While the cast of Doctor Who won’t be hitting Hall H this year, Whovians attending San Diego Comic Con still have something pretty special to experience this year. BBC Studios launched an immersive off-site themed around UNIT’s ultra-secretive Black Archive.
In Doctor Who, the Black Archive is UNIT’s top-secret classified facility that stores the most dangerous alien artifacts and technology; the Archive featured prominently in Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special. The SDCC pop-up takes fans inside the Archive, where they’ll find props from the series. Upon arriving, guests are officially inducted into UNIT and placed on a special mission to help the Doctor. The missions vary by day, but each will see UNIT’s newest recruits exploring the Black Archive for clues to unravel a mystery and save the planet.
Some of the series props fans will find in the SDCC Black Archive include Cyberman heads, masks from “The Girl in the Fireplace,” sonic screwdrivers, and even the Silence. Plus, there’s a ton of references to different Doctor Who villains, monsters, and companions scattered throughout the Archive. If you’re a Doctor Who fan at SDCC, you won’t want to miss this.
Activation Details
Dates: Thursday, July 24 – Sunday, July 27
Times: Thurs. – Sat. 10am – 8pm; Sun. 10am – 5pm; Special mission experience 6pm – 8pm Thurs. – Sat. and 10am-12pm Sun.
Location: The Harbor Club (100 E. Harbor Dr., San Diego)
Registration Required: No. Activation is walk-up only.
Badge Required: No.
Not Attending SDCC? Join UNIT Online
While you’ll have to miss out on the show props and in-person experience, you can still get a peek inside UNIT’s Black Archive. Fans can check out the newly launched digital Black Archive, a fully in-universe immersive online platform.
You’ll be digitally recruited by UNIT under the guidance of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Then, throughout the year, operatives will be deployed on interactive missions to protect Earth from alien threats. These missions will include mini-games, quizzes, and immersive challenges that rely on your knowledge of the Whoniverse to accomplish.
The first mission draws inspiration from Doctor Who’s most recent season; it challenges UNIT recruits to identify misinformation about key characters. You can accept your position at UNIT and mission to protect the world at doctorwho.tv.
Doctor Who Merch Alert
At the official Black Archive pop-up and online, fans can also snag new Doctor Who merch. The “Horror of Fang Rock” collection highlights some of the Whoniverse’s scariest monsters, including Weeping Angels, Cybermen, and the Vashta Nerada. There’s also an “Analogue Gallifrey” collection, which has a vintage feel inspired by the series’ classic logos.
SDCC attendees can shop the new merch on-site at the Black Archive. It is also available online at doctorwho.tv/shop.
Meanwhile, for more updates in the Whoniverse and out of Comic Con, check back to THS.
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