Internet Pinball Machine Database: Midway 'Doctor Who'

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Doctor Who

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Doctor Who / IPD No. 738 / September, 1992 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

7.9/10 (165 ratings/109 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Midway Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of WMS Industries, Incorporated,
of Chicago, Illinois, USA (1988-1999) [Trade Name: Bally]

Date Of Manufacture:

September, 1992

Model Number:

20006

Common Abbreviations:

MPU:

Williams WPC (Fliptronics 2)

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Production:

7,752 units (confirmed)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Celebrities - Fictional - Licensed Theme

Notable Features:

Flippers (3), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (13), Flyaway targets (3), Kick-out holes (2), 6-bank drop targets (1), Ramps (2), Multiball. The Time Expander mini-playfield raises and lowers during play: It its lowest position (Level 1), the kick-out holes are accessible. In its middle-position (Level 2), five round white standup targets are accessible, and when in its upper position (Level 3), three flyaway targets are accessible. Dalek backbox topper lights up (and its head moves from side to side on some games. See Notes below).

The two flippers at the bottom of the playfield are slightly shorter than Williams' standard-size flippers. This was a change implemented by Williams management to hopefully shorten game time and increase earnings. These shorter flippers have a lightning bolt design embossed on the top of them.

Design by:

Barry Oursler, Bill Pfutzenreuter

Art by:

Linda Deal (aka Doane)

Dots/Animation by:

Mechanics by:

Music by:

Sound by:

Software by:

Notes:

Designer Bill Pfutzenreuter told us that about a dozen (or less) sample games were made, followed by approximately 100 prototype games, before regular production began. Up to this point in manufacture, the Dalek head in the backbox topper moved from side to side. As a cost saving measure, once regular production began, the motor and front-facing opto for this movement were removed, resulting in the Dalek head being stationary (non-moving) on production games. The wiring and software for this feature was left intact, and this has allowed game owners to reinstall the missing components, either by purchasing after-market kits or by purchasing the components individually, to again make the Dalek head move from side to side.

We asked Pfutz if he was aware of a way for new owners of this game to discern if their moving Dalek head came from the factory that way or was retrofitted. He said that Williams had glued the stationary Dalek head onto the body, therefore the kits had to "unglue" or cut the head off, and that it was complained that Williams had used too much glue. Thus, perhaps one could look for any irregular cuts or glue remnants. If anyone knows of additional ways to positively identify retrofits, please contact us.

In this listing is a playfield identified to us as a prototype "machine number 2". It has several artistic differences as compared to the production playfield, including:

The doctor's cape in center playfield is a solid color, not tartan.
Some of the Daleks are a different color with different ball colors.
The upper right ramp decal is one red arrow, not two yellow arrows.
The playfield is Diamond Plate.

The game in the manufacturer's flyer has a ramp decal showing the single red arrow while all regular production examples in this listing show the two yellow arrows on this ramp. Also pictured in this listing is the upper playfield from the game with serial number 060031 which has the single red arrow. Based on the many other serial numbers identified in this production run, we have labeled this game as Early Production.

Marketing Slogans:

"The Doctor Is In..."
"It's About Time"

Photos in:

The Complete Pinball Book External Link

, page 181
The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present External Link

, page 153
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F

Rule Sheets:

Richard Poser's Tip Sheet (External Site)
Doctor Who! Rulesheet Version 1.02 (Mar/31/1993), by Bowen Kerins

Owners List URL:

http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/doctor%20who (External site)

Easter Eggs:

Available at Cows and Easter Eggs (External site)

Additional Media:

Promotional Video (at YouTube) [06:50] (External site)

Additional Media:

Example of Play (at YouTube) [09:24] (External site)

ROMs:

400 KB

ZIP

Game ROM L-2

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

1 MB

ZIP

Game ROM P5 (Prototype) With L2 Sound

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

2 MB

ZIP

Prototype 4 Sound ROMs

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

1 MB

ZIP

Sound ROM L-1 [U14,U15,U18]

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

Documentation:

164 KB

PDF

Dalek Topper Assembly Parts List (from a prototype instruction manual)

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

8 MB

PDF

English Manual (dated October 1992, no schematics)

[Midway Mfg. Co., a subsidiary of WMS Industries, Inc.]

192 KB

PDF

Manual Amendment Dated November 4, 1992

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

207 KB

TXT

Parts List

2 MB

PDF

WPC Schematic Manual (Revised May 17, 1993)

[Williams Electronic Games Inc.]

Files:

272 KB

PDF

Handy Technician's Chart (includes Fuse List)

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

2 MB

PDF

Instruction Sheet for Roller Kit (dated January 20, 1993)

[Midway Mfg. Co.]

27 KB

PDF

Mini-Playfield Opto-Bank Paper Cover Template

[Scott Garrett, Tom Matous]

53 KB

ZIP

Mylar Mini Playfield Cutout 140mm Version Fusion 360 and DXF

[Matt Olson]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Backglass 377x350	Flyer, Front 887x1153	Flyer, Back 887x1153	Cabinet - Front 1024x783 [Christopher Wolf]	Lower Playfield 1024x768 [Christopher Wolf]
Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Christopher Wolf]	Playfield 1024x1365 [Ari Sovij�rvi]	Under Playfield 715x1485 [Ari Sovij�rvi]	Mini Playfield 1024x768 [Ari Sovij�rvi]	Cabinet - Full View 700x1128 [Allen Shope]
Under Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Inside Cabinet 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Upper Playfield 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Lower Playfield 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Lower Right Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]
Middle Right Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Upper Right Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Lower Left Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Middle Left Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Upper Left Playfield 350x467 [Allen Shope]
Time Expander 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Unlimited Millions Ramp 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Playfield - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Playfield - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Playfield - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]
Playfield - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Repair Targets 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Pop Bumpers 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Playfield 650x867 [Allen Shope]	Cabinet - Rear View 295x467 [Allen Shope]
Cabinet - Left 700x394 [Allen Shope]	Backbox - Left 202x467 [Allen Shope]	Backbox - Right 159x438 [Allen Shope]	Cabinet - Right 700x409 [Allen Shope]	Cabinet - Front 700x510 [Allen Shope]
Inside Backbox 350x467 [Allen Shope]	Inside Backbox - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Backbox 700x914 [Allen Shope]	Playfield - Detail 700x525 [Allen Shope]	Stripped Playfield 731x1600 [Alexander Deck]
Backglass 1200x799 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Playfield - Detail 1200x817 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet - Front View 692x1600 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Prototype Playfield* 960x1280 [Courtney Blount]	Early Production - Upper Playfield* 1200x675
Early Production - Cabinet Serial Number* 1200x796

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