National Museums Liverpool has seen a surge in retail sales following the launch of the world premiere of the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition.

Revealing the science behind Doctor Who, the exhibition itself landed in Liverpool this May at the World Museum – creating huge demand for memorabilia from the hit TV show. A pop-up Doctor Who store at the city centre venue and online shop has sold more than 11,000 items since it launched – making history for National Museums Liverpool as its fastest selling retail range.

Memorabilia designed especially for the exhibition and classic gadgets are among the most in-demand items, including an exclusive Gallifreyan alphabet artwork.

Karen O’Connor, National Museums Liverpool’s Director of Commercial Enterprises, said:

Helen Dickey, from the retail team at National Museums Liverpool, added:

As well as hosting the world premiere of the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition, National Museums Liverpool’s venues have also starred as the backdrop for 79, following filming at the Museum of Liverpool with cast members John Bishop and Nadia Albina last year.

National Museums Liverpool looks after some of the most visited museums in England outside of London. It relies on funding, as well as membership, donations and income from retail, venue hire, events and filming, to keep its attractions and the work it does in the community running.

Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder has been extended until 6 November at the World Museum. More information on available at liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/doctorwho

 

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The online shop ihas a number of exclusive Doctor Who items, a couple of which include:

 

The exhibition Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder has opened at World Museum in Liverpool, where it will run from 27 May – 30 October 2022.

This ground-breaking new exhibition explores the science behind Doctor Who and gives fans a chance to experience the Doctor’s adventures from a scientific perspective.

Produced by leading experiential design experts Sarner International under license from BBC Studios, this new exhibition plunges fans of all ages into a scientific universe to explore the ways in which science has played a part in the longest-running science fiction show in the world, Doctor Who. The eight zones set within this educational exhibition cover a diverse selection of exciting scientific topics while drawing in content from across the full canon of the TV show.

Through a range of hands-on immersive experiences and interactive content, visitors can journey through Cosmic Curiosities, while discovering more about the time-traveling Police Box in the TARDIS Tech room, learning about the science behind time travel and whether it really is

possible, or get up close with some of the weird and wonderful characters that have graced our screens in the Monster Vault. The exhibition gives visitors the chance to engage with rare, behind-the-scenes artifacts some of which have been procured from the BBC’s own archive.

VIP contributors to the exhibition include narration from Doctor Who writer and co-creator of BBC’s Sherlock Mark Gatiss, Space Scientist and presenter of BBC’s The Sky At Night Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and Zoë Wanamaker CBE, reprising her role as the iconic Lady Cassandra for the first time since 2006.

Fiona Philpott, Director of Exhibitions at National Museums Liverpool, said:

Ed Cookson, Projects Director, Sarner International:

Doctor Who has a strong connection to Liverpool. Earlier this year, John Bishop joined an impressive list of Liverpool-born actors to appear on the show. The legendary Tom Baker, who grew up on Scotland Road, played the Fourth Doctor in the mid-1970s, assisted by Liverpool actress Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. Paul McGann, of the famous Liverpool acting dynasty, played the Eighth Doctor in a one-off TV film in 1996, later reprising his role in a short film for the BBC Studios series’ 50th anniversary in 2013. And in 2008, Kensington-born David Morrissey played The Next Doctor in a Christmas special alongside David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.

A special Liverpool Connections area within the exhibition delve deeper into the links between the classic TV show and the city of Liverpool. Not only can visitors discover more about the many Merseyside stars who have featured in Doctor Who - from Sir Ken Dodd OBE to John Bishop – but this area will also explore the surprising tale of when the Beatles almost met the Daleks, and the story behind the “Mad Mole” of Edge Hill Joseph Williamson’s inclusion in Season 13 of the TV show.

Adult tickets are priced at £14 in advance or £16 on the day - concession rates apply. Tickets for members are free.

In addition to free entry to the exhibition, members receive limitless free entry to all other exhibitions, discounts in our shops and cafes and invitations to exclusive events.

For further information and to book, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/doctorwho

 

Space scientist, author and presenter of BBC’s The Sky at Night Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE will provide expert analysis and explore the mind-blowing science behind the TV show, through interactive “Ask a Scientist” sections located throughout the exhibition.

Zoë Wanamaker CBE will be reprising her Doctor Who role, lending her voice to an exhibit all about her iconic character Lady Cassandra O’Brien - the last ‘pure’ human who became obsessed with a warped idea of perfection through surgery.

A new ebook looking at the history of the famous Doctor Who Exhibitions at Blackpool. has just been released. 

Blackpool Revisited is the follow-up to the hugely popular Blackpool Remembered, which was released last year. 

This new book charts the history of Doctor Who exhibitions in Blackpool – the original exhibition which ran from 1974 to 1985 and David Boyle’s Doctor Who Museum, which ran from 2004 to 2009.

