Now that Series 5 has ended, the toy floodgates have opened. The first product we are spotlighting is not, per se, a Series 5 set, but it has been released under the new series logo. It is an amazing, must have set if you are a serious fan of the show. It is the Eleven Doctors Set and here is our review.

Product: The Eleven Doctors Set

Line: Doctor Who

Manufacturer: Character Options

Distributor: Underground Toys

MSRP: $99.99

This is it, the MOTHER of all Doctor Who box sets. This is the one people have been waiting for. Rumor at last becomes reality as ALL ELEVEN INCARNATIONS OF THE DOCTOR are finally available in one place. This set marks the first time ALL of the incarnations have been made available. It also marks the very FIRST time that the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) has been available as a figure. Each Doctor comes with his appropriate accessory and is attired in an outfit that was worn at some point during their tenure. Here is a breakdown of the set.

Packaging

The set comes in a large display box, whose outside has been designed to resemble the TARDIS. The front of the box consists of two flaps with Velcro closures. These flaps resemble the doors of the TARDIS. On the inside of the flaps, short biographies of the Doctors are printed. These biographies will be printed in the description of each Doctor. The back of the box shows a picture of all Eleven figures, The figures themselves are housed in an inner plastic tray, secured by twist ties. The accessories are secured will cellophane tape, in little pockets next to the appropriate Doctor. All in all, it is a very impressive package.

The Figures

The set is exactly what it says on the tin. It consists of Eleven figures, representing each of the Doctor’s incarnations. Each figure comes with an appropriate accessory (i.e. Sonic Screwdriver, etc.) Here is a Doctor-by-Doctor rundown.

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The First Doctor (William Hartnell:  1963-1966)

Bio: The Doctor is a mysterious character from another time and another world. He has a time machine called TARDIS, which is disguised as a police box and was bigger on the inside than on the outside. Discovering the TARDIS in a scrapyard, two teachers are involuntarily taken on a journey back to the year 100,000 BC,  and end up venturing through time and space with the Doctor. He is in exile for unspecified reasons.

The Doctor that began it all, referred to by some as the “Grandfather” Doctor, The First Doctor is represented here in his familiar black frock coat, grey slacks, grey plaid vest, white collared shirt, loose black bow tie and black dress shoes. The figure’s decoration also includes a medal on a black ribbon around the figure’s neck. The figure’s face sculpt features a bemused expression befitting this Doctor. The First Doctor comes with his cane.

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The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton: 1966-1969)
Bio: The First Doctor regenerated whilst battling the Cybermen during the events of “The Tenth Planet” and eventually collapsed, exhausted. His body renewed itself and transformed into the Second Doctor. The Second Doctor’s characteristics centered around his ability to mislead his enemies as to the actual threat he posed to their plans. The Second Doctor confronted many familiar foes, such as the Daleks and the Cybermen, as well as new enemies such as the Great Intelligence and the Ice Warriors. He also had a strange fondness for playing the recorder. The Second Doctor was put on trial by his own people, The Time Lords, for breaking their laws of non-interference. He was exiled to Earth and forced to regenerate.

The Second Doctor represented a huge change in demeanor and attitude from the First Doctor. A bit buffoonish, with a “Beatles” haircut and baggy pants, this Doctor definitely had a more light-hearted attitude than his predecessor. The figure’s face sculpt features a “grumpy” expression commonly seen on this Doctor. He is attired in a black coat, blue collared shirt, signature checkered baggy grey pants and the polka dotted bow tie that would inspire another Doctor almost 40 years later. The Second Doctor comes with his recorder.

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The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee: 1970-1974)

Bio: Exiled to Earth, this sophisticated and elegant Doctor was more of a pure scientist than his predecessors, surrounded by gadgets and vehicles. But whether aiding UNIT against invasions or traveling to distant planets, his kindness and belief in peace were rarely stronger. After returning a jewel to an irradiated cave on an alien planet, the Doctor’s body was so badly damaged he had to regenerate once again.

The Third Doctor is most commonly referred to as a “dandy.” His costume reflects this. It consists of  an emerald green jacket, grey slacks, high black boots, a light blue shirt will frills down the front and cuffs with a loose black cravat and a brown sleeveless overcoat with orange lining and inverness. This Doctor wears a determined expression and is accessorized with a Sonic Screwdriver whose design will change very little over the next few years.

