15th Doctor/Ruby Sunday Dolls

The Doctor, Ruby Sunday and the TARDIS have landed at Mattel Creations.

Now on pre-order from Mattel Creations are two brand new Doctor Who dolls, just in time for the second season finale from the Disney+ era of this iconic science fiction series. Recreated in doll form are the 15th Doctor and his Disney+ series 1 companion Ruby Sunday. Set for an August 1st release, these two dolls, sold separately, will retail at $55.00 and will be sold at Mattel Creations, Target and Amazon.

While the face molds were not made specifically for actors Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, Mattel did a good job at highlighting their identifying features. Similarly, the fashions are spot on, themed on the two actor’s inaugural episode, The Church on Ruby Road.

From Mattel Creations, “Energetic and unafraid to show emotion, the Fifteenth Doctor is one of the most empathetic incarnations of the Time Lord … and one of the most stylish. This doll’s iconic outfit, with cool striped shirt, sleek pants, and that awesome brown coat, captures the magic of the TARDIS’s wardrobe.”

Upon first look, Mattel did a great job on this 15th Doctor. The outfit is spot on and the face and body choices made in this recreation fit the inspiration well. And let’s not forget his face. The moustache and thick eyebrows really help bring even more character to the doll.

It’s fitting that Ncuti’s doctor would receive a Barbie doll recreation of his very own, as he also co-starred in the popular Barbie movie as one of the Ken’s. He himself seems very excited and even called the experience emotional when asked about having a Barbie styled after his Doctor. You can see his first reaction to the 15th Doctor doll in this short video.

Now onto companion Ruby Sunday. Again, the designers at Mattel did a wonderful job taking Ruby’s real world style and transforming it into doll form. From the Mattel Creations website, “Bright and brave, the character’s style is captured with her iconic outfit including a plaid skort, red shirt, tights, and cool furry-trimmed jacket.”

As Barbie’s now come in all shapes and sizes, it’s worth noting that Ruby is on a Petite Made to Move body, which is why the Doctor’s doll towers above her in promo photos.

I also love how they kept her eyebrow scar, adding to the likeness to actress Millie Gibson. And I’m so glad they went with this hairstyle, as, in my opinion, they gave Ruby some terrible hairstyles over the run of her episodes.

I’ve been a big Doctor Who fan since 2006 or so, when I first discovered ‘new Who’ as it’s been dubbed by fans. My mom brought home Series 1 on DVD, starring Christopher Eccelston as the 9th Doctor, developed by Russell T. Davies. Immediately, we borrowed Series 2 and found ourselves caught up with the series.

For years following, I was a dedicated fan of the series. And while I fell off during the Chris Chibnal/Jodie Whittaker years (because they were terrible), I was excited to hear that Russell was brought back as showrunner for the Disney+ era of the show and would hopefully bring back some of the magic that he’d originally brought to the series back in 2005.

Ultimately, the Disney+ era of Doctor Who has, for me, been a muddled mess due to shotty showrunning, terrible scripts and poor character development for the companions, who are truly the heart(s) of Doctor Who. However, none of this is the fault of Ncuti Gatwa, who I like as the doctor. The energy and charisma he brings is tangible to the audience. Same goes for the companion actresses Millie Gibson and Verada Sethu, who plays season 2’s companion Belinda. Both actresses are great, but were underused, with little character development over the 16 episodes between series 1 and 2 of the Disney+ seasons. Gone are the days, it seems of well developed companions like Rose, Martha, Sarah Jane and Donna, it seems.

All that being said, I am tempted to pick up the 15th Doctor and Ruby Sunday dolls. The only think stopping me is the price. $55.00 is a bit steep for me when it comes to Barbie dolls. So, for right now, I’m waiting in the wings, debating on whether the Doctor and his companion will sit on my shelf one day.

Will they be on your doll shelf? Let us know in the comment area.