The long-running popular TV seriesDoctor Whois, 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. WhileDoctor 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 decadesDoctor Whohas 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 ofDoctor Who's costumes, sets and graphics, Piers Britton offers an historical overview of both the original and the revived series, explores theoretical frameworks for evaluatingDoctor Whodesign, and provides detailed analysis of key images. Case studies include the visual morphology ofDoctor Who's historical adventures, the evaluative character of cosplay, and the ongoing significance for theDoctor Whobrand of such high-profile designs as the Daleks and the TARDIS interior, the 'time-tunnel' title sequence, and the costumes of the Fourth and Thirteenth Doctors.
Piers D. Brittonis Professor and Director of Media & Visual Culture Studies at the University of Redlands, Southern California, USA. He is the author of
TARDISbound(I.B.Tauris, 2011) and co-author of
Reading Between Designs: Visual Imagery and the Generation of Meaning in The Avengers, The Prisoner and Doctor Who(2003).
Britton's book highlights the important role played by design throughout the various incarnations ofDoctor 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 SalfolÓ
![Design for Doctor Who: Vision and Revision in Science Fiction Television [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/6/3/2/2_7166233.jpg "Design for Doctor Who: Vision and Revision in Science Fiction Television [Paperback]")