifying adventure through time and space."

- Matt Smith

Interactive story
The visitors are being shown various artifacts (most from the Doctor's past) by a Node. Suddenly, alarms ring and the Doctor appears on a screen. He explains he has been trapped inside the Pandorica II, and he's angry at it being the same colour. The Doctor uses his Sonic Screwdriver to materialise the TARDIS in Starship UK. The Shoppers pass a Smiler and enter the TARDIS. Several shoppers operate the TARDIS controls and the TARDIS lands in a Dalek Flying Saucer. The Supreme Dalek and two Drone Daleks capture the shoppers, and a screen appears showing the Daleks. The Doctor appears on the screen, bargaining with the Daleks to release them. A few minutes later, Daleks that survived the destruction of the Crucible attack the new Dalek Paradigm, who are most likely hunting down and destroying them as they did to the Ironside Daleks, as they see them "impure". The Crucible Daleks counter that they are the children of Davros himself. They attack their ship and on the screen, a space battle rages. The Shoppers escape in the TARDIS and it lands in a corridor. They go through it and find a forest (like the one on the Byzantium) and find two Weeping Angels (one created by an image). The Doctor tells them to keep running and they run back into the TARDIS. The last stop is the location of the Pandorica II, and the Doctor is now free. As they watch him on a screen, the Pandorica II opens and it flies through the vortex. Daleks, Weeping Angels and Cybermen attack them, but eventually they escape them and the shoppers are returned to Starship UK.

Exhibition
The exhibition covers the whole gamut of Doctor Who dating all the way back to 1963 with exhibitions from every era of Doctor Who. With a large amount of original props that the BBC has had in storage that have been unable to feature in previous smaller exhibitions being featured at this exhibition.


 * Fifth/Sixth/Seventh Doctor era TARDIS console and set. (This is a genuine original set).
 * Ninth/Tenth era TARDIS console set. (Also an original set)
 * Eleventh Doctor TARDIS console set (replica of set in Cardiff)
 * An original Ice Warrior costume worn by Bernard Bresslaw in 1967., Sixth Doctor costume (coat is a reproduction, but trousers, shirt, waistcoat and cravat original) , Seventh Doctor costume (original), Eighth Doctor costume (replica) , Ninth Doctor costume (may be original), Tenth Doctor costume (original made from the trouser material)
 * Police Box prop is the Mark 1 fibreglass prop used from 1980-1989
 * Recreation of BBC Wales Art Department room.
 * Daleks from all eras; a The Daleks era Dalek (replica), a The Evil of the Daleks Emperor's guard Dalek (replica), a Genesis of the Daleks era Dalek, a Special Weapons Dalek from Remembrance of the Daleks and bronze post-2005 Dalek, the Eternal Dalek and an Ironside Dalek both from Victory of the Daleks.
 * K1 Robot.
 * Sontarans from The Invasion of Time, The Two Doctors and The Poison Sky.
 * A wax model of Matt Smith.
 * The Silence.
 * Melkur from DW: The Keeper of Traken.

Promotion

 * A stunt was staged on the 24th November 2010 to promote the Experience, featuring Cybus Cybermen marching in front of St Paul's Cathedral, mimicking a scene in DW: The Invasion and travelling on the London Underground trains.
 * Matt Smith opened the exhibit on 20th February 2011.