Favourite Tom Settings

[Graceful Leonard]

Tom's doctor had some memorable settings for his stories...

Scotland/Highlands for Zygons
Lighthouse for Fang Rock
Victorian London for Talons
Paris for City of Death
The mansions in Seeds of Doom and Pyramids
The gothic castle/lab for Morbius

...and many more.

Have you a favourite setting?

[Toothy Grin]

I always love seeing Tom's Doctor in outdoor locations, he just seems to look more "out of place" but in a good way. I love the setting for Stones Of Blood - the stone circle setting looks great, also the lovely summery gardens of Androids of Tara, the murky swamps of Power of Kroll and Full Circle, and not forgetting the tropical illusion from Deadly Assassin. I also really love the sandminer setting from Robots of Death - you really believe that the characters are on that sandminer, not just in a studio. The Keeper of Traken is a gorgeous setting too, thanks to the marvellous set design. Also, The Leisure Hive, while it often does look a lot like a studio set, there's one or two shots in there that have a real magical feel, specifically one scene where the Doctor, Romana and Mena are looking through a window onto the surface of Argolis. The lighting in that scene is wonderful, with the golden rays of the planet reflecting on the characters and the model work of the planet really creating the illusion that they really are on another world.

[MCH]

I did like the lighthouse setting. What a hard place for actors, directors and crew. Those lighthouses are small and cramped. At least any I have been to have been. A great hazard for a tall peep. A lot of places to smack your head against cold hard steel. I did once climbing back down through a portal at the top and I'm short. I think I have a permanent divot where my head bone hit the steel plate.

I bet those times filming in the quarries were fun. Always rambling over rocks. Hmm, I don't recall the episode or place but there was a place were he was in some soggy area that had grasses above his head. All I could think was I hope he didn't get sliced by that stuff. I think K9 had to stay in the TARDIS because he couldn't navigate the terrain.

They seemed to be in a lot of dusty, rocky or sandy places.

The New Who recently filmed in Monument Valley Utah. It is a very well used back drop for many movies, etc. And it is a beautiful area, but I think there were other places near there that would have looked more alien. But then I think they were supposed to be there on earth. Bryce Canyon is really awesome with the outlandish colors and rock formations. There are places were the rocks that look like mushrooms or strangely shaped humanoid figures.

I'd like to see them film in a place like on the Olympic peninsula in Washington State. There are 200 foot tall trees dripping with mosses that hang twenty or thirty feet from the branches. Large ferns about four feet tall spread their ancient looking leaves towards what light they can get. Six inch yellow green banana slugs slime the forest floor. And the coast is adorned with rocky shores that have sea stacks piercing the sea just off shore. Gigantic driftwood litters the beaches. Fog banks silently drift in and blankets the area with moist grey air. Majestic snow capped mountains stand above all else with fields of wild flowers on their shoulders. Yep, it would be a great place to film a Doctor Who episode. Or to just go and visit, lol.
MCH