Doctor Who merchandise
The long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who has since its beginnings in 1963 generated many hundreds of products related to the show, from toys and games to picture cards and postage stamps. This article is not an exhaustive list of merchandise but attempts to present a flavour of the type of material that has been produced. This entry mainly concentrates on "official" spin-offs, that is to say, material sanctioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation, which produces the series.
Board games
- Dodge The Daleks
- The Dalek Oracle
- The Dalek Shooting Game
- Daleks: The Great Escape
- Doctor Who
- The Planet of Monsters
- War of the Daleks
- The Doctor Who Role Playing Game: 1st Edition
- The Doctor Who Role Playing Game: 2nd Edition
- Battle for the Universe
- Chess Set
- Invasion Earth
- The Interactive Electronic Board Game
- Test Your Trivia
- The Time Travelling Action Game
- Operation
- Doctor Who & The Dalek
- The Time Travelling Game
- Three in One
- The Dalek Battle Through Time
- The Facts And Trivia Board Game
- Exterminate Wire Buzz Game
- Scene It?
- The Time Wars Game
- Battle To Save The Universe
Card games
- The Doctor Who Collectible Card Game
- Doctor Who – Battles in Time
- Alien Armies
- Monster Invasion
The collection was test marketed in the South West of the UK ahead of a nationwide release. The test set included seven magazines and a set of 90 trading cards. When the magazine and trading card collection were launched nationwide the card set was increased to 165 cards and a planned run of 52 magazines.
Card collection and gameplay Website info and online code All-time top 10 Alien slamdown Episode guide Where's the Doctor? A-Z of aliens Puzzles. The first set of cards featured 165 cards. The set included common, rare, super rare 3D and ultra rare. Included in the first Monster Invasion tin was also an exclusive exploding TARDIS bonus card. The second set titled Monster Invasion Extreme was launched September 2011 and consisted of 180 cards including three exclusive cards: Doctor autograph card, Amy autograph card
- Doctor Who Fluxx published in 2017 by Looney Labs.
Game books
These were a series of six gamebooks featuring the Sixth Doctor, released during the 1985–86 hiatus. The books were published by Severn House in the United Kingdom and by Ballantine in the United States; at least three were also published by the ABC in Australia, using the British titles. The stories also feature many familiar old companions and enemies including K-9, Peri, Turlough, the Rani and Omega. With the exception of Michael Holt, all the books in the series were written by scriptwriters for the television series, and at least one book, Mission to Venus, was a reworking of unused scripts, in this case Emms' unmade Second Doctor serial The Imps. Despite this, some of the books broke from the continuity of the series, particularly Crisis in Space which features Vislor Turlough, even though he did not travel with the Sixth Doctor. The six books were:Title | Author | ISBN UK | ISBN US | TV companions featured |
Search for the Doctor | Dave Martin | K-9 | ||
Crisis in Space | Michael Holt | Peri Brown, Vislor Turlough | ||
The Garden of Evil | Dave Martin | n/a | - | |
Mission to Venus | William Emms | unknown | Peri Brown | |
Invasion of the Ormazoids | Philip Martin | - | ||
Race Against Time | Pip and Jane Baker | Peri Brown |
FASA also published two books similar in format to the "Make Your Own Adventure" books listed above, the first featuring the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan, and the second, set during the American Civil War featuring the Sixth Doctor, Peri and also Harry Sullivan, even though Sullivan was not a companion during the Sixth Doctor's era, although there is a brief reference to Sullivan having rejoined the Doctor. A further gamebook, entitled Time Lord, was written by Ian Marsh and Peter Darvill-Evans and published by Virgin Books. The game is totally unrelated to the previously released Doctor Who RPG by FASA. It has different, simpler, mechanics and is considered faithful to the original television show. However, it was marketed with other Doctor Who books and not other role-playing games. In addition, Virgin was unknown in the gaming market. As a result, it did not sell well and aside from a few articles in Doctor Who Magazine, no supplements were published. Since 1996, it has been made available for free on the Internet by the authors.
