Doctor Who To Recreate Missing The Celestial Toymaker Episodes With Animation

The BBC has announced that is using animation to recreate the missing episodes of the original “The Celestial Toymaker” Doctor Who story. Neil Patrick Harris played the Toymaker in the third and final , “The Giggle.” However, Michael Gough originated the role in the 1966 Doctor Who serial. Three of the four chapters of that serial were lost, leaving only the final episode watchable. Using the audio track that remains for all four episodes (which has previously been released in audiobook form), the BBC will produce an animated recreation of the first three episodes, making it possible to watch the entire “The Celestial Toymaker” serial.

Doctor Who fans will have options for how they watch the recreated “The Celestial Toymaker” serial. The Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker set, which will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in 2024, includes on its first disc all four episodes of the serial animated in black and white for a cohesive animated viewing experience. The disc also includes reconstructions of the first three episodes with a new restoration of the surviving original fourth episode. These are accompanied by new audio commentaries.

The second disc of Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker has all four animated episodes in color. Additionally, this disc includes the following special features:

• Making The Animation
• Doctor Who Escape Room – Team First Doctor
• Sylvester McCoy Introduction for episode 4 as per the original VHS release
• Photo Gallery
• PDF Material including camera scripts

Here’s the synopsis for Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker: “The Celestial Toymaker sees the Doctor and companions separated when they come up against the Toymaker. While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play seemingly childish but ultimately dangerous games with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS.”

Who is the Toymaker in Doctor Who?

Doctor Who Special 3: “The Giggle” featured guest star Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker. Michael Gough originated the Toymaker character in the classic Doctor Who Series 3 serial “The Celestial Toymaker,” where he faced the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell. The Toymaker is a mischievous being who enjoys trapping others and forcing them into playing childish games with their freedom at stake.

The Celestial Toymaker is the Toymaker’s only appearance in Doctor Who television. Unfortunately, the serial is one of those lost Doctor Who episodes that fell victim to the BBC’s then-policy of purging old material. Only its fourth and final episode, “The Final Test,” remains intact. However, the audio track survived and has been re-released in audiobook format.

While the Toymaker only had one previous and one upcoming appearance in Doctor Who television, he’s popped up in several other mediums, including facing off against Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor in the Doctor Who audio serial The Magic Mousetrap. He’s appeared in several comic book stories (most recently Titan Comics’ Doctor Who 2015 Holiday Special) and the Fifth Doctor novel Divided Loyalties by Gary Russell.

Doctor Who returns on Christmas Day with the Christmas Special episode, “The Church on Ruby Road.”