Doctor Who is
cult science fiction in Britain. The popularity of the programme has
crossed generations, and I'm a big fan. Doctor Who is a Time Lord, an
immortal alien in human form. He's currently played by the actor
David Tennant, shown here.
Was Doctor
Who modelled on the idea of an Ancient Astronaut who visited Earth down the
Ages, as per Von Daniken and Sitchin? Well, probably not: the TARDIS is
certainly not an object revered by the peoples of the ancient world, after
all! But, some of the symbolism of the ancients has certainly been
borrowed by the creators of the series. Regular readers of this
website might find the following connection
thought-provoking...
Symbols used in the series have evolved down the years, and it's
interesting to note that one of them has recently become the classic
Winged Disk of the ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians:-
Here are some classic, ancient Winged Disks
for comparison, as well as some USAF motifs:
With thanks to Tarkin and John
One of my fellow researchers, Greg Jenner,
points out further similarities with U.S. Air Force investigations into UFOs,
and also a very ancient Winged Disk symbol from the Indian sub-continent:
One can see a clear evolution of symbols here,
both within the American armed forces, and from Ancient to Modern. This is
what Greg says about these images:
"'Project Sign' was a US
government study on unidentified aerial phenomena happening at the time. Notice
how the US fighter plane is in the shape of a cross. Compare that to the Hindu
Naacal winged-disc symbol (see third image attached) also with a cross. Ancient
aircraft known as Vimanas have also been linked to Hindu mythology. Some even
suggest these ancient craft were flown by the Anunnaki themselves. Are the two
winded-disc symbols simply a coincidence? I don't think so."
Written by Andy Lloyd, 21st-28th April
The Return of Gallifrey
In the last episode of Doctor Who featuring
David Tennant, the Time Lords return, complete with their home planet. Moving
through an inter-dimensional portal, the planet Gallifrey plunges into the solar
system towards Earth. It's is very reminiscent of the ideas surrounding
the apocalyptic return of Planet X. The Time Lords also resemble the
concept of the Anunnaki of Nibiru - they are essentially immortal, powerful
beyond human imagination and very ready to meddle in human affairs for their own
ends. In this context, Doctor Who resembles the god Enki - more
sympathetic towards the plight of Humanity in the face of the powers of the
Cosmos. This clip shows the Doctor's struggle to save the Earth, and features
the enormous, fiery planet Gallifrey. Notice how much it resembles the
concept of the Dark Star, a sub-brown dwarf lurking beyond the outer solar
system:
Andy Lloyd, 3rd January 2010
The Tenth Planet and
the Cybermen
Did you know that the Cybermen came from the
'Tenth Planet'? In an early episode of Doctor Who from way back in 1966,
an incoming planet from the outer solar system - named Mondas - brings these
soon-to-become classic enemies of the Doctor:
"The TARDIS arrives in
December 1986 at a South Pole Space Tracking station where the personnel, under
the command of General Cutler, are engaged in trying to talk down a manned space
capsule that has got into difficulty.
"The Doctor realises that the
problem stems from the gravitational pull of another planet that has entered the
solar system and is now heading for Earth. His words are borne out when the base
is invaded by a force of alien Cybermen. The Cybermen's world, Mondas, is
draining energy from Earth - once its 'twin planet' - and the situation will
soon become critical."
Notice also that the tracking station is based
at the South Pole. This fictional idea mirrors speculation in more recent
times that a telescope based in Antarctica (The SPT) is monitoring the position
of an in-coming Planet X.
I'm a bit of a Doctor
Who fan, as are my wife and two boys. I also enjoy the spin-off
series 'Torchwood'. Both series have roots in Cardiff, Wales, so it was a
great surprise to hear that some of the filming would take place in Gloucester,
my hometown in England. Gloucester is no stranger to movie makers.
The interiors of the Cathedral Cloisters provided a backdrop for many of the
Harry Potter movies.
Acting on some inside
information, my wife, Mrs Darkstar, took the camera and the kids and went in
search of the filmset. She was not to be disappointed, quickly discovering
a hive of activity in Millers Green, a beautiful cul-de-sac of traditional
buildings set within the grounds of Gloucester Cathedral. She was one of
the first 'locals' on site, and took a selection of photos and videos as the
wintry film set was created in situ.
These photos show the
TARDIS from flat-pack, to completely ready for filming.
Millers Green is a
secluded spot, so it was not possible to see what was going on from the security
barriers erected at the entrance to the cul-de-sac. Ever resourceful, Mrs
Darkstar worked her way through the interior of the cathedral, and eventually
discovered a vantage point which provided a clear view of the proceedings. She
filmed this video showing the TARDIS being constructed:
The filming itself took
place during the night, from 8pm to 5am. It was not possible to get images
of the actual filming, unfortunately. The local newspaper, 'The Citizen',
provided the following information about the filming:
"Gloucester is set to be
invaded by the Cybermen next week as Dr Who lands his famous Tardis in the city.
Filming for the popular sci-fi drama will take place at various city landmarks
including the Cathedral. It is believed that the Doctor, played by David
Tennant, will be joined in the special Christmas episode by his current
companion Donna (Catherine Tate) and his former sidekick Rose (Billie
Piper).
The storyline, featuring Cybermen
- the Doctor's deadliest enemies - is being kept under wraps but the city's
historic buildings will be transformed for the special
episode.
The Dr Who 2008 Christmas
Special is set during the Victorian era, and clearly has a snowy feel to
it. We don't get a lot of snow in Gloucester, so it's especially bizarre
to see half the historic buildings of the town covered with it...artificial
snow, of course! As you can see here, the kids of Gloucester loved
it:
There was a palpable sense of excitement in the city that extended
beyond the kids. After all, even the grown-ups grew up with Doctor Who,
and the Cybermen and Daleks are now part of the fictional folklore of this
country. Russell T Davies, the genius behind the revived Doctor Who
phenomenon, was impressed by the turnout of Who fans in the city:
"When we filmed in
Gloucester in April, for the Christmas special, the people were marvellous.
It was the biggest turnout of fans we've ever had - there were hundreds of
people. It was like crowd control in the end. We had a
magnificent time in Gloucester, as it doubled for 1851 London. It looks
beautiful on screen and Gloucester will be looking romantic covered in snow
on BBC One on Christmas Day."
Written by
Andy Lloyd, 21st-28th April, and 12th December 2008,
We couldn't resist having our photos taken amongst the
props for the 'Doctor Who 2008 Christmas Special'. The question is,
will the 'real' monsters be any more scary than us? Here's Dark Star author
Andy Lloyd, and 'Cosmic Conspiracies' webmasters Martin and Dave:
In tribute to this wonderful science fiction series,
I painted a Dr Who mural on a
lad's bedroom wall in Abbeydale,
Gloucester.
Here's a YouTube video of how it came out:
