Doctor Who Classics: Figures we'd Like to See - Heroes - The First and Second Doctors

With the rundown of monsters and villains completed it is time to go back and look to the Doctors, companions and anyone else in between! 

There are a few variants per-Doctor that we still haven’t seen despite numerous requests from fans. There are also many companions we haven’t seen, especially where the 60s are involved. Now before we begin I shall note that I listing they companions in order of what I’d prefer and I will not when a figure is unlikely to ever see the light of day. For now though, let’s get on with the show!

The Companions and Supporting Characters

Jamie

We need Jamie. Regardless of Character’s “Oh there’s no call for Jamie. He’s black and white and wears a skirt, kids don’t want that” People do want him. I know younger people who want Jamie. You see Jamie is the companion of the Second Doctor. Every Doctor has one or two that really click with their character, Seven had Ace, Three had Jo etc. The Second Doctor doesn’t look right without Jamie at his side. One basic sculpt can serve a few releases; just alter the PVC shirt piece to match whatever he wore in a particular story. They could even stick him with previously released monsters. People wouldn’t care, after all this is Jamie we’re talking about.

Susan

Well how can we not have Susan? I’m not overly keen on her whiny snivelling and constant ankle twisting, but she is the first companion and the only member of the Doctor’s family (Jenny doesn’t count and neither does River Song). The best option is the old leggings and stripy top from ‘Dalek Invasion of Earth’ which could get a few repaints in and be packaged with a wide array of Daleks, Voord etc.

Ian and Barbara

Well you can’t have one without the other now can you? I love Ian and Barbara, they’re brilliant. They are of course the ones who got us viewers into this mess 50 years ago and as such need action figures. If any companions are indicative of the Hartnell era for me, then it is Susan, Ian and Barbara. Sadly I can’t see either being released, but here’s how they could.

Ian can have his head stuck on the Primeval suited figure and be repainted. Alter the jacket you can have a ‘Web Planet’ version, alter the jacket and arms and you can have a cardigan version. Much like Susan he can be packed with a variety of Daleks and other monsters.

Barbara is best off in the orangey jumper, like I customised her. The top and arms could be altered as per Jo and Peri, to reuse the same basic form. Ideally Ian and Barbara would come together with some monster, but separately would also be good so long as we got both eventually.

Zoe

Another fan favourite. When putting this list together it was a choice between Zoe and Victoria, and Zoe won. It was close, but Zoe is a stronger character. A super intelligent know it all with a penchant for karate! So what costume? Why the sparkly jump suit of course! If I didn’t choose that one an army of old gits and teenage fans at the peak of puberty would be at my door with flaming torches shouting “Zoe’s bum”. If you don’t get that reference then by Jove, go and watch ‘The Mind Robber’. Now I believe there are two colour suits. A lighter one and a darker one. I could be totally wrong though. They could also repaint the jump suit (and alter the arms) to match her ‘The Wheel in Space’ uniform, package that one with the missing Cyberman! I’d say she has more chance than most from the 60s, but if Character don’t think Jamie will sell, then I fear the worst!

Vicki

I’ve always liked Vicki, and I think she really helps the First Doctor ease out of his crotchety old git mode from his initial episodes in Season One. She makes him a much more giggly, mischievous and comforting figure. Her initial appearance could be used in a couple of sets, alter her arms and tweak the PVC dress and you can release her in outfit from ‘The Time Meddler’. Highly unlikely.

Steven Taylor

Probably not on a lot of people’s lists but Steven covers a number of other companions. Initially teamed with Vicki he can be displayed with Dodo and Katarina should they ever decide to release them (they’re absent from this list). He’s an easy one! One sculpt that can be repainted. Black sweater from ‘The Time Meddler’ and stripy sweater from ‘The Celestial Toymaker’!

Victoria
Two options spring to mind with Victoria, number one is her outfit seen in ‘The Abominable Snowmen’ and ‘The Ice Warriors’, as there are two opportunities for releases. Second is her Victorian outfit, which could utilise a slightly tweaked Gelth Zombie body. I’d prefer the former myself. Very unlikely.

Ben and Polly

Another twosome that you cannot have one without the other, probably a reason as to why we won’t see them, that and people probably are unaware of their existence. The reason why they are so low? Well with so many of their stories missing I never really created an attachment to these two, (except for admiring Anneke Wills’ beauty). Ben could probably come in his sailor suit and the PVC element of his top could be replaced with a standard shirt and the legs repainted. So there are a couple of opportunities for releases. Polly is a bit trickier. Maybe a standard dress version that could be repainted to match her other on screen appearances? They’ll never see the light of day though.

