Character Options

Character Options is a British toy company, notable for having both the Disney and Doctor Who toy licenses. It hit the headlines during 2007 as the UK distributor for the Bindeez range of products was recalled due to a dangerous chemical.

Doctor Who

In 2005 Character Options was granted the master toy licence to produce merchandise related to the revived series, Doctor Who. After the success of the Dalek Battle Packs (two remote controlled Daleks with either a Ninth Doctor or Rose Tyler action figure) at the end of 2005, increasingly larger waves of action figures were released in two scales - 5" and 12" - during 2006 and 2007. Representing the first three televised seasons of the revived series, the line has included variants of the Tenth Doctor and Rose, and an extensive representation of the alien enemies encountered since 2005. Retailers and fans were united in praise for the productions and the action figure range won the Toy Retailers Association's Boys Toy of the Year Award in 2006. Other merchandise released consists of an electronic UV Sonic Screwdriver, electronic TARDIS money box and various electronic masks in the forms of Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon helmets and the Dalek Sec Hybrid.

List of figures

The Doctor Who five inch action figure range originally began with the Dalek Battle Packs in which you would receive either a Ninth Doctor or Rose Tyler, the wave increased the following year by adding monsters from both series one and two.

New Series Figures

Following the revival of Doctor Who, Character Options have released numerous action figures from the new series.

Action Figure	Source Serial	Details
Tenth Doctor	New Earth
Tenth Doctor in trenchcoat	New Earth	In trenchcoat with Sonic Screwdriver
Rose Tyler and K-9	Rose (Doctor Who)	Version One - Rose Tyler from Rose (Doctor Who) Version Two - Rose Tyler from New Earth
Moxx of Balhoon	The End of the World (Doctor Who)	Chair has 'Pull Back and Go' feature
Slitheen	Aliens of London	Second version included a Space Pig mini-figure; Third version included an empty human 'suit'
Sycorax Leader	The Christmas Invasion
Cassandra	The End of the World (Doctor Who)	Second 'dirty' version from New Earth came with Chip
Cyberman	Rise of the Cybermen	Second version had 'gun arm' moulded

Classic Series Action Figures

In July 2007, Character Options announced the range would be expanded from August 2008 with a line of Classic Series action figures. These were:

Action Figure	Source Serial	Details
Fourth Doctor	Revenge of the Cybermen	In a red velvet coat and with interchangeable heads, one with and one without a hat and Sonic Screwdriver.
Fifth Doctor	Castrovalva	Without celery and with a Sonic Screwdriver.
Sixth Doctor	Attack of the Cybermen	With patchwork frock coat, shorter hair and Sonic Lance.
Broton the Zygon	Terror of the Zygons	With Skarasen Recall device.
Sea Devil	The Sea Devils	With string vest and Heat Ray.
SV-7 (Super Voc)	Robots of Death
D-84 (Dum Class)	Robots of Death	With Anti Robot Transmitter and removable decals to allow you to have the numbered DUM you want.
Magnus Greel and Mr Sin	The Talons of Weng Chiang	Twin pack.

Each figure pack included an exclusive piece which when assembed makes a K1 Robot. Two sets of three classic Daleks from The Daleks, Planet of the Daleks and Genesis of the Daleks and Saucer Pilot Dalek from ‘Dalek Invasion of Earth’ (1964), an Emperor’s Guard Dalek from ‘Evil of the Daleks’ (1967) and Supreme Dalek from ‘Day of the Daleks’ (1972) has also been released.

In July 2009 Character Options released First Doctor (with Saucer Commander Dalek from The Dalek Invasion of Earth) and Second Doctor (with Cyberman from The Tomb of the Cybermen) in exclusive boxsets to Forbidden Planet. Both are available in colour and in black and white. Released in August 2009 was yet another re-release of the season 12 Fourth Doctor, this time in a boxset which included the Osiran Mummy as listed below, a Voc Robot from The Robots of Death and a Dalek with bombs from Destiny of the Daleks. Released in October 2009 were two Third Doctor boxsets (with a silver Death to the Daleks Dalek in one boxset and with Sea Devil in the other). Forbidden Planet revealed on October 2, 2009 that a yet another Third Doctor pack would be available from October 17, 2009 consisting of the Doctor and 3 Maggots from The Green Death. Also announced for December 2009 was another Fourth Doctor figure from Pyramids of Mars. As of July 2010, 2 7th Doctors have been released (one in cream jacket with Imperial Dalek, another in brown jacket with 80s TARDIS), 2 1st Doctors (As seen in An Unearthly Child, one on its own, one with TARDIS).