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The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker: 1974-1981)

The Fourth Doctor masked his brilliant and inventive mind behind a facade of bohemian eccentricity. The longest lived incarnation of the Doctors so far, he was forced to change his body after losing a fight with his old enemy The Master and falling from a radio telescope to the ground beneath him.

The Fourth Doctor is the most widely recognized Doctor and, for many people, the most familiar “classic” Doctor. This is primarily due to the wide syndication overseas of his 7 year run. His long knit scarf has become intrinsically linked to Doctor Who. This Doctor has an easy going fun loving manner. He was often humorous and frequently impulsive. He was also quite manic and hyper. The Fourth Doctor comes attired in a grey overcoat, with a multi-colored patterned vest underneath, grey trousers, two tone shoes and his ubiquitous scarf, which, I should rather hilariously mention, comes strapped down in the package. The Fourth Doctor also has his trusty fedora on his head (it is non-removable). His face sculpt features a somewhat blank expression and he comes with his version of the Sonic Screwdriver (similar to the Third Doctor’s, but with a red tip.)

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The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison: 1982-1984)

His youthful appearance belied his wisdom and experience, but this Doctor still found it frustrating that so many people questioned his judgement, especially his companions. While on an alien planet, he and his companion Peri contracted a disease and the Doctor gave Peri the only cure, necessitating another regeneration.

Here he is, the “cricket” Doctor. This costume must have confused the heck out of US audiences who had no idea what cricket was, or had never seen it played. The Fifth Doctor is also known as the “celery” Doctor, due to the piece of vegetation he wore on his left lapel. This Doctor, the youngest to that point, had a boyish charm, belaying centuries of wisdom and experience. His outfit consists of tan frockcoat with red trim, white shirt with red buttons (and a red ? on each tip of the collar, a feature that would be repeated by the next two incarnations), a cream colored v-neck sweater, with red and blue piping on the collar cream colored, striped trousers and white trainers (a costume element that the Tenth Doctor would adapt).In fact, the Fifth Doctor would meet the Tenth Doctor in this very outfit. During the meeting, the Tenth Doctor would express his fondness for the time he spent as the Fifth Doctor. The Fifth Doctor comes equipped with his Sonic Screwdriver.

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The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker: 1984-1986)

Loud, boastful and colorful, this extravagant Doctor hid his vulnerability and caring nature behind a boastful mask of alien disinterest. After once again being put on trial by the Time Lords, the Doctor’s TARDIS was shot out of the skies by his old enemy the Rani and the subsequent crash triggered a regeneration.

The poor, much maligned Sixth Doctor arrived with a new brash attitude and coarseness that was the complete opposite of his predecessor. His outfit consists of: GOOD GOD COLIN! WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? To describe accurately the costume that poor Colin was forced to wear is impossible. You have to see it to believe it. Needless to say, it looks like someone bought the entire clearance scrap bin from a fabric store and sewed an outfit out of it. It is bright, loud and hideous. The face sculpt is firm, but accurate. Also, with the Sonic Screwdriver having been destroyed before his regeneration, the Sixth Doctor has no accessories.

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The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy: 1987-1996)

Mercurial and highly moral, this Doctor would often despair at the cruelty and wastefulness that he encountered throughout the galaxies. On a trip to America in 1999, he was accidentally gunned down by a street gang and taken to hospital, where the procedures taken to try and save him did the reverse and he seemingly died, only to regenerate in the hospital’s morgue.

The Seventh Doctor came along in a time when the series was coming to what was thought to be the end. The Sixth Doctor has been somewhat vilified, unfairly some would say. Sylvester McCoy has spoken at length on his feelings regarding his time as the Doctor, most recently in Doctor Who Magazine. This version of the Sixth Doctor is clad in a maroon jacket, a yellow and blue sweater with red question marks on it, a white shirt and red and blue striped necktie, tan plaid slacks and two-tone loafers. The face sculpt is pensive. The Seventh Doctor comes with his trusty umbrella.

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The box set might have ended here. Doctor Who was cancelled in 1989. It languished in limbo for six years. Then, in 1995, a deal was signed between FOX and the BBC for a TV Movie aimed at bringing back the show. And, because of this Movie we have….

The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann: 1996)

Passionate about life and the beauty of the world around him, this Doctor’s love of humanity drove him to fight his old foe the Master deep within the heart of his own TARDIS. It remains unclear when, how or why exactly he regenerated into his Ninth body, but he had clearly done so shortly before meeting Rose Tyler on Earth.

