Character Options classic series action figures

In 2008, Character Options began releasing action figures of characters from the classic Doctor Who series in the 5" scale. As was customary for Character Options, the figures were not actually 5" tall. Instead the Dalek figure was 5" tall and all other figures are scaled to match it. Figures were often released in batches, referred to as "Waves". Thus, a figure might be said to be in "Wave 1", "Wave 2", or the like. Note that as of 2016 the wave has been re-dubbed the 5.5" range, with all figures appearing after 2016 as part of the "5.5" range".

The initial assortment contained three former incarnations of the Doctor and an assortment of creatures and robots. The focus was on the Fourth Doctor's era. Another feature of this line was the inclusion of parts of a build a figure in each toy (namely the K1 Robot and the Cyber-Controller from TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen). A second wave of six figures was released in 2010, but without a build-it component. Other waves followed.

Classic Series Action Figures Wave 1

 * Wave One contained eight figures.
 * Each release in this series included a Collect-&-Build component to make Robot K1.
 * This wave was priced £7.99 (UK)

The Dalek Collector's Set #1
This boxed set contained three figures, one each from TV: The Daleks, TV: Planet of the Daleks and TV: Genesis of the Daleks.

The Ages Of Steel Wave

 * This wave contained four figures.
 * Each release in this series included a Collect-&-Build component to make the Cyber-Controller from TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen.
 * This set was priced £7.99 (UK)
 * The Cyber-Lord was the only new series figure released in the classic series line of figures, but was called Cyber-Leader instead.Tesco4.jpg

The Dalek Collector's Set #2

 * This boxed set contained three figures, all leaders.

The Fourth Doctor Adventure Set

 * This boxed set contained four figures.

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

 * Forbidden Planet got ten exclusive figures to retail in 2009.
 * These figures were priced £25.99 (UK)

Classic Series Action Figures Wave 2

 * Wave Two contained six figures.
 * This wave was released in 2010 and priced £9.99 (UK)

The Eleven Doctors Set

 * This boxed set contained eleven figures. (Oddly, the Seventh Doctor figure had no hat.)
 * This set was released in 2010 and priced £49.99 (UK)

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

 * Forbidden Planet had ten exclusive figures in 2010.
 * These figures were released throughout 2010 and were priced £25.99 (UK)

Forbidden Planet Exclusives

 * Throughout 2011 Forbidden Planet continued to release exclusive sets of 5" figures based on specific televised stories.
 * These figures were released throughout 2010 and were priced £25.99 upwards(UK)

2012 releases
A few classic sets were released in this year, including a figure set based on Sutekh from TV: Pyramids of Mars. Another set released was a set based on TV: The Three Doctors and included Jo Grant, the Brigadier and a Gel guard from Omega's universe.

Toys R Us Exclusive Doctor and Dalek sets

 * Throughout 2013, as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, Character Options released 11 sets, composing of a Doctor and a Dalek from said Doctor's era. The figures were only repaints, and no new sculpts were made.
 * These sets were Toys R Us Exclusives, and were released in waves:
 * The first wave composed of the Sixth Doctor and a Necros Dalek from TV: Revelation of the Daleks, the Tenth Doctor and a Dalek from TV: The Stolen Earth and finally the Second Doctor and a Dalek from TV: The Evil of the Daleks.
 * The second wave composed of the Fifth Doctor and a Supreme Dalek from TV: Resurrection of the Daleks, the Ninth Doctor and an Imperial Dalek from TV: The Parting of the Ways, and the Seventh Doctor and a Renegade Dalek from TV: Remembrance of the Daleks.
 * The third wave culminated in the release of the remaining figures, the Third Doctor and Dalek from TV: Planet of the Daleks, the Fourth Doctor and Dalek from TV: Genesis of the Daleks, the Eighth Doctor and Alpha from COMIC: Children of the Revolution and the Eleventh Doctor and Dalek.


 * At the time of its release, the Eighth Doctor and Alpha Dalek from the story COMIC: Children of the Revolution set was one of the rare times that Character Options had designed and sold a figure not based on a television story. At the time of its release, the only other figure made from a non-televised medium was a Comic-con exclusive variant of the Sixth Doctor from the web cast audio Real Time. This would change in 2019 when Character Options would begin to release variants of both the Eighth Doctor and the War Doctor based on their appearances in the Big Finish Productions audio story medium. Those figures also, amusingly, were released as two-packs along with a Dalek figure (see 2019 section).

2013/2014 Third Doctor Figure Sets/Seventh Doctor Figures
Timeperiod of release for these figures to be clarified.


 * Late 2013 and early 2014 saw the release of some three-figure packs with classic Third Doctor characters from their respective stories. These include:
 * Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, The Master (in robes) and a Daemon from the TV: The Daemons
 * Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Jo Grant and an Axon from TV: The Claws of Axos 


 * Also released for the Classic wave was an Ace figure as featured in TV: Silver Nemesis and a SFX Special Weapons Dalek from TV: Remembrance of the Daleks

Re-releases

 * 2015 saw the re-release of some classic figures from the earlier waves in the USA. These included three variants of the Fourth Doctor from TV: Robot (both regenerated and original costume) and TV: Pyramids of Mars. They were know, unofficially, as the "Diamond Collection" due the the nature of the packing which was shaped like a large diamond.

FX Daleks wave 2

 * A second wave of FX Daleks was also released, including a Dalek from TV: The Dead Planet, a Guard Dalek from TV: The Chase and a Dalek from TV: Genesis of the Daleks.

