I should actually say it wasn’t properly referenced as a “chameleon circuit” until a 1981 episode. Before that it was referenced by several different names.
Oh, I got the reference. If anyone’s going to get THAT reference, it’s going to be the bloke with the TARDIS over in Blighty. And as for “nobody watches Doctor Who”… Well, it’s BBC America’s top programme, is sold out in seconds at every con and screening they do in the US, and has more fans than you could possibly wish for… and that’s just the States!
incidentally (supergeekmode ON) It was indeed never referred to as a chameleon circuit until 1981’s Logopolis – before that the only reference to the device itself was as a “camouflage unit” in 1966’s The Time Meddler… however the TARDIS’ lack of appearance changing was indeed mentioned in episode 2 of the first story…
I corrected myself on that fact in one of the previous comments. I remember it being referenced and talked about, but didn’t remember where it was identified as such until I went to look it up.
It’s odd though, I’d swear I remembered Pertwee’s Doctor talking about it; but of course he didn’t. He was on about the co-ordinate programmers and the dimensional transcendentalism, but never that broken old circuit. Love my TARDISes. Amazing things, amazing concepts.
I, like you, thought Pertwee mentioned it as well.
After doing some digging, we were correct… in a way. The name “chameleon circuit” was first used in the 1975 Target Books novelisation of “Terror of the Autons”.
I’m clearly too old to get this. You young whippersnappers … gecko on a broken circuit board?
You were close. It’s a broken chameleon circuit. And it was first referenced in a 1963 episode of Doctor Who.
I should actually say it wasn’t properly referenced as a “chameleon circuit” until a 1981 episode. Before that it was referenced by several different names.
Makes sense I didn’t know it, then: didn’t have a TV in most of the 80’s and 90’s.
Two decades without a television? I can’t imagine!
I got the “circuit chameleon” part. But I figured it was a reference to a circuit party queen thing…
And yes, you are the only one who got it because nobody watches Dr. Who. (I tried… trust me)
I can definitely say I’ve never been a circuit party kind of guy.
And I’m okay that the BBC would continue to run Doctor Who just for me. 😉
Oh, I got the reference. If anyone’s going to get THAT reference, it’s going to be the bloke with the TARDIS over in Blighty. And as for “nobody watches Doctor Who”… Well, it’s BBC America’s top programme, is sold out in seconds at every con and screening they do in the US, and has more fans than you could possibly wish for… and that’s just the States!
I’m glad someone did! 😉
And I think cb is just jealous because he doesn’t get it.
incidentally (supergeekmode ON) It was indeed never referred to as a chameleon circuit until 1981’s Logopolis – before that the only reference to the device itself was as a “camouflage unit” in 1966’s The Time Meddler… however the TARDIS’ lack of appearance changing was indeed mentioned in episode 2 of the first story…
I corrected myself on that fact in one of the previous comments. I remember it being referenced and talked about, but didn’t remember where it was identified as such until I went to look it up.
I always liked that the masters tardis always showed up as odd things in the background, like a grandfather clock, etc.
Had it not been for the broken chameleon circuit, the Doctor’s would have too. 😉
It’s odd though, I’d swear I remembered Pertwee’s Doctor talking about it; but of course he didn’t. He was on about the co-ordinate programmers and the dimensional transcendentalism, but never that broken old circuit. Love my TARDISes. Amazing things, amazing concepts.
I, like you, thought Pertwee mentioned it as well.
After doing some digging, we were correct… in a way. The name “chameleon circuit” was first used in the 1975 Target Books novelisation of “Terror of the Autons”.