Computer games
- ', The Key To Time, Doctor Who and the Warlord and Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror
- Pinball
- Dalek Attack
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Action figures and costumes
Scorpion Automotive
Widely considered by collectors to be the 'holy grail' of BBC authorized Dr Who merchandise. The 1964 Scorpion Automotive Dalek costume was a joint venture between the BBC & Scorpion to capitalize on the 'Dalek craze' sweeping the country at the time. Released for sale in the run up to Christmas 1964 in limited numbers, An extensive fire at the Scorpion Automotive factory in Nottingham, England destroyed all remaining stock of the Dalek costumes & also the injection moulding tools required to fulfill any further orders.Of the several hundred Dalek costumes that made it into the shops in 1964 only a handful survive today with the last known sale of a Scorpion Automotiove Dalek costume seeing a hammer price of UK£5,000 in 2014.
Denys Fisher
/Mego released a selection of 9" figures in the mid-1970s, including the Fourth Doctor, Leela, K-9, the Giant Robot, a Cyberman, a Dalek, and a TARDIS. The Dalek and K-9 have friction drives to allow for movement. The TARDIS has a self-propelled spinning top. The Doctor could be inserted into the TARDIS and the "light" on top was spun. If the red button was hit while the top was spinning, the Doctor "disappeared". If the green button was hit, the Doctor re-appeared. These toys are all extremely rare and difficult to find, especially in near mint or mint condition. The Tom Baker figure is the most common and can be found in an English or Italian box. A mint Baker figure with the box is worth between $150–500, depending on quality of the figure and the box. The Tom Baker figure with the Italian box is more common. The other figures, excluding the TARDIS, are worth $500–1200 if they are in near mint quality and have their original box, even if the box is damaged. In May 2006, a Denys Fisher Dalek with box sold for over $1150 on eBay. The TARDIS is usually a bit cheaper at $200–350. Of course, this is relative and eBay auctions can vary considerably. While a mint Leela may sell for $500–600, one without a box may only sell for $150–200. That said, some items are so rare that even a damaged item, or one with missing pieces, is worth a fair amount. For example, in May 2006, a Leela doll without her loin cloth but with her original, but highly damaged box, sold for over $350. It really depends on competition, timing and if serious bidding is occurring. Nonetheless, considering these toys sold in the UK for under GBP £10 in the 1970s, their value has gone up nearly 10- to 100-fold and will most likely continue to rise due to the popularity of the new Doctor Who series. Some stress cracks due to time and cannot be avoided, but more serious cracks or discolouration will decrease the value considerably. The more damaged the item is, obviously, the less it is worth. These are very simple toys, as none require batteries, have any flashing lights or speak, but they have become quite collectible. The rarity of the boxes has led to people selling box reproductions. These reproduced boxes can be an alternative as they are less expensive than finding a figure with the original box, although true collectors may not appreciate them. Be sure to ask if the box is original or a reproduction. Along those lines, some of these toys can be repaired. The TARDIS "light" and doors easily broke, but repairs by those with ingenuity or toy-repair skills can be done. Simply re-glueing the light or the doors rarely works for this toy, so more advanced repairs are needed. Flaking damage on the Cyberman suit can be repaired using a high quality silver paint for fabric. Dust on many figures can be removed by air-blown sprays or delicate washing. Leela's hair can be repaired by combing, conditioning and steam-cleaning. Delicate repainting can also be done on some figures. The key is to do just enough repairs, without ruining the essence of the original. Any repair work should be noted in ads. If unsure, ask the seller. The Denys Fisher K-9 or Dalek may be initially confused with the talking Palitoy K-9 or Dalek toys. The Palitoy talking toys were released around the same time and are also quite collectable. Finding a good quality talking K-9 or Dalek, that speak at a "normal" speed and have their original boxes, can cost anywhere from $200–500. Even without the box, the toy could be worth $100–150 if in good speaking condition. If the toys do not speak, their value drops considerably. A working Palitoy K-9 is more rare and may be more costly. Both toys speak