With an exclusive foreword by Lorne Martin, this ebook is available to download for free.

 

 

 

 

A new Doctor Who Exhibition is being planned for the Welsh Capital by BBC Studios in association with Cardiff Council.

The new Experience is currently in development at Cardiff Castle, in the centre of the city, and due to be operational by the summer of 2019.

Cardiff previously hosted a Doctor Who Exhibition at a location near the TV studios where Doctor Who is made. It closed in 2017 leaving Cardiff council taxpayers with a £1.1 million pound bill.

The new location contains a medieval Norman castle as well as a Victorian Gothic revival mansion and is located in the heart of the city.

Although BBC Worldwide have said there are no plans for a Doctor Who exhibition in Cardiff, the item is listed on the agenda of the Cardiff Council Cabinet this Thursday.

Cardiff council taxpayers have been left with a 1.1 million pound bill following the closure of the Doctor Who Experience, which ran in the city for five years.

The building housing the experience was built by Cardiff City Council, using money from the Welsh Government's Invest to Save Fund, which provides financial support, on a competitive and repayable basis, to public service organisations across Wales. The cost of £2.4 million, was intended to be repaid by receiving a percentage of the exhibition ticket sales. However, it appears that ticket sales were not sufficient for the council to cover its costs, leaving ratepayers to pick up the shortfall.

Councillor Russell Goodway, Cardiff's cabinet member for investment and development, said The building, next door to the BBC Studios at Cardiff Bay, has been empty since the exhibition closed last September.

A spokeswoman for BBC Worldwide said: Adrian Robson, leader of the Conservative opposition on Cardiff Council said:

BBC Worldwide have confirmed that the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff is expected to close next year.

BBC Worldwide told Doctor Who News that the lease for the building that holds the exhibition, which opened in Cardiff in July 2012, will expire next summer. The Doctor Experience opened in London in 2011, before moving to a purpose-built building in the Welsh capital. It is currently situated at Porth Teigr, Cardiff Bay, near the BBC studios where Doctor Who is made.

The site is leased from Cardiff City Council and currently features sets and costumes from the 54-year history of Doctor Who. It is not known if BBC Worldwide will attempt to open the Experience at a different location.

An online petition has been launched to try to save the Experience, as well as a twitter account.

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff have announced themes and events that will take place over the course of the Bank Holiday week (Saturday 28th May through to Saturday 4th June):

• The costume worn by new sidekick Bill, as played by Pearl Mackie in the special introduction broadcast in April will be on display for a limited time.
• The TARDIS memorial for Clara created by Rigsy, seen in the closing moments of Face The Raven, will also be on display.
• The original Davros prop from his premiere story Genesis of the Daleks has been restored, and is presented with details from visual and model effects designer Mike Tucker who undertook the restoration (including the unearthing of the earliest head casts).
• Millennium FX will be on-hand to part-transform visitors into Zygons! (31st May/1st June)
• Visitors are encouraged to cosplay as their favourite companion in order to celebrate the exhibition's Companion Week (and share through social media via @DW_Experience and #BeTheCompanion

For full details visit the Doctor Who Experience website.

As reported in February, BBC Books are to republish a number of Doctor Who novelisations that were originally part of the Target range.

To tie in with their release on the 28th April, the Cartoon Museum in London is to hold an exhibition featuring original artwork from the range:


The exhibition will run between the 28th April and 11th May.

To celebrate the revived interest in what was an essential part of Doctor Who fan reading in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Telos have announced that they will be re-publishing an updated version of David J Howe and Tim Neal's guide to the entire range, also on the 28th April:

David J Howe told us:
The book is available to pre-order from the Telos website.


Forbidden Planet in London will also be holding a book signing on the 23rd April between 1:00pm-2:00pm, featuring the authors Terrance Dicks, Eric Saward, and cover illustrator Chris Achilleos.

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Meanwhile, as well as their literary form, the Target novelisations continue to be released as audiobooks, read by well-known personalities in the Doctor Who world; coming up in the next few months are Death To The Daleks (written by Terrance Dicks and read by Jon Culshaw), The Invasion (Ian Marter, David Troughton), The King's Demons (Terence Dudley, Mark Strickson), The Claws of Axos (Terrance Dicks) and The Sontaran Experiment (Ian Marter).

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff has now been updated to feature props and costumes from the latest series of Doctor Who, shown last year, including the Christmas Special, The Husbands of River Song. Costumes include those worn by the Doctor, Clara, River Song and Ashildr, alongside monsters such as the Mire, Sandmen, the Veil, and Colony Sarff. Displays also include sets such as the Davros Hospital Room and Trap Street.