Brigadier Gordon Alister Lethbridge Stewart

So i recently purchased individually “the Demons” Brigadier figure,a important one as he is a major character in Doctor Who appearing regularly in the classic series,

So one to get ,i first met the character on a VHS “The Day of the Dalek’s” (having previously read the book boy was i disappointed  ) ,then with 7 in Battlefield on transmission

As a figure i first saw the prototype some three or so years ago cant remember when

prototype brigadier

So  like having all incarnations of the Doctor this comes under as must have
i wish the Who Figures were available as single packs and not these box sets all the time but that’s the way it now is so with e bay and other people breaking the sets up i finally have the brigadier i wanted

As a figure it is made as a kit bash from a set of parts  ,but rather than make new legs as seen on the prototype for the combat variant they  decided to use the standard legs as seen on the dress uniform just different torso and swap the heads around for all three variants axons, demons and 3 drs

Now knowing personally about British Army uniform  its always bugged me and a bit sloppy research by the BBC
he wouldn’t be wearing dress uniform all the time except for explicit reasons eg on parade seeing a more senior officer (and a Sargent would not be wearing a dress uniform at all unless on a big show parade  and NEVER wearing brown officer boots)  ,in the main a Brigadier would be behind a desk and wearing standard uniform but with brown boots officers tan shirt with collar lapels in red, winter dress would include a jumper, in combat and the field identical dress to everyone else minus his rank pips obviously a uniform finally correct in his last TV appearance in Battlefield

 

The figure hs a nice paint job no QC issues .it comes with swagger stick and standard British Army  browning hi power pistol (was for fifty years now the Glock 17)  one weapon id like to get for him would be his revolver used with Dr7, the one kept in a display case as a memento was a Webley Mk 4 real old school British souvenir of his blood and thunder days, this combat variant also has a large in scale set of binoculars

the figure itself maintains usual joints with hinged elbows and swivels in the biceps and wrists. The legs have universal movement in the hips, hinges in the knees, and swivels in the thighs. There’s no torso articulation, but The Brig can rotate his head but has a new bonus swivel shoulders  arms are ball jointed at the shoulders  like the Ace figure so you can pose him doing star jumps or just looking really cool taking aim
in the main a cheap effective way of producing many variants of one character keep costs down and options open he has some nice details like the tops of boots can be seen through the trousers ,the jumper is a rubber piece wrapped round that unfortunately has several splits in it otherwise its nicely done it is a great figure likeness i think it is really good likeness to Nick ,and  a (sadly non-functional) holster.is also here

Reason i only really want this one (Maybe if right price dress uniform variant  ) is this for me is the Brigadiers main outfit,  as 1 it would be close to what a actual army officer wears and 2 one he wore a lot with lots of different Doctors ,
so well worth getting a nice figure, worth getting if a you like UNIT and the Brig or if just for fact he is a very big part of the classic series (only really the master who appeared as much and then by different actors )  the Doctors life  and really his only true friend

 

Sonic Srewdriver

Got to start with a confession ,the Sonic Screwdriver i didn’t grow up with on TV ,In the 80s Who there was no sonic anything
i did eventually later see a repeat and Collin with a sonic lance.
On my VHS tho the doctor had this wonderful tool he used from time to time mainly locks to escape being gassed in a locked room or other machinery “Deactivating a generator loop without the correct key is like repairing a watch with a hammer and chisel. One false move and you’ll never know the time again.” or detecting floors that are charged with high voltage , so i new of it just wasn’t on the show when i watched it

 

On a recent trip to Liverpool where there are no less than 2 Forbidden planet stores both companies .CO.uk and .COM  and both shops have a vastly superior stock to mine in Manchester i saw the sonic wave two collection and not owning one classic sonic ( i know a shame to the colors) and choice of a few odd color ecclestone tennant version and smith capaldi variant i went with the fourth fifth doctors variant although on the label it has a pic of season 21 fifth who had no sonic, and only says fifth doctor sonic ,
it was £11 so a bargain these came out at originally £25 and i passed we were being a tad ripped off , there’s two sounds and occasionally a third a soft rubber head and designed well looks the part
It s about right size and I have had a good play test of it
Well designed not lathed turned aluminum but a nice piece looks like the pics of the prop , battery compartment is a bit of a pain on the front its intrusive a better idea would be to have all that internally