via a small vinyl record that is inside or near the battery compartment. The K-9 record is inside the battery compartment and the record can be flipped over, giving K-9 more phrases. The Dalek record is buried within the toy and cannot be removed. The Palitoy K-9 is considerably larger than the Denys Fisher line, so the two cannot be confused when visually compared. The Palitoy Dalek is considerably different from the Denys Fisher Dalek, although it is similar in size. The Palitoy Dalek came in red with black Dalek "spots" or "bumps" and in silver-grey with blue "bumps". The silver/blue Dalek is a bit more rare. Both Palitoy Daleks had black extremities, with a red end on the eye and red suction cup. The Denys Fisher Dalek is also silver/blue, but has a red head and a blue eye piece. Palitoy toys also tended to rust and crack.Dapol
For the series 25th anniversary in 1988 the BBC commissioned model train manufacturers Dapol to release the first line of Doctor Who action figures since the Denys Fisher toys of 1976. The first wave of the line was composed of current Doctor Sylvester McCoy, already departed companion Melanie Bush, the Doctor's iconic ship the TARDIS, the Fourth Doctor's robotic pet dog K9 and a Tetrap monster from Time and the Rani. The first wave had numerous errors such as the TARDIS console featuring the wrong amount of sides and a green painted K9 as opposed to the correct metallic grey, apparently because the photo given by the BBC to Dapol gave the impression K9 was green as it allegedly reflected the grass. Half a year later a second wave of the first series was released featuring an Earthshock Cyberman, Dalek variants and the Fourth Doctor, surprisingly without his trademark long scarf and hat. The next batch of figures released in 1989 featured costume variants for the Doctor and Melanie, current companion Ace, an Ice Warrior story and a two-armed Davros. At first the way to readdress this mistake was simply to snap the offending hand off but later models took more care to readdress the balance. The final editions of this wave were three more Dalek colour variants. In 1990 the Dapol factory suffered serious fire damage and no new Doctor Who figures were produced until 1998. Dapol's third series of action figures mainly focused on the early 1970s era of the programme, including two types of Silurian, a Sea Devil, the Master as portrayed by Roger Delgado and the Doctor as portrayed by Jon Pertwee. The series also featured a Dalek based on the Peter Cushing film series and a gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks, which was only available in the Third Doctor box set. In 1999 Dapol released six more Daleks, the Melkur and two types of Sontaran. The next year Dapol discontinued the figure range and made 4-inch statues of the Second Doctor and a cyberman from The Moonbase. Though the company planned to continue this range with the First Doctor and a Yeti the BBC opted not to renew Dapol's licence. The company also hosted the Doctor Who Experience exhibition, which showed props and costumes from the original series and ran until 2003. Dapol also produced gift sets containing common figures, typically with one rarity included, and dozens of special edition Daleks, usually to coincide with the latest theme at the exhibition.Corgi
In 2003 die-cast model makers Corgi released a model Bessie with The Three Doctors DVD and in early 2004, still for the 40th anniversary, released a limited edition TARDIS set featuring an Earthshock Cyberman, Davros, The Fourth Doctor in Bessie, K9 and a Light Gold Dalek. Essentially the same set was re-released months later in a commemorative film can, the differences the inclusion of a Fourth Doctor figure, a figure of the Fourth Doctor peering through the TARDIS and an early silver/blue Dalek. Corgi then released eight different types of Dalek and Davros in sets of three with runs of 7,000, and re-released every figure from the box sets in packs of two. Corgi's final release was a limited edition UNIT set featuring a jeep, helicopter and Supreme Dalek.Character Options
Since 2005, Character Options has held the master toy license to produce merchandise primarily inspired from the revived series of Doctor Who. As well as action figures and play sets, the company has produced electronic variations of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver accessory, an electronic TARDIS money box, 12-inch and 18-inch radio-controlled Dalek models, various electronic masks depicting monsters from the series and other toys and accessories.Action figures
