My First Doctor

January 19, 2011 3:09 PM

The BBC and toy company Character Options will be putting a new Doctor Who themed series of construction toys on store shelves around the world in the next few months. Just when you thought Matt Smith and Karen Gillan couldn't get any cuter...
posted by BZArcher (62 comments total)

I am not a big fan of desk toys (clutter!), but those things gave me the biggest OMG WANT reaction to toys I've had in years.
posted by immlass at 3:13 PM on January 19, 2011

My favourite part is the conspicuous absence of Rory.
posted by sarastro at 3:15 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Clearly Rory and the variant Centurian Rory would be part of phase II. Along with Old School Dalek, Old School Cyberman and Christmas Shark.
posted by Artw at 3:20 PM on January 19, 2011

Come on, a little Rory in a centurion costume would be awesome.
posted by maqsarian at 3:21 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

oh man, pwnd by artw
posted by maqsarian at 3:22 PM on January 19, 2011

Does 'Construction Toy' mean Lego-compatible Lego Knock-Off?
posted by memebake at 3:22 PM on January 19, 2011

I see Boing Boing is overrun by RTD holdouts. Exterminate! Exterminate!
posted by Artw at 3:22 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

I want a little Peking Homunculus, from The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
posted by maqsarian at 3:28 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mr. Sin was played by Deep Roy!
posted by oonh at 3:33 PM on January 19, 2011

This post tastes like Pepsi Blue^TM.
posted by killdevil at 3:33 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I really want to get one of the Blink angels and wire it up to creep closer to you when you aren't looking at it.

Because my nightmares aren't real enough.
posted by quin at 3:33 PM on January 19, 2011 [13 favorites]

This post tastes like Pepsi Blue --- I'm pretty sure that's just the boingboing aftertaste.
posted by crunchland at 3:42 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh god I was in an argument with an RTD holdout last night. Or really, more truthfully, a Tennant loyalist who could not believe that everyone else at the table preferred Smith and Eccleston.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:45 PM on January 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'll bet an argument with a Tennant loyalist would have a lot of SHOUTING.
posted by maqsarian at 3:47 PM on January 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

This post tastes like Pepsi Blue

I think that might be Tardis Blue that you're tasting.
posted by Coobeastie at 3:48 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

I'm pretty sure that's just the boingboing aftertaste.

So like Violet Blue then?
posted by killdevil at 3:50 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think that might be Tardis Blue that you're tasting.

Interestingly, the show holds the trademark on the TARDIS-style police boxes, as the government never trademarked them themselves and BBC Wales was seen to have more of an interest in them.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:50 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

"EXTERMINATE!"
"Oh, how cute?"
"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"
"Look at this little thing, isn't it super cute!"
"EXTERMINATE!"
"I'm going to put it right here next to Hello Kitty."

And so, the saddest Dalek ever threatened Kitty for the rest of his days.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:54 PM on January 19, 2011 [23 favorites]

I try and give Tennant loyalists a fair shake, simply because I remember how inconceivable it was to me as kid that anybody other than Tom Baker was capable of being The Doctor, and if Tennant was your first Doctor and the new series was your only knowledge of The Doctor, than I understand. But then some ass says that RTD was a better writer than Moffat and I'm like " IT'S ON, MOTHERFUCKER!"

Also, totally want the Dalek minifigs.
posted by KingEdRa at 4:13 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I need those Daleks. Need.

I would rather have a River Song than a Rory. This is because Rory sucks. Ooh, look at you. Your superpower is being patient and sitting very still.
posted by sugarfish at 4:19 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

A link to BoingBoing, which contains one photo and press release copy is Best of the Web?
posted by crossoverman at 4:19 PM on January 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

BBC America seems determined to forget that it ever broadcast the Eccleston episodes. Repeats all the others all the time, but not those ones.

And it's an odd thing, but although I like Matt Smith very much in the role, a lot of this series' episodes are actually not very good. That god-awful goth-vampires-in-Venice one? Bah.

And I wish Moffat had left the Weeping Angels well alone as an outstanding one-off. Less is more.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 4:24 PM on January 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Also also: Daleks and Cybermen are not mandatory every bloody series. They're supposed to be terrifying arch-enemies; trot them out too often and you dilute them to just another monster-of-the-week.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 4:25 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

But then some ass says that RTD was a better writer than Moffat and I'm like " IT'S ON, MOTHERFUCKER!"

I cannot get excited about people being WRONG on the INTERNET about RTD and Moffat, even though it's clear to me that the Moff is a better showrunner and the show has started an upswing. But I have had someone pretty much decide they don't want to be my meatspace real-life friend because I have strong opinions about Who that she doesn't like and expressing them in public (not to her) is clearly some form of passive-aggressive hating on her. I know I'm obsessive about Who myself, but what. the. fuck.?
posted by immlass at 4:42 PM on January 19, 2011

I know I'm obsessive about Who myself, but what. the. fuck.?

