Doctor Who and the Empty Parent's Pockets of Doom

So we are rocketing towards the toys hitting the shops and I for one are getting pretty damn excited. Of course the dents into my pockets will be dreadful but hey ho.

They have a pretty good selection of the toys over at 10th Planet and here's a rundown of my wish list with value for money, coolness factor and Underpants Damage.

Sonic Screwdriver

First off is the Sonic Screwdriver, slightly larger then the TV prop it apparently makes the brrrrrrrrr noise and lights up. This in itself is ultra cool. Add in the UV light, pen and included pad so that you can write secret messages and it becomes exceedingly interesting.

Did I also mention it's £9.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Value for Money: ***** (Its a bloody tenner)
Coolness: ***** (I will never open another door normally again)
Pant Damage: ***** (liberal soaking due to excitement.)

Here is a comparison of the sizes

RC Dalek

Next up is some Daylek, Dahlek, Dooluck thing. Ouch, OK Dalek. Its a foot in height (30cm) and has full tank style movement (allowing on the spot rotation) the eye lights up and the centre can spin.

Did I also mention the voice functions; you too can sneak it into your young daughters bedroom in the mid of night and wake her with "EXTER-MIN-ATE". Ahh the hours of endless torment.

It's a bit more pricey at £39.99 but hopefully the quality will shine through.

Value for money: **** (39.99 is a big dent, jesus the missus has spent 20 mins telling me its good value so maybe 4 and a half!)
Coolness: ***** (it's a frigging DALEK FFS)
Pant Damage: ***** (Empties bladders at 300 paces)

LCD Game

Hurrah the Doctor Who LCD game. Featuring (details TBA)

Let's face it this has to be pretty amazing to sell, hasn't it? These games were crap in the 80's!

£9.99

Value for Money: * (McDonalds give them away now)
Coolness:* (It's no Gameboy DS or PSP, play alone in the school bogs or risk a wedgie)
Pant Damage: * (Hardly a trickle)

 

Walkie Talkies

Oh-kay. Spend twenty mins arguing with you pal over who gets the slitheen, then find out that it's been left on and the batteries are dead or you can't think of what to say and feel strangely self-conscious talking to Eccleston's groin. All for 19.99. NEXT.

Value for Money: **** (they look nice)
Coolness: **** (they look nice)
Pant damage: ** (a sprinkle as they look nice)

TARDIS Moneybox

Not sure on this one. Anything that persuades kids to save is good i guess. Open the doors (the wrong way) and insert your cash and it says:

"I'm the doctor by the way!"
"Run for your life!" or
"Did I mention it travels in time?"

Close the doors and it makes the vworp noise and its lights flash.

At 9.99 it's a nice price but if I have a spare twenty quid I'd rather have 2 sonic screwdrivers so i don't have to open one and can sell it on the 100th anniversary (signed by Michael Sheard)

Value for Money: ***** (Its a nice un)
Coolness: ** (A tightwad is never cool)
Pant Damage: *** (a little gush every time you close the doors)

Dalek Battle Pack.

Apparently comes with two 6" daleks and a Doctor or Rose figure. You shoot one Dalek's gun at the other and with enough hits it blows up!!!!!!

Ultra ultra cool :) and 19.99

Value for money: ***** (what a steal)
Coolness: ***** (Chill beer on this badboy)
Pant Damage: ***** (I've soiled mine writing this)

That's it for now. I've heard of a poseable figure range and some mugs as well but they don't make noises so *rasp*.

I'm off to wait outside Toys'R'Us. Who's coming?

Comments

[Darth Marsden]

I'll be ordering my Sonic Screwdriver online, thank you very much. That thing is the epitome of coolness.

[Neil]

I can't say I'm really knocked out by any of them. But then again, I'm 35 not 15.

I mean, the screwdriver looks well silly. It's too big and plasticy and turning it into a pen just cheapens it some more.

The LCD game looks awful, I haven't had a money box since 1978 and the thought of talking into Eccleston's groin doesn't really do it for me. The remote controlled Dalek does look the business though.

Ironically, the only bit of kit I would consider buying is the one you didn't feature - the mugs.

Speaking of which, how much will this little lot set you back if you factor in the books and the DVDs?

[Darth Marsden]

Why am I not surprised that the signed photographs of John Barrowman have sold out?

And I don't care what anyone says, as long as that screwdriver looks the part, is the same size as the 'real' one, lights up and makes that cool 'Brrr' sound, I am SOLD!

[Kev]

Darth M, according to an interview on the BBC website with some chap from the manufacturers, the sonic screwdriver is somewhat larger than the one on the TV.

I quite like the idea of the 5-inch figures, but as the Dalek battle pack comes with either the Doc or Rose, you have to get two to complete the set, i.e. £40 for four Daleks, a Doctor, and Rose... (I have also heard that when ordering online you can't distinguish between the two varieties, and so could end up with two Roses and no Doctor). Lots more in the 5-inch series are set to be following next year, including a TARDIS playset... so it could be a good thing to get in on the begining of the run and you'll have somthing quite collectable in years to come.

However, I am soon to be 35, so like Neil, I don't think I'm in the right demographic to get too excited by this stuff. Give me a book like the "Shooting Scripts" any day.

[Darth Marsden]

Hey, bigger is better. Apparently.

[Paul Songer]

you're scaring me guys.

are you saying that when i hit 30 in november my passion for tat will deplete.

It will be a great morning in that case. "Look honey a 12" dalek" "Bah tat, wheres me pixley?"

Sadly the SS is supposed to be larger, there is a size comparison somewhere.....

[Salem]

Hopefully, the SS isn't too much bigger. I'd been planning on building my own(lonely night, cabinets to put up), but if this one's decent enough, I might skip it and order one instead.

Anyone know where this size comparison is?

[Phil]

"What's the point of growing up if you can't be childish sometimes?"

Oh you grumpy old men, you! I'm twenty eight in a few weeks and I'll be damned if age is going to get between me and toys. Unless I suddenly grow up in the next two years, something considerably more significant than becoming thirty'll have to happen to stop me getting all excited by a Durham Red / Claude Rains / Gozer the Gozarian / Joe Fixit / Christopher Eccleston (etc) action figure. (Actually, I'm running out of space. Perhaps that'll be the thing.)

The sonic screwdriver does look a little bit disappointing, to be honest. A bit plastic and lumpy; it reminds me of the Liberator with the prongy bits removed. I nabbed a brilliant light-up pen from Poundland the other week, which has amongst it's seven (yes, seven!) colours a perfect sonic screwdriver blue. I make me own wibbly noises, thank you very much.

Salem - the size comparison's up above, and I think that it's also a news item at the BBC Who site.

[Salem]

How in the smeg did I miss that?

Oh well, doesn't seem too terribly off, I kind of like it longer anyway, the sonic screwdriver shouldn't be quite so squat. And I have to agree, I always thought the SS reminded me of a strange reinterpretation of a lightsaber, especially the new one with it's pretty blue glow.

[Paul Songer]

tbh i liked the old version more but hey ho.

Salem you are not going mad. Its the power of editing :D

[Salem]

Oh thank heavens. I'm usually quite observant. Don't get me wrong, I like the old SS just fine (especially the blurry one Syl uses in the movie) but I just think that the new one is more fitting as a remote-manipulation-capable all-in-one gallifrey-army-knife.