Description
Book SynopsisThe long-running popular TV series
Doctor Who is, Piers Britton argues, a ''uniquely design intensive text'': its time-and-space-travel premise requires that designers be tirelessly imaginative in devising new worlds and entities and recreating past civilizations. While
Doctor Who's attempts at worldbuilding are notorious for being hit-and-miss old jokes about wobbly walls and sink plungers die hard the distinctiveness of the series' design imagery is beyond question. And over the course of six decades
Doctor Who has produced designs which are not only iconic but, in being repeatedly revisited and updated, have proven to be an ever-more important element in the series' identity and mythos.In the first in-depth study of
Doctor Who's costumes, sets and graphics, Piers Britton offers an historical overview of both the original and the revived series, explores theoretical frameworks for evaluating
Doctor Who design, and provides detailed analysis of key
Trade ReviewBritton's book highlights the important role played by design throughout the various incarnations of
Doctor Who, providing both a fresh perspective on the long-running series and a robust model for future research into this neglected area of media studies. -- Richard Hewett, University of Salford, UK
Whether you’re a
Doctor Who fan or a design student – perhaps even an attentive student of
Doctor Who or a passionate design fan –
Design for Doctor Who is for you. Expertly and innovatively bringing together design studies and ‘
Doctor Who studies’, Piers Britton restores the importance of the visual to understanding this long-running TV show. -- Professor Matt Hills, University of Huddersfield, UK
Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface PART 1: A CRITICAL DESIGN HISTORY OF DOCTOR WHO Introduction: Why a history of Doctor Who design? 1. The London Period – Lime Grove 1963 to Television Centre 1989 2. The TVM, and the Cardiff Period – Upper Boat Studios 2004 to Roath Lock 2020 Postlude PART 2: THIRTEEN KEY DESIGNS - A PERSONAL VIEW Introduction 3. Formative and Enduring Images 4. Design of the Times PART 3: WHAT’S AT STAKE IN DESIGN FOR DOCTOR WHO Introduction 5. The Work of Design in the Doctor Who Narrative 6. Responding to Design for Doctor Who – Evaluation and Transformations LAST THOUGHTS Notes