I will set the scene for you ,after a long period of nearly 7 years in the role and the huge presence of Tom Baker and some 4 years of Romana as time lady companion and 5 years of k9 and same titles,music  things had got a little stale ,1980 and time for changes

I think the Sonic  first sported this look in Season 18 (I could be wrong could of been sooner ) when the program got a whole new look and overhaul and the producer John Nathan Turner disliking how clever self important the program had become made radical changes and that meant less use of the Sonic Screwdriver unless absolutely necessary ,like locks ,a lesson the new series would do well to listen to it is a tool not a magic wand that can take reading’s
Yes it can be used to speed a story along and the doctor instead of building a flumix machine to do something etc he can and could use the Sonic, but its been a little to much in new who also its not a weapon

new look

you see my sonic screwdriver its a tad bent here

here it is in “The Leisure hive”  first story of the new look who and new season 18 with new everything, music, producer, titles, new costumes new TARDIS box prop (that went on for the next ten years until the end of the classic series) even the console room got a spruce up and a service done to the old sonic resulting in its new livery to with the magnet and halo both light red and a white band around the middle

ch ch ch changes…….

the new dr getting to grips with the new Fiberglass box

larger spruced up console room and for first time detail shots of the interior rooms

We got a zero room a sports area a lot of corridors companions had a room a space of there own you could see there world in the TARDIS a library and for me the one of the best was the laboratory

she missed the sonic screwdriver

here it is at the press call photo for new companion Janet Fielding 1981 you  can see how exacting this role play plastic toy is ,as i really like the season 18/19  look and remember it in magazines (both the police boxes used the interior ,costumes etc)  and it being one of my earliest memories you can see why i chose it

in Season 18 its used and season 19
S18 was a time of massive changes and  ideas the  like of which had not been seen since 1970 and switch to color and new grounded  pertwee era

 

The sonic makes a good battery in Kinda

 

new simpler TARDIS key

It went on to dr 5 along with the TARDIS key( Now a simple yale key most likely the actual prop key itself) he gave it Nyssa in Castrovalva and she used it to unscrew some doors and  make the doctor a cabinet , she used it in four to doomsday (Reasonable as she was a scientist herself)  and so did the doctor and it was used to help Nyssa get a nap in “kinda”

Four to Doomsday

Then four stories in to this new of new look shows Bidmead who hated the thing had since vacated the script editors chair but JNT had enough of it wanted it to go the way of K9 ( this was a time of massive change) and did the unthinkable

since its debut in 1973 with Dr 3 to its trademark use with Dr 4 to now literally passing the baton on to the new Dr 5 and after four uses” the visitation” saw the last use of the sonic screwdriver in the classic series

used to get past a holographic wall in a cellar and then while trying to escape the tereiliptil catches the doctor and ………

“I feel as though you’ve just killed an old friend.”

 

That’s it until the TV Movie 14 years later with its return with drs 7 and 8 and slight minor changes cosmetically again this time it telescoped down rather than being spring loaded and the magnet was again absent as it was for pertwee  , i wish this had gone on to the new series personally, it was seen rightly for the fiftieth anniversary again in the hands of Dr 8, and with its most radical redesign with dr 9 war doctor minus its emitter head (The prop being itself a commercially available forth Dr toy)  which was the journey full circle as it started out life as a prop without the head that was added later by the bbc for Dr Who

original prop in thunderbirds

war doctor and sonic

So in all i will say a nice addition to the collection from a good era ,and a must have classic as this is the last one used in the classic series as well as used by drs 4 and 5

i will get another and do a custom third forth sonic ,and pertwees for the collection would be good i will see

this maybe one day

 

overall a very  nice toy i would of loved as a kid,a fare price tag  and the  fx  sounds as usual with Character Options a poor affair as always, hit and miss, but looks neat on my shelf on display

