Date   : Sun, 11 Sep 2005 17:58:39 +0100
From   : Richard Gellman <splodge@...>
Subject: Re: BBC Micros used for Doctor Who

Ian Wolstenholme wrote:

I did notice both of these, but couldn't recall them in my original post.

>There is also the sequence in the "Terror of the Vervoids" segment of
>the Trial of a Time Lord with the robot aliens playing a video game
>against each other which looks suspiciously like an old Acornsoft
>favourite.
>  
>
Zalaga I believe? Complete avec BBC micro sound - no special effects for 
Mr. Baker :)

>Every time the Peter Davison/Colin Baker TARDIS was required to do
>anything involving "thinking", it was usually a long programme being
>LISTed up a monitor screen on the TARDIS console.
>
>In "The Five Doctors", when Colonel Crichton receives a message from
>the staff sergeant that the Second Doctor has arrived, the sound of the
>messaging system is the familiar brrrr-beep of a BBC B!
>  
>
I had to double-take on that one. Actuall went back a little and checked 
it again.. yep perfect BBC B startup sound - sounded completely rubbish 
as an attention sound ;)

-- Richard

>----- Original Message -----
>From: Richard Gellman
>To:  BBC Micro Mailing List <bbc-micro@...>
>Sent: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 22:34:25 +0100
>Subject: [BBC-Micro] BBC Micros used for Doctor Who
>
>Hi,
>
>You may or may not be aware, but the BBC Micro was used quite
>extensively for computer graphics during the 1980s on Doctor Who (The
>Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy eras).
>
>The attached JPG shows a BASIC program on the TARDIS's computer screen,
>no doubt with "RUN" typed and ready for the RETURN key. It proceeded to
>draw a 4x4 grid in what appears to be MODE 1. Sadly, whoever they got to
>do this graphic sequences nearly always forgot to turn the cursor off
>with VDU 23,1,0;0;0;.
>
>If you look closely at the JPG, you can (just) make out a couple of VDU
>19 statements, and few ENDPROCs here and there.
>
>Other sequences I've come across:
>
>Castrovalva - Peter Davison - TARDIS manual displayed used MODE 7, with
>"TARDIS" written in graphics characters.
>The Five Doctors - Peter Davison - Front elevation of tower drawn
>(slowly) in MODE 2. Very wide asterisks in flashing colours used to show
>positions of various people.
>The Twin Dilemma - Colin Baker - Programming work done by twins is a
>sequence of graphics characters in various colours in MODE 7.
>Resurrection Of The Daleks - Peter Davison - Time Vortex is drawn using
>colour cycling in MODE 2.
>Time And The Rani - Sylvester McCoy - Computer writing overlayed onto
>actual video. Writing is in "alien", but is clearly MODE 1 characters
>reprogrammed using VDU 23 (again, forgot to turn off the cursor).
>Attack Of The Cybermen - Colin Baker - See above :)
>
>In the 1980s, no doubt this would have looked very impressive - these
>days it looks a little outdated for a time machine invented by a race of
>timelords who had worked out teleportation "when the universe was less
>than half its present age". (Quote from Genesis Of The Daleks (Tom Baker)).
>
>-- Richard
>
>  
>