Doctor Who, The First Week
Posted by glenbricker,
As you have no doubt heard, Doctor Who is now being allowed back on Cuusoo.
What follows is my overview of the "opening week" of Doctor Who projects that have presented themselves, though I am sure there will be many more to follow.
Next week at SXSW, I was going to have a chance to talk with Tim Courtney and I was going to ask him how LEGO is going to handle "verboten" licenses as time passes and the licenses open back up, and well, now I don't have to ask.
To be sure, despite the media jumping all over this, Cuusoo allowing Doctor Who back into its ranks does not mean that any Doctor Who project will match brand fit, nor does it mean that LEGO is not right at this moment, in secret, developing a line of LEGO Doctor Who sets. All it means is that publicly, the Construction Toy license for Doctor Who is not currently controlled by a LEGO competitor and it is therefore a valid project concept for Cuusoo.
Several Doctor Who projects had previously reached high support levels on Cuusoo but LEGO has chosen to keep those projects archived. Personally, I am not sure where I stand on this decision but I can see that some of those projects would not be "Cuusoo legal" now, due to theme requests and the suggestion of new elements, and therefore, I can clearly see the argument that maintaining a clear board is fair. Why is that important? Well, Cuusoo has made it clear now that if two very similar project concepts achieve in the same review (like Ghostbusters), that the first to make it to 10k takes priority. So this is one of those rare cases of direct competition on Cuusoo.
So, what is going on?
At my count, there are currently 20 valid Doctor Who projects on Cuusoo and I assume there will be more to come on Monday. Doctor Who might not get produced by LEGO but everyone knows that Doctor Who is a "10k concept." So it makes sense that people will be lunging at the idea. Like any subject on Cuusoo, most of the suggestions are mediocre but there are a few that stand out.
Side note: watching how everyone comes up with a Dalek design is a lot of fun, if you are into that kind of thing.
This is probably my favorite Doctor Who project to date.
Why, because it is very creative and thinks outside of the Police Box. None of the suggested minifig scaled TARDISes open normally, but this one is clever enough to open to reveal a very "acceptably" scaled console. I especially love that the revealed plate bottoms actually lend more value to creating the effect of the TARDIS's interior.
Doctor Who by GlenBricker and Kaminoan
I am associated with this project so I will just be very factual about it.
This is to my knowledge is the only collaborative Doctor Who project and the only project with custom figures: The Doctor (11), Amy Pond, Weeping Angel, Silence, and Cyberman.
Kaminoan and I are pledging half of any potential funds we receive from the production of this project to the American Heart Association.
Doctor Who and Companions by AndrewClark2
This was the first well presented project on Cuusoo and has enjoyed a healthy lead over all other projects.
I really love AndrewClark2's use of windows with non transparent "glass" to get a brick based framing on the Tardis.
Andrew is not picking a single Doctor or Companion though so this is really a "generic" Doctor. This is pretty smart tactic to get support from all ranges of Doctor Who fans while not turning anyone off.
LEGO UCS TARDIS Console Room by Xenomurphy
This is the 9th-10th Doctor console room. This project made it to 1000 before and will likely do so again. This is an AMAZING MOC. Like most UCS builds it is for extreme LEGO lovers and emphasizes display aspects over playability.
Doctor Who Large-scale TARDIS: Time and Relative Dimensions in Space by S-Taylor
This is, to date, my favorite non-minifig scaled build of the TARDIS, on or off Cuusoo.
Doctor Who TARDIS Playhouse by DrCrossroads
I know that the presentation of this project is a serious drawback but it is a wonderfully fun concept that plays well with the theme that the TARDIS is "smaller on the outside."
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12 comments on this article
I would be love it if they just made a k-9 a dalek and a tardis and maybe one of each doctor
Thank you for this review, Glenbricker. I've now supported a couple of these projects (including yours, and I've also submitted my preferences in your poll). Whether it's an official theme or a CUUSOO release, I'm keeping everything crossed for some Doctor Who Lego in the future!
Wow...reading this makes me feel dumb as I have never seen any Dr. Who in my life.
Two non-news stories about Dr. Who in a week?
I wonder if the site is run by Dr. Who fans....
Glad to see I'm not the only person who absolutely loves the unfolding Tardis set! Its one flaw is that the doors don't have enough panels, but your project shows that the door panels can be fixed without changing the size of the doors, so changing that shouldn't give the designers any difficulty. I hope it succeeds and becomes an amazing Cuusoo project!
The problem with these minifig scale Tardises is their overuse of stickers. Do AFOLs and Doctor Who fans really want a box with sides that are 50% stickers?
@NeilJam: Yes. If it means getting a Lego TARDIS, I will take Police Public Call Back stickers over a blank blue box any day.
I understand and even expect the use of stickers, or better yet printed parts, for the 'POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX' and St Jude signs. However, using stickers for other details such as the windows and panels on the sides is lazy design when these can be emphasized using BUILDING techniques.
I've never been a Dr Who fan; I can count the number of episodes I've seen on on hand. With how long that show was originally on for tells me that one of them will probably be chosen to be made by Cuusoo. It seems like if it can be made in the $50-100 range its a good prospect.
this is a cool set, but would you consider showing the big bang theory set on cuusoo please. it is a big hit in us,and would love to be able to buy lego big bang set if they make it.
Mine doesn't have "door stickers" !
Of course, they had to make a Weeping Angel minifig.
If your partner is also into Doctor Who, play mean pranks by moving the Weeping Angel minifig around your house when they're not looking.
Don't blink.