Oliver Elmes
Encyclopedia
Oliver Elmes was a British
graphic design
er. He designed a number of logo
s for the BBC, but is probably best known for devising the Doctor Who
title sequence and logo used from Time and the Rani
(1987) until Survival
(1989).
Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner
commissioned Elmes to design a new opening for the show after the announcement that Colin Baker
would not be returning to the series. Elmes worked with a company called CAL Video to produce the new Who logo entirely on computer. The new design featured a Big Bang
and a purple spiral cosmos, overlaid first with the TARDIS
and then by Sylvester McCoy
's face. The opening was accompanied with a new version of the theme by Keff McCulloch
. The new sequence cost nearly £20,000 and took 3 months to complete. After the series was canceled, the new logo continued to be used for the Virgin New Adventures
until Bad Therapy
(1996). It also appeared on some of the final Target Books
novelization
s, published by Virgin Publishing.
In addition to his work on Doctor Who, Elmes designed title sequences for Elizabeth R
, The Goodies
, and The Good Life. He has also done book illustrations.
Elmes died in May 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
er. He designed a number of logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s for the BBC, but is probably best known for devising the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
title sequence and logo used from Time and the Rani
Time and the Rani
Time and the Rani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 7 September to 28 September 1987. This story was the first to feature Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor. It also features the last appearance of the Sixth...
(1987) until Survival
Survival (Doctor Who)
-Writing:Writer Rona Munro approached script editor Andrew Cartmel at a BBC scriptwriting workshop and said that she'd "kill to write for Doctor Who." The story Munro developed incorporated themes including the morals of hunting...
(1989).
Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, from 1980 until it was effectively cancelled in 1989...
commissioned Elmes to design a new opening for the show after the announcement that Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
would not be returning to the series. Elmes worked with a company called CAL Video to produce the new Who logo entirely on computer. The new design featured a Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
and a purple spiral cosmos, overlaid first with the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
and then by Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
's face. The opening was accompanied with a new version of the theme by Keff McCulloch
Keff McCulloch
Keff McCulloch is a British composer. In 1987 created the Doctor Who theme music for the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. The theme, drawing on the original by Ron Grainer/Delia Derbyshire lasted for three years until the series was cancelled by the BBC in 1989...
. The new sequence cost nearly £20,000 and took 3 months to complete. After the series was canceled, the new logo continued to be used for the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
until Bad Therapy
Bad Therapy
Bad Therapy is an original novel written by Matthew Jones and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Chris and Peri....
(1996). It also appeared on some of the final Target Books
Target Books
Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of...
novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s, published by Virgin Publishing.
In addition to his work on Doctor Who, Elmes designed title sequences for Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R is a BBC television drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson in the title role. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Australia and broadcast in America on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre.- Episodes...
, The Goodies
The Goodies
The Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
, and The Good Life. He has also done book illustrations.
Elmes died in May 2011.