EnthuÂsiÂasm for British teleÂviÂsion is a force of nature. That goes even more so for British teleÂviÂsion fanÂdom outÂside Britain. All of us have known someÂone, or indeed been someÂone, who shiftÂed their culÂturÂal alleÂgiances wholeÂsale after watchÂing a sinÂgle episode of, say, MonÂty Python’s FlyÂing CirÂcus. But even that hugeÂly influÂenÂtial comÂeÂdy series comÂmands only low-intenÂsiÂty worldÂwide devoÂtion when set alongÂside DocÂtor Who, which has aired on the BBC in one form or anothÂer since 1963. One can express one’s memÂberÂship in the globÂal DocÂtor Who fanÂdom in many ways, now includÂing, in this periÂod of all-digÂiÂtal proÂfesÂsionÂal and social interÂacÂtion, one’s choice of virÂtuÂal backÂgrounds on Zoom or othÂer videoÂconÂferÂencÂing softÂware.
You can, in othÂer words, make a call from inside the TARDIS. The expanÂsive inteÂriÂor of the DocÂtor’s time-travÂelÂing space ship — which, as fans know, mateÂriÂalÂizes in difÂferÂent lands and eras as a humÂble LonÂdon police box — is just one of the free virÂtuÂal backÂgrounds now offered by the BBC.
In fact, they’ve made availÂable not just one TARDIS backÂground but six: the 1980 verÂsion, the 1983 verÂsion, two views of the 2019 verÂsion, and two views of it as it appeared in the 1976 serÂiÂal-withÂin-the-series The Masque of ManÂdragoÂra. If none of this means anyÂthing to you, you might conÂsidÂer browsÂing the BBC’s othÂer virÂtuÂal-backÂground catÂeÂgories, which feaÂture empÂty sets from the netÂwork’s othÂer sciÂence-ficÂtion proÂducÂtions as well as its sitÂcoms, light-enterÂtainÂment proÂgrams, chilÂdren’s shows, and sports broadÂcasts.
No Brits will be surÂprised at the presÂence of an entire catÂeÂgoÂry of backÂgrounds from the long-runÂning soap opera EasÂtÂEnÂders: the launÂdrette, the BranÂning BrothÂers car lot, and of course the Queen VicÂtoÂria pub. But non-Brits will probÂaÂbly opt to make their video calls from familÂiar places creÂatÂed for more wideÂly travÂeled proÂgrams, like the dinÂing room at FawlÂty TowÂers or Eddy and PatÂsy’s wine-filled refrigÂerÂaÂtor. PerÂsonÂalÂly, I yield to none — or at least to no othÂer AmerÂiÂcan — in my appreÂciÂaÂtion of Yes MinÂisÂter, a politÂiÂcal satire that has only grown more inciÂsive over the decades; I’d sureÂly make my calls from one of the five WhiteÂhall office sets the BBC has put up. BrowsÂing its comÂplete selecÂtion of virÂtuÂal backÂgrounds, even the most obsesÂsive British-TV afiÂcionaÂdos will come across sets from shows of which they’ve nevÂer even heard. LuckÂiÂly, many of us now have the time to binge-watch them all.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
30 Hours of DocÂtor Who Audio DraÂmas Now Free to Stream Online
CusÂtomize Your Zoom VirÂtuÂal BackÂground with Free Works of Art
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.
Leave a Reply