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BBC Worldwide

Doctor Who Experience

The first ever immersive Doctor Who-branded experience invited visitors to step through a crack in time and become part of their very own adventure across time and space. A ground-breaking BBC Worldwide attraction, the Doctor Who Experience featured powerful production sequences along with spectacular set design and the very latest in AV technology and special effects for an out-of-this-world branded destination. 

Sarner designed and created the original Doctor Who Experience in London and also updated the attraction for its new home in Cardiff. Our ongoing work with the BBC reflects our belief in the importance of having a strong creative collaboration with our client on any given project to ensure its success. Having trusted us with their most important stories, we are still regularly working on key new BBC-branded attractions, with our recent immersive, interactive Doctor Who environment at Madame Tussauds Blackpool launched in 2018.

Location
London, Cardiff and Blackpool, UK
Services
- Concept Design & Visualisation - Scheme & Detailed Design - Project Engineering & Technical Design - Interior Design - Lighting, Audio, Video, Network Design - Set and Staging Design - Interactive Technologies - Graphics - Lighting - Audiovisual - Theming - Art Direction - Installation Supervision - Special effects, 4D Vibration, Movement & Smell - Programming - Construction & Installation - Support & Maintenance - Ongoing Upgrades and Extensions - Training
Awards
AV Awards - Grand Prix Winner for contribution to industry development; AV Awards - Consumer Installation; AudioPRO Industry Excellence Awards - Installation Innovation; National Tourism Awards for Wales - Finalist
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Client's brief

Produced by the BBC, Doctor Who is the world’s longest running science fiction television series, following the adventures of an eccentric time traveller and his alien encounters. A key feature of the show is the Doctor’s TARDIS, a time machine that takes on the appearance of a vintage police phone box. 

The brief for the Doctor Who Experience was to create an exciting and innovative visitor attraction that would capture the essence of the TV show and wow long-term Doctor Who fans and new adherents to the franchise of all ages, while also being fully automated.

It was decided that the Doctor Who Experience was to open to the public initially for one year at London’s Olympia, where it attracted an impressive 25,000 paying visitors in its first month. After its London run, the attraction was relocated to a more permanent home in Cardiff with a five year lease.

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Our solution

An immersive out-of this-world adventure

The one to two-hour experience, which uses a mix of 3D projection, a hydraulic motion floor and CGI animation, is in two parts – a 30-minute immersive timed dark walk experience and a freeflow exhibition area. The immersive show is designed to envelop all the senses and puts the visitor at the heart of the action in their very own, exclusive, Doctor Who episode. Visitors step through a crack in time to become the Doctor’s companion, taking on the challenge of reuniting the Doctor with the TARDIS whilst fending off threats from some of his most fearsome foes. The interactive walk-through culminates in a stunning 3D finale featuring monsters from the different Doctor Who series. Following their adventure, visitors enter a freeflow exhibition which charts the success of the show from the first series in 1963 to the recent episodes. This comprises interactive areas, displays and the largest collection of Doctor Who props and exhibits ever assembled in one place.

Features

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Following the pre-show film the screen splits in half, and the audience is invited into the heart of the story. After a briefing from the Doctor, the TARDIS screeches into view from behind a bookcase and guests step inside, where everything is larger than they expect – just like on the TV show. A motion base provides an added thrill as the TARDIS takes flight. Visitors continue their journey through a series of story-telling sets that use 3D talking heads and transition gauzes.
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During the Dalek battle, which pitches two generations of the Doctor’s oldest adversaries against one another, audiences witness a spectacular space vista combining CGI footage with a 24-metre painted backdrop. Later the Daleks reappear alongside the Weeping Angels in a 3D film.
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For its much anticipated launch in its new location in Cardiff, BBC Worldwide called upon Sarner once again to extend and update the award-winning Doctor Who Experience to include a newly scripted storyline starring the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi. Visitors now started their journey in the Gallifrey Museum and became part of an interactive adventure with the Twelfth Doctor. We used wearable technology to deliver a dramatic, immersive experience for the fans: each visitor was given a Time Crystal pendant which interacts with the show and allows the visitor to become even further immersed and invested into the story.
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In 2018, Madame Tussauds Blackpool launched a new immersive Doctor Who area, designed and built by Sarner in collaboration with Merlin Entertainments and BBC Studios. The star of the new attraction was a new wax figure replica of the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker. Visitors journey through four themed zones with the opportunity to experience a variety of aspects of the world-famous television show.

Behind the scenes

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AV Awards - Grand Prix Winner

AV Awards - Consumer Installation

Awards and recognition

'Sarner took all of our fans’ comments on board and promised us an amazing visitors’ attraction. The final build has far exceeded our expectation. We believe that this will be the journey of a lifetime for children of all ages who have always dreamt of being a part of the Doctor Who adventure.'
Philip Murphy Managing Director for Live Events, BBC Worldwide
'Sarner has worked wonders to deliver a magical show that captivates and excites every visitor. Their whole team has been a pleasure to work alongside and their knowledge and expertise ensured we were up and running within the given timescale.'
Jeff Parker Event Manager, BBC Worldwide
'Sarner surpassed our expectations with their creative proposal. We were also impressed by their project management expertise and technical knowledge. The launch of the Doctor Who Experience has been an outstanding success and has been attracting thousands of visitors each week, with people travelling from all over the world to visit this unique attraction. We’re extremely proud of this exhibition and feel that the awards Sarner has won for the Doctor Who Experience are extremely well deserved.'
Paula Al-Lach Head of Exhibitions and Events, BBC Worldwide

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