Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #19 Set

Release Date: December 2024

RRP: £21.99

Nearly five years on from when they first debuted and the History of the Daleks range is still trucking on, and in the last few releases has finally stepped out of the classic era of Doctor Who and entered the modern era. Sadly the numbering is a bit all over the place now though, with last year's poorly-named History of the Daleks #16/#17 covering both Dalek and jumping ahead to Doomsday (while set #18 went all the way back to Resurrection of the Daleks). The finale of series one and the Ninth Doctor era hasn't been forgotten though, with Character Options circling back to The Parting of the Ways with History of the Daleks #19. This B&M Stores exclusive two-pack was released as part of the final assortment for 2024, containing both an Imperial Guard Dalek and a standard bronze Dalek.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who Ruby Sunday (Vortex Edition)

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: £39.99 (2-pack with the Fifteenth Doctor) 

Even if the latest era of Doctor Who doesn't prove enough to get the toy line out of the rut of store/online exclusives it's been in for years now, at the very least Character Options have definitely made an effort to make the two lead characters stand out. Actually getting them released (and in the same year as the series aired no less) is one thing, but to bring with them improved articulation, sculpting and paintwork is a much-needed shot in the arm for the line. Joining the Fifteenth Doctor on his travels through time and space is Ruby Sunday (portrayed onscreen by Millie Gibson), who will also be made available in two versions. Firstly this special "Vortex Edition" figure exclusive to the Character Options website, and then a retail edition (with a different costume and packaging) slightly later.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who The Fifteenth Doctor (Vortex Edition)

Release Date: October 2024

RRP: £39.99 (2-pack with Ruby Sunday)

Even though there has been a steady string of exclusive releases at either B&M stores or the Character Options website for some time now, the Doctor Who figure line hasn't been faring too well when it comes to capitalising on the current series. Brand new characters are few and far between, with what little we do get coming months/years are the series they hail from has aired. Things might be picking up with the latest era though, as Character Options have finally unveiled their Fifteenth Doctor figure. Portrayed onscreen by Ncuti Gatwa, this figure will be made available in two versions – firstly a special "Vortex Edition" exclusive to Character's website, and then a retail edition (with a different costume and packaging) slightly later.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who "Ruins of Skaro" Collector Figure Set

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: £39.99

Although the B&M stores exclusive range has been doing a lot of the legwork for the Doctor Who figure range for some time now, in the last couple of years Character Options have also been making a big impression with their online exclusive releases as well. Released in more limited fashion with a (very slightly) higher price tag, these releases are an opportunity to get new figures with significantly new parts and tooling - something the B&M range for the most part lack. Character already kicked off the year with a bang by releasing the Fugitive Doctor and her TARDIS in this manner, but for their second online exclusive they're heading back to the classic era with the Ruins of Skaro Collector Figure set. This three-figure set based on Destiny of the Daleks reissues a much sought-after figure in the form of the bomb/suicide Dalek, complimenting it with two brand new ones of one of the greatest threats to the Dalek Empire - the Movellans.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'The Regeneration Set' Two Figure Collector Set

Release Date: January 2023

RRP: £29.99

The Power of the Doctor saw Doctor Who fans bid farewell to the 13th Doctor (as played by Jodie Whittaker), with her incarnation of the iconic Time Lord regenerating and the 14th Doctor mysteriously taking the face of his tenth incarnation (both of course played by David Tennant) once more. This mystery will soon be answered in the forthcoming 60th anniversary specials due to air later this year. Character Options were even able to mark the occasion with an extremely quick announcement of 'The Regeneration Set' - a special two figure collector set made available exclusively on their website. This marks the first release from newly released episodes of Doctor Who in some time, as well as Character working closely with Russell T Davies and the production team behind the series to release the set on such a quick turnaround and ahead of the 14th Doctor's full debut.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #12 Set

Release Date: December 2022 

RRP: £24.99

Although Genesis of the Daleks definitely took centre stage in the Winter 2022 Doctor Who B&M exclusive range, it wasn't the only Dalek story to be featured. In addition to the two Genesis-themed sets Character Options also released History of the Daleks #12 - based on 1979's Destiny of the Daleks. The opening story to the show's 17th series, it saw the Fourth Doctor and the newly-regenerated Romana arrive on Skaro, where the Daleks have returned to search for their long-forgotten creator Davros - who they hope will be able to turn the tide in their long war against the Movellans.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #11 Set

