Two weeks. That all it took, two weeks.
After the official LEGO Cuusoo site announced that it was now allowing submissions for Doctor Who related sets, people began getting excited at the idea and the prospect of having a Doctor Who Lego set in their hands.
The way the Cuusoo site works, is that people can submit concepts and ideas for sets that LEGO can produce. To enter the review process and be considered, a set has to reach a total of 10,000 votes. Previous sets that reached this, and that have now been produced or will be produced include the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and a Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary set.
It took 2 weeks for the Doctor Who set to reach the required 10,000 votes, and is now in the review phase, which will take place between May and September of this year.
The set concept was a collaboration between GlenBricker and Kaminoan, and they described it as:
Our Set Proposal:
As stated, Doctor Who pairs well with any existing Lego theme. So what we are looking for in a set are the elements that are harder to organize and come by. A few parts that have not been molded in the right colors, and of course a few figures.
Just enough content to drop the TARDIS, the TARDIS console, the Doctor, and his Companions into a build for a little flavor, and a few trouble makers to stir the pot.
We are suggesting 5 Minifigures, K-9, and 3 Brick Built Daleks for characters.
For setting elements we are suggesting the TARDIS external (Police Box) and a TARDIS Console.
Once the set reached 10,000 votes, LEGO released an official statement regarding the set:
Congratulations, GlenBricker and Kaminoan on reaching 10,000 supporters on LEGO CUUSOO!
You’ve presented a very nice TARDIS exterior and interior playset, and an assortment of characters from which to choose. We’re looking forward to considering this project in the LEGO Review, but for now excuse us while we go make an electroshock device … just in case this really IS a Nestene plot to take over the world via a toy factory!
We now officially advance this project to the Review phase.
What happens now?
This project moves from the Idea stage to the Review stage. A “LEGO Review Board” composed of designers, product managers, and other key team members will examine the idea. We’ll build concept models and determine if the concept meets our high standards for what it takes to be a LEGO product. This includes factors such as playability, safety, and fit with the LEGO brand. Every potential LEGO product goes through a process like this and must meet the same standards.
LEGO also breaks down the review phase and gives us an idea of how long we’ll still have to wait on a potential Doctor Who LEGO set.
This project qualifies for the Second 2014 Review beginning in May and ending in September. For more information about the LEGO review process, see this knowledge base article.
The review is a thorough process and from its start, and can take several months. When finished, we make a “go/no go” decision to develop and sell a product based on the Doctor Who concept.
When the review is complete, we will inform you of our decision. If green-lit, this project goes into the longest phase of the project; the Development phase. During this time, LEGO model designers refine the product and develop it for release, we create the product materials (box, instructions, marketing), and get everything ready for a production run. This also takes several months.
So looks like we might get a set by 2015. I was hoping we might get a set during Series 8 airing or around Christmas (and if LEGO can do this, they’d be cashing in) but the last statement about how the development takes several months doesn’t give me a ton of hope of seeing anything before 2015. Here’s hoping I’m wrong on that though.
