The BBC’s ever-popular Doctor Who is back on the air with a new Doctor at the helm, and that means Doctor Who fever is upon us once again! Coinciding with the show’s new season is the release of the newest wave of 3.75-inch figures from Underground Toys, which just happens to include this overwhelming fan-favorite: David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.
For all practical purposes, and aside from a special-edition figure here and there, this 3.75-inch line has effectively replaced the long-standing 5-inch Doctor Who toy line. I’ll admit it’s been difficult for me to even accept this new, smaller-scale line’s existence since I have so much invested in the 5-inch line, but, really, all it’s going to take is the right figure to make me want to bridge the gap and start adding 3.75-inch figures to my collection. And I think this Tenth Doctor figure may be that gateway figure. This could be trouble.
When the line debuted, I kept an open mind even though 1/18 (3.75-inch) is not my preferred scale. But when I saw the figures on the pegs, I was less than impressed, particularly by the human figures like the Eleventh Doctor and Clara. The details were soft, the likenesses were off, and I just couldn’t justify the import prices being asked for them, so I marched on, filling in the gaps in my 5-inch collection while patiently awaiting new special edition releases in the 5-inch line.
When promotional images first surfaced for this new 3.75-inch wave, however, I was intrigued. They looked leagues better than what came before, particularly the Tenth Doctor. But those were promotional images and the final product never lives up to those, right? Well, this figure comes darn close, and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, it’s a stronger Tenth Doctor offering than any attempts released in the 5-inch line. Essentially, this is the Tenth Doctor figure I’ve always wanted, and it is seriously making me consider a whole new Doctor Who collection in this new scale. Way to complicate my life, Underground Toys!
Let’s take a closer look at what we’re getting with this new Tenth Doctor.
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The packaging for this wave is bright and eye-catching, to say the least. It’s the yellow that really stands out and makes you take notice in the toy aisle. And, I have to say, it’s been nice seeing these at stores like Toys R Us and Walgreens in the numbers I’ve seen. Seeing multiple pegs full of Doctor Who figures at a US retail chain is something of a dream come true after all this time.
As stated previously, the sculpt is a knockout. The fact that the sculptors and painters were able to capture David Tennant’s likeness so well in this scale is astonishing. I’m used to Star Wars figures that bear only a passing resemblance to their respective actors, but this — this is some fine work. There is no mistaking this for anyone but Tennant. He’s sporting his signature Chucks, which look col in white, but hopefully we see a figure in red Chucks soon as well. Due to the style of his hair, this looks to be the Tenth Doctor as he appeared in “The Day of the Doctor,” but the coat makes for a figure that could reasonably pass for just about any version of the Tenth Doctor. Well, maybe not when he was sporting glasses and what was basically a pompadour, but still. This is a Tenth Doctor worthy of your 1/18 Doctor Who display just by virtue of the sculpt and paint alone.
Doctor Who figures have never been the most articulated figures on the market, and this figure looks to be consistent with what came before it. The figure is capable of just about any pose the actual Doctor managed on the show, so by that metric, this figure does everything and anything you’d need it to do — with one exception: he can’t cross his arms. Some kind of bicep swivel would have been beneficial here, but considering the previous 5-inch Tenth Doctors also lacked bicep swivels, this figure is, again, very much consistent with what came before it. What’s new here, however, is the hinge in his shoulders that enable his arms to fan out and away from his body. This is a welcome addition to the Tenth Doctor’s articulation scheme.
For accessories, the good Doctor comes with his trusty sonic screwdriver and a stand. I’m very thankful for the stand — my 5-inch collection is basically a precarious collection of potential dominoes. They fall often, and when one goes down, almost all of them go down. It’s a true exercise in patience putting it all back together, let me tell you. These stands will nullify any similar concerns, and I look forward to a collection full of shelf-stable Doctor Who figures. I’ve long felt that all figures should come with stands. Figmas and Figuarts do, Marvel Legends used to, so I’m happy to see Underground Toys is now fitting their Doctor Who figures with stands.
This figure is a true 3.75-inch figure, and, as a result, it appears to be rather small when positioned next to a Marvel Universe figure. Dagger dwarfs him in the pic above, so my hopes of customizing her into a Rose are dashed, it seems. Still, the difference in sculpt and paint are very apparent in the comparison, and this just serves to make the Tenth Doctor look even better as far as sculpted figures go.
Overall, I’m pleased to add this figure to my Doctor Who collection, and I’m excited to see what Underground Toys has in store for this line in the future. I’d love to see more characters from the Tenth Doctor years, especially characters we never saw in the 5-inch line like Sally Sparrow and Madame de Pompadour.
This wave is currently available at Walgreens (where they’re currently on sale!), and I’ve seen them on the pegs at Toys R Us as well. This figure is certainly a worthy addition to your Doctor Who collection, so I would recommend picking him up on sight.
Special thanks to Underground Toys for providing this sample. Be on the lookout for more Doctor Who reviews coming your way very soon!
