The first Doctor Who 5-inch release of 2021 was the 2nd Doctor and TARDIS, as seen in the 1967 story The Abominable Snowmen. The set was a Character Options Exclusive, sold only via their online store.
The packaging retains the blue and silver theme that has been running the past few years with the 'New Who' logo in a silver finish. The box has a built-in roundel confirming it as a Character Online Exclusive as opposed to the usual stickers.
The side art features the TARDIS outlines in deep blue, while the back of the box carries an image of the figure and TARDIS as well as the usual in-depth text background. The usual minor grammatical errors exist, and while this is a Lost Story fans cant watch - the synopsis covers the entirety of the plot rather than being a taster.
The Abominable Snowmen (1967)
Written by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln
The TARDIS arrives in Tibet in 1935 and the Doctor visits the remote Detsen Monastery in order to return a sacred bell, the Holy Ghanta, given to him for safe keeping nearly 300 years before on a previous visit. There he meets an English explorer called Travers, trying to track down one of the legendary Yeti of the region, or as they are better known the Abominable Snowmen.
It transpires that the normally passive and reclusive Yeti which roam the area, have become increasingly aggressive leading to several deaths amongst the locals. It is eventually revealed that the Yeti are disguised service robots. The robots are activated and powered via metal control spheres in their chest and their purpose is to scare away or kill anyone who approaches the monastery. Sadly, the Doctor uncovers the truth of the situation, that the High Lama Padmasambhava, whom the Doctor met hundreds of years earlier, has been taken over by a nebulous alien being called The Great Intelligence. This evil entity which has artificially prolonged the High Lama's life is now using him to control the Yeti. The Intelligence's aim is to create a corporeal form for itself and eventually take over the Earth. The Doctor banishes it back to the astral plane, allowing Padmasambhava to finally die in peace.
First broadcast in November 1967 The Abominable Snowmen is one of the most iconic lost stories of Patrick Troughton's tenure as the Second Doctor. The story is very unusual and features a lot of inconsistencies in terms of its production. Supposedly set in the Himalayas, on arrival the TARDIS scanner shows snow falling heavily but once outside there is none, the TARDIS materialisation sound is much slower than normal and the TARDIS itself features back to front doors with the phone cubby box normally seen on the left hand door on the right. In addition, the Second Doctor manages to look completely different and even scruffier than normal when he wears a shaggy fur coat closed by a length of rope.
Like all the recent Doctor and TARDIS sets, the figure and TARDIS are set onto a diorama cardboard backdrop that features the Himalayan backdrop from the story. The TARDIS is screwed into the base, while the Doctor is tied into a plastic-shaped insert.
With the contents removed the diorama is not of any immediate use as a display piece.
The Doctor in his fur coat has been a figure that has almost reached legendary status since images of a prototype leaked a number of years ago. It uses the existing 2nd Doctor base, adding new arms and the fur coat as a wrap over the suited torso.
The textures and colours are amazing, even better in hand than the promotional images and the suit underneath remains detailed and painted really well included the polka-dot tie and the checked trousers. Even the shoes are two-tone with a brown upper and grey lower sole.
The 2nd Doctor figure was always a strong likeness to Patrick Troughton, and the paint on this version really makes the most of the sculpt. Facial details are neatly painted and they remain consistent with the rest of the line that has now been running for over 15 years.
Articulation is not a strong point of the Who line, it never has been, and the bulk of the coat does impede the limited movement even further. The Doctor has 15 points of articulation, all relatively simple pivot joints. Movement is clean but limited and there are just a few variations of posing open to you for display.
Onto the TARDIS and this uses the long-standing base Model but with the reversal of the doors as seen on the TARDIS prop from The Abominable Snowmen. The TARDIS signage, on the right-hand door, is nicely faded and dog-eared. The colour of the TARDIS itself is a deep blue, but with quite a bit of grey/white worked into the grain and edges to add a weathered effect.
The top of the TARDIS is adjusted to the flat top and the lantern is a new square piece as first seen on the 2nd Doctor's TARDIS from The War Games.
One big difference between this and the recent TARDIS sets from B&M is the retention of the electronics, with the TARDIS having a light-up feature for the lantern and take-off and landing effects. The lights and sounds require 3 x AAA batteries (not included) and are activated with a switch on the base of the model.
A pressure switch on the base identifies if the TARDIS is landing (switch depressed) or taking off (switch released) and plays the appropriate sound. The sound is crisp and loud. The light is a yellow almost orange light, consistent with the 2nd Doctor era, and glows eerily in the clear surround of the lantern.
Like all TARDIS sets, the doors open by means of a spring hinge. They are then pulled shut at one side, while a floor switch on the interior releases the other door. The interior of the TARDIS is not upgraded with the cardboard interior insert - a feature of some older TARDIS models. The Doctor stands beautifully in either doorway.
The Abominable Snowmen set from Character is a triumph all round. It brings us a long-standing figure into the line and a TARDIS for the 2nd Doctor with the lights & sounds effects. The price and exclusivity (£39.99 and 4000 units) will be an issue for some, arguing that the B&M sets are just £19.99 each. In reality, you are getting a far superior product with electronics than you would have got in B&M and I suspect extra investment in the paint deco for the coat. If you go back over 10 years you were paying £30-£35 then for a Doctor & Electronic TARDIS, plus a fiver from Forbidden Planet to delivery. When you consider that, the £40 with free UK delivery is not that bad.
If you are on the fence, I'd say go for it. You will regret it when this sells out and the secondary price begins to sour. And even if you do not like it, you will find it easy to recoup some or all of what you paid.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, doctor who, dr who, tardis, 2nd doctor, patrick troughton, the abominable snowmen