Yeah, you really don't come off as the obsessive one in that story.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:56 PM on January 19, 2011

I will have words with anyone who disparages Rory.

Oh, Rory. ~dreamy sigh~
posted by Windigo at 5:03 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

BBC America seems determined to forget that it ever broadcast the Eccleston episodes. Repeats all the others all the time, but not those ones.

Nah, I've seen some Eccleston ones. Mainly in the big marathons. They're starting to feature clips of Nine in the "we've got episodes you can download to your iPod" ads now too; I wonder if maybe there was some kind of weirdness around the fact that CE apparently found being The Doctor to be a little unpleasant for a while.

As for the whole Tennant/Eccleston/Smith/Moffat/RTD loyalties: Ten is definitely "my Doctor". But that's more about David Tennant than the character. (He is so pretty. So, so, so pretty.) However -- I also really like Matt Smith, but for a very different way. Actually -- it's Matt Smith that finally underscored the whole, "oh, wait, the different Doctors are....different" factor, which I've been fascinated by. He's incredibly good at the whole "ancient man in a young man's body" thing, and reminds me of Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown sometimes. Which is an interesting contrast to how...young the Tenth Doctor felt sometimes (maybe because you could see Tennant's inner seven-year-old squealing in sheer glee the whole time about how HOLY CRAP HE GETS TO BE THE DOCTOR FOR REAL, which I always found kind of charming). And that's why I don't know if it's...possible to say one approach is better than the other. They're just too different, and there are ways both can appeal; sometimes the youthful, perpetually-a-child kind of approach worked, in the way Calvin and Hobbes worked. And then there are time when the nutty-professor thing works as well.

As for Moffat/RTD -- oh, definitely, Moffat all the way.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:07 PM on January 19, 2011 [6 favorites]

Christ, I have to say those are cute. Even if Eleven has this Bob the Builder expression on his face. Can anyone else see that? No? Yeah? Just me? Okay.

Nine is my doctor. I can start a fight in an empty room by saying that Tennant has a weasel face, but I swear I don't mean it unkindly, it's just that to me he resembles some brand of little stoaty creature.
posted by monster truck weekend at 5:32 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

@Monster Truck Weekend - I can kinda see Tennant as a bit of a ferret, actually.

And, no, I am not an astroturf. I just honestly thought they were really, really cute. I kinda want a Cyberman for my desk.
posted by BZArcher at 5:40 PM on January 19, 2011

*Set's RTM reminder for "spring 2011"*
posted by Mick at 5:48 PM on January 19, 2011

EmpressCallipygos, I definitely don't think Tennant was bad at the role. He was very good, in fact. My problems with him are two-fold.

1. As we saw in "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood," Tennant was capable of phenomenal nuance with the role. There's a reason he was so well-received as Hamlet - the man can act. However, in most episodes we see him being very charming, but nowhere near as deep as those two episodes (and "Girl in the Fireplace," "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead," and a few others.) Contrasted with Eccleston's PTSD and Smith's wiliness covering some very deep sorrow, and he's just the least interesting to me. This is probably, however, just the simple result of:

2. Tennant's period contained almost all of the worst writing of the Nu Who. Oh, it contained great episodes, most of which were written by Moffat, of course, but it also included shit like "Daleks in Manhattan,:" and a hell of a lot of filler like "The Shakespeare Code," which just showed that RTD didn't have a clear idea of what show he was making and that the personalities of the characters were just there to suit his purposes episode to episode.

Which isn't to say that Season 5 was perfect, but I'd still re-watch "Victory of the Daleks," before half of the episodes which occurred during Seaosns 2-4.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:00 PM on January 19, 2011

Ten was wonderful, and phenomenally scary. Also, David Tennant is beautiful when he cries. I want to hug him.

I like Eleven more. Smith is probably a better Doctor. He's not quite as scary or as beautiful as Ten, but then, who is?
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:10 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Red dalek and weeping angel WANT!!
posted by Anima Mundi at 6:15 PM on January 19, 2011

Rose, oh Rose, nobody cares about Rose...
posted by Artw at 6:28 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh, I freely admit that my Ten!Doctor leanings are only in part about his performance -- at least 30% of it is influenced by David Tennant having an "I'll be in my bunk" factor for me.

That's exactly why I don't think of it as a better/worse or either/or thing; if you take away that highly personal extra factor, they're both great.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:34 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I really do not get other people's perceptions of Eccleston.

He was my first Doctor. I should love him. He should be the one who set the standard for me. But.. No, not really. And it's not that I disagree with the quality of his performance, I just don't even understand the claims others make about his performance.

