The enduring popularity of Doctor Who’s animated recreations of lost episodes is undeniable, stretching back over a decade. The latest release, bringing to life the missing episodes of “The Celestial Toymaker”, has arrived on DVD and Blu-Ray. Continuing a tradition on this blog of reviewing these animations, it was essential to experience this particular story firsthand. Join us as we delve into the newly animated “The Celestial Toymaker”, exploring the intricate games and whimsical terror it brings.
The narrative unfolds as the First Doctor, alongside companions Steven and Dodo, falls prey to the enigmatic Celestial Toymaker. To escape his bizarre realm, the trio must navigate a series of perilous games orchestrated by their powerful host. While the premise is intriguing, the plot’s execution in this instance feels somewhat meandering. At times, the storyline struggles to maintain a clear focus, giving the impression of a narrative unfolding without a strong central thread. However, flashes of brilliance do emerge, particularly in the Toymaker’s seemingly limitless power to traverse space and time at will. This concept, ripe with potential, is unfortunately sidelined in favor of Steven and Dodo’s attempts to reclaim the TARDIS. While their efforts are engaging in moderation, they overshadow the Doctor’s role, relegating him to a supporting character. Logistical constraints due to William Hartnell’s absence during filming are known, but this narrative choice contributes to a sense of randomness and disjointedness within the plot. Despite these structural weaknesses, the episode manages to maintain an entertaining and engaging quality throughout.
The episode boasts a stellar cast, headlined by William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, and Jackie Lane as Dodo Chaplet. Supporting them are Peter Stephens in multiple roles including Cyril, Knave Of Hearts, and The Kitchen Boy, Campbell Singer as Joey, King Of Hearts, and Sergeant Rugg, Carmen Silvera as Clara, Queen Of Hearts, and Mrs. Wiggs, Reg Lever as Joker, and the iconic Michael Gough as the menacing Toymaker.
The performances, particularly from the established leads, are a significant strength of “The Celestial Toymaker”. Hartnell’s Doctor and Gough’s Toymaker deliver compelling portrayals, unsurprising given their acting pedigree and familiarity with their roles. Hartnell, having embodied the Doctor since the show’s inception, brings a seasoned gravitas, while Gough injects a chillingly playful menace into the Toymaker. However, the acting from performers portraying the Toymaker’s servants occasionally falls flat, coming across as somewhat stiff and mechanical. While this might be intentional to reflect their nature, it detracts from the overall acting quality. Furthermore, the script itself does little to aid these actors, offering limited depth to their characters and hindering their ability to deliver more nuanced performances.
The animation for “The Celestial Toymaker” is brought to life by the talented team at Shapeshifter Studios. The animation quality is a mixed bag. While the use of 3D CGI allows for improved lip-sync accuracy compared to earlier animations, it also results in visuals that sometimes appear unsettling and, at times, cheap. The eerie aesthetic arguably suits the fantastical and illogical nature of the Toymaker’s realm, lending itself to some genuinely creepy imagery. However, this stylistic choice might not be universally appealing or appropriate for all classic Doctor Who stories. If the BBC intends to continue down this path for future animated releases, careful consideration must be given to the source material, ensuring the animation style complements the story’s tone. A consistently creepy visual style risks alienating viewers who might find it off-putting, potentially impacting the appeal of these DVD and Blu-Ray releases.
Currently, only the fourth episode, “The Final Test,” exists in its original form. Many consider it the strongest of the serial, notable for its heightened tension and increased screen time for William Hartnell. The recovery of the missing episodes remains a fervent hope among fans, eager to experience “The Celestial Toymaker” as originally conceived, rather than solely through animation. However, with the other three episodes presumed lost or destroyed, this animation represents the closest contemporary audiences will get to seeing the complete story. Yet, considering the uneven quality of the animated episodes, perhaps the loss of the originals isn’t entirely detrimental. Instead of three mediocre episodes alongside a stronger finale, viewers can focus on the more compelling “Final Test.” While the animated episodes have their moments, they lack a certain spark that defines classic Doctor Who, a quality more evident in the surviving fourth episode, particularly in its suspenseful climax.
