When Andrew Davenport began drafting character sketches, he drew an unexpected parallel between deep-space astronauts and human toddlers. Davenport watched archived broadcasts of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 15 moonwalks, paying close attention to how spacesuited crew members maneuvered in low gravity. The astronauts moved with broad, cautious steps, often tipping over and pulling themselves upright with slow, deliberate gestures.
Toddlers learning to walk display that exact gait. Their heads are disproportionately heavy, their centers of gravity sit high, and their padded diapers mimic the bulky insulation of spacesuits. Davenport realized that by outfitting adult performers in oversized, bottom-heavy foam costumes, he could replicate the lumbering mechanics of early childhood.
The costumes were massive engineering feats rather than simple fabric suits. Tinky Winky stood nearly 10 feet tall from boot soles to triangular antenna tip, weighing over 30 pounds. The internal framework featured a mix of dense foam, aluminum rigging, and skin-tight fleece. Inside, actors breathed through internal air tubes and worked in 20-minute shifts to prevent heat exhaustion while rolling across the artificial turf of Warwickshire.