CO's first Doctor Who success were their Dalek Battle Packs released in 2005 - two 5-inch radio-controlled model Daleks that include either a Ninth Doctor or Rose Tyler action figure. This led to the production of further action figures depicting characters and monsters from the programme; three waves of posable 5-inch scale figures, as well as RC Dalek and K9 models were released in 2006. The figures received high praise and won Character the 2006 Toy Retailers Association's Boys Toy of the Year Award. New figures were released regularly, along with larger and 'Collect & Build' figures, an electronic TARDIS control room play set and other in-scale models. From 2007, in favour of waves, figures were marketed under banners based on which series the character a figure depicts appears in. Limited edition and retailer-exclusive figure sets were also released, and certain figures have received re-releases featuring new sculpts, paint-apps and accessories.In 2008, Character Options expanded the range to include figures the programme's classic series. While there was an initial lack of interest from major retailers after the release of the first wave, further releases were commissioned by Forbidden Planet and Underground Toys, making 5-inch classic Doctor Who figures exclusive to those retailers. As well as villains, classic-era releases include the first eight incarnations of the Doctor, Dalek and Cyberman variants and the TARDIS exterior play sets.
In 2012, Character Options announced the semi-discontinuation of their 5-inch Doctor Who action figures in favour of producing new ones in a new 3.75-inch scale to match toys from other brands, allowing further playability for children. The first 3.75-inch Doctor Who figures were released in 2013, featuring characters from Series 7 and scaled-down re-releases of certain 5-inch figures. Connectable 'Time Zone' play sets including exclusive figures and accessories, an electronic spinning TARDIS exterior and gliding Dalek models were also released. The range was halted in 2015 due to low sales. The 5-inch figure range is currently continuing as a limited collector series.
Other
Alongside their action figure line, Character released a series of 12-inch Doctor Who dolls between 2006 and 2007. While the series is now defunct, 10-inch dolls of the Eleventh and Thirteenth Doctors were released in 2011 and 2018, respectively. The company also released the Doctor Who Micro Universe game series in 2007 featuring collectible miniature figurines and models based on characters from the programme's first, second and third series.In November 2007, Character Options released merchandise relating to the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. Originally launching with a Sarah Jane Smith and Star Poet action figure set, the range expanded to include a sonic lipstick & wrist watch scanner set, an electronic Alien Communicator and twin packs of Sarah Jane Smith action figure variants with various aliens from the first series of the programme. The range was discontinued shortly after due to lack of customer interest.
London based collectables company Sci-Fi Collector released a range of figures based on the mature Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. The licence was an exclusive license granted to the company in favour of mass-production by Character Options.
Micro-Universe
Doctor Who Micro Universe is a very simple collectable miniatures game similar to Top Trumps except with a die. Each figure has a number of characteristics with a numerical value. Choose a characteristic, roll the spinner and add the result to the characteristic's value. Your opponent rolls and adds the same characteristic from his figure and the highest wins that combat. No movement rules included despite this being a miniatures game. They were sold in semi random starters of 7 figures and boosters of 3 figures, plus a TARDIS-shaped carrying case was also released. 26 in the main set and 6 special packs that contain 1 ship and one special figure not available in the starters or boosters.Commemorative stamps
During 1999, the Royal Mail issued twelve sets of postage stamps known as the "Millennium Series". One set of four stamps was issued every month, and each had a common theme. The set issued on 1 June 1999 was named "The Entertainers' Tale", and the 44p stamp featured a Dalek. The others of this set depicted: Freddie Mercury on the 19p stamp; Bobby Moore on the 26p; and Charlie Chaplin on the 64p.In March 2013, the Royal Mail issued a set of eleven first class stamps in honour of the shows 50th anniversary featuring the faces of the eleven Doctors. There was also a set of five second class stamps that feature the Tardis, a Dalek, an Ood, a Weeping Angel and a Cyberman