Monday, May 24, 2010

TARDIS Toys!

Today, I am really excited. I got something I have wanted my entire life. Ever since I was a young boy, I have wanted a fairly accurate model of a Police Box or as we know it, TARDIS! I have wanted one that looked just like the Police Box from the series and have the doors open and close. Due to the awesomeness of Character Options/Underground Toys, I received the Tom Baker/Planet of Evil version of the TARDIS. Basically, it is the re-package of the Tom Baker figure with the version of the TARDIS from the story, Planet of Evil. Well, first off, this is not how the TARDIS looked in that story. To my eyes, it is more based on the Barry Newberry design of the Police Box from Season 14 thru Season 17. I have no problem with that. That is one of my favourite versions of the TARDIS. Now, I have read many comments on forums about people complaining that this Police Box is all wrong. They are saying it is a rip off because it is not accurate. If I may, I would like to address some of these concerns.
First off, it is a toy. That should be enough said right there. I know that this is aimed at the specialty collectors market but it is still a toy. Perhaps some liberties have been taken. I do not know. I am not a Police Box expert. I do know that when I see it, it really is a Season 14-18 box even though it is marketed from a story from season 13. Fair enough. Also there are complaints that when the doors are open, it does not have a picture of the console room a la the New Series Police Box toy. Folks, this is true 1970’s BBC accurate. When the doors are open, you see the entire of a Police Box prop. Nothing fancy, which makes it extremely screen accurate. If it did have a picture of a callsic series console room, I would have been pissed. Can I just say, when I look at the Police Box from different angles and hold it, this is a really gorgeous representation of a BBC Doctor Who Police Box. I may not be a total accuracy snob but when a Police Box is totally wrong, it does bug me. I have been fortunate to have a few Police Box models in my day. When I first got into the series as a young boy, I would take my Star Wars action figures and “cast” them into appropriate roles. Luke Skywalker was obvious to fill the role of the Fifth Doctor. Too bad there really wasn’t a Star Wars character that could be Jon Pertwee. Anyway, my first TARDIS was a clear plastic watch case with brown paper wrapped around it with a handwritten POLICE on top. What a moron! Everyone knows the TARDIS is blue!!
When I got older and my parents knew there was no escape from my continual spiral into all things Doctor Who, they ordered the Police Box model kit from the Doctor Who Fan Club of America (DWFCA). I remember my Dad saying that it took him about 72 hours to put the damn thing together. He may have used a stronger word than damn. It was nice, if not lacking in detail. The doors didn’t open either.


The one below was made by a friend who used to do wonderful models. He had also made a full Hartnell console room to the scale of Star Wars action figures. You would have thought in the five years I owned that thing I could have gotten off my lazy ass and took a picture of it! This picture doesn’t really show the detail of the box. I read on the forums by some people how they wish these Police Boxes could be more battered looking. Well what do you think of this one? Hmmmm?

Of course there are the Police Box models that vanished over the years. For example the many versions I created from the Doctor Who Technical Manual. For many nights when I was in school, after dinner my mom would ask if I have any homework. Of course I would lie and tell her no because I was building a Police Box from this blasted book. They took a while to make but the end result was alright. I remember working on one for days and when I finished it, I put it on my bed. A friend came over and promptly sat on it. When I say sat, I really mean flattened it. The one I really miss and can not find is the other Police Box my Dad made for me out of balsa wood. It was made by someone who didn’t really know anything about Police Boxes but was able to make a pretty damn good version of it. The walls were especially nice as it had all the panels. My Dad could really make some great things. Except for the windows, they were a bit wrong.

Speaking of wrong windows, that takes us to the new series Police Box. It took me a long time to get used to that. Now that I am used to it, I like it. Though, it just doesn’t look like a Police Box. At least not like this new toy that came to me today. The windows are right, it looks great and it is something I have wanted for a very long time. If the young boy all those years ago got a hold of the Police Box I got today, he would probably faint. Then, when he came to, I would hand him the McCoy version which will be here next week.

Seriously, if you are on the fence of getting this, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

3 comments:

Dave G said...

It's good to see you writing on the blog again.

Long ago I had a TARDIS model kit that I never got around to putting together, Sadly it is surely lost to the ravages of time and multiple movings.

Greg said...

Thanks Dave!

I have been a sucker for Police Box models since I started watching Doctor Who. This new one is pretty sweet.

We should get together soon!

mark r said...

One of these days I'll get the Airfix TARDIS kit assembled. Airfix was to release more than the 2 kits that hit the shelves a couple of years ago, but poor sales killed the line. They're already getting hard to find in the US, apparently (and expensive too).