Edward Thomas was 21st-century Doctor Who’s  rst production designer. Among other innovations, he gave the TARDIS control room new life, with a coral-like interior…

Interview by JASON ARNOPP

“When I finished working on Doctor Who, I didn’t watch another episode,” says Edward Thomas, the production designer on the show’s first five post-millennial series. The laidback, genial Welshman co-ordinated the entire initial look and visual language of new Who - everything from the colours and the textures to the designs themselves. “To this day, I still haven’t been able. I think that’s just an emotional response more than anything.”

Edward adds that he did accept an invite to visit the studio while the late Michael Pickwoad was production designer. “It was an opening ceremony or something. When they asked if I wanted to see the TARDIS, though, I just couldn’t do it. The TARDIS felt so real in my mind. When I worked on Doctor Who, my team and I were so ingrained in the show. Once I left, I had to come completely out. I know it sounds odd, but to continue watching Doctor Who just didn’t make any sense.”

In 2004, 35-year-old Edward went for an interview at BBC Wales, hoping to land a job on Russell T Davies’ revived Doctor Who. He’d already worked in theatre, commercials, advertising and film. Recently returned from South Africa, where he’d shot movies such as The Last Leprechaun (1998) and The Little Unicorn (2002), he was acutely aware of his lack of TV experience. Nevertheless, his eclectic and fantasy-heavy showreel earned him a meeting with Russell.

“The first thing that strikes you about Russell,” he says, “is the enormity of the man. How physically big he is, and how big and enthusiastic and full of life he is. You just think, with him at the helm, how can you possibly fail? He said to me, ‘A production designer from Swansea? Can’t be! I’d know about him!’ He mentioned that Julie Gardner was the Head of Drama at BBC Wales, and I had no idea this was the same Julie with whom I was friends at comprehensive school!”

Edward and Julie had also gone on to take theatre studies at Neath Technical College: “I played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar and Julie was part of the religious rebellion that put me to death.” So Edward’s scheduled 15-minute interview overran drastically while the pair caught up. “Three hours later, we were still chatting about life and love and the TARDIS. Then I got the call to start!”

Edward found himself working directly with Russell, Julie and Phil Collinson. “Phil was just one of the most remarkable producers I’ve ever worked with. On many occasions, he put me back in my box. Perhaps he’d see I was going down a rabbit hole, or I was going to do something that just wasn’t going to work, or take them to a quarry in the middle of winter and have them all freezing their bits off ! He’d say, ‘No Edward, we’re not doing it.’ It’s not necessarily a producer’s job to say no, but I’m glad Phil sometimes did. And then, with Julie’s creative input, could there have been three better people on this planet, or in time and space, to come together and run that show?”