Release Date: December 2022

RRP: £24.99

For many Doctor Who fans, Genesis of the Daleks is one of (if not the) greatest stories of all time. The origin of the Doctor's greatest adversary set against a war-torn Skaro, the story introduced the Daleks' creator Davros and subsequent Dalek encounters arguably struggled to live up to this level of quality. Its place in Doctor Who history has clearly been recognised by Character Options, who released not one, but TWO Genesis of the Daleks-themed sets as part of their final wave of B&M exclusive figures in 2022. Complimenting the Creation of the Daleks set is the eleventh entry in the History of the Daleks assortment, adding a further two standard gunmetal grey Daleks to the line.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'Creation of the Daleks' Collector Figure Set

Release Date: December 2022

RRP: £24.99

After radio silence for much of 2022 Character Options' Doctor Who toy line bounced back at the very end of the year with two waves of B&M exclusive figures hitting immediately after one another in the Autumn and Winter. While History of the Daleks has become a staple of these waves every so often an additional special Dalek-themed set joins them, and in the Winter selection it was the turn of the 'Creation of the Daleks' Collector Figure Set. This Genesis of the Daleks themed set takes us back to the seminal 1975 story, featuring one of the original Dalek drones featured as well as their maniacal creator – the Kaleds' chief scientist Davros.

Custom Figure: "Big Finish" Dalek

Despite there being some great History of the Daleks sets released in 2022, all of which have PLENTY of potential for custom fodder, I didn't quite get as many customs produced as I had hoped. Blame the scarcity of seeing them in B&M Stores (I rarely saw enough sets on shelves to buy spares for customs) or just a lack of time and funds, but productivity was definitely at a low. That said, at the end of the year I started on a pretty simple project that would hopefully kickstart a more productive 2023. So without further ado I present my first Doctor Who custom figure for the year, hailing from a place which (second only to the TV21 Dalek comics) has always been one of my favourite places to scour for inspiration - the ever-growing audio adventures of Big Finish.

Favourite Toys of 2022

As the world gradually begins to ring out the end of 2022, it's time again to count down some of my favourite toy releases of the year. Sadly the rather extensive back catalogue I started the year with hasn't gotten any smaller, but thankfully I've still made time for this bunch of fantastic figures which are all worthy of joining your collection. As usual I try to make these lists specifically for figures that were released in 2022, but given the sheer chaos that is Hasbro's release schedule these days there a couple from the beginning of the year that are perhaps a little debatable. Not that it really matters - I got all these figures in 2022 and that's all that counts. So without further ado read on to find out which figure made the top spot, and be sure to let me know what your favourites were in the comments!

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #10 Set

Release Date: October 2022

RRP: £24.99

After an extended stop-off at Planet of the Daleks, Character Options continues its journey through the History of the Daleks! We move forward in the Doctor Who timeline to 1974 with History of the Daleks #10 - a set based on Death to the Daleks. This story saw the Daleks arrive on the planet Exxilon, where they initially needed to ally themselves with the Doctor when the energy drain from the Exxilon city rendered their weaponry useless. Following secret development of physical projectile weapons, the Daleks were then able to reassume their exterminating ways before their eventual defeat.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #9 Set

Release Date: October 2022

RRP: £24.99

When Character Options first announced their plans for History of the Daleks #8 (based on Planet of the Daleks), Doctor Who fans were surprised that they had opted to include two standard grey Daleks rather than some of the more notable variants that appeared in the story. The reveal that the Daleks featured a brand-new mutant reveal gimmick alleviated the pain somewhat, but it was still disappointing that the Supreme Dalek was nowhere to be found. Fast-forward a year and the 2022 range of B&M Store exclusive figures are finally hitting shelves, and Character Options have thrown out another surprise - History of the Daleks #9 is another Planet of the Daleks set! That's right, the 1973 serial is back for round two - this time including both the aforementioned Supreme Dalek and a new take on an "invisible" Dalek.

Top 5: Most Wanted Doctor Who Figures (Classic Series)

Despite some of the difficulties Character Options' Doctor Who toy line has faced over the years, thanks to the steady stream of B&M store exclusives it's regained enough strength that figure wish lists don't feel like a complete fantasy any more – particularly when it comes to the classic era. For this month's top five feature I'll be looking at the figures I'd most like to see come to the line, as well as giving brief reasons as to why. Some of these are pretty unlikely so truth be told I don't have too much hope of any of them happening, but even if one could become a reality that would be cause for celebration.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'The Five Doctors (1983)' Figure Set

