Google Adds TARDIS Interior To StreetView
Fans of the Doctor can step into the 1960s police box outside the Earl’s Court station
Google has celebrated 50 years of Doctor Who by making a virtual tour of TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) available in StreetView.
A vintage blue Metropolitan Police call box can be found just outside the Earl’s Court station in London, and Google’s Street View has revealed it is in fact the Doctor’s ship. To get inside, ‘Whovians’ need to click on double arrows pointing towards the box on Google Maps. You can also find it by searching “Police Telephone Box” in Google Maps’ search box.
The Easter Egg hasn’t been announced or acknowledged by Google in any way.
It’s bigger on the inside
Introduced in the first episode of Doctor Who back in 1963, the TT Type 40, Mark 1 TARDIS simultaneously serves as a spacecraft and time machine.
Why is it shaped like a 1960s British police box? Well, technically, the vessel’s “chameleon circuit” can disguise it as any object in the universe. However, the circuit of the Doctor’s TARDIS is broken, leaving it to forever wander time and space as a blue plywood box.
Once inside, Doctor Who fans can move around and explore parts of its huge interior, complete with the console room, several flights of stairs and the heart of TARDIS at the bottom. However, the numerous hallways of the ship, and features such as its swimming pool, remain inaccessible, or at least we failed to access them.
The Easter Egg features the current version of the interior, which has been used in the show since 2012.
People who are using the latest Google Maps beta version and are unable to assess the TARDIS are recommended to switch to an earlier version of the application.
Scottish actor Peter Capaldi was recently announced as the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, replacing Matt Smith after the Christmas special. TechWeekEurope interviewed Smith in July.
The 50th anniversary feature-length episode of the show is due to air on 23 November in 3D, on BBC and in select cinemas. It is set to be the world’s biggest drama simulcast.
What do you know about Easter eggs and hoaxes in IT? Take our quiz!