Invasion Earth

so a day long waited for by many months,  a small do at a Hotel in town, not been to one of these shin digs in years
It was a Star Wars Doctor Who themed Day, but the two bods from star wars were little more than extras really but what im here for………..
WHO Girls 
Yes i said Who girls like Bond girls just in space ,and who’s very own Play Bunny Nicola (peri) Bryant was there, the gorgeous Sophie(Ace)  Aldred and a new one for me Louise (Leela) Jameason 

 as you can see a thoroughly enjoyable meet and greet


there was the usual dealers room, but on a teeny scale there was 4 tables,thats it and usual fare lots of books and annuals and toys some i did like the loose ones in plastic bags for classics BRILLIANT ! alas no Master 
but not given up yet
also some full size props there on the day as is norm ,again on a mini scale this was small local stuff

The R2D2 was lovely all lights  and beeps and moved rc style but while sat here turned its dome periodically id like one 

Do like these small venues ,unlike the Arena events that are extortionate costs, and also one i disagree with and so did mrs aldred, paying for autographs it is ripping fans off 
grrrrrrrrr
but nice event small family friendly, and future has been prepared for in some cases like getting loose figures i want 🙂  some nice folks selling got his e mail address so should come in handy for odd bits i am after  some nice people ,nice talking to some  

look at this !,my 80s TARDIS in Ace’s hands never would dream it possible to think i watched her as Ace on tv as a lad and here sat with my TARDIS i made ,
blows my mind i do not care what anyone says thats awesome and bigie for me 

I thank you ,signed to boot plus by Nicola ,so two 80s companions for Drs 5/6/ 7 done then 
 for got to get Nicola to pose with it,  
Wonder if  i could get away with asking show me the sex baby ?

old pic of Fraser Hines “Jamie” with one of my TARDISES I GAVE HIM

signed and done ,the book can see with sontarons well it is JNTs TARDIS inside out and o boy is it groaning under weight of autos now  
gos waaaaaaaaaay back jon pertwees is in there nick courtney JNT himself under the printed one so signed twice i suppose ,K9 John Leason, Terry maloy is one i would like sylv sophie 
 collin nicola now louise etc etc etc

lovely seeing familys small children loving it all and getting realy into it

 some over geeks some over enthusiastic but in the main just nice ordinary people and mainly as it should be Family’s and lots of little kids loving every min and good on them they are after all the future

couple of atmosphere shots for you

New Doctor Who figures

new 3.75 inch range

so there you have it a nice brief blog as taken down on forums and as i posted about the brigadiers Hurndall etc i thought ill post this one 

quickly up and down by Mr Dewer head honcho of CO  on his twitter

so this is the new 3.75 inch figures expected sometime 2013

so that Dalek should be roughly 3 inches tall ,Like Avengers Star Wars etc 

3.75 inch V 5 inch

And with quick snap above will see difference on right current classic figure of Dr7 5 ” with old Dapol Ace 3.75″ figure

Very out of scale to each other so cant mix the line and for those who have collected everything by CO this is a bummer and i do feel for them and thousands and hours spent 

I am lucky i do not collect new series Bar the Doctor companion TARDIS Cybes Daleks ya know classic stuff 

But when Doc regenerates i wont be able to slap Dr 12 with my line as is 

nor can i get new companion same reason 

this is a bummer 

I may indulge tho as i have Dapol figures and can go on there do look forward to mini new box to go with Dapol classic

As so rumors say in new year new Console room new Cybermen costumes so all new i don’t see the Police Box changing theres 8 floating around now of the props and merchandise the image etc that sadly is stuck as is ,new companion new costume for Matt all equals new molds

Will it be the saving grace of a dieing line ? ,No .why ?,figure choices suck they have made really bad choices what to make since Matt first appeared and given before that the hiatus year of specials and nothing to do there for  the company for good few years

yes BBC has not helped here but smilers gay vampire by ???Uncle ?? bad idea anyone but CO can see it where is Headless monks or Vampire woman ? and this season just gone pathetic long leaving story for ponds nothing not one thing to do to make 
It needs to be fun capture imagination be flexible in its playability what you can do and size well big toy in small child hand brilliant 


so lets see in a couple years what idea number 2 is ,

Classic funded by Underground toys company for Forbidden Planet thats going strong and as molds exist for everything just about ,staying in five inch scale ,that changes and i will quit ,
Now there is very poor choices and blatant ripp off going on here in this line but as a cherry picker im doing ok so far and just accept some are to rich for my pocket and simply not worth vast sum slapped on it ,tho this trend seems to be changing with twenty pound sets taking to the forefront 

But will always be about the 70 to 80 which is sad they may dip occasionally into 60s or 80s rarely which is a shame as i would love more of my era and last known era (80s)  but as we are subject to whims of fan boys making the choices what can you do ?