Ok, boys and girls, here is the real reason to buy this box set. Here, at last, the figure collectors have hopes and prayed for: The Eighth Doctor! This incarnation of the Doctor has had the longest road to action figure immortality. And, I am pleased to say they took the time to get it right. Although this Doctor spends most of his appearance dazed and confused about who he is, he steps up when it counts. The Eight Doctor has a determined look on his face, in addition to piercing blue eyes. He is dressed in the clothing he steals from the hospital lockers shortly after his regeneration. This action would later be repeated by the Eleventh Doctor at the beginning of his adventures. The Eighth Doctor’s Victorian themed outfit consists of a black frock coat, white shirt, grey patterned vest, cravat and slacks, and black shoes.The Eighth Doctor comes with his new Sonic Screwdriver, now with telescoping action.

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Again, after the failure of the Movie to revitalize the series, the box set might have ended here if not for the actions and passion of a man named Russell T. Davies. After creating and produced several successful shows such as Queer as Folk and Blackpool. Davies was approached about reviving the series. He agreed. In 2005, Doctor Who was reborn and the lineage continued with….

The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston: 2005)

The Ninth Doctor was plain spoken and didn’t suffer fools gladly. In spite of this, he still had an irrepressible curiosity and unmistakable alien outlook, which allowed him to charm and beguile friends and foes alike. After a fantastic series of adventures, this Doctor was saved by Rose Tyler – she channeled the Time Vortex through herself, unleashing its power in order to destroy the new Dalek fleet. In return, the Doctor saved his companion by absorbing the Time Vortex from her, causing him to regenerate.

When the Doctor returned to television in 2005, it was in the form of Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor. Everything about this Doctor screamed new. There was a new attitude, a new accent, a bold new outfit and a new TARDIS, featuring a radical new “organic” console room. The Ninth Doctor gave Doctor Who the shot in the arm it needed when it needed it most. The Ninth Doctor went over extremely well with the viewers and the show began to blaze new trails. Along with this new Doctor came a new outfit, radically different from any before it. It consisted of a leather jacket, a maroon v-neck t-shirt, black pants and black boots. The Ninth Doctor waers a kind, but stern expression. He also comes with the new version of the Sonic Screwdriver, which has also radically changed from the “classic” style.

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Christopher Eccleston decided to leave Doctor Who after one year, necessitating a regeneration. A hurried recasting frenzy ensued and in 2006 Doctor Who returns in a Christmas Movie for the first time ever, which becomes the first full adventure for….

The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant: 2005-2009)

The Tenth Doctor had a bright, sparky personality, yet he rarely gave second chances to his foes. Leaping back into the TARDIS with a series of extraordinary companions, he seemed the most vivacious Doctor so far. Following repeated battles with old foes, and after a cataclysmic encounter with his own people, in the end, this Doctor gave his own life to save that of Wilfred Mott, absorbing radiation that would have proven fatal to his old friend.He was able to stave off the regeneration process long enough to bid farewell to his past companions and reach the safety of the TARDIS, where the Doctor began to regenerate, alone.

Here he is, Britain’s most popular Doctor according to a 2009 poll. David Tennant brought a manic energy to the role that connected to the audience like few of his predecessors. David youth and energy revitalized the character, which in turn revitalized the show. Russell T. Davies’ scripts and Tennant’s performance took the show to new ratings heights and gave BBC a worldwide hit. Tennant saw the show through four years worth of adventures, which saw the return of two of the Doctor’s greatest foes: Davros and the Master. The regeneration of the Master into the younger, more energetic “Harold Saxon” version, played by John Simm, breathed new life into that character as well.  Davies and Tennant both ended their association with the show this past January, as the second part of the Tenth Doctor’s final story “The End of Time” saw the Doctor compete against not just the resurrected Master, but his own people, the Time Lords, who were trying to escape the time-locked Time War, which was raging on Gallifrey. The announcement of Tennant’s departure was made live, by him, during a British Television awards show. It sent shock waves through the fan community. The Tenth Doctor was the very model of a fashion look that came to be known as “Geek Chic.” For this figure, the Tenth Doctor is dressed in his blue suit (one of two he wore, the other was brown), a light blue dress shirt, a red and blue patterned tie, a long brown overcoat and red trainers. This version of the Doctor also frequently wore black rimmed glasses, which he called “brainy specs.” His head sculpt wears a determined look. He also comes with his version of the Sonic Screwdriver, which is similar to the Ninth Doctor’s version, but is larger and a little but thinner and longer. Ironically, this is one of few cases where the toy inspired a change in the series. When Character Options made the toy of the Ninth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, it was larger due to the need to incorporate a pen nib on the end. The actual prop was quite fragile and the production team were impressed with the toy replica. They asked for the molds and had new props cast from them for use in the series.

