“Let me take it from the top. Hello, I'm the Doctor. I'm a traveller in Space and Time, and that thing buried down there is called a TARDIS”
It has taken pretty much 4-years to the day for Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor to make it into the Character Toys Doctor Who line. The Fugitive Doctor debuted on the 26th of January 2020 during the Fugitive of the Judoon. The corresponding collectors set was announced by Character on the 22nd of January 2024 and began to ship the next day. The set is a Character Store Exclusive and is therefore at a more premium price than the sets we see in B&M stores which are predominantly tweaks and repaints.
The set arrives direct from Character in an outer brown shipper with no direct protection between the outer box and the packaging - which does mean if you are keeping it boxed you are relying on safe handling by the Royal Mail because any knocks to the outer box will transfer straight through. The packaging is a new take on the existing design and is themed around the 60th Anniversary. It is square overall but with an angled cut-out on the left-hand side top corner. The base colour is the blue time vortex backdrop we have seen as elements of the 2023 B&M sets, with an image of the TARDIS inserted to the bottom right. This cuts into the front window which is shaped around the other callouts and the angled segment. There are two further windows on either side allowing for a relatively full view of the TARDIS and the figure.
The packaging retails several key principles that have been part of the line for some time, notably the use of the diamond calls-outs detailing the name of the set, the contents, and that it is part of the 5.5” collector series. A similar-sized red diamond is used to confirm this as a Character Online Exclusive rather than the gold foil ‘limited edition’ badge used on the B&M sets.
The rear of the box transitions to a white background and includes extensive details about The Fugitive Doctor and her TARDIS in terms of her Whoniverse storyline rather than any details of the episodes in which she appears, or any mention of the actor or the costume or TARDIS design. Inside the box we have the TARDIS fixed into a square cardboard plinth base with screws and the figure is then packed into a plastic tray which is attached to and around the body of the TARDIS. The figure is tied into this tray with white paper ties which are a little bit of an eyesore for boxed collectors.
The set is listed as having an ‘Easter Egg’ for collectors, and this can be found as part of the packaging. Most recent TARDIS releases do not come with an internal backdrop, leaving you to view the interior plastic workings when you open the TARDIS store. In a very clever move, the set features a TARDIS console room interior shot incorporated into the packaging. For those opening the box, you can then pop this out via the perforated edges, fold it down the scored lines and insert it within the TARDIS.
The Doctor is a brand new sculpt designed in the outfit we see her don as the Fugitive Doctor once her memories have been returned to her during the final scenes of Fugitive of the Judoon. The legs are cast in black plastic with sculpted boots, while the torso is a purple colour waistcoat with painted orange, blue and red designs on the shirt piece beneath. The waistcoat is also detailed with gold buttons, and this gold detailing extends then to buttons of the softer plastic outer coat in a dark blue finish. The same tone is then used on the arms, with the shirt sleeve cuffs protruding at the bottom and painted crisply in the bright colours of the shirt - yellows, greens and reds.
The head sculpt is a good likeness to Jo Martin while remaining in keeping with the long-running Doctor Who line. It features painted eye and mouth details, with the hair comprising of a dark brown overlaid with a lighter brown dry brush. The ponytail is an individual piece plugged into the back of the head and flows down the rear of the figure.
Articulation also remains in keeping with the Dr Who line as a whole with 16 points of articulation in total with key joints using the plugged engineering with the plugs themselves visible at the knees and elbows. The joints work to allow some variation in posing, but most are one directional and the lines of the figure and the outfit can be thrown out when joints are moved - particularly the bicep swivel.
There is sufficient mobility in the joints to wield the included accessory, an impressive replica of The Division gun that the Doctor wields. This is black in terms of its base plastic, but then beautifully decorated with gold detailing and what I can only describe as an organic ‘bee wing’ design near the muzzle where an orange panel is crisscrossed with black lines. The weapon fits into the Doctor’s hands and can work with single or double-hand grips.
Moving onto the TARDIS and this utilises the standard New Series TARDIS body as used most recently in the 2020 release for the 13th Doctor. We get a new roof profile with a flatter finish more akin to the TARDIS used by the earlier Doctors and accurate to what we see on screen during Fugitive of the Juddon. The main body is cast in a wood-grain blue plastic with dark wash weathering. The windows use an opaque milky white panel behind blue frames. The ‘Police Public Call Box’ signs are black with white text, while the instructional guidance on the front left door is black text on an off-white base.
The interior is accessed in the usual way by pushing the doors inward. The interior is base blue to begin with but can be enhanced significantly by utilising the included TARDIS console room insert from the packaging. The doors are held open by a spring mechanism and these are released by manually closing the left-hand door, and then using the button built into the floor to release the spring on the right-hand side. There are no light-up or sound features included, but the base TARDIS did originate as an electronic version so the battery cover and speakers are still visible around the back.
The release of the Fugitive Doctor and TARDIS marks another milestone in the long-running Doctor Who line from character, bringing us up to a full complement of figures for every Doctor and their variants through to the outgoing 14th Doctor fro the recent 60th Anniversary specials. In a line that has survived predominantly through the B&M tweaked and repainted sets for the past few years, having a brand new figure is exciting and shows the ongoing commitment to the line by Character.
New figures do come at a premium though and the £39.99 price on this set is considerably above what we might have gotten used to paying at B&M. If this line is to continue then these premium exclusive sets sold via Character are likely the way forward, and if collectors like myself want to see brand new additions like the Fugitive Doctor - or indeed any new figures from the 60th Anniversary and Ncuti Gatwa’s first season - then we will need to understand the additional pricing structure for a limited production run like this set, and vote with our wallets support Character in getting these made.
And regardless of pricing, or any initial headaches with getting this set ordered via the Character website, I cannot deny how great it felt receiving a brand new Doctor Who set and finding room for her in what is becoming a very crowded display - long may it continue.
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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...