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Tardis
RealWorld
TC8

The list of stories recorded at BBC Television Centre is a long one. No other studio had such a wide-ranging and long-lived association with Doctor Who. What follows is a breakdown, by studio number (and, within each studio's listing, by release date) of which stories were recorded where within Television Centre. Note that many stories were recorded in multiple studios, so many episodes appear several times in this list. Some significant facts about various stories are pointed out in the footnotes.

Stories recorded at BBC Television Centre, by studio
Studio Story
TC0/TMS Not opened until July 1989; primarily used for musical television and Cbeebies
TC1
Opened 1961
colour-capable from 1968
The Wheel in Space[1]The War GamesDoctor Who and the Silurians[2][3]The Ambassadors of Death[2]The Three DoctorsPlanet of the Daleks[4]The Time Warrior[2]Planet of the Spiders[5][6][2][4]The Ark in Space[2][1][7]Genesis of the DaleksRevenge of the Cybermen[2]The Brain of Morbius[4][1][2]The Robots of Death[1]The Talons of Weng-Chiang[2]The Androids of Tara[2]Destiny of the DaleksThe Leisure Hive[2]Castrovalva[2]Arc of Infinity[2][8]Terminus[1]Enlightenment[8][1]The King's Demons[2][8]The Two Doctors[2]Revelation of the Daleks[2]Mindwarp[2]Terror of the Vervoids[2][1]The Ultimate Foe[2][8]Time and the Rani[2]Paradise Towers[2]Dragonfire[2][1]
TC2 This small studio was one of the last to be made colour-capable, then spent the 1970s as storage space. Home to news programming for the last two years of original run of Doctor Who.
TC3
Opened 1960
colour-capable from 1969
The Aztecs[8][1]The Sensorites[1]The Daleks' Master Plan[8]The Wheel in Space[1]The DominatorsThe Mind RobberDoctor Who and the Silurians[2][3]The Ambassadors of Death[2]InfernoThe Mind of Evil[2]The Claws of Axos[2]Colony in Space[2]The Curse of Peladon[1]The MutantsThe Time MonsterFrontier in SpacePlanet of the Daleks[4]The Green Death[8][2]Robot[2]The Ark in Space[2][1][7]Planet of Evil[1]Pyramids of Mars[2]The Android Invasion[2]The Brain of Morbius[4][2][1]The Masque of Mandragora[2]The Deadly Assassin[2]The Face of Evil[8][1]The Sun Makers[2]Underworld[8][2][1]The Stones of Blood[8][2]The Armageddon Factor[8][2][1]Destiny of the DaleksCity of DeathThe Horns of Nimon[1]Shada[8][9]The Leisure Hive[2]Meglos[2][1]Full Circle[2]State of DecayWarriors' Gate[2]Logopolis[5][2]The Visitation[8]Black Orchid[8][2]The Mysterious Planet[2]Terror of the Vervoids[2][1]Delta and the Bannermen[2][8]Dragonfire[2][1]The Happiness Patrol[2][1]Battlefield[2][8]Ghost Light[2][8]
TC4
Opened 1961
colour-capable from 1970
The Sensorites[1]The Reign of Terror[8]Planet of Giants[8][10][1][11]The Space Museum[8][1]The Chase[8]The Time Meddler[8][1]Galaxy Four[8][1]Mission to the Unknown[8][1]The Gunfighters[8][1]The DominatorsThe Space Pirates[8][1]The War GamesThe Ambassadors of Death[2]The Claws of Axos[2]Colony in Space[2]The Dæmons[8][2]Day of the Daleks[2]The Curse of Peladon[1]The MutantsThe Time MonsterCarnival of Monsters[2]Frontier in SpacePlanet of the Daleks[4]Invasion of the Dinosaurs[2]Death to the Daleks[8][2]The Monster of Peladon[1]The Seeds of Doom[2]The Ribos Operation[8][2][1]The Twin Dilemma[2]Timelash[2][1]Aliens of London[8][12]
TC4A The MutantsThe Masque of Mandragora[2]
TC5 Long, rectangular shape inappropriate to taping Doctor Who
TC6
Opened 1967
as BBC's first colour-capable studio
The War GamesInfernoTerror of the Autons[2]The Mind of Evil[2]The Three DoctorsCarnival of Monsters[2]Planet of the Daleks[4]The Time Warrior[2]Invasion of the Dinosaurs[2]The Monster of Peladon[1]Planet of the Spiders[2][4]Genesis of the DaleksPlanet of Evil[1]Pyramids of Mars[2] • "The Invisible Enemy[8][1]Image of the Fendahl[8][2]The Sun Makers[2]The Pirate Planet[8]The Androids of Tara[2]The Power of Kroll[8]City of DeathThe Creature from the Pit[8][1]Nightmare of Eden[2][8][1]The Horns of Nimon[1]Full Circle[2]State of DecayWarriors' Gate[2]The Keeper of Traken[2][1]Logopolis[2]Castrovalva[2]Four to Doomsday[2][8][1]Snakedance[8][1]Mawdryn Undead[8][2]Terminus[1]The Five Doctors[8]Warriors of the Deep[8]The Awakening[8][2]Frontios[2][8][1]Resurrection of the Daleks[2]Planet of Fire[2]The Caves of Androzani[5][8][2]Attack of the Cybermen[2][8]Vengeance on Varos[2][8][1]The Mark of the Rani[2][8]The Two Doctors[2]The Mysterious Planet[2]Mindwarp[2]
TC7
Opened 1962
The Claws of Axos[2]Robot[2]
TC8
Opened 1967
as colour-capable studio
TC studio with best overall amenities from 1960s-1980s
The War GamesDoctor Who and the Silurians[2][3]Terror of the Autons[2]Day of the Daleks[2]The Sea Devils[8][2]The MutantsInvasion of the Dinosaurs[2]Planet of the Spiders[2][4]Genesis of the DaleksRevenge of the Cybermen[2]The Android Invasion[2]The Seeds of Doom[2]The Hand of Fear[8][2]The Deadly Assassin[2]The Robots of Death[1]The Talons of Weng-Chiang[2]The Invasion of TimeMeglos[2][1]The Keeper of Traken[2][1]Kinda[2][8][1]Earthshock[2][8]Time-Flight[2][8]Terminus[1]Resurrection of the Daleks[2]Planet of Fire[2]The Twin DilemmaTimelash[2][1]Revelation of the Daleks[2]Time and the Rani[5][2]Paradise Towers[2]Remembrance of the Daleks[2][8]The Happiness Patrol[2][1]