A peculiar aspect of “The Celestial Toymaker” is the Doctor’s minimal presence throughout much of the narrative. While William Hartnell’s scheduled holiday explains his reduced role, it leads to an unusual viewing experience where the audience primarily sees the Doctor’s hands in many scenes. Furthermore, the Toymaker’s silencing and invisibility spells render the Doctor both unseen and unheard. Consequently, the typically proactive First Doctor is relegated to a passive observer, watching his companions navigate dangerous games rather than actively seeking solutions. This contrasts sharply with other stories from the era where a Doctor’s absence due to actor unavailability was less keenly felt. Here, the constant cuts back to the Doctor and Toymaker’s game serve as a reminder of the Doctor’s absence, making it more pronounced. Despite Hartnell’s declining health during filming, more creative solutions could have been implemented to maintain the Doctor’s presence and agency within the narrative, rather than effectively sidelining him for two out of four episodes. Interestingly, the production team considered replacing Hartnell temporarily with another actor, an idea quickly dismissed, but one that foreshadowed the recasting approach taken a year later with Patrick Troughton’s arrival as the Second Doctor in “The Tenth Planet”.
One of the undeniable highlights of “The Celestial Toymaker” is the Toymaker himself, a delightfully malevolent villain. His immense power, allowing him to manipulate reality and fates at will, creates a palpable sense of threat. The stakes are high in his games; failure could mean eternal servitude within his dominion. This inherent unpredictability keeps the audience, and the characters, constantly on edge, mirroring the character’s recent return in “The Giggle,” which successfully captured this chaotic essence. The Toymaker is portrayed as both the most capricious and the most intelligent entity in the room. Intriguingly, script editor Donald Tosh envisioned the Toymaker as a member of the Doctor’s own race, a concept that resonates given their established history even within this episode. Their prior encounters and shared understanding hinted at a deeper connection, making a Time Lord origin plausible. In retrospect, the Toymaker can even be seen as a prototype for the Master, sharing similar traits of intellectual superiority, manipulative tendencies, and a flair for theatrical villainy. While the Master is arguably a more refined and developed antagonist, the Toymaker’s earlier appearance provides a fascinating glimpse into the genesis of this archetype within Doctor Who.
While the exact runtime of “The Celestial Toymaker” might be debated, it clocks in at approximately one hour and forty minutes, comprised of four episodes each around twenty-five minutes long. This duration feels appropriate for the story’s content. Stretching the narrative beyond four episodes would likely dilute the plot, leading to repetition and filler. However, with additional runtime, there might have been opportunities to reintegrate the Doctor more fully into the narrative earlier, allowing for a more proactive role rather than his prolonged game with the Toymaker. Yet, this expansion risks introducing unnecessary padding and detracting from the overall story’s pacing, which, as it stands, is commendably well-managed.
As an adventure series, Doctor Who inherently involves action, and “The Celestial Toymaker” delivers in this regard, albeit unconventionally. The action primarily manifests in the form of the games Steven and Dodo are forced to play. The engagement comes from watching them decipher the Toymaker’s riddles and navigate the perilous games to progress towards reclaiming the TARDIS. The hopscotch game stands out as a particularly tense sequence, fueled by the anticipation of Cyril’s potential treachery. The build-up and suspense in these game sequences are effectively executed. However, a weakness lies in the somewhat ambiguous resolution of the Doctor’s own game against the Toymaker. The nature of the Doctor’s victory remains unclear, making their mental battle feel like an afterthought, mirroring the Doctor’s overall diminished presence in the narrative.
In conclusion, while the animation of “The Celestial Toymaker” allows fans to experience this lost story in a complete visual format, the serial itself remains an average Doctor Who offering. Even considering the budgetary limitations typical of classic Doctor Who, the story ultimately falls short of its potential. Combining various factors, “The Celestial Toymaker” settles into the realm of a middling episode within the extensive Doctor Who canon. Therefore, considering both its merits and shortcomings, “The Celestial Toymaker” animation earns a score of 5.5 out of 10.
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New Alt Text: Close-up animated image of Michael Gough as the Celestial Toymaker, highlighting his captivating and eerie performance in Doctor Who. -
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New Alt Text: Animated characters Steven and Dodo in a tense moment during one of the Toymaker’s dangerous games in Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker. -
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New Alt Text: Animated scene from Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker, capturing the whimsical yet threatening atmosphere of the Toymaker’s domain.
