From a TARDIS to a Dalek, "Doctor Who" fans can bid from Tuesday to own a piece of television history as the BBC auctions off props from the cult sci-fi 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 science fiction 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 the UK and Ireland since 2023.
"It's gone absolutely global," Sian Taylor, a Propstore manager, told AFP of the current popularity of "Doctor Who" as the firm previewed some of the items going under the hammer online until February 19.
"There will be people buying from in 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's heftier staples are among the lots.
That includes a TARDIS, the nearly three-meter- high (ten-foot) police box that is a disguised fictional hybrid time machine and spacecraft used by the Time Lord.
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 Taylor.
- 'Doctor Who history' -
Sitting in a repurposed cattle stable in countryside northwest 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-cyber gun used by character Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) in episode 12 of the seventh series.
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 last February which raised around £250,000 ($342,500) for the broadcaster's Children in Need annual fundraising 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," Taylor explained.
"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 last year for £12,600 and £2,520 respectively.