B&M Exclusives

 * A B&M exclusive three-pack was also released which included a Fourth Doctor figure from TV: City of Death, a decaying Master from TV: The Keeper of Traken and a D84 robot from TV: The Robots of Death

Unknown Exclusive

 * 2016 saw the release of an exclusive Eighth Doctor figure from the minisode TV: The Night of the Doctor

B&M Exclusives
B&M also released some exclusive classic figure three-packs. These include:


 * The Master, the Third Doctor from TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Jo Grant from TV: The Time Monster
 * "The Monsters" pack which included a Cyberman from TV: The Invasion, a Zygon from TV: Terror of the Zygons and an Ice Warrior from TV: The Ice Warriors 

The 13 Doctors Set

 * 2017 saw the release of a new, larger version of the 11 Doctors set, this time titled "The Thirteen Doctors" and included all versions of the Doctor from an exclusive variant of the First Doctor to the Twelfth Doctor with the "Thirteenth Doctor" being counted as the War Doctor.

B&M Exclusives

 * B&M also released some exclusive three packs which were re-releases of previous figures. These include:
 * The Fourth Doctor in his outfit from TV: Pyramids of Mars, Leela from TV: The Invasion of Time and K9.
 * "The Monsters" pack which included a the Cybercontroller from TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen, a Cyberman from TV: Attack of the Cybermen, and a Sontaran from TV: The Sontaran Stratagem/ The Poison Sky.

B&M Exclusives

 * 2018 saw an introduction of new figures and sets for the 5.5" range, with the line picked up exclusively by B&M. The first of the classic figures released for this wave was a 3-figure pack titled "The 1970's Collector Set" and included The Brigadier as seen in costume throughout season 7 of the classic series, the Fourth Doctor in garb as featured in TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang and an Auton from TV: Terror of the Autons.
 * Also released was a brand-new classic series TARDIS from the Third Doctor's era which featured the Third Doctor as seen in TV: The Time Monster and a version of the TARDIS that sported a black base. It was priced at £19.99.

B&M Exclusives - Early 2019
2019 saw a quite a resurgence of 5"/5.5" figures as new classic-era sets were produced. They were priced at £19.99.


 * A variety of TARDIS and Doctor sets were produced. These include the Fourth Doctor in post-regeneration outfit and TARDIS from TV: Robot, a Fourth Doctor and TARDIS as depicted in TV: Shada and the damaged/regenerating Fifth Doctor and TARDIS as depicted in the final episode of TV: The Caves of Androzani.

Big Finish Tie-In Doctor & Dalek sets
Three new Doctor/Dalek twin-pack sets were also released, similar to the 2013 sets, which include the Seventh Doctor, sporting unique coat colour and trousers not seen in regular televised appearances and an Axis Strike Squad Dalek, the War Doctor and Dalek Scientist and the Eighth Doctor and Dalek Interrogator Prime as depicted in the audio series Dark Eyes. Big Finish, the company responsible for the Doctor Who audio adventures since the early 2000s, also sold limited edition variants of the above figures, which had slightly altered colours and designs.

B&M Exclusives - Late 2019
Three new figurine three-packs were also released. They include:


 * Peri, Androgum (Second Doctor) and Group Marshal Stike as depicted in TV: The Two Doctors
 * The Seventh Doctor, Cyberman and Cyberleader as seen in TV: Silver Nemesis
 * Harry Sullivan and Field Major Styre as seen in TV: The Sontaran Experiment and Commander Linx (TV: The Time Warrior).

B&M Exclusives - Early 2020

 * 2020 saw the release of a new Third Doctor and TARDIS, this time based on their appearance in TV: The Monster of Peladon. It was priced at £19.99.

B&M Exclusives - Mid 2020
Later in the year some new new three-packs of figures and a brand new Doctor and TARDIS pack were released. They were priced at £19.99 They include:


 * "The Companions of the Fourth Doctor" which included Sarah Jane Smith from TV: Genesis of the Daleks/Revenge of the Cybermen, Romana I as depicted in TV: The Pirate Planet  and Romana II as seen in TV: Destiny of the Daleks.
 * UNIT figure pack with uniforms as depicted in the story TV: The Claws of Axos, consisting of Brigadier Lethbridge Steward, Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton.
 * Two new Dalek two-packs, featuring classic Daleks as depicted in their first televised appearance, TV: The Daleks

Character Options Website Exclusive
A special online exclusive was released on September 7th, 2020, featuring two Daleks from TV: The Chase that were originally props rented from the studio that made the Dr. Who and the Daleks movie.

John Levene official website exclusive
In a first, a limited run of the Benton figure were given by Character Options to John Levene and his agent, to be released as an individual figure exclusively via Levene's official website.

B&M Exclusives - Late 2021
In October, Character Options released a brand new wave of figures as well as new variants of pre-existing ones. These included:


 * "Companions of the Third Doctor and Fourth Doctor" which included Sarah Jane Smith from TV: The Monster of Peladon, Romana I as depicted in TV: The Power of Kroll  and Romana II as seen in TV: The Horns of Nimon.
 * A set based on the story TV: Terror of the Zygons featuring the Fourth Doctor as depicted in that story as well as new variants of Captain Mike Yates (sporting a moustache) and Sergeant Benton.
 * The Fifth Doctor with TARDIS as depicted in TV: The Visitation
 * Two new "History of the Daleks sets. The first set features Daleks from TV: The Chase including one with blue dome as used in NOTVALID: Dr. Who and the Daleks while the second one features a Dalek with a flamethrower arm and the Supreme Dalek as featured in TV: The Daleks' Master Plan

Character Options Website Exclusive

 * In August of 2021, another exclusive set was released through Character Options' website. This set featured the Second Doctor in a fur coat along with a sound SFX TARDIS, as depicted in the story TV: The Abominable Snowmen. The SFX TARDIS was the first one seen in many years, and featured a few new sound effects.