The Doctor Who set from Robot (1974), Tom Baker's debut story as The Doctor, was revealed just ahead of the New Year and landed in B&M stores as an Exclusive in February 2022. The set repacked the original Robot figure from 2008 alongside a 4th Doctor figure.
The set is packed in the standard Doctor Who packaging with a deep blue header and footer and grey, TARDIS artwork around the rest of the box. The new Who logo is used, but in a silver/grey tone to line up with the rest of the design.
The contents are not confirmed until we reach the side panel which has a roundel confirming the figure as the Fourth Doctor and the K1 Robot. We then get a whole wealth of information on the rear of the box that goes into full details of the story - perhaps too much, covering the whole plot of the 1974 story. Unlike the TARDIS and Dalek packs, there is no insight behind the scenes on either the props or the story itself.
Once open you are presented with the Robot and the Doctor strapped into the usual plastic tray. Behind them is a cardboard tray which acts as the background for the set and includes some artwork based on some of the interior scenery from Robot with a wall with exposed brickwork, a 'Keep Out' sign, and some nondescript details to one side which could be windows or a notice board.
The Kettlewell Robot (K1) re-uses the original 2008 figure which itself was a build-a-figure spread across the first wave of Doctor Who Classic figures from Character. It stands 7.5 inches tall and is cast predominantly in silver. The body shape and proportions vs the normal sized on-screen prop are good and in scale with the standard 5-inch Who figures.
Paint decor is limited but applied with some black added to the corrugated joints of the legs, and then applied more directly to some controls across the chest and back. The head also includes a black painted mouth and a further panel under the chin. The dome of the head is cast in a translucent purple and the same shade of purple is then painted as trim to either side of the chest as they transition into the shoulders. A translucent pipework piece is added to the front of the Robot with a similar setup at the back with two more clear pipes that feed into a wider clear vessel.
In comparison to the original 2008 release, the main differences are the colours of the dome and shoulder trim which was red on the original and is now a purple tone on the 2022 release. This purple is probably more accurate to the episode, although illustrations on the DVD cover and some comic artwork do use the deeper red. The new 2022 version is also identifiable by the Copywrite and UKCA marks placed on its bottom. The original had no such markings.
The Robot comes with the Disintegrator gun, another direct carry-over from the original release. It is cast in silver with gold trim and fits in either of the Robot's clawed hands. The fit is quite loose so the Robot will not be pointing the gun at anyone, rather holding it pointing down.
The original K1 Robot from Character suffered with very unstable legs. The new version seems to fix that, but it arrives with a very loose waist section which causes him to flop over. In most of our images, I had to stabilise the mid-section with some Blutac to keep him upright. This may be a variable issue on different sets. The arms too are quite loose and cant hold themselves upright so will always flop to the side. The K1 has 13 points of articulation, and that includes the footplate which pivots upward if the Robot is walking so as to keep the feet flat to the floor.
The 4th Doctor figure is a combination of the original 2008 Tom Baker figure, itself based on his first appearance in Robot, and unsmiling hatted head from the Seeds of Doom Doctor (2012).
The Doctor is wearing his burgundy short coat, waistcoat, and tie with a pair of grey trousers. The decor on these are much improved on the original release with a pattern now on the tie and some more intricate pattern to the waistcoat. The coat is a brighter red, and there are some variations also on the scarf.
Like the original, the head should pop off so the Scarf can be removed - but this figure is notorious for the neck peg disappearing into the body so I have not attempted to make this change on our figure.
Articulation is standard for the Who line with 16 points overall. The joints are dated with visible pegs at the knees and elbows and remain unsightly at the bicep and thigh swivel once engaged as the sculpt all moves out of line. The Doctor can gesticulate using the arm joints, although he has no sonic screwdriver to wave about - even if the right-hand remains posed for one. The legs will allow some wider stances but with no ankle rocker or peg option for the foot anything more dynamic is difficult.
The Doctor and K1 Robot retails at £19.99 in B&M stores and will be a limited release, so once gone it's gone. The set offers great value for money, particularly in the current climate. The figures are both re-releases of older figures, and that means they look contemporary with the Who range as a whole and also allow new collectors who missed the original K1 in particular the opportunity to add these to their collection - while seasoned collectors are nodded to with the change of paint scheme on both figures.
The set also opens up a new direction for the Who figures from Character and the B&M range, with a new avenue to move into for 2022 with the Doctor & Monster packs replacing the TARDIS sets which will be running out of options.
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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...