Doctor Who auction to fire up global interest
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The Fourteenth Doctor’s Rehearsal Sonic Screwdriver (left) and the Fifteenth Doctor’s Joy To The World Hero Light-Up Sonic Screwdriver' (right), props from Britain series Doctor Who.
PHOTO: AFP
Rickmansworth (England) – From a Tardis to a Dalek, Doctor Who fans can bid from Feb 3 to own a piece of television history as the BBC auctions off props from the cult science-fiction series.
The 17-day online auction features items from the modern era of the decades-spanning show, which first appeared on British TV in 1963 and relaunched in 2005 after a 16-year small-screen hiatus.
The longest-running sci-fi series by episode numbers, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has drawn fans globally after airing in scores of countries over the years.
Memorabilia auctioneers Propstore, managing the sale, anticipate worldwide interest, boosted by Disney+ streaming episodes outside Britain and Ireland since 2023.
“It’s gone absolutely global,” Ms Sian Taylor, a Propstore manager, said of the current popularity of Doctor Who, as the firm previewed the items going under the hammer online until Feb 19.
“There will be people buying from Europe, North America, East Asia, Australia, everywhere across the world. It truly is a worldwide phenomenon.”
Some buyers will need plenty of space, given several of the series’ heftier staples are among the lots.
That includes a Tardis, the nearly 3m-high police box that is a disguised fictional hybrid time machine and spacecraft used by the protagonist Time Lord.
Items used in the filming of the TV series Doctor Who include (from left) a Sardickton Clock, a screen-matched Tardis and a Bronze Asylum Dalek.
PHOTO: EPA
Also up for grabs is a bulky Dalek – one of the fictional extraterrestrial mutant enemies of the Doctor, mounted on wheels, that have featured in numerous episodes.
“It’s possibly one of the best pieces in the auction,” noted Ms Taylor.
Doctor Who history
Sitting in a repurposed cattle stable in the countryside north-west of London as they await their new owners, the more than 200 lots have all come from the BBC.
On a rainy morning, white-gloved Propstore assistants showed off some other highlights, including costumes, sonic screwdrivers and an anti-cybergun used by character Clara Oswald (played by English actress Jenna Coleman) in episode 12 of the seventh series.
A Bronze Asylum Dalek (right) and Clara Oswald's anti-cyber gun, which was used by English actress Jenna Coleman in the filming of the TV series Doctor Who.
PHOTO: EPA
Ms Miranda McCabe, Propstore’s director of marketing, noted that one of the sonic screwdrivers – which she described as like an “alien Swiss Army knife” and one of the Doctor’s key tools – was a so-called hero version, used for close-up shots.
“That’s why this one lights up and looks so nice, which is super special,” she said.
As part of its partnership with the BBC, Propstore staged a similar, smaller Doctor Who memorabilia sale in February 2025 which raised around £250,000 (S$434,300) for the broadcaster’s Children in Need annual fund-raising drive.
The 2026 auction will again donate a fifth of the proceeds to the charity.
“Everything starts at £100, so in theory, everything is accessible to pretty much everybody,” Ms Taylor said. “We will see where the prices end up, but hopefully some people will be able to get a piece of Doctor Who history to take home with them.”
However, those hoping to snag the Tardis or Dalek for that price are likely to be disappointed. Similar versions sold in 2025 for £12,600 and £2,520 respectively. AFP