I see so much talk about the anger, pain, and, as Navelgazer sas, PTSD.... I just don't see it. I never got any sense of that from him. Instead, Eccleston's Doctor, to me, just seems empty. Completely empty. And not in a deep, "He's so angry that it's collapsed into emptiness!" way. Just in a nothing way.

The only real moment when I think I got some sense of what others see in Eccleston is the "Just this once, everyone lives!" moment in The Doctor Dances. But the rest of the time, everything everyone says about his take on the role is a total mystery to me.
posted by meese at 6:35 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

WHARRGARBL
posted by beschizza at 7:14 PM on January 19, 2011

I care about Rose!

And Donna. Poor Donna. Those bastards.
posted by Windigo at 7:47 PM on January 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

This is sorely missing Rory. I like Amy well enough, but I love the group dynamic of the three of them. 11's crush on Rory is awesome.

I loved 10, but I wish the rabid Tennant fans would understand that they're making everyone else kind of hate the DT era on principle.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 7:48 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Empress, I totally understand. It's hard for me to explain why Amy is my favorite companion without giving it away that I'd still adore her even if she were just a static picture of Karen Gillam with subtitles.

(But Gillam is still excellent in her portrayal.)
posted by Navelgazer at 8:51 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I want these so much I can hardly stand it. Add a TARDIS and River Song and I'll be the happiest fangirl ever.

Teeny little weeping angel!
posted by Space Kitty at 9:36 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

The only real moment when I think I got some sense of what others see in Eccleston is the "Just this once, everyone lives!" moment in The Doctor Dances.

The scene in Dalek where he first encounters the titular Dalek: horror and terror as he faces an adversary defeated long ago at great cost, turning to near-sadistic glee as he realizes it's crippled.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:54 PM on January 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

River Song.

Is it just me that finds her just downright annoying, then? Perky perky perky lampshade perky in-joke spoilers perky.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:58 PM on January 19, 2011

We had a deal, Kyle: I used to find her that way. Thankfully, due to the weird order in which I've watched the episodes (which, to add to my bias above, meant that I saw Eccleston and Smith play out before Tennant) meant that after sort of half-suffering her for a while I saw "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" only recently, and it made me like her a lot more.

And for me, the "Everybody Lives" bit works only because up until then, we've been waiting for him to have some joy in his life. This is the same well from which "coward, any day," draws its power. He's the Doctor, so there are things which he is going to have to deal with, but he seems to face each one with the concern that this will be the time that it breaks him for good.

(Which also leads to a bit of my minor frustration with Tennant's episodes. As the ninth Doctor is dying, there are clearly a thousand things going through his head: competing self-doubt and self-congratulation, hatred of the fact that he couldn't do more coupled with whatever his feelings for Rose and what she had just done were, and it boils and boils until, FLASH! Here's the new Doctor, with his reading of "Where was I, oh yes, Barcelona!" and it's just like, Oh, I guess everything's all better now. Kind of a let-down, for me.)
posted by Navelgazer at 10:16 PM on January 19, 2011

Ooh, I also want a little Kandyman!

It and my Peking Homunculus could have fights
posted by maqsarian at 10:52 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I rather like Dr. Who. Personally, I want the pair of Daleks to make into salt-pepper shakers. Best use of a Dalek, ever (only use?). Salt can go "Exterminate! Exterminate!" when I use it.

On the other hand, the posing on this thread makes me feel the need to make Dr. Who watching one of those pleasures one doesn't mention in polite company. Get off my lawn. Now.
posted by Goofyy at 12:10 AM on January 20, 2011

And Donna. Poor Donna. Those bastards.

Yes, Donna. Why did they hate her so? What was that about? She was great. Strong, energetic, glories and loves the travelling and experiences, heroic when required. And funny. [sarcasm] It's almost as though people don't like women who aren't pretty and young and smiley! [/sarcasm]
posted by alasdair at 12:16 AM on January 20, 2011

Yeah but - Doctor's marrying his own daughter. Even RTD would have problems camping THAT up on children's TV.

And just about everywhere I can take this post is too wrong to contemplate. I think I'll stop here.
posted by Devonian at 1:11 AM on January 20, 2011

Romana is married to RICHARD DAWKINS?!?
posted by coriolisdave at 2:16 AM on January 20, 2011

Yeah, whenever you think of River out of Eden, it'll be a scarf now, eh?
posted by hawthorne at 4:21 AM on January 20, 2011

As the ninth Doctor is dying, there are clearly a thousand things going through his head: competing self-doubt and self-congratulation, hatred of the fact that he couldn't do more coupled with whatever his feelings for Rose and what she had just done were, and it boils and boils until, FLASH! Here's the new Doctor, with his reading of "Where was I, oh yes, Barcelona!" and it's just like, Oh, I guess everything's all better now. Kind of a let-down, for me.

