The Celestial Toymaker

"If you don't abide by the rules you can't possibly win the game."

Writer: Brian Hayles

Format: TV (Animation)

Released: June 2024

Season: 3.07

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

The Doctor and his companions are separated when they come up against the Toymaker.

While the Doctor play the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play their own seemingly childish, but ultimately dangerous games, with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS. Who will be the first to make a false move in this battle of wits, and will the TARDIS ever escape the Toymaker's snare?

Verdict

The Celestial Toymaker was a wonderful animation of the mostly missing third season serial! It's a shame this release didn't coincide with the broadcast of The Giggle in 2023 in time for Christmas because it really is spectacular. This is the third different version of the story that I have blogged across an eleven year span and this is by a country mile the best version. It isn't even close. The story itself just comes across so much better with the kind of special effects that this animation went for. Make no mistake about it, this is nowhere near an authentic recreation of what would have aired in 1966 and whereas in the past I think I might have disliked that approach because I would favour staying as true as possible to the original, but I've come around to a different way of thinking now. I see this as almost an entirely new interpretation and version of a Classic. Much like the recent colourisations, this is an alternative to the true article and it absolutely works. I'm quite baffled as to why anybody would choose disc one of the DVD for their viewing and watch animated black and white when the colour version is just so vibrant. It injected so much energy right from the off and gave so much credence to the world and realm of the Toymaker, His abilities were heightened and the depth and scale of his games and power really added to the character. Against the Fourteenth Doctor the Toymaker felt like a much bigger threat, but in the original version I didn't quite get that feeling. However, that all changed with the way the Toymaker was presented here. The booming presence of Michael Gough in animation was superb with his literally towering presence and giant form. It was really good to keep things moving and I thought the directing was also brilliant in bringing the games to life. The new take on blind man's buff in particular was just stunning and I loved how topsy turvy everything was. This just wouldn't have been possible on screen in 1966. The colours as well were just magnificent and really brought everything to life in a special way. Even the way the Doctor is written out of most of the story owing to William Hartnell's absence at the time of filming is presented in a much better way here. The invisibility is really good and I like the use of just one hand when playing. the Trilogic Game. The move-o-meter that dominated much of the story was really impressive and I like how that added to the significance of the Doctor completing it before Steven and Dodo finished their own games. The animation for Steven was probably my only slight negative about the release, but the work on Dodo in particular was outstanding. I was so impressed with that. Her character though is too gullible and I loved how serious and on the ball Steven was throughout the serial. He understood the task at hand and that everything was a product of the Toymaker. The electrocution of Cyril in the final game was gruesome though and I was quite stunned by what I witnessed, even if it was animation! They didn't hold anything back there and I loved it, even with the state of his corpse in being burned. I knew what we were going to get at the end with the Doctor talking in the voice of the Toymaker and them actually inputting Michael Gough's voice, but seeing that final piece of the Trilogic Game move and the Toymaker's domain obliterate into nothingness was tremendous. I still can't believe nobody has written the Doctor's first encounter with the Toymaker, but the foreshadowing in this one with the threat of another meeting is extraordinary given how long it took for an on-screen rematch. Overall though, such a strong story that just felt completely reinvigorating with this reimagining. I was so impressed. I loved every second. By far the best version of this adventure! 

Rating: 10/10