Wave 2 was released in 2010 but without any 'build-a-figure' components. It consisted of the following figures:

Action Figure	Source Serial	Details
Ice Warrior
Cyberman	Earthshock	With gun
Osiran Service Robot	Pyramids of Mars	A Mummy with Canopic Jar
Morbius Monster	The Brain of Morbius
The Master	The Deadly Assassin	With Sash of Rassilon and gun
Voc Robot	The Robots of Death	With replaceable decals to allow you to choose which numbered Voc you want. Also includes red eyes which glow under a light

A Cyberman wave, consisting mostly of classic Cybermen, has been released. The build a figure was the Cyber Controller from The Tomb of the Cybermen. These are:

Action Figure	Source Serial	Details
The Tenth Planet	(1966) Cyberman	with Cyber Controller's head.
The Tomb of the Cybermen	(1967) Cyberman	with torso and left arm.
The Invasion	(1968) Cyberman	with both legs.
The Next Doctor	(2008) Cyber Leader	with hip and right arm.

It was originally announced that the build a figure for wave two would be a Krynoid, as seen in Tom Baker's six part story - The Seeds of Doom. However, this figure was pulled from the wave along with the 7th and 8th Doctors. There were also plans to release a Season 12 Boxset which would have consisted of a Tom Baker figure, Electronic TARDIS and Bessie. However, although sculpts for both the TARDIS and Bessie have been approved they are no longer scheduled for release as of yet.

In 2010 due to massive pressure from fans, Character Options released an Eleven Doctors Figure Set featuring figures of all eleven actors to have played the part to date. The figures variously included minor paint or sculpting revisions of earlier releases, an accessory (usually a sonic screwdriver) for all figures except the sixth Doctor and the first release of an eighth doctor Paul McGann figure. Unlike previous classic assortments, the Eleven Doctors Figure Set does not appear to be a limited release, and was freely available for sale on the Character Options website, which are decisions welcomed by collectors.

Further classic Doctor Who figures were released in 2010 including a Master and Axon set, Fifth Doctor and Master set and Fifth Doctor in Season 18 attire. Further releases include a Remembrance of the Daleks four figure Dalek set and a Season 18 Doctor and K-9 set. However, in a move reminiscent of the notorious Thinkway Toys undersupply of Buzz Lightyear action figures in 1995, Character Options has vastly underestimated the demand for classic Doctor Who figures in the global market, instead limiting its sales to one local store (Forbidden Planet) in the UK. Forbidden Planet is prevented from selling these figures outside of the UK. Some figures have been supplied to various US conventions as exclusives for the North American market only. There have been no exclusive figures released in any other countries. This of course has not stopped people in the UK and USA from placing the figures for worldwide sale on auction websites, albeit at grossly inflated prices. The sales potential of the classic Doctor Who figure line remains unfulfilled at this stage.

Character Options has released The Sarah Jane Adventures merchandise (consisting of figures and electronics. However this was pulled off due to lack of customer interest. Torchwood figures were announced in an advertisement in the June 2008 issue of Doctor Who Magazine, but are made Scifi Collector not by Character Options.

Primeval

In 2007 Character Options announced they would also be creating Primeval action figures, including a flying 'Rex' (developed by WowWee) and also include all main characters (Nick Cutter, Helen Cutter, Connor Temple and Abby Maitland to name a few) in addition some of the creatures (including future predators, Hesperonis and Dodos) and even plastic versions of anomalies. Character also released a large plush toy version of the team's "mascot", Rex.

The Sarah Jane Adventures

In 2007, Character Options released The Sarah Jane Adventures merchandise. The range started with Sarah Jane & Star Poet set, Sonic Lipstick & Wrist Scanner and Alien Communicator with Reporter's Pen & Notepad. Later figures included different figures of Sarah Jane Smith twin-packed with a monster from the series: a Child Slitheen, General Kudlak and a Graske.

After the show's sudden cancellation due to the death of Elisabeth Sladen, Character Options confirmed that no other Sarah Jane Adventures figures will be released.

HM Armed Forces

In 2009, Character Options released the HM Armed Forces merchandise, designed by Character Options in conjunction with the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to ensure the camouflage gear and weapons are authentic.

Bindeez

Main article: Bindeez

Bindeez in their tray, ready to be used.

The Bindeez toy range was subject to a multi-national product recall after it was found that the Wangqi Product Factory in Shenzhen, China had substituted a cheap toxic chemical for the specified one in some shipped toys, resulting in the illness and hospitalisation of some children who ingested the beads. Argos and Amazon.co.uk both withdrew products for sale. See the voluntary recall from Character Options.

Peppa Pig

The brand do toys based of the populaur kids programme Peppa Pig.

See also

• Doctor Who merchandise

External links

• Character Options official website
• Character HM Armed Forces toys official microsite
• Character Corporate website