I’m excited today because this is an easy one. There’s absolutely no contest for me on this, and that is saying something. My favorite design for the TARDIS interior for ALL of Doctor Who is the original.
It’s a thing of beauty. Clean lines and ultra-futuristic, it’s no wonder Ian and Barbara were so stunned when they first stepped inside. You know, aside from that whole “but it was a police box!” thing. It’s so…space-y. But not in a flashy, overwhelming, too-much-going-on-at-once sort of way.
And there was more stuff in the TARDIS* than we’ve usually had in New Who (until recently). There was furniture.**
And random tables with THINGS on them.
And even a food machine. Not quite the “kitchen” Victorian Clara was looking to bake a souffle in, but it did the job. And I’m sure there’s probably a real kitchen somewhere. But the First Doctor didn’t seem to me a very kitchen-y sort of chap anyway.
Most importantly, the original design is what inspired the most gorgeous creation we’ve seen since Doctor Who came back ten years ago. Clara Oswald’s TARDIS.
It’s stunning. And perfect in every way, so far as I’m concerned. Perfect enough that I’m willing to overlook the completely silly permanently-stuck-as-an-American-diner thing. I love that they adhered so closely to Hartnell’s TARDIS for this and it is BY FAR my absolute favorite TARDIS interior of all time.
Case closed.
* The bits we were being shown, obviously. We all know the TARDIS is basically infinite and has an uncountable number of rooms that we will never ever be shown. But the truth is that in the old days, we used to see a lot more of it more often than we do now.
** And not the weird wicker furniture and drinks set that randomly appeared in the console room in the 1980s. Nor all the bits and bobs held within the rooms of the 5th Doctor’s collection of stroppy teenagers. I’m looking at you, Adric.