TC9-TC12 These studios, save perhaps TC11, were all of unsuitable dimensions for the recording of Doctor Who. TC11 was considerably smaller than any of the venues that the programme traditionally used. Still, at 50' x 40', it could possibly have been used by the programme. However, it was generally occupied by news programmes. It was most famously the site of the 9 O'Clock News from Castrovalva to Survival, and thus was unavailable to the Doctor Who production office, anyway. TC9 and TC12 weren't used as studios until after the Paul McGann movie wrapped. TC10 was always planned as the news studio it became, and utilised different cameras than those of the usual studios in which Doctor Who was filmed.
Puppet Theatre[13] The Web of Fear[8][12]The DominatorsThe Mind RobberThe Curse of Peladon[1]The Three DoctorsThe Ark in Space[2][1][7]Revenge of the Cybermen[2]Pyramids of Mars[2]
Presentation Studio A Though the same size and possessed of the same equipment as Presentation Studio B, it was not known to be used by Doctor Who. It was used for continuity announcements between about 1963-1968. It then became the BBC's main studio for the broadcast of weather information from 1968-1990.
Presentation Studio B Terminus[1]
  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.50 1.51 1.52 1.53 1.54 1.55 1.56 This story was entirely studio-bound
  2. 2.000 2.001 2.002 2.003 2.004 2.005 2.006 2.007 2.008 2.009 2.010 2.011 2.012 2.013 2.014 2.015 2.016 2.017 2.018 2.019 2.020 2.021 2.022 2.023 2.024 2.025 2.026 2.027 2.028 2.029 2.030 2.031 2.032 2.033 2.034 2.035 2.036 2.037 2.038 2.039 2.040 2.041 2.042 2.043 2.044 2.045 2.046 2.047 2.048 2.049 2.050 2.051 2.052 2.053 2.054 2.055 2.056 2.057 2.058 2.059 2.060 2.061 2.062 2.063 2.064 2.065 2.066 2.067 2.068 2.069 2.070 2.071 2.072 2.073 2.074 2.075 2.076 2.077 2.078 2.079 2.080 2.081 2.082 2.083 2.084 2.085 2.086 2.087 2.088 2.089 2.090 2.091 2.092 2.093 2.094 2.095 2.096 2.097 2.098 2.099 2.100 2.101 2.102 2.103 2.104 2.105 2.106 2.107 2.108 2.109 2.110 2.111 2.112 2.113 2.114 2.115 2.116 2.117 2.118 2.119 2.120 2.121 2.122 This story's studio recording was completed entirely at Television Centre
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 This is the first story to have had all of its studio work completed at Television Centre
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 This story had additional material recorded at an unknown studio within Television Centre
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Recording session included a regeneration scene
  6. TC1 was home to the first regeneration scene recorded at Television Centre, and only the second in the programme's history (the first regeneration sequence had been recorded at Riverside 1)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 This is the first entirely studio-bound story to have been wholly shot at Television Centre
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 8.36 8.37 8.38 8.39 8.40 8.41 8.42 8.43 8.44 8.45 8.46 8.47 8.48 8.49 8.50 8.51 8.52 8.53 This story utilised only one studio at Television Centre, but had additional studio work completed elsewhere, unless otherwise noted
  9. This story was never completed
  10. This story was the first to have all principal photography completed at Television Centre, though model work and inserts were completed elsewhere
  11. There is confusion amongst various sources as to whether this story was filmed at Television Centre. Some claim Lime Grove D. However Giants was likely abandoned as the initial Doctor Who storyline because of the limitations of Lime Grove D. Moreover, Verity Lambert herself establishes Giants as having been made at Television Centre
  12. 12.0 12.1 Only minor inserts, not involving the main cast, were recorded at Television Centre
  13. After the BBC stopped producing actual puppet shows, area became a general visual effects workshop that was frequently used by Doctor Who. One source puts a date on the transition from "Puppet theatre" to "visual effects workshop" at c. 1983. It's unclear just how much of the efforts of the workshop made their way onto film, or if the area was principally used to conduct camera tests of shots later recorded elsewhere. In about 2008, Barry Letts maintained that the Puppet Theatre in Television Centre was never, in fact, used for puppets. Instead, he says the name carried over as a "traditional name" from Lime Grove Studios, where the Puppet Theatre was actually used for puppet shows like Muffin the Mule. (BBC DVD: The Curse of Peladon)

Sources[]

This page utilised three major sources in its compilation:

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