The Celestial Toymaker

"The beings who call here have no minds, and so they become my toys. But you will become my perpetual opponent. We shall play endless games together, your brain against mine."

Writer: Brian Hayles

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd-23rd April 1966

Season: 3.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

The travellers arrive in a strange domain presided over by the Celestial Toymaker - an enigmatic, immortal entity who forces them to play a series of games, failure at which will render them his playthings for all eternity.

Verdict 

The Celestial Toymaker was a good, uniquely weird serial! I loved the concept from the get go due it's potential and simplicity. Make the regulars play rigged games, if they win then the bad guy is destroyed but should they lose then the TARDIS is lost forever. The problem with this kind of script though is its predictability. At no point are Steven and Dodo not going to win their games, but I greatly appreciated Hayles' attempts to keep the viewer's interest and he did excellently. With the absence of the Doctor for most of the serial, this was almost like a TV Companion Chronicle for Steven and Dodo. They were the ones saving the day and ultimately the Doctor. As I mentioned in my blog of The Ark, I wasn't all that keen on Dodo and I commented my wishes for my opinion to change. And boy has it ever! I loved Dodo in this serial and thought her attire change was very favourable and with her speaking correct English she was wonderful! A breath of fresh air after her abrupt arrival and first story. The Toymaker proved to be a very good villain and I really liked the presence Michael Gough portrayed in his role. All the demanding tone that you'd expect from an immortal. I thought his power was incredible and I enjoyed how despite this, the Doctor could still outwit him. I was particularly intrigued that the Doctor, in his first incarnation, had previously encountered the Toymaker before. I'd love for that meeting to be shown in audio or novel format. The continuation at the start of the serial from The Ark was terrific with the references to the Refusians and the Doctor's invisibility. The references and visuals of The Daleks' Master Plan and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve deployed by the Toymaker was a pleasant moment. I love any mention of continuity! Each part being home to a different game was a clever concept and I liked the games a lot, especially with the added humour. Blind man's buff, the chair game, the dancing game and the 3D board game were all brilliant and I liked the characters of the playing cards and Cyril as big highlights. The way Steven and Dodo managed to be victorious with the odds stacked against them was fantastic! The Doctor playing the trilogic game for most of the serial was particularly intriguing as I think he actually enjoyed the challenge! 1,023 moves to return the blocks to the correct position as when started. Upon research, I was intrigued to discover that this serial at one point was considered to see William Hartnell written out of the series. Had he left in this fashion, I think the arrival of the new Doctor would have been a momentous occassion but for Hartnell it wouldn't quite have been the sendoff he'd deserve. The use of the riddles at the end of each episode was something I really thought fondly of and at times they had me thinking! The unravelling of each one in the following episode was fantastic. I liked the climax with Cyril killing himself by his own gagged plans and then the Doctor discovered what the Toymaker was up to. If the Doctor made the 1,023rd move then the game would be complete but the Toymaker's world would be destroyed, including everything inside it. The Toymaker, immortal, would just create a new world to play with but the Doctor would be defeated. The imitation of the Toymaker's voice to defeat him wasn't a great resolution in my eyes, it was too easy. The Doctor couldn't impersonate his nemesis that easy! Overall, a weak climax but a tremendous serial! 

Rating: 8/10