The Time Lord star says the finished show’s special effects make it look a lot more hi-tech than the flimsy props the actors have to work with.

Doctor Who’s special effects might look out of this world but the set is out of Ikea, star Peter Capaldi says.

The BBC’s low budget means props are cobbled together from cardboard and whatever else is to hand, the actor claimed.

Doctor Who’s special effects might look out of this world but the set is out of Ikea, star Peter Capaldi says.

The BBC’s low budget means props are cobbled together from cardboard and whatever else is to hand, the actor claimed.

He said the cast are banned from touching the flimsy props for fear they will get broken.
“You can’t handle things too much because they’ll fall to pieces,” he said.

“Some things are really very basic – the Dalek’s battery was a piece of cardboard. But on screen, lit and with the effects it looked fabulous.”
Lack of funds meant Capaldi, 57, did not even get a new Tardis when he took over the Time Lord role from previous Doctor Matt Smith two years ago.

“The BBC is funded by licence payer’s money and the Tardis we have at the moment was built for Matt,” he said at the Doctor Who festival.
“He only used it for six episodes so it wouldn’t be good use of money to build a new one just for me.”

However, he said he is always impressed with the quality of the finished shows once post-production processes are finished and the cheap props have been altered digitally.
But should any of them break at least he’s got his sonic screwdriver handy…