The same thing kind of happened when Smith took over -- we had a whole 20-minute memory-lane make-one-last-visit-to-everyone swan song for Ten, and then the very last thing he ever says is the tearful confession, "....I don't want to go!" And then suddenly there's this guy we don't recognize giggling over the fact that whee, he's still got legs and arms and fingers and whee, he's crashing! I think that's just the way of things.

Doctor's marrying his own daughter.

I've heard a real-life corrolary to that -- apparently Peter Davison happened to overhear his daughter on the phone to Tennant one evening while she was visiting, and it was kind of clear the conversation was a little....intimate, so he tiptoed out of the room, chuckling to himself and thinking, "heh, my daughter's having phone sex with The Doctor."

Then a couple seconds later, he went very pale and thought, "...Wait...I'm also The Doctor."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:50 AM on January 20, 2011 [5 favorites]

maqsarian: true, but at least you'd be sure to get an apology afterwards.
posted by littleredspiders at 5:14 AM on January 20, 2011

Anyone who has had to buy Dr Who Adventures magazine (comic?) for their obsessive kids would be familiar with the "cutesy" versions of the Doctor, Amy & the monsters. Our fridge is covered with these stickers. See examples here. & yes, they include Rory!
posted by khites at 5:38 AM on January 20, 2011

My favourite part is the conspicuous absence of Rory.

I'll get me coat.
posted by rory at 7:36 AM on January 20, 2011 [4 favorites]

My first Doctor was Baker, but I always felt overly creeped-out by him. Like he was an eccentric uncle that always said...odd...things to you and no one ever let him be alone with you.

But, I'm not a Doctor loyalist. I just like a good performance. I basically liked Tennant but his yelling and screeching really grated on me. Eccleston was good, but too short-lived. Smith has been great, so far, and Gillian is probably the best companion out of the new batch.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:56 AM on January 20, 2011

Oooh! I look forward to these turning up at work - hopefully they'll send in a sample for desk decoration purposes.

Fun fact: our temp receptionist was in the Doctor Who easter special, with a bus in the desert. He still gets fan letters.
posted by mippy at 7:59 AM on January 20, 2011

Oh, and my ex went to school with Eleven. I must be fated to grow up into River Song or something.
posted by mippy at 8:02 AM on January 20, 2011

Oh, these are adorable. If I were a kid, I would totally be begging my parents to get these for me. I’ve always loved miniature toys, and I love them even more if they’re Lego-like. I’m curious to see what sort of “sets” will be coming out next to build on the dolls (or on which to build the dolls?). At any rate, even though I’m a fully grown adult, when I visit my parents in a few months, I’ll probably be begging for a stop in a toyshop to see if any of these are available to take back to the States.

They would be perfect to add to my work “to-do” baskets. This will out me as a Doctor Who fan, but I’m ever so fond of my work “to-do” baskets. Not because of the piles of work in them (hah!), but because of the way I’ve labeled them:

The terrifying Weeping Angel basket holds all those evil, nasty troublesome issues that I dread.

The demanding Cyberman "incompatible" basket holds documents that need to be double-checked and re-verified

The Tardis basket boasts various happy Doctor catchphrases, letting me know what documents are ready for completion and shall leave my office, hopefully never to return.

The angry Dalek “TERMINATE” basket holds, well, terminations.

And finally, the empty child asks “Are you my Mummy?” of all the miscellaneous paperwork that I can’t seem to find a home for.

I'm just pleased my boss watched Doctor Who when she was younger, so she is more amused than offended at my unprofessionalism.
posted by paisley sheep at 9:38 AM on January 20, 2011 [3 favorites]

River Song.

Is it just me that finds her just downright annoying, then? Perky perky perky lampshade perky in-joke spoilers perky.

Yes. I adore River. I know Moff's said, yadda yadda, little girls want to be Amy, but I think River is so much more capable and bad ass and just as beautiful. She's like Han Solo. Or Indiana Jones. I am flooded with happiness every time I see spoiler pictures of next season with her, standing in the desert, looking wonderful.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:41 AM on January 20, 2011 [4 favorites]

I think River is so much more capable and bad ass and just as beautiful. She's like Han Solo. Or Indiana Jones.

***SPOILER FOR THE SERIES FIVE FINALE***




Or when she saw the Dalek in the museum and took her time destroying it and liked it. So much love.
posted by sugarfish at 5:08 PM on January 20, 2011 [5 favorites]

when she saw the Dalek in the museum and took her time destroying it and liked it.

She had a Dalek begging her for mercy.

(sudden epiphany)

....Wait. Is she Ace?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:01 PM on January 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

Ride In Dalek Toys. Those kids look so happy!
posted by Gary at 8:45 AM on January 27, 2011