Lego signs multi-million-pound deal with BBC to create Dr Who set complete with Tardis, Daleks and Cybermen and it is due to hit shelves in time for Christmas 

  • Lego signs multi-million pound deal with BBC for Dr Who themed sets
  • Toys will include characters such as the Doctor, the Daleks and the Tardis 
  • Deal set to be the biggest commercial success for BBC since Teletubbies 
  • Concept for Dr Who Lego came from an ideas section on official website 
  • Dr Who superfan Andrew Clark suggested the idea with mock-up designs
  • Themed sets now in development and will hit shops in time for Christmas 

One is a Time Lord and the other the world’s biggest toy brand and together they plan to face down the evils of the galaxy – even the Daleks.

Lego has signed a deal with the BBC to create a Dr Who set with mini-figures, the Tardis and representations of many of the enemies he has taken on and defeated.

The partnership is a huge deal for the BBC and could – in financial terms alone – be the biggest shot in the arm for its commercial subsidiary since the success of the Teletubbies in the 1990s.

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How the new Dr Who lego could look after it was designed by fan of the programme Andrew Clarke. It features the Dr Who played by David Tennant, and Billie Piper as his assistant, as well as a Dalek and a Cyberman 

How the new Dr Who lego could look after it was designed by fan of the programme Andrew Clarke. It features the Dr Who played by David Tennant, and Billie Piper as his assistant, as well as a Dalek and a Cyberman 

Many a child has sat down with his Lego bricks to create his own Tardis since Dr Who first appeared on screens in 1963, however they will now get their own themed sets to create adventures.

Just this week Lego was named at the top of a list of the 50 greatest toys of all time by a survey of industry executives.

The Danish-owned company overtook Mattel to be the world’s largest toy maker last year, not least because of an increasingly number of commercial tie-ups with successful film franchises, such as Batman and Frozen.

It posted a 12 per cent increase in half­year operating profit to £380million on sales up 11 per cent to £1.2billion.

The Lego Movie also sold more tickets in the UK than any other in 2014, amassing takings of £34.3m to put it ahead of the likes of The Hobbit, Guardians of the Galaxy and the Hunger Games.

Mr Clark, a professional artist and designer in the games industry, also built his own version of the Tardis from Lego bricks, which can be opened out to form part of a larger play set

Mr Clark, a professional artist and designer in the games industry, also built his own version of the Tardis from Lego bricks, which can be opened out to form part of a larger play set

The partnership between Lego and the BBC will see the toys developed and be on sale in time for Christmas 

The partnership between Lego and the BBC will see the toys developed and be on sale in time for Christmas 

The BBC already has a vast array of toy deals around Dr Who, offering everything from voice changing Cyberman helmets to various incarnations of the all-powerful Sonic Screwdriver.

However, the partnership with Lego could generate huge sales around the globe, given the BBC series has attracted a large and growing overseas audience since it returned to the screen in 2005.

The concept for a Doctor Who set came from the Lego Ideas website where fans can submit suggestions, which are then put to the vote.

The winning design created by Dr Who fan, Andrew Clark, featured a mock-up of various doctors, including David Tennant and Tom Baker, alongside Billie Piper, K9 the robot dog, and versions of the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels.

Mr Clark, a professional artist and designer in the games industry, also built his own version of the Tardis from Lego bricks, which can be opened out to form part of a larger play set.

The final line-up of the toys has not yet been decided, however, Mr Clark’s designs will serve as the inspiration for sets that are certain to include mini-figures of the current doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, and his companion Jenna Coleman.

The deal is thought to be one of the biggest for the BBC's commercial arm BBC Worldwide, which also made millions through Teletubbies, pictured, merchandise 

The deal is thought to be one of the biggest for the BBC's commercial arm BBC Worldwide, which also made millions through Teletubbies, pictured, merchandise 

A licensing agreement between BBC Worldwide, which is the corporation’s commercial arm, and Lego will see the new set available in all company’s key markets before the end of the year.

The managing director of BBC Worldwide, Marcus Arthur, said: ‘Both Doctor Who and Lego enjoy a particularly close relationship with their fans and I can’t wait to see what Lego produce.’

Lego has also decided to create sets that tie in to the children’s film WALL-E film, which featured a robot and was a big hit in 2008, following a vote among customers.

Emma Owen, the UK spokesman for Lego, said: ‘We’re extremely excited to announce that a Doctor Who and a WALL-E set will be released as our next Lego Ideas fan based sets, congratulations to the designers.

‘After receiving over 10,000 votes from the online community and having gone through rigorous toy testing from our expert panel, these awesome sets are on track to be on shelves later this year’

She said the final set designs, pricing and availability are still to be decided.

 

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