Release Date: December 2021

RRP: £19.99

With how long Character Options have been producing Doctor Who action figures now, it's amazing that it took them until the end of 2021 to produce a set based on The Five Doctors. Marking the 20th anniversary of the franchise, the story saw the then-five incarnations of the Doctor pulled into the Death Zone - a dimension on Gallifrey where combatants are pitted against each other in "The Game of Rassilon". The Five Doctors (1983) Collector Figure Set was released as part of the second assortment of B&M Store exclusive sets for 2021, and is notable for being the first to include a paint variant figure. While all of the sets included both the Third Doctor and a Raston Warrior Robot, the Cyberman was available in both standard soldier and Cyberleader variants.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #6 Set

Release Date: December 2021 

RRP: £19.99 

Character Options have been slowly moving along with their History of the Daleks range over the past few years, charting the evolution of Doctor Who's most popular villains with a chronological release pattern. However the chronology was shifted somewhat in 2021, when History of the Daleks #6 (based on the 1967 serial The Evil of the Daleks) was held back to be released alongside set #8, rather than together with set #5. This is due to the variants included in both The Evil of the Daleks and The Power of the Daleks being so similar, which is some smart thinking on Character's part. The Evil of the Daleks is notable for featuring the "final end" of the Daleks – their last appearance on the show until 1973 while creator Terry Nation attempted to start up his own Dalek-centric spin-off. The story's final scenes, the Daleks are seemingly destroyed for good when a civil war breaks out between two sets of Daleks (one injected with the human factor, leading them questioning orders) in the Emperor Dalek's chambers on Skaro.

Custom Figure: 'Death Zone' Dalek (The Five Doctors)

With new classic Dalek releases mainly coming through the History of the Daleks sets there is plenty of ground to cover, but chances are some of the odder variants that didn't appear in Dalek-specific stories may be forgotten. One such example is the 'Death Zone' Dalek, which briefly appeared in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors. Despite some rather interesting differences that would make this particular Dalek perfect for a figure release, it has gone unlooked at by Character Options thus far. Luckily it's not a particularly difficult one to recreate, and with the advent of 3D printed parts being produced by talented customisers it's now easier than ever to simply make one at home.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'Robot' Collector Figure Set

Release Date: February 2022

RRP: £19.99

As wonderful as it is to be getting new figures again, it's fair to say that the B&M exclusive Doctor Who range has gotten into a fairly predictable pattern when it comes to releases. History of the Daleks, three-packs, the odd Doctor/TARDIS two-packs…though the contents of the sets might still be a surprise the format usually isn't. Which is why it’s especially nice that Character Options have launched their 2022 range with something a little different from the norm – the Robot Collector Figure Set. Paying tribute to Fourth Doctor Tom Baker's debut story from 1974, this limited edition set features both the Doctor himself and the K1 Robot – a figure that's been long overdue a reissue.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'Warriors of the Deep' Collector Figure Set

Release Date: February 2022

RRP: £29.99

While the various B&M store exclusive figures released by Character Options continue to excite Doctor Who fans, it's whenever they announce their next website exclusive that things get really exciting. Though there's only usually one a year (the 'Jungles of Mechanus' Dalek set in 2020 and then the Abominable Snowman Second Doctor/TARDIS set in 2021), it's a release slot reserved for some of the line's more remarkable releases. And in 2022 Character have produced the most remarkable one so far, with the Warriors of the Deep Collector Figure Set. Based on the 1984 story from the Fifth Doctor's tenure, this three-figure set includes the three Silurians featured in the story – Ichtar, Scibus and Tarpok. Not only was it released exclusively through the Character Online website, but the set is also limited to only 3000 pieces.

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who History of the Daleks #8 Set

Release Date: December 2021

RRP: £19.99

Now that we're few years into the B&M exclusive History of the Daleks sets, it's time to fully jump into 1970s era of Doctor Who with the second set from the Third Doctor's era – History of the Daleks #8. Based around the 1973 serial Planet of the Daleks, the story saw the Doctor and Jo chase the Daleks to the planet Spirdon. Teaming up with a group of Thals, they help defeat the Daleks and bury the 10,000-strong army they have lying dormant in the planet's icy caverns. This latest Dalek set from Character Options was released as part of their December 2021 assortment.

Custom Figure: 'Dalek Attack' 8-Bit Deco Dalek

It's a brand new year and it's time for a whole new batch of classic Dalek toys! If the B&M exclusive History of the Daleks sets don't show any sign of slowing down, then neither will I. But with the boxes largely ticked on both TV21 comics and The Curse of Fatal Death variants, it's time to look at different sources of inspiration. And one area that has remained largely untouched for me is video games. While the world of Doctor Who video games is a largely maligned one, video game-inspired decos are a hit when it comes to action figures – just look at some of the fantastic work NECA does with theirs. So inspired by their work, I turned my attention to doing the same for the Daleks – and more specifically, Dalek Attack!