Those who grew up watching the Dr. Who series in the 1960s will fondly recall the blue police box – TARDIS. Dr. Who was a very popular British Sci-fi drama that created a cult following. The popular series was renewed in 2005 and still continuing.
One of the remarkable aspects of the series was the blue police box, which by no means was an ordinary box. It is a combination of time machine and spacecraft. TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. The series has a fan following all over the world and had merchandise to its name. You can actually buy a life size TARDIS for yourself. There are numerous Dr. Who and TARDIS t-shirt designs as well for the die-hard fans.
For those who are new to Dr. Who
Dr. Who was a huge part of people’s life that grew up watching the series in the 1960’s. Even the later generations couldn’t stop getting affected by its enchantment.
Here is a quick recap of the original story……
Dr. Who is a science fiction series that follows the story a rogue Time Lord from the far away galaxy, Gallifrey. Time Lords are an extra-terrestrial being, a vastly advanced civilization. This Time Lord is simply known as The Doctor. Not the one to follow rules, he runs away with a stolen TARDIS. TARDIS is a time machine that can travel anywhere in space and time. After travelling in various time periods, he ultimately settles to like the humans, which is apparent when he chooses them for his time travel adventures.
TARDIS comes with a chameleon button that can camouflage the machine into resembling the surroundings. But, while travelling on earth, the button breaks down and it permanently takes the appearance of a blue police box – its most popular identity till date. The Doctor uses TARDIS to travel for adventure and occasionally saves humans from the evil powers. He can also accidently or on purpose change history by travelling through time.
Dr. Who also has a very special power – to regenerate his body when it’s mortally damaged or old self cannot be repaired. This allows him to take a new identity and this also has helped the series continue to this day with various actors taking the role of Dr. Who. The concept of regeneration started when the first lead actor to play Dr. Who, William Hartnell was becoming ill. The Doctor also has a number of enemies namely the Daleks, the Cybermen,.
Now, to the TARDIS
TARDIS is the star of the series along with Dr. Who. The blue police box of the 1960’s has created such a fan following that it has become a point of reference in many TV series and movies where time travel is discussed. From where the TARDIS comes, the civilization is very advanced. It is a very advanced technology that humans can only dream of as of now.
TARDIS can transport its occupants to any part of the universe, time and space. As it has permanently taken the shape of the blue police box, it does not look very extraordinary. But, the insides are quite spacious compared to the exterior. It is a smart spaceship with resources like it can provide the users with abilities like the universal translation system based on telepathy.
On the interesting note, the name TARDIS is a registered trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Influence in the Popular Culture
As of now, the Dr. Who series is the longest running TV series in Britain and perhaps in the world. Currently, it is on season 36. It has huge merchandise to its name ranging from clothes, like t-shirts to jewelry, toys, videos games and most popular of all the life size TARDIS.
The Dr Who t-shirts are quite popular with fans who love everything about the series. There are numerous designs from funny to adorable to gratify the fans.
If you are a science fiction geek and particularly crazy about time travel, then Dr Who is the one for you. Complete with adventurous journey, this series has surely evolved to entertain several generations. Even after 50 years, the series is still continuing to entertain the masses. It is no small feat.