WATCH: Star Trek and Doctor Who fan documents his process of building custom, working sets in his basement

Images from Todd Spann’s basement Star Trek build

FEBRUARY 12, 2021 - This week, WTHR of Indianapolis brought us a story of a local man, who went the extra light year for a DIY project.

Todd Spann is a huge fan of both Star Trek and Doctor Who, two franchises that have each been around for more than 50 years, telling stories of exploration, loyalty, and mutual respect. So it makes sense that when Spann had the opportunity to build his new basement exactly how he wanted it, he would combine his two passions, creating a stunning tribute to both Star Trek and Doctor Who. And he’s also built a YouTube channel where you can watch the whole project come together.

When Spann bought his home in Westfield, Indiana, he was pleased to see it had a completely unfinished basement. “I wanted a theater and a computer room and everything,” Spann said of his home, adding, “I just went a little weird and created this idea because I wanted something different.”

Spann began researching photos of the sets he intended to recreate, teaching himself how to build it all from the ground up. When asked about the design process, Spann said it was “a lot of trial and error. [I would] set something up and think, 'Well, that's not going to work.' [I’d] tear it down and try something else until I got it to where I was happy."

Just stepping into the basement is a wild experience. With fully automated sliding doors, just like on Star Trek, step inside and the first thing you’ll see is a “functional” six-person transporter pad, complete with “working” controls. Head down the hallway of Spann’s basement starship and you’ll find yourself in the home theatre, lovingly crafted to resemble the bridge of a Starfleet vessel. From the captain’s chair, Spann is able to manipulate the lights, screens and sounds of his starship bridge. Saying the command “Computer, red alert!” automatically triggers the classic “red alert” siren, and the call, “All hands to battle stations!”

But that’s not all: Spann’s basement also includes a full-sized TARDIS that doubles as his computer room.

Spann started his basement build more than three years ago. While there is more construction to come, he says that once the dangers of COVID-19 have passed, he’ll be ready to offer tours of his creation. To see the full WTHR report and dozens of videos detailing the construction of this sci-fi inspired basement, head over to Todd Spann’s channel on YouTube.