Sarah Kingdom

Is she a companion or isn’t she? Ah the age old debate! Regardless of where she stands she’d make a cool figure. A gun wielding adventurer! But she won’t ever happen for two reasons. A) Her only appearance is missing the majority of its episodes and so the majority won’t have a clue who she is B) She only wears one costume in one story so there’s little chance of re-release value.

Dodo

Not many people like Dodo, I’m one of them, and as such I can’t see her being released. If they were to take a stab at this one I’d guess they’d go for her iconic 60’s gear from ‘The Celestial Toymaker’.

Katarina

Pff, not a chance in Hell!

The First Doctor

Cloak

Now we’ve seen one version from ‘An Unearthly Child’, but I’m after the more frequently seen version from ‘The War Machines’ and ‘The Tenth Planet’ (although missing scarf, unless they tweak the sculpt), in fact there are two sets this figure could feature in. Use the hatted head from the ‘An Unearthly Child’ First Doctor on the standard body (repainted with darker trousers) and then add a newly sculpted cloak. Nice and easy one with a lot of reused parts.

Vortis gear  – ‘The Web Planet’

The ‘An Unearthly Child’ figure with the cloak removed and the PVC jacket part retooled. Paint that and the hat white and we have a new variant!

Richard Hurndall

Well it’s kind of a variant. A repaint with a new head. We know this one has been sculpted and was originally intended for the second 11 Doctors Box Set, but package this fellow with the practically all black Dalek with red dome lights from ‘The Five Doctors’ and you have a nice set. Or even stick him with a proper Ainley and a Cyber Leader. 

Darker Trousers with Smaller Chequered Pattern

I’ll be honest I was half expecting this in the upcoming Toys R Us Hartnell/Supreme Dalek pack, but alas no. Just a simple repaint to the trousers. Easy peasy.

Chequered Neck Tie and Lighter Pinstriped Neck Tie

A nice and easy one for a ‘The Rescue’ pack. Just repaint the existing First Doctor’s neck tie. May not be practical given the intricate nature of the little squares, but it’s an option.

The light pinstriped neck tie is another from ‘The Web Planet’. The actual stripes may be tricky, but I’d be happy for it to just be white and the waistcoat repainted into the darker pattern as seen below.

Panama hat and Stetson

Just change the hat on the ‘An Unearthly Child’ First Doctor, stick that head on the standard body and we have two new variants.

Roman Robes

It’ll never happen, but it would be fun! Too much retooling and probably no interest from the young un’s. I’d like it though, along with…

French Regional Officer of the Province

Far too much tooling! But it would look great wouldn’t it? The bright red white and blue would really pop! It’s almost a pity we miss all of that detail in monochrome!

The Second Doctor

 Large Checkered Trousers with and without Hat

Well there’s a hatless prototype! I’m sure I heard from someone that the initial plan was for this to be the Toys R Us Doctor/Dalek pack, based on ‘Power of the Daleks’. Easy repaint. A hatted version would be a nice addition too.

‘Five Doctors/Two Doctors’

A simple repaint! One with slightly less grey hair, the other with totally grey hair as well as some costume colour adjustments. The latter release means we could also get…

Androgum Doctor

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on a wish list before, but I think it would be a really neat figure. Just slight adjustments to the head sculpt and you’re done. As I said in last week’s article, the Troughton body could be tweaked and a new head added for a Shockeye figure to come packaged with it. Quite a unique variant to be had here.

Coatless

Well if Character Building can have one! This would be rather neat and would be nice to see packaged with a Wheel in Space Cyberman!

Second Doctor in Spacesuit

Well the tenth Doctor shouldn’t hog all the fun now should he? Another never going to happen, but supposing they didn’t want to go to the cost of adding goggles to the Doctor’s head they could use the same body three times over. It would easily hold Jamie and Ben’s head. Maybe even Polly at an incredible push. Imagine that? A Lunar Surface set, the Doctor and his companions in spacesuits and a few Cybermen with a bazooka… we can dream!

Second Doctor in Cloak

From ‘Tomb of the Cybermen’, the cloak can just hang over the Second Doctor’s shoulders. They could also use the same cloak for Steven Taylor (Time Meddler version).

Salamander

“Hold on! He’s a villain!” True, and I nearly stuck him on the previous list. However because it is Patrick Troughton’s face sculpt I decided to class it as a variant. This one will also never happen because of all of the tooling costs and... Well I’m sure plenty of you reading this are thinking “Who the bloody hell is that and why are they played by Patrick Troughton?” But it would be a clever variant come villain! Not one I’m desperate for by any means.

So that’s what I’d like to see from the Sixties! There could be a few I’ve missed, but I’m not pining for a Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart or anything like that.

Join me next time for the Seventies! Lots of Pertwee combinations that may surprise you, a few Baker variants and many companions to choose from!