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As Russell T Davies departs Doctor Who, his successor is named. it is Steven Moffat, who has written for the show before. As word reaches Steven that David Tennant will not be returning, the search for the new Doctor begins. Series 5 goes on the air in Spring of 2010, and it features the first full adventure of….

The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith: 2010-????)

The Eleventh Doctor saw off not one, but two alien threats almost as soon as he crashed to Earth. His new companion, Amy Pond, first met him when she was six years old, and while he was clad in the raggedy remnants of the Tenth Doctor’s suit. Twelve years and four psychologists later, the girl who waited wanted answers! Realizing he owed her that much, the Doctor, now clothed in a tweed jacket and a cool new bow tie, welcomed Amy into a brand new TARDIS, and took off on a series of thrilling adventures around the universe. However, the two time travellers are being followed on their journey by a crack which appears wherever they go…and it looks a lot like the one on Amy’s bedroom wall.

And finally, we have the current Doctor, as portrayed by Matt Smith. This Doctor began his adventures earlier this year. Already in his tenure, we have seen the return of the Weeping Angels, Silurians and River Song, as well as new monsters such as Prisoner Zero, the Atraxi and the “Vampires” of Venice. But, the most striking thing that occurred during the first series of this Doctor’s adventures was the rebirth of the Daleks. Now arranged in a five member color-coded paradigm, the new, larger Daleks are sure to become a force to be reckoned with. The new Doctor is energetic, brilliant and sometimes brash. His costume seems to scream “University Professor.” He comes in his standard outfit: Tweed jacket (with elbow patches), black pants and boots, red patterned shirt, and, although you can’t see them on the figure, suspenders. Capping off the outfit is the supremely cool red bow tie. Because, as he says “bow ties are cool.” The new Doctor also comes with the new Sonic Screwdriver, which comes in it’s “extended” mode.

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So, that’s all of them. And, with Matt Smith staying on as the Doctor, you probably won’t to have to worry about adding to it for a while. So, should you get it? Let’s review the pros and cons below.

Pros

It is an amazing feat that this even got made. It is definitely a set designed to appeal to fans.

It is the easiest way to get all Eleven Doctors in one shot.

It is the ONLY way to get the Eighth Doctor right now.

The face sculpts are tremendous.

It is only $100 for 12 figures, which is an enormous savings when you figure that single figures retail for around $15 a piece.

The Eleven figures make a pretty stunning display when they are all put together.

Cons

It is $100!

Some of the costumes are not the most well remembered (The Fourth Doctor, for example, does not have a burgundy jacket)

It is the ONLY way to get the Eighth Doctor.

The box is HUGE. So displaying them might be difficult.

Most of them have tiny accessories that you have to keep track of.

Supply is limited.

The Matt Smith figure is the same one you have probably already bought by now.

Ditto for the David Tennant. You probably already own it.

Personal Gripes

Peter Davison does not have his hat, neither does Sylvester McCoy.

David Tennant’s figure has NO additional articulation. It also has NON-REMOVABLE GLASSES!

Matt Smith’s figure is the same one released in both the “crash set” and wave one of the series 5 line. Red bow tie, no suspenders. This would have been a perfect opportunity to release the blue bow tie figure in America.

But, those are minor gripes, and in the end, the pros of this set far outweigh the cons.

RECOMMENDED?:  YES
Final Word: Whether you are a new or longtime fan, this is a great bit of fan service. The ultimate chance to affordably acquire all eleven incarnations of the Doctor. Get it while you can at the retail price.

The Eleven Doctors Set gets a 5 out of 5.

WHERE CAN I GET IT? In the UK, the set can be purchased from Forbidden Planet or Character Options. In the U.S., the set can be purchased from Forbidden Planet, Entertainment Earth or JR’s Toy World, where I purchased mine. There are other sources available, but these are the ones I have had the best experiences buying from.

I would like to extend my thanks to Character for producing this set, and to Underground for bringing it to the US.