Character Options classic series action figures

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In 2008, Character Options began releasing action figures of characters from the classic Doctor Who series in the 5" scale. As was customary for Character Options, the figures were not actually 5" tall. Instead the Dalek figure was 5" tall and all other figures are scaled to match it.[1] Figures were often released in batches, referred to as "Waves". Thus, a figure might be said to be in "Wave 1", "Wave 2", or the like. Note that as of 2016 the wave has been re-dubbed the 5.5" range, with all figures appearing after 2016 as part of the "5.5" range".

The initial assortment contained three former incarnations of the Doctor and an assortment of creatures and robots. The focus was on the Fourth Doctor's era. Another feature of this line was the inclusion of parts of a build a figure in each toy (namely the K1 Robot and the Cyber-Controller from TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen). A second wave of six figures was released in 2010, but without a build-it component. Other waves followed.

2008 releases

Classic Series Action Figures Wave 1

  • Wave One contained eight figures.
  • Each release in this series included a Collect-&-Build component to make Robot K1.
  • This wave was priced £7.99 (UK)

The Dalek Collector's Set #1

This boxed set contained three figures, one each from TV: The Daleks, TV: Planet of the Daleks and TV: Genesis of the Daleks.

Dalek Collectors Set - 1.jpg

2009 releases

The Ages Of Steel Wave

  • This wave contained four figures.
  • Each release in this series included a Collect-&-Build component to make the Cyber-Controller from TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen.
  • This set was priced £7.99 (UK)
  • The Cyber-Lord was the only new series figure released in the classic series line of figures, but was called Cyber-Leader instead.

The Dalek Collector's Set #2

  • This boxed set contained three figures, all leaders.

The Fourth Doctor Adventure Set

  • This boxed set contained four figures.

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

  • Forbidden Planet got ten exclusive figures to retail in 2009.
  • These figures were priced £25.99 (UK)

2010 releases

Classic Series Action Figures Wave 2

  • Wave Two contained six figures.
  • This wave was released in 2010 and priced £9.99 (UK)

The Eleven Doctors Set

  • This boxed set contained eleven figures. (Oddly, the Seventh Doctor figure had no hat.)
  • This set was released in 2010 and priced £49.99 (UK)

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

  • Forbidden Planet had ten exclusive figures in 2010.
  • These figures were released throughout 2010 and were priced £25.99 (UK)

2011 releases

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

  • Throughout 2011 Forbidden Planet continued to release exclusive sets of 5" figures based on specific televised stories.
  • These figures were released throughout 2010 and were priced £25.99 upwards(UK)

2012 releases

A few classic sets were released in this year, including a figure set based on Sutekh from TV: Pyramids of Mars. Another set released was a set based on TV: The Three Doctors and included Jo Grant, the Brigadier and a Gel guard from Omega's universe.

2013 releases

Toys R Us Exclusive Doctor and Dalek sets

  • At the time of its release, the Eighth Doctor and Alpha Dalek from the story COMIC: Children of the Revolution set was one of the rare times that Character Options had designed and sold a figure not based on a television story. At the time of its release, the only other figure made from a non-televised medium was a Comic-con exclusive variant of the Sixth Doctor from the web cast audio Real Time. This would change in 2019 when Character Options would begin to release variants of both the Eighth Doctor and the War Doctor based on their appearances in the Big Finish Productions audio story medium. Those figures also, amusingly, were released as two-packs along with a Dalek figure (see 2019 section).

2013/2014 Third Doctor Figure Sets/Seventh Doctor Figures

Timeperiod of release for these figures to be clarified.

2015 releases

Re-releases

  • 2015 saw the re-release of some classic figures from the earlier waves in the USA. These included three variants of the Fourth Doctor from TV: Robot (both regenerated and original costume) and TV: Pyramids of Mars. They were know, unofficially, as the "Diamond Collection" due the the nature of the packing which was shaped like a large diamond.

FX Daleks wave 2

B&M Exclusives

2016 releases

Unknown Exclusive

B&M Exclusives

B&M also released some exclusive classic figure three-packs. These include:

2017 releases

The 13 Doctors Set

  • 2017 saw the release of a new, larger version of the 11 Doctors set, this time titled "The Thirteen Doctors" and included all versions of the Doctor from an exclusive variant of the First Doctor to the Twelfth Doctor with the "Thirteenth Doctor" being counted as the War Doctor.
The Thirteen Doctors set, featuring new and exclusive variants of the Doctor's first twelve incarnations and the War Doctor.

B&M Exclusives

"The Monsters", featuring two classic series Cybermen.

2018 releases

B&M Exclusives

  • 2018 saw an introduction of new figures and sets for the 5.5" range, with the line picked up exclusively by B&M. The first of the classic figures released for this wave was a 3-figure pack titled "The 1970's Collector Set" and included The Brigadier as seen in costume throughout season 7 of the classic series, the Fourth Doctor in garb as featured in TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang and an Auton from TV: Terror of the Autons.
  • Also released was a brand-new classic series TARDIS from the Third Doctor's era which featured the Third Doctor as seen in TV: The Time Monster and a version of the TARDIS that sported a black base. It was priced at £19.99.

2019 releases

B&M Exclusives - Early 2019

2019 saw a quite a resurgence of 5"/5.5" figures as new classic-era sets were produced. They were priced at £19.99.

Big Finish Tie-In Doctor & Dalek sets

Three new Doctor/Dalek twin-pack sets were also released, similar to the 2013 sets, which include the Seventh Doctor, sporting unique coat colour and trousers not seen in regular televised appearances and an Axis Strike Squad Dalek, the War Doctor and Dalek Scientist and the Eighth Doctor and Dalek Interrogator Prime as depicted in the audio series Dark Eyes. Big Finish, the company responsible for the Doctor Who audio adventures since the early 2000s, also sold limited edition variants of the above figures, which had slightly altered colours and designs.

B&M Exclusives - Late 2019

Three new figurine three-packs were also released. They include:

2020 releases

B&M Exclusives - Early 2020

Third Doctor (wearing a bottle-green jacket) and TARDIS as depicted in The Monster of Peladon.

B&M Exclusives - Mid 2020

Later in the year some new new three-packs of figures and a brand new Doctor and TARDIS pack were released. They were priced at £19.99 They include:

Character Options Website Exclusive

A special online exclusive was released on September 7th, 2020, featuring two Daleks from TV: The Chase that were originally props rented from the studio that made the Dr. Who and the Daleks movie.

Daleks as featured in TV: The Chase

John Levene official website exclusive

In a first, a limited run of the Benton figure were given by Character Options to John Levene and his agent, to be released as an individual figure exclusively via Levene's official website.

B&M Exclusives - Late 2020

In October, Character Options released a brand new wave of figures as well as new variants of pre-existing ones. These included:

Also released on the 57th anniversary of the show in November, as part of the Late 2020 wave, was a unique set featuring Ace and Imperial Dalek from TV: Remembrance of the Daleks.

2021 releases

Character Options Website Exclusive

  • In August of 2021, another exclusive set was released through Character Options' website. This set featured the Second Doctor in a fur coat along with a sound SFX TARDIS, as depicted in the story TV: The Abominable Snowmen. The SFX TARDIS was the first one seen in many years, and featured a few new sound effects.


B&M Exclusives - Late 2021

In August of 2021, Character Options released a brand new wave of figures as well as new variants of pre-existing ones. These included:


Doctor and Sensorites


Ian and Voord
Daleks Power
HOTD Daleks


Footnotes

  1. Behind the Scenes at Design Works: Part 3 A little history. doctorwhotoys.net. Retrieved on 22nd October 2011.