CO figures

Ah where new figures fall classic figures charge on 
So announced new 11drs set apparently not happening
 was going to include such variants as zygon tartan wearing fourth and hurndalls first dr from the five drs easy to do just a new head 
troughton fur coat ala five drs i hope and check trousers and dr 7 was going to have a duffel coat ala fenric,3 from invasion of dinosaurs repaint of existing figure blues , no idea about others bit stuck for five  done everything possible well dressing gown version or jumper only ? ? 
 six the red check ?was rumour of blue version AGAIN  8 stuck with or wraped in sheet doing jesus impression ?
 9? 10? 11? all done to death ,maybe why got caned ?

Dr 1.2

so await this could be something i may be interested in ,and announced on twitter by head honcho  dewer himself very nice of you,With the 50th anniversary coming next year i wouldn’t be surprised just watch this space i do believe it will be getting interesting and expensive time to be a Who fan
ok and next announcement is

TA DA !!!!
The three Drs set which funnily enough we have drs one and two from from last eleven figure dr set ,so Johny is missing in his notched rust velvet black bow tie combo
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Now i think EVERYONE will want the Brig who wouldn’t he is the longest served companion friend of the Drs been in the program nearly as long as the Doctor was (classic series) so yeah him please looks ok as well he did sort of have eyebrows like that but it is tweakable don’t worry

But gel guard is a pass making it look better than it ever did dont win me over it was a stupid creation looked bad on screen and well is best forgotten 
Josephine Grant i would like her but personally in Day of the Daleks costume not the blue mock fur thing 

and that head is bad I know she had various trims haircuts but dont remember her hair that bad and that fringe ? the face is off for me paint app sculpt ?

dosent look like her to me

so ill leave this  look out for brig single sale somewhere 

bring eyebrows down

Now mystery remains what they up to with Sutekh ? this remains to be seen and two sets one jackall headed very odd
and beret wearing combat brig claws of axos jo possible human axon to come (another seriously dull jo costume even brown we shall see what happens in fiftieth year as this is slated for january 2013

Ride on Time

well as you know Doc ain’t only one with a Time capsule 
Msters is also a type 40 Drs MK1 his MK 6 or something ,think monks is MK4  and obviously the Rani has the most advanced capsuale that was a gorgeous  and perfect interior and console
Masters interior basically same console room as Drs redressed obsidian black and grey dark evil as its owner ,personally like idea of five drs console for his more advanced time machine compared to the doctors being all levers and dials

So i have the Master and dogs chew toy that CO Made aka computer bank TARDIS
Not good enough nor is it iconic enough to me i want that which i remember,the Grand farther clock 
This i remember from deadly assassin ,cant recall what he used in 80s i do know there was a Greek column thingy  but honestly remember him in McCoys time cant remember what he had think some stories was nothing

so i wanted the Grandfather clock (Time piece time machine….get it ?) this is so simple
Take one dolls house grandfather clock wood ,take varnish from house paint, go pound shop get some Halloween cobwebs and uhu glue and set to it ,reference pic in hand or on monitor

The Master and his TARDIS

and just for you dear reader is a list of the form his TARDIS has took.off the W.W.W so don’t shoot the messenger, like i said personally i know a clock and Greek column

horsebox /white cube, Default form?/ spaceship Thunderbird 3 looking thing /A computer bank /grandfather clock/ and thats just the 70’s

Melkur i dont get think it is a timelord ship of some sort certainly bigger inside inside is the Grandfather clock new look /a police box (really taking the mickey this one)/a column/ a big fireplace / concord  / iron maiden / three-sided column/ beach hut and a Queen Victoria statue thats the 80s
 not seen again in new who personally thought the Grandfather clock in his study of Mr Saxon that was it 
amazing when a chameleon circuit works ,the Doctors has  been a sedan chair a statue a cupboard organ and of course Police Box 
So pick one whatever works for you, for me it is the Grandfather clock it might look out of place on ceti alpha five but works on earth where he likes to control manipulate and work
might make a column one day who knows space /money depending .certainly not buying the pack with another regen fifth dr thats a waste of money,
